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Calendars • PHSMB Upcoming Events Pre-Festival Concert 2/29 & 3/1, 7 pm, PCPA Poway's Got Talent 3/2, 7pm, PCPA Irvine Jazz Festival 3/17, Time TBA London Rehearsals (6 - 8 p.m., N1) Thurs, Feb. 16 Wed, Mar. 14 Thurs, Mar. 22
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Frequently Asked Questions: Marching Band & Color Guard Marching Band Scheduling Instruments Band Camp Competitions Percussion Color Guard Music Boosters Marching Band Why should I join the Emerald Brigade? Do I have to be a great player to join band? NO!! We have summer sectionals and band camp to provide students focussed time to practice with their instruments. Does marching band involve students to the exclusion of other school activities? No. We have students that are involved in all aspects of student organizations and clubs. Students will have to learn to manage their time wisely to be involved in several school activities, but it can be done and has been done successfully for many years. Do I have to be in Marching Band if I join band? No. But we highly recommend becoming a part of the Emerald Brigade marching band. Most of the fun in high school band comes from marching season. You get to learn a field show, make tons of new friends, play and hang out at football games, go to competitions all over Southern California, and a whole lot more! Be a part of marching band! It's the best part of high school band! What if I am not good enough to be in the Emerald Brigade? All you need is the want to be a part of the Emerald Brigade and we will help you with the rest! Can a student be in marching band if they are not in a band class? No. Students must also be enrolled in a band class. How many students are in the Emerald Brigade marching band? For the 2009-2010 season, we had about 160 students in band, including color guard. Why does the marching band rehearse so much? The Emerald Brigade has always been known for its high quality of performance and is consistently rated high in competitions. It is important that in the short time we have in the fall that the group performs to best of its ability. Is marching band actually fun? Or just a lot of work? Marching band is so much fun that most students think of it as the highlight of the year! Each section has their own secret traditions and activities, and being able to hang out with the rest of the band and make new friends is a really neat experience. Yes, marching band is a lot of work, but everyone agrees at the end that it was well worth the effort. What are the key parts of the marching band? Drum major - lead the parades and field show. The drum majors leads the band in preparation and training. They also lead the section leaders. Drum majors put on clinics for aspiring drum majors to learn from them. They also attend drum major camp. Band section leaders - one or more people from each section (depends on section size) are chosen by the band director to assist with organizing training and practice for their sections. They assist as leaders during band camp. Percussion - This is the drumline and front ensemble. In parade, the drums are in a block in the middle of the band and the front ensemble typically plays other instruments. For field show, the drums are part of the marching unit and the front ensemble is set up in front of the band with the assistance of the equipment crew. The front ensemble has multiple xylophones, an electric piano, gong, glockenspiel, a set of tympani, and a full drum set. Percussion competes in indoor winter events that have the drums marching with the front ensemble set up in the front. Lots of percussive sound. Color guard - This group is incorporated into the field shows, demonstrating a variety of artistic and physical skills during the show. They use flags, rifles, and swords. For parade, this group handles the letters "Poway" in the front of the band. During the winter, the color guard performs in Winter Guard competitions, an indoor performance using the field show items without the band. Band - Everyone else. Lots of instruments. Lots of sound. Lots of marching. What are the key parent volunteer parts of the band? The Equipment Crew is a special set of volunteers. They load, drive, and unload the trucks. On the trucks are drums, sousaphones, xylophones, drum major conducting stands, food, tables, uniforms, hats, repair tools, and other items. The Uniform coordinators match uniforms with students during the summer. They adjust pants length and see that everything fits. During performance days, they help adjust uniforms and make repairs. Bus chaperones go on one or more trips. They assist on the busses, help with food preparation or serving, assist with uniform adjustments and shoe polishing (parade competition includes inspection), provide water, and assist with moving equipment on and off of the field for field shows. They also assist with the food preparation and serving of our students at the performance site (chaperones eat after all of the students). Not everyone does every job. Perhaps I should just try it later. You don't want to make the mistake of not being a part the Emerald Brigade. You only get four years. I didn't sign up for band. Can I still be in the Emerald Brigade?v Yes. Just speak with band directors Mr. Cook or Mr. Sybilski. How can I get in touch with a band director? 
