Category: marching band

Percussion schedule – May/June 2019

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Our percussion sections are already starting their preparations for marching band!

These rehearsals allow many of our new marching band percussion students to learn about the different sections and instruments, and helps prepare them for summer practices (both group and individual home practice). Drumline auditions are also held during this time.

For a complete list of rehearsal dates and times, please click this link to download and print the schedule. These dates are also on our online calendar, which you may sync your phone to as well.

The schedule concludes in June with the full parent meeting with the music staff. We look forward to seeing you then!

Congratulations to our back to back to back National Champion marching band!!!

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This weekend the Dartmouth High School Marching Band & Colorguard won their THIRD US Bands Division V Championship in a row with a score of 98.075! 

Our kids truly represented Dartmouth with pride this weekend. Their performance was outstanding, and drew praise from many other schools (both students and instructors alike). On Sunday the kids all got a chance to have fun and relax at the Palisades Center in New York, where they navigated a 4 story ropes course, helped each other solve escape rooms, ice skated, shopped, and may have even caught a quick cat nap on one of many massage chairs in the mall. 

The DSMA would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to all of the parents, family members, and supporters who have helped to lend a hand this season. It was YOUR hard work that helped our students take the field every week safely, knowing that all they needed to do was to go out on the field and have fun. 

Congrats again to our hard working students on their well-earned championship!

Itinerary for 10/31 – 11/3 – football, Danbury show, & NESBA Finals

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An updated itinerary for the remainder of the week went out today to all of our marching band & guard families, and can also be downloaded by clicking here. Here’s a quick rundown!

Football – the game originally scheduled for Friday has been moved to Thursday night at 7pm due to weather concerns. If you are available to volunteer in our concession stand, please email davemeatty@dsmahome.org!

Competitions – on Saturday our band & guard will be performing at US Bands regional championships in Danbury CT, and on Sunday we’ll be in Lawrence for NESBA finals. Performance times are listed on the itinerary, and tickets for Danbury are still available for $15 from the DSMA. Tickets will be available at the Thursday football game as well as during dropoff on Saturday morning. Due to some weather-related rescheduling, we had some chaperones who aren’t able to help on Sunday so if you have a CORI on file and you would like to help chaperone NESBA Finals, please email russbenoit@dsmahome.org.

MetLife meeting – the plan is to have a parent meeting on Tuesday November 6, time TBD to go over US Bands Nationals at MetLife. We’ll also have a representative on-hand to go over the upcoming mattress fundraiser and the company will donate $10 for every family that attends the meeting! 

Finally, we wanted to extend our thanks to all of the parents who traveled with the band to New Britain on Tuesday, or met us in the lot there to help out with the props and pit. Due to the mid-week show, an extremely rare occurrence, we did not have a number of staff and parents available to build our trees and help move our pit equipment. Our kids, our staff, and the DSMA board greatly appreciate you taking the time to help make sure our kids had a successful show!

Tuesday 10/30 update – middle school uniforms, instruments, and more

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Here are a few more updates with info on the timeline tomorrow for the special event taping, and the rescheduled New Britain competition.

-After rehearsal this afternoon, the truck will be loaded with the pit instruments, and instrument cases. Students will take their instrument directly on the bus tomorrow to the event taping. High school students will help bring the instruments used by middle schoolers, so they don’t have to worry about bringing them on the bus to school tomorrow morning without a case.

-High schoolers should have their uniform bag with BOTH uniforms at the high school for the end of rehearsal today. Middle schoolers should bring their uniform bags to school with them tomorrow (Tuesday). They will change into their GREEN football uniform at DMS, and the buses will pick up all middle schoolers after leaving the high school, on the way to the special event taping.

-The DSMA still has tickets for sale for tomorrow night’s US Bands competition in CT. If you are planning on heading to the show, PLEASE purchase your tickets in advance from the DSMA for $15/each. Sue Benoit will be at rehearsal today from 4:40-5pm with tickets. 

Itinerary for Week of October 22 – US Bands NE States show (New Britain)

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This week’s itinerary has been emailed out to families, and can be downloaded by clicking this link. This Saturday will be our first of two shows in Connecticut as the season ramps up to Nationals at MetLife Stadium! Our online Google calendar has been updated to reflect the rehearsal, performance, and return times as well.

The DSMA has tickets on sale for both shows for $15 each. US Bands requires us to sell 90 tickets for the New Britain show, so buy your tickets from us and save $5 on each ticket! You can pay in person, or you can easily pay online by clicking this link.

Don’t forget about our wreaths and poinsettia fundraiser! This is always one of our most popular fundraisers, and is a hit at the holidays. 

Itinerary for week of Oct 15 – US Bands Somerset, CT show tickets, and more!

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Itinerary

This week’s itinerary was emailed out to all band and guard families, and can also be found by clicking this link. We have a football game on Friday, and a US Bands competition in Somerset on Saturday.

