Marching Band Itineraries
Our State Marching Itinerary is available under the itineraries tab of our website.
(Remember to communicate individual transportation needs to Mr. Dupuis by noon the day before the event.)
Mark your calendar for potential playoff games on Nov. 1, Nov. 8. If there is a home play-off game, the band will follow the same home-game schedule as usual. These dates have been on the calendar since it was first published and students should reserve the time for these events. If we don’t land a home game, students get the benefit of a FREE Friday night.
Senior Recognition Night
Oct. 25th will be Senior Recognition Night. If you are the parent of a senior, please mark this date in your calendar. We will recognize you and your child after the half time performance. More details will follow to parents of seniors in a separate e-mail.
Volunteerism
We would appreciate chaperones and pit crew for our State Contest in Waukee this Saturday, as well as pit crew for our remaining home games. Please visit this site if you are interesting in being part of the team on those events! Thanks for your support.
Band Assignments
Students have until Friday, Oct. 18th to check off their marching band music with a staff member. Or, they can record themselves performing, e-mail it to a staff member, or provide a link to the recording. This assignment is ongoing throughout the entire marching band season through State Contest. Students can have as many tries as they wish within that time frame.
All-State Auditions
If your student is auditioning for Instrumental All-State on Oct. 26th, we will not be taking a bus. Most instrumental students have found it more conducive to arrive about 1 hour before their audition time rather than sitting around all day getting nervous. If your family has difficulty arranging transportation, let us know and we’ll assist in arranging a carpool. Specific audition times are not yet publicized. More details will be available soon.
Conferences
We hope to see band families at conferences on Oct. 22nd and 28th. Mr. Andrews will be late to due to a Middle School event on the 28th. He anticipates arriving between 6:45 and 7:00 pm.
Concert Bands
*Schedule for the Week of Oct. 21st*
Monday – No School
Tuesday – Concert Band (8AM start)
Wednesday – Marching Band (7AM start)
Thursday – Concert Band (8AM start)
Friday – Marching Band (7AM start)
Concert Bands will begin rehearsals on Tuesday, October 22nd. Rehearsals will start at 8:00 a.m. along with the rest of the school. Parking and traffic at UHS gets more congested approaching 8:00 a.m. Plan for adequate time to park or to drop off students. The expectation is for students to be in the band room doing personal warm-ups at 7:55 a.m. to ensure an excellent start at 8:00 a.m.
22nd Annual Urbandale Marching Invitational
We hosted over 2300 guests, nearly 2100 student performers and enjoyed an evening of great performances. We receive countless compliments about our 100+ parent volunteers who make the experience smooth and welcoming, and the Urbandale band students who cheer on the early performances is awesome. Everything is highly organized, which is thanks to Rosemary Stice (current parent), Al Strohmaier (parent of a late 90s graduate and founding member of the festival completing his 22nd year in charge of bus and truck parking/logistics), Janine Choudhury + Amy Brown Luke (chairs of concessions), and Dr. Watson’s team in the Activities Office.
It takes a large team of volunteers to pull this festival together each year. Thanks to each person who contributed time and energy in any amount to make number 22 a huge success.
Guest Artist Opportunity
Wednesday, October 23rd
2:30-3:30 PM – Performing Arts Center (open to current UHS Students)
Performance and Workshop with Max Pollak and Matthias Mueller
The Band and Drama Departments are collaborating in order to provide students with this unique opportunity.
We hope to see all available band and drama students in attendance!