Mike Cook: 858-748-0245 x5255
Sylvester Sybilski: 858-748-0245 x5256As an incoming freshman, what exactly do I actually sign up for on my CRF? If you are a Marching Band student you should sign-up for Marching P.E. and Freshman Band. Scheduling I want to take a full schedule of demanding classes. Will I still have time to do marching band? Yes! Even if you've signed up for multiple A.P or Honors classes, marching won't be a problem. In fact, the Emerald Brigade includes some of the highest-achieving students on campus, and everyone finds time to fit everything in. Can I play sports and do marching band at the same time? Yes. Athletes are eligible to be apart of marching band pending they meet minimum participation requirements. The Band and Athletic departments work closely together to arrange practice time and rehearsal schedules to accommodate students participating in both activities. It is not always easy, and does require some advanced planning, but most conflicts are worked out with good communication between students, parent, coach, and band director. The student must take initial responsibility for working out conflicts by communicating with the coaches and band staff. Can I take marching band all four years of high school, and still get in all of my graduation requirements without attending summer school? Yes. However, if you choose not to take summer school, you will not have much room left over for extra electives. Many band students end up taking one to two semesters of summer school just to get ahead. Instruments I currently don't own an instrument, and play on one that was provided to me by the middle school. What will happen for me next year? Thankfully, the Emerald Brigade keeps a large amount of school-owned instruments. It will be no problem to find an instrument for you to play on during both the marching and concert seasons. Which wind instruments are able to march? The flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, bari saxophone, french horn (mellophone), trumpet, trombone, baritone (euphonium), and tuba. Which wind instruments can I play during concert season? All of the instruments during marching season, plus the piccolo, oboe, english horn, and bassoon. My instrument doesn't march. Am I able to participate in the Emerald Brigade? Of course! Many members of the marching band will play a regular marching instrument during marching season, and then transition to a concert instrument for the winter. This is very common, and many students end up enjoying being able to play two instruments! Should I have a different instrument for Marching Band? If you are fortunate enough to have purchased a "step-up" instrument after playing your beginner student instrument in middle school, we suggest you use the "better" instrument for inside playing and the student model for outside playing. We provide drumline equipment and mallet instruments for percussionists (you will need to buy sticks and mallets) . We suggest that you purchase or rent-to-own an intermediate/advanced model of your instrument for better performance in high school and beyond. Band Camp Can you give me information about Band Camp? Band camp takes place at PHS and is required for all competitive marching band students, and is typically scheduled for the week prior to the start of school. During this week, students learn the show that is to be featured at halftime during football games and also in the marching competitions. Students spend all day each day from early in the morning through late in the evening learning marching fundamentals, show music, and marching drill. Students return home each night. Are the August Band Camp rehearsals required for membership in the marching band? Yes. Students electing to become a part of the Emerald Brigade Marching Band must attend the week-long band camp in mid-August of each year. Much of the material that will be learned and performed through the fall marching season is introduced during this time to allow the students enough time to master the skills necessary to perform effectively throughout the marching season. What should I bring to Band Camp? What happens on the last night of Band Camp? On the last night of band camp, parents are invited to join the marching band in the quad by the band room to celebrate the start of a new marching band season. The Emerald Brigade will perform the music from this years field show. Parents will also have an opportunity to meet the band directors and student leadership. What are the dates for Band Camp 2010. For the Fall 2010 marching season, band camp will be held August 16 - Augusr 24. What are summer sectionals? Sectionals during the summer are held by the section leaders and held at various students houses. They are designed to help the players get ready for band camp and get a head start on the music. They are not mandatory if students have plans for summer vacations. Competitions How many marching competitions are there and what do they entail? Typically there are 5 - 6 marching competitions each fall season held on Saturdays, ranging from late September through early November. At these events, the marching band performs the full field show and competes with other bands of similar size and skill. Students must attend these competitions, and must travel and remain with the band until the competition is over. Does my student need to ride the bus to a competition? Anytime