Dear Band Parents and Friends,

This week will be another busy one so I wanted to give you a heads up on some of the logistics for the week.

Tuesday – students going on the middle school tour must report to the band room for 6:30 AM and wear their red pep band shirts with black pants. Girls wear their school plaid skirts. Students need to bring money for lunch that day. We will report back to school around 3:15. After-school practice will be from 3:30 – 4:30 that day.

Don’t forget that we have a game (middle school band night) this Thursday and that means we will have practice on Wednesday. This will serve as our “dress rehearsal” for Saturday’s marching band festival, the Dutchtown High School Invitational. This is a big recruiting event for us so let’s pray for a good turnout and great weather.

We perform at 10 AM this Saturday at Dutchtown High School. Parents will need to provide transportation to and from Dutchtown for the event. Students need to report NO LATER than 9 AM. Please assemble by our white band trailer. Students will need to bring clothes to change into after our performance and money for lunch. Students will be dismissed AFTER the awards ceremony, which is scheduled for 3 PM. There will be numerous other bands that we will want to see, including Dutchtown, East Ascension, North Vermillion, South Lafourche, and even a special appearance from St. Michael alumnus, Brianna Alumbaugh, when she performs with the Northwestern University Marching Band!!

One more thing. Please join me in congratulating sophomore, Steven Reed, for not only earning a spot in this year’s All State Concert Band, but for being the youngest St. Michael student to ever earn a spot in an all state band! We are Warrior Proud!

Doc

Dear Band Parents,

This is just a quick note about tomorrow. We didn’t get to practice today because of the storm. The rain didn’t let up until about 4:15. Anyway, they missed my pregame announcements so:

pregame meal is pulled pork sandwiches, served at 4:15 – no charge
bus leaves at 4:45 for Covington
we will not be performing a halftime show so we will leave “the pit” at school
there will be a “grab and go” post-game meal

Next week is HOMECOMING! Band students have two performances. The first is for the Pep Rally following the Block party. The pep rally begins at 7 PM and should be done by 7:45. Students need to be dressed (spirit shirts and jeans) and at school no later than 6:30. I suggest you get here earlier so you can take part in the food, fun, and games at the block party.

Thank you parents for your involvement in our band program!

Doc

Dear Warrior Band Parents,

We are preparing to tour 4 of our feeder schools this fall, starting with a visit to St. Alphonsus next Tuesday. I will need help from parents to drive vehicles and transport larger instruments that cannot fit on the bus. Here is what I plan to bring:

Music stands (17 of them)
Keyboard, stand, and amp
Electric bass and amp
Drum set
Sousaphones (2 of them)
Trombones (4)
Baritone Sax (yes it’s large)
Tenor saxes (3)
Marching Bass Drum and stands (3)
Marching tenor drum and stand

The dates for our tours are Tuesday, September 25 (St. Alphonsus) and Tuesday, October 16 (MBS, SJV, STM)

We will leave campus at 7:15 AM on both days.  Please email me at school if you are available to help drive some of our equipment.

Thanks again for all you do for your children and St. Michael,

Doc

Dear Warrior Band Parents, Students, and Friends,

As we prepare for next Friday’s away football game I want to first say that I am happy with the progress we’ve been making. We have been having to deal with rain delays at practice and it seems we just can’t catch a break. Last night’s performance wasn’t our best. I think the heat and humidity got to our kids. I hope we can get a few cool fronts in very soon. It makes a big impact on the performance of our young musician/athletes.

Next Friday, we will be departing St. Michael at 1:30 to travel a little north of Natchitoches in charter busses. Thank you for supporting our big fund raiser, Moonlight and Jazz. Because of this, there will be NO cost to you parents for transportation! You have already paid for a “grab and go” meal for the trip home. I am blessed to have some good help from all of you and we have made arrangements to feed our participants while they are on the bus (around 5 PM) a meal that should hold them until the post-game meal. They will each receive a 6-inch subway sandwich, a bag of chips and two bottles of water. I want them to drink both bottles before we get to the game so they are well hydrated when we get there. The cost for this meal is $4 each. Please have them bring $4 cash by Monday of next week so I can reimburse the people who will be purchasing the sandwiches, chips, and waters.

Thank you again for all you do to support your child’s music education at St. Michael.

Doc

There has been a big change in plans. Sorry!  Don’t shoot the messenger!

Next week’s game at Dunham High School will not be played on Friday. The date of the game that we received last May was incorrect. Coach Sanchez found me this morning and told me that the game is actually on Thursday. So, we will have after school rehearsals on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. The good news is we will be off Friday, so now you can make fun plans Friday evening.

Thanks

Doc

Just a quick note to let you know that Friday’s game has been moved from Memorial Stadium to Olympia Stadium.

This Friday’s pregame meal will be tacos. I will give students more information tomorrow at school.

Thanks,

Doc

Dear Band Parents,

Please read Rob Smiths memo concerning your child’s safety after football games this year:

Parents, please be aware of our new postgame procedures for parking and picking up players after Friday night football games. For safety reasons we will no longer be allowing anyone to drive to the back of the school to pick up their child.  All parents will have to park in the front lot of the school and their student will meet them there.  If parents are helping with the postgame meal they will also need to park in the front of the school and walk back to the cafeteria.  The only vehicles that will be allowed in the back will be the school buses and vehicles pulling the support trailers.

The side gate between the gym and the school will be open to allow for safe passage without having to walk through the mud.

Thank you for you help in keeping our students safe

God Bless

I’m so proud of members of our St. Michael Jazz Combo for performing at the reception following the installation of our new Catholic Bishop, Michael Duca! After only two weeks of school and a lot of work on their own, Ben Messina, Steven Reed, Sam Richard, David Baudauin, Hector Barraza, CJ Gautreaux, and Christopher Dugas performed an hour’s worth of music at the Catholic Life Center. Many people commented on how awesome they sounded! When they were finished, they visited with the bishop and gave him a card signed by many students and faculty at St. Michael, welcoming the new bishop to our diocese. As I introduce each member by name, they shook hands with Bishop Duca and the bishop complimented them on “giving a real handshake.” He said each one of them gave him a firm handshake and looked him right in the eye! Way to go guys! I told you that’s important! 🙂

Here are some pictures from the event.

Our St. Michael Jazz Combo performed during the cocktail hour Sunday at John Folse’s “Dining by Design,” a fundraiser for Sr. Dulce’s foundation. As we were leaving, this stranger with a bandana stopped by and insisted on taking a picture with our celebrity musicians. After some coercing, I found a few guys who were willing to acquiesce. 🙂

 (click on the thumbnail to get the full picture)

On a side note, the guys in the combo did a tremendous job! I’m extremely proud of them for their hard work, dedication, and work ethic (they had to practice on their own off campus). I’m looking forward to more great performances and tremendous growth from these guys. They will be performing this Friday at the reception following the installation of our new bishop.

Doc

Dear Band Parents,

I did my math wrong! Sorry about that. For those who haven’t paid for the post-game meals it’s $45 (5 home games) + $15 (3 away games) and that would be $60 and not $65. Please make that check payable to Melissa Hebert.

The fee to help defray costs for meals during band camp, band night, and other marching season expenses is $35. That’s a total of $95 for all meals and season expenses. I think my math added up to only $90.

Sorry for the confusion. Many of you have already paid your initial $80. Thank you. We will get that to the appropriate people. If the rest of you would please make two checks: one to Melisa Hebert for $60 and one to St. Michael for $35, that should get us up to date. Please remember to have your child bring his/her paperwork in too!

Thanks and again, I’m sorry for the confusion.

Doc