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Kevin McKeown, Director of Bands
June 22nd, 2018
Dear Marching Band Parents:
With the end of the school year comes the beginning of summer and the anticipation of our exciting upcoming marching band season! Our upcoming 4th of July mini-camp is crucial to getting a good head start for our fall season, and student attendance and participation is vital. We will have three practices in preparation for our 4th of July parade performance on Main Street:
Friday, June 29th (1-4 p.m.)
Monday, July 2nd (1-4 p.m.)
Tuesday, July 3rd (1-4 p.m.)
(All rehearsals are in the band room, M102)
Students should wear comfortable clothes for the weather, hat, sunscreen, water, etc. Athletic shoes only, no open toed shoes/sandals/flip flops. If students cannot participate due to family vacation that is understandable, but we believe if your child is in town, and is available to be there, they should be there! (We will try our best to accommodate students in need of instruments during that time.)
Color Guard rehearsals for the summer (including the preparation for the 4th of July parade) are:
July 2nd and 3rd
4pm-9pm
July 16th and 17th
4pm-9pm
(No rehearsal on June 29th for Color Guard members)
Percussion students will be meeting every Tuesday from 4-8 p.m. (Front Ensemble will meet 2 hours only between those hours. Please contact Mariam Kaddoura for more information: mkaddoura@smmusd.org)
We will also spend some time with our musicians on our season’s competitive field show, “Wonderland,” inspired by the classic tale of Alice in Wonderland. The music features the unlikely and effective combination of composer Dmitri Shostakovich and Pink Floyd’s The Wall.
Band Camp this year will be from August 6th-10th and August 13th-17th from 12-8 pm – the two weeks leading into the beginning of the school year. Attendance for Band Camp is absolutely mandatory. Please do not schedule family vacations during these two weeks. Band Camp is the time when we start to establish technique and begin to learn our field show. In order to set the tone and ensure our students’ success, we need full participation from all!
If your child will be missing a significant part of camp they will most likely begin the school year and season as a marching “alternate”, meaning they will not be put into the show design until they learn the skill set that we are teaching during band camp. This does not exclude them from any activities, just that they may have less time “on the field” during the competitions. They will participate to the fullest of their abilities with the marching band.
Registration for the 2018 marching season will begin on June 29th.
The cost of Marching Band Camp is $250 per student* (plus a $500 donation for the season to cover our costs, including the competitive tournaments, Disneyland, UCLA Band Day, etc.). This insures that we can cover the costs of our show design, coaching, props, transportation, and more. The online registration form includes links to several options for submitting your contributions, including a monthly pay plan to help with the financial request.
CLICK HERE for a direct link to the 2018 Registration Form (opens June 29th)
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at komckeown@smmusd.org or our instructional assistant, Mariam Kaddoura, at mkaddoura@smmusd.org.
Welcome! Let’s have another great season, Samohi “Viking” Marching Band!
Kind regards,
Kevin O. McKeown,
Director of Bands
Santa Monica H.S.
*Families that contribute towards the cost of Band Camp will receive a letter acknowledging their contribution as a donation to the Band program.
