Hillsborough High School

Eagle Band
2020-2021 Handbook

Hillsborough High School

1776 Eagle Lane
Hillsborough, VA 202020
 Welcome!
To Band Members:
What is the High School Band Experience? Unlike most other classes, band offers a wide variety of opportunities
for the student. Band is one of the few classes where excellence is not only expected, but also essential to success. In
band, everyone MUST perform at the highest level of excellence or a performance will sound terrible. In addition to
teaching performance skills, band teaches the student to be an active, thinking person. For each note played, there
are numerous considerations and instantaneous decisions to make. How loud or soft? How fast or slow? How does
the note start? How does it end? Who else plays it? Am I in-tune? Nowhere else on campus is the demand for active
thought any stronger. Band also teaches life skills. Communication is the main component of music. The rehearsal
and performance schedule of the band demands planning and time management…skills that will be valuable all
through life. Goal setting, problem solving, peer interaction… all of these develop quickly as a part of the band
experience.

To Band Parents:
Welcome to one of the most exciting organizations available to your student! The band program at Hillsborough
High School offers many varied performance opportunities and gives members the chance to learn with each other
and grow closer to one another. We strive to offer the best available instruction and the widest array of events for
our members. We strongly believe that there is a place for everyone in the band. We have hundreds of success
stories. Many times, members who thought that they were not interested have become some of the most dedicated
members once they have been a part of the experience. If you choose to participate, you can reap a variety of
rewards. In addition to all of this, you become a member of a very active, multifaceted family. The band program at
Hillsborough has established itself as one of the finest anywhere, with superb performing ensembles in marching,
symphonic, chamber music, color guard and drum line activities. We hope that you share our excitement in creating
these phenomenal opportunities for the students. We encourage parents to be active supporters of our efforts through
booster club participation, assistance in fundraising, and through volunteer work such as chaperones, equipment
crew, or as a parent leader. We also hope that you will be visible supporters of the students by attending as many
performances as possible.

Ryan Richardson
Director of Bands, Hillsborough High School
rrichardson@hillsborough.k12.va.us
 2020-2021 Season Schedule

JULY
 20 – Music Reading Session, 6-8 pm
 26 – DCI NightBeat Competition in NC, All Day
 27 – Music Reading Session, 6-8 pm
AUGUST
 6-7 – Percussion, Guard, and Wind Rookie camp
 10-14 – Full Band Camp, 8 am-6 pm
 17-20 – Full Band Camp, 8 am-6 pm
 24 – Full Band Rehearsal, 5-7 pm
 26 – Full Band Rehearsal, 5-7 pm
 29 - Home Football game vs. Hidden Valley HS, 7 pm
SEPTEMBER
 12 – Home Football game vs. Little Silver HS, 2 pm
 18 – Home Football game vs. Pondview HS, 6 pm
OCTOBER
 3 – Eagle Classic, All Day
 10 – Rubber Duck Regiment Tour of Champions, time TBD
 17 – Menchville Monarch Invitational, time TBD
 24 – Ranchville March-a-Thon AND VBODA Assessment, time TBD
 31 – VMBC at Liberty University, time TBD
NOVEMBER
 Fall Fundraiser, TBD
DECEMBER
 10 – Winter Concert – 6 pm
FEBRUARY
 Pre-Assessment Concert w/ Hillsborough MS – 6pm
MARCH
 8-11, State Concert Assessment, time TBD
APRIL
 Spring Fundraiser, TBD
MAY
 20 – Spring Concert, 6 pm

IN ADDITION TO THIS SCHEDULE, WE REHEARSE M-W-F FROM 2:30 TO 4:30 FOR

MARCHING BAND AND T-Th FROM 2:30 TO 4:30 FOR ASSESSMENT.
THIS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
 Resources
Online Resources
 Teoria (teoria.com) – sight singing, ear training, and music theory
 Tonal Energy Tuner (iPhone app) – tuner, metronome, recording, etc.
 Sight Reading Factory – (sightreadingfactory.com or iPhone app) – sight singing and
sight reading practice
 SmartMusic (smartmusic.com) – excerpt and sight reading practice/recording

Private Lessons Teachers

Flute/Piccolo: Emily Martinez (moldy@mold.com)
Clarinets: Hannah Conn (hannah@email.com)
Double Reeds: Rhonda Stees (rlstees1@gmail.com)
Saxophones: Jeremy Rechner (jeremy@email.com)
Trumpet: Maura McHugh (maura@email.com)
Horn: Joshua Almond (josh@horn.com)
Trombone: Chandler McLaughlin (chandler@trombone.com)
Tuba/Euphonium: your band director!
Percussion: Don Gatz (donny@drums.com)

Music Stores/Repair Shops

 Music and Arts – 1111 S Main Street, Hillsborough, VA
 Greg Thomas (repair) – 123 Elmo Street, Hillsborough, VA
 Policies and Procedures
Grading Policy

EVALUATION
40% Playing and written tests and quizzes
20% Daily grade
20% After-school rehearsals
20% Performances

GRADING SCALE
A+ = 98-100 B+ = 88-89 C+ = 78-79 D+ = 68-69 F = 59 and below
A = 93-97 B = 83-87 C = 73-77 D = 63-67
A- = 90-92 B- = 80-82 C- = 70-72 D- = 60-62

20% Daily Grade

This portion of the grade comes from each student’s daily in-class activities. Each quarter,
students start with a 100 average. Each day, each student receives 10 points. The following
points will be deducted each day for the indicated infractions.
 -10 no instrument
 -10 no music
 -5 no pencil
 -5 instrument not in locker after class/rehearsal
 -1 disruption in class
20% After School Grade/20% Performance Grade
These portions of the grade come from the various rehearsals and performances after school
hours. Since band is co-curricular, these activities are a part of the student’s grade. For each
rehearsal and performance, the student will start with a 100 average. All of the after school
requirements will be averaged together to form these parts of the grade. The following points
will be deducted each rehearsal for the indicated infractions.
 -10 disruption
 -10 late to rehearsal/call time
 -100 missed rehearsal/performance
 -30 no coordinate sheet (rehearsal only)
 -20 no music (rehearsal only)
 -20 inappropriate rehearsal attire/missing uniform parts
 -100 asked to leave rehearsal for a disciplinary reason
Performance Procedures

FOOTBALL GAMES
 1 hour and 30 minutes before kickoff – call time in the band room. During this time, we
will eat a snack provided by the band boosters and get into uniform.
 45 minutes before kickoff – block up and march over to the stadium.
 15 minutes before kickoff – national anthem performance.
 5 minutes before kickoff – in stands ready for stand band.
 Dismissal – after the game, we will march back over to the school and pack up. You must
check out with the uniform managers and equipment managers before leaving to ensure
that all of your duties are complete.
COMPETITIONS/ASSESSMENT
 Call times and Saturday schedules will change depending on the time of our performance
and how far away the performance is. If the performance is later in the day, please be
prepared to arrive at the band room long before our performance time in order to rehearse
before we leave.
 Dismissal – You must check out with the uniform managers and equipment managers
before leaving to ensure that your duties are complete and belongings put away.

Rehearsal Procedures
 There will be crews to assist in unloading and setting equipment on the field to ensure
that rehearsal starts on time. There will be a prop crew, pit crew, field liners, and a water
crew.
 In rehearsal, everyone will be in the stand by position unless otherwise directed. This is
to ensure that there are no on-field disruptions.
 I will give instructions and feedback, then the drum major will call out the instructions of
the rep and to which everyone will repeat after coming up to set via the drum major’s
hands. This is to ensure that everyone knows exactly what the rep is, therefore preventing
any band members from colliding and hurting one another.
 When any individual, group of people, or section is being addressed by the director, they
will raise their right hand all the way up. This is to ensure that I know they are paying
complete attention to what I am saying.

Band Camp Information

WHEN?
Percussion, Guard, and Rookies: August 6 and 7 from 8 am to noon.
Full Band: Weeks of August 10 and 17 from 8 am to 6 pm
WHERE?
Hillsborough High School
WILL THERE BE FOOD?
The band boosters will be providing lunch every day of camp for a small cost. Students are
welcome to pack a lunch, and seniors will be allowed to leave campus to buy lunch.
CAN PARENTS WATCH?
Rehearsals will be closed to the public, but there will be a parent showcase at the end of camp.
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE
8-8:30 – Stretch (outside)
8:30-9 – Visual Basics (outside)
9-noon – Drill (outside)
12-1 – Lunch
1-2 – Sectionals (inside)
2-3:45 – Full Music Rehearsal (inside)
15 minute transition
4-6 – Full Ensemble (outside)

Information for Parents/Guardians

Band Booster Organization
 If you are the parent or guardian of a child in the Hillsborough High School Band
program, you are automatically a member of the booster organization.
 The booster organization meets the first Thursday of every month at 6 pm in the band
room. Meetings will be rescheduled in the event of a conflict with a band event.
  This organization is the perfect opportunity to make your voice heard in our parent and
volunteer community!
 Ways to volunteer through the booster organization: chaperone at football
games/competitions, help serve food at band camp, help provide ice during rehearsal, and
other opportunities as needed.
 The booster club is led by the following officers, president, vice president, secretary,
treasurer, and bookkeeper. Nominations and elections for these positions will be held at
the end of the academic year, and tenures will begin at the beginning of the following
academic year. Offices are available ONLY to parents and guardians of CURRENT band
members.

Fundraisers
 There will be several fundraisers conducted throughout the year to help raise funds for
the band and booster organization. It is required that each student raises at least $20 in
each fundraiser. Some potential fundraiser ideas include discount cards, Chick-fil-A
night, cookie dough, and fruit.

Parent Expectations
Being a band parent can be very challenging at times. Since marching band is a co-curricular
activity in correspondence with band classes, the level of commitment required to be successful
is much higher than that of your normal high school class. It is imperative that you are fully
supportive of your child in this endeavor and are willing to be flexible. If you have any questions
or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me.

Leadership Opportunities
Leadership Structure
The leadership for the band will consist of drum majors (# to be determined year by year), brass,
woodwind, and percussion captains, section leaders, and crew leaders.

Drum Majors – conduct the band and lead rehearsal protocol during marching band
Section Captains – lead large sectional rehearsals and assist in the drill learning process
Section Leaders – lead sectional rehearsals
Crew Leaders – lead crew work sessions and assign work as needed
Application and Selection Process
There will be a common application sent out to everyone who is interested in applying for a
leadership position. In addition to the written application, there will be a live interview with the
director. Those that are interested in drum major will also participate in a conducting and
commands audition.

It is possible to have two leadership roles at the same time, except if you are a drum major.
Sophomores and above are welcome to apply for section leader and crew leader. Juniors