Marching Band Parent 101

The TDMK Marching Band program is supported by a parent run organization – the TDMK Band Boosters. The Band Boosters exists solely through volunteer parents in order to help provide your students with an enjoyable and rewarding music experience. 

As a parent of a band member you automatically become a member of the Thomas Dale High School Band Boosters. 

This organization depends upon the involvement of every parent with a student in the Music Department. Although committee work is not a requirement for membership in The TDMK Band Boosters, we encourage everyone to get involved and experience the fun and satisfaction of supporting our students and the band.

Field Terminology

• 🧑‍⚖️ Adjudicator: Another term for “judge.” The adjudicator’s job is to provide evaluation and feedback for a specific performance at a specific event. In a competition setting, the adjudicator may also be tasked to rank groups and help determine awards based on scores they provide.

• 🏳️ 🎹 Auxiliary: For marching band scores - color guard | for pit & pit crew - triangles, tambourine, etc.

• 🥁 Battery: Marching Band percussion section that carries drums and marches; consists of snare drums, bass drums, and tenors (see Tenors).

• 🎺 Brass: Trumpets, Mellophones, Horns, Euphoniums, Baritones, Trombones, Sousaphones and Tubas. (All the shiny instruments that don’t have reeds.)

• ⚫ Drill: The actual choreography of the show. It involves the development of the patterns in which the band will march while playing the show music. The drill is written with each band member represented by a specific dot. If a band member is not available for a show, it creates a hole where the dot is and affects the visual aspect of the performance. Each dot is essential to each performance!

• Drum Major(s): Student conductor(s) who direct the marching band as it plays.

• Drumline: The entire percussion section of the Marching Band includes both the PIT and the Battery.

• Field Show/Showcase: A marching band competition that takes place on high school football fields. Marching bands perform up to an 11-minute show for the audience and a panel of judges. Bands compete based on size.

• General Effect (also called GE): It's meant to measure that very intangible, somewhat subjective idea of the impact your band's show has on your audience. This is the leans, head nods, etc. in a field show.

• 🏳️ Guard (or Colorguard): A group of students who add color and style to marching band performances with flags and other props. Also known as Auxiliary, the term originally used for the flag/rifle carriers who stood at the front of a marching show. This evolved into a modern color guard when dance and decorative flags were added.

• Marimba: Percussion instrument; a type of xylophone.

• Metronome: Device (or app) which adulates and visually represents the tempo or steady beat. (Think tick, tick, tick, tick.)

• Mellophone: Marching French horn.

• Pit: Marching band percussion section (percussion instrument team) that does not march (plays on the sidelines), composed of instruments such as tympani, marimbas, gongs, etc.

• 💪 Pit Crew: Parents/Students who help move percussion equipment out to the field for competition. All volunteer parents who assist the marching band with the loading, transportation, unloading, and setup of band equipment Pit Instruments, Show Props and more at all marching events. 

• Quads: Multi-tenor drums commonly mounted in sets of 4-6 drums

• Section: Each instrument group or unit of the band. (i.e. Flutes, Trombones, Color guard)

• Section Leader: Appointed by the band directors to be in charge of his/her section of the band.

• Sectional: A rehearsal called by the Student Leader of each section. All students in a section are expected to attend all Sectionals.

• Sousaphone: Another term for the tuba. (Wraps around body)

• Tenors: Set of 5-6 connected drums carried by members of the Battery.

• Vibraphone: Percussion instrument; a big, metal looking xylophone

• 🪈 Woodwinds: Flutes, Clarinets, Bassoon, and Saxophone.

Uniform Terminology

• • Bibs/Bibber: Black overall-type pants. The overall-like garment worn under a jacket in standard marching band uniforms.

  • Marching Shoes: Special shoes each marcher wears during shows and competitions. Not to be worn during Concert season.

  • Plume: Feather adornment worn on the Shako with the marching band uniform. 

  • Marching Band Jacket: Jacket worn over undershirt and Bibs/Bibber

  • Shako: A shako is a tall hat with a visor.

  • Show Shirts: A shirt matching the theme of the performance. Great souvenir for the year.

Competitions

• Scoring in Competitions

  • • 1 - Superior (the absolute best score!)

    • 2 - Excellent

    • 3 - Good

    • 4 - Fair

    • 5 - Poor

• Who Gets Scored?

  • • Drum Majors

    • Auxiliary (Color Guard)

    • Percussion

    • Overall Band

• Additional Categories:

  • • Best in Class Auxiliary: Best color guard in their classification

    • Best Overall GE: Best general effect in their classification

    • Best Overall Music: Best overall music in their classification

    • Best in Class Percussion: Best percussion in their classification

    • Best Overall Visual: Best visuals in their classification

    • Grand Champion: Best overall score out of every band competing

    • Grand Reserve Champion: Second best overall score out of every band competing

Overview:

For those of you who are new band parents, and as a reminder for those of us who have done this for a while, we wanted to post a few guidelines for competition etiquette. 

Competition days can be overwhelming for our new families and sometimes the little things get overlooked. One of the most important parts of a field show is the audience. There are many types of spectators at a band show and they have many different reasons for coming to the show. Each band performing at a competition event has their own story to tell. 

• Some come from large schools, others come from small schools.

• Some have overcome odds just to have a marching band in which to participate. 

• Some may have experienced difficult setbacks, while others are experiencing their most positive marching season ever. 

Regardless of each band’s particular circumstances, every student who takes the field has made the choice to use music, color, and motion into an art. 