students are representing Poway High School, they are expected to travel on district approved vehicles, as a member of the group, at all times. Can I drive my student home after a competition? At the band director's discretion, students may be released after the competition to travel home with their parents. What are SCSBOA and MBOS? The Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) and Marching Band Open Series (MBOS) are circuits of high level marching band competition in which the Emerald Brigade participates. What it PIFT? The Poway Invitational Field Tournament (PIFT) welcomes bands from all over Southern California to perform at Poway High School. The Poway Invitational Field Tournament is designed to be a learning experience for both students and directors. Each band performs their field show for a panel of Southern California School, Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) judges and receives a ranking or placement. This is the one of the first public performances of the marching band season for most of the participating bands and attached units. It provides each group an opportunity to perform their competitive field show for a supportive tournament audience. The competition highlights music, student teamwork, and an intricate display of team cooperation and discipline. What are the competitions we travel to like? A typical show day will include a short practice in the afternoon, loading of the equipment trucks, traveling to the show, unloading of the equipment, warming up before performing, performing, loading of the equipment back onto the trucks, watching the rest of the show and awards, traveling home, and unloading of the equipment. The following is an example schedule: Who provides the Band uniforms? PHS, along with supplements from the Music Boosters, provide uniforms for the Marching Band. Percussion I'm a percussionist in my middle school band. What are my options for marching band? You have quite a few. The marching percussion section (known as the Battery) consists of snares, tenors (quads), and bass drums. Additionally the non-marching percussion section (known as the Front Ensemble) consists of an electric piano, as well as vibes, marimbas, xylophones, and other miscellaneous percussion equipment. Can I play a percussion instrument during the marching season, and a wind instrument during the concert season? Absolutely. This is also relatively common. Color Guard What is Color Guard? Color Guard is part of Marching Band. Members perform with flags and other props to enhance the visual element of the marching performance. After the marching band season, many members of Color Guard also participate in Winter Guard, rehearses regularly and travels to competitions. Music Boosters What is the Music Booster organization? All parents of PHS band students are automatically members of the Poway High School Music Boosters (PHSMB). The Music Boosters are a very active group of volunteers that are vital to the success of the PHS Instrumental Music program. Boosters plan, organize, raise money, and generally look after your students when you aren't there. The Poway High School Music Boosters is incorporated as a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization, complete with a charter, bylaws, and board of directors. The purpose of the organization is to provide for the needs of the PHS Instrumental Music program that are not already supplied by PUSD. Many committees are in place to accomplish the extensive goals of the organization. For more information regarding the organization and committees, see the web site at: http://www.phsmb.com. How can I get involved? How can I meet other band parents? When are the Music Booster meetings? Boosters meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7pm in the band room. Try to attend if you can as it provides a wonderful opportunity to meet other band parents. My child is a new band member. Do I need to come to Music Booster meetings? New members are strongly encouraged to attend Music Booster meetings. A lot of the information discussed there will only affect marching band members, but you also have an opportunity to hear what events are coming up and to interact with other band parents. How can I find out what happened at a meeting that I missed? The website for the Music Boosters is a great resource for information. You can also sign up to be added to our email distribution list at this location: http://www.phsmb.com/emailList.php. What is Chaperone Training and when is it offered? Chaperone Training will take place before the first football game. The Home and Away Lead Chaperones will review policies and procedures with the volunteers. Parents who volunteer to work with the band students and travel with them will be asked to complete security and release forms for the District. When the band makes a big event trip, can I as a parent travel along with the band? Chaperones are required to attend training at the beginning of the band year and will be responsible for supervising students on the trip. How can I find out information on band events and schedules? The most up-to-date information - and breaking news -- is posted on the Boosters website: http://www.phsmb.com. |
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Poway High School Music Boosters · PO Box 1376 · Poway, CA 92074-1376 · Email: 
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