CT Regional tickets for sale

The DSMA has tickets for both upcoming Connecticut US Bands regional events- 10/27 in New Britain, and 11/03 in Danbury. Tickets are $15 each, and you will save $5 by purchasing them through the DSMA. We ask that if you plan on going, that you buy the tickets in advance as we are required to sell 90 tickets for the New Britain show. Tickets will be available during pickup at the end of every Tuesday and Thursday rehearsal, please see Russ Benoit to purchase them, or pick them up if you purchase them online.

Uniform care

Our marching band members are wearing white uniforms and white shoes, and they can become dirty quickly. It is extremely important that the uniform pants be cleaned and ironed before every competition! As the season starts to reach it’s most important shows, every little thing counts. Please have your student remove their uniform from the bag after every competition to wash it, and also clean their white shoes. 

THANK YOU Parents!

The DSMA would like to thank all of the parents who have stepped up to volunteer at our football games, chaperone competitions, and help with props and pit equipment. It’s on us as parents to ensure everything is taken care of behind the scenes, so our students can confidently take the field and put on the best show they’re capable of. If you would like to volunteer to help with equipment or chaperone any of the remaining competitions, please email Russ Benoit. 

Itinerary for Week of September 24, 2018 – Home Show

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The itinerary for this week’s home show rehearsal and competition has been emailed out to families. It can also be found by clicking this link.

Our home show will feature 10 bands from MA, RI, and CT, and is our biggest single-day fundraiser for the DSMA. If you have signed up to help volunteer at the home show, THANK YOU! If you haven’t signed up to volunteer but would like to help, most shifts start at either 3:30pm or 4:30pm. Please email Russ Benoit as soon as possible if you would like to sign up. 

Itinerary for Week of September 17, 2018 – BLACKSTONE US Bands show

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This week’s itinerary can be found by clicking this link. It will also be emailed out to all band & guard families shortly. 

Please note two things for this week:

  1. Thursday’s rehearsal time has been CHANGED due to Open House at DHS. 
  2. This week’s show is actually in Medway, not in Blackstone. The address on the itinerary and in the online Google Calendar is correct.

We are excited for our first competition this weekend!

Band Camp/New Season Reminders/New Parent Meet and Greet

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BAND CAMP PREPAREDNESS
With BAND CAMP upon us, the DSMA would like to remind everyone of the following, just like the Scouts it is always best to BE PREPARED! Here is a list of things to bring while at camp:
 
Plenty of WATER
A hat to shield the sun
Sidewalk chalk to mark your spacing dots on the parking lot
Please RETURN your shorts!
Food and HEALTHY snacks, limit sugary items
 
UNIFORMS
Marching Band and Percussion Students MUST bring in the following uniform items:
ALL Uniform parts including Shako, green and white pants, jacket, gauntlet and plume!
 
Sue Benoit will be at the practice the following days/times to review uniforms, please make every effort to have your student meet with Sue during the following times:
1 hour before each practice:  11:00 – 12:00  and at each break:  1:00-2:00 and 5:00-6:00
Seniors:  Monday
Sophomores/Juniors: Tuesday
Freshman/Sophomores:  Wednesday
NEW Members: Thursday (and the following Monday if needed)
For NEW members without uniforms, uniform sign outs will take place at the upcoming BBQ.
 
Sue needs help at any/all of these times so if you are interested in pitching in please contact Sue and let her know – she will greatly appreciate any assistance and it’s a great chance to meet some of the kids and other parents.  She can be contacted at suebenoitdsma@gmail.com
 
PROPS
Tim Enos is heading up Prop Construction once again this year and anyone with an interest in assisting him are welcome to join him next Saturday, August 18th between 9-5 on the side of the high school. People with any skill level can assist as there are many things to do that help make the props the success they have always been. Any questions can be sent to Tim at timenosdsma@gmail.com
 
GILLETTE CONCESSION
Please consider signing up for a Gillette spot for August 16th. We are currently in need of 9 more people to fill out our roster.  This important program is responsible for raising over $30,000 every year, money that directly supports the Marching Band program at the school, it is also a great way for families to offset the various costs involved in participation. Tracy can be reached at tracynapertdsma@gmail.com
 
NEW PARENT MEET AND GREET
The DSMA would like to welcome the parents of our new band students and give them a chance to meet each other in an informal setting over light refreshments. This will give everyone a chance to say hello, ask questions about the program and put names to faces of the DSMA board, committee people and other new parents. The meet and greet will be this Monday, 7:30 at the High School. Feel free to stop in any time after 7:30, before picking your child up from camp.
 
That about covers it for now, thank you for your help making the upcoming Marching Band another success! 
 
-Greg Jones, Corresponding Secretary gregjones@dsmahome.org