As parents, boosters, and spectators, we each have a responsibility to recognize those efforts by simply being a good audience. It is also important to realize that although it is fun to visit with family and friends during a contest, it is unfair to distract other spectators from enjoying the show. This is true at any performance, please be respectful of all other spectators and hopefully, they will extend you the same courtesy. 

The best seats are as close to the 50-yard line and as high up in the stands as possible. Naturally, these are the first to go. If you want to have the best seats, arrive before the show begins and stake out your spot.

Do:

• • 👏 Be supportive of each and every band. 

    • • Be considerate during each band’s performance and show your appreciation for their hard work by your hearty applause at the end of every band’s performance as well as when they take the field for competition. Remember, the students in the other bands have worked just as hard as our own students. They deserve our respect and applause. Every marching band member in every band is participating in an activity that is teaching them teamwork, respect, and pride in what they do. There are no losers in this activity.

  • 🌅 Show up early. This is especially true for supporters of larger class bands. Many smaller class bands have great shows. Arrive early at the next show and see what you have been missing.

  • 📳 Turn off (or at least put on vibrate) your cell phone. If you receive a call during a performance, wait until that performance is over before returning the call.

  • 🤫 Refrain from conversation during the performances. Show respect for the bands and the spectators around you by not talking during a performance.

  • 📄 Buy a program and familiarize yourself with how the event is being judged and scored. Be an “informed” spectator.

  • 🍿 Buy something from the concession stand. In many cases, a band competition may be the major source of a band program's yearly budget. They have made a large investment and would appreciate your support.

  • Attend as many performances as possible to support our students and enjoy the show.

Don't:

• • 🤸 Don't allow children to play in the stands and distract other spectators. Obviously, children are the future of this activity. It is good for them to see why big brother and big sister are always at practice and are not at home. However, for their safety and as a courtesy to others they should not be allowed to run up and down steps and play in the aisles so others may enjoy the show.

  • 🪑Don't leave or return to your seat during a band’s performance. Wait until a performance has ended before moving about. You will only need to wait 15 minutes, at the most, before the next break. There is sufficient time between bands to move in and out of your seating area.

  • ☂️ Don't obstruct the view of others. Please avoid standing in front of people trying to watch the show. 

  • 👻 Don't "boo" other bands or the contest results during the awards. Unfortunately, everyone is not going to agree on contest results. Booing the award winners or the judges will not accomplish positive results.

  • 🤐 Don't comment on other performances unless it's complimentary. Every band on the field is “somebody’s band”, and it may be the folks sitting next to or behind you. Give to the other participating bands the same respect and attention you hope they will give to our band.

The most important rule of all: Come see your child perform. They work really hard and whether they say it or not, they love it when you are there to see them perform. COME OUT AND ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE! 

Hopefully, these tips will make your experience more enjoyable as you cheer your favorite band on and support all the performers of this amazing art form.

Q. How do we keep up to date on band schedule changes, since our kids don’t tell us anything?

A. The best way to stay on top of the band’s activities is to attend the Band Boosters meetings and provide us with your email address so that you can be included in the newsletter. Facebook and Band App are the best ways to communicate with the staff and other parents.

Q. When does the Marching Band practice?

A. Marching Band is typically every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 4 – 6pm. Wednesdays are for sectionals. All practices and band camp are held at Thomas Dale High School. Students are responsible to find their own way to and from band camp and practices. Make friends with other parents to help carpool!

Q. When does the TDMK Marching Band perform?

A. The band performs at all “home” football games and community parades. All competitions are held on Saturdays throughout Sept - Nov.

Q. What is band camp?

A. Marching Band has two weeks of band camp; two weeks in July/August just prior to the start of school at Thomas Dale High School. Rookies, Percussion and Color Guard will have additional camp the week before. Band camp is dedicated to learning the music, drill, marching fundamentals, as well as sectional time. It’s an opportunity for the band to become familiar with each other, their music and formations - and form a special bond!

Q. Is band camp mandatory?

A. YES. The staff and students work VERY hard throughout these days. It is important for the students to attend as many of those sessions as possible because this is when they bring together the music that they have been learning on their own prior to camp and the drill for their marching band show. Help to encourage your student to have their music memorized BEFORE camp starts! Individual problems should be discussed in advance with the Band Directors. Remember to accommodate band camp in your family’s vacation plans this summer!

Q. Is band camp difficult?

A. The kids get quite a workout. Be prepared for plenty of sweating. It’s an experience most of the kids “love to hate.” Students must follow an appropriate dress code of – t-shirts, shorts, comfortable sneakers, hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Bring a water container – unlimited refills are available throughout the day.

Q. What is the benefit of band camp?

A. One major benefit of band camp – when your freshman or new marching band student arrives for the first day of high school, he or she will already be a part of a well respected group and will have a whole new group of friends (across all grades) to help with the transition into high school. Our band students look out for each other and especially for the new members.

Q. Are all practices and performances mandatory?

A. YES. Each band member contributes a piece of the puzzle that is on display each week during our season. It is important to have all the pieces of the puzzle at rehearsal. However, there are occasions that can’t be avoided and the band member may be excused by the Band Director with proper notification. (e.g. illness or unavoidable academic or school related conflict)

Q. How do the students get to the various performances?

A. Keeping track of 100+ band members is a large and difficult task. For this reason we ask that your children travel to and from all events with the band by the transportation provided (school bus or charter bus).

Q. Can parents attend the rehearsals and performances?

A. Parents are encouraged to attend any and all performances. Chaperones/Pit Crew helpers are needed for each event and sign-ups will be available for this purpose. All volunteers traveling with the group and/or helping with the students will need to fill out the required CCPS volunteer forms, fingerprinted, and be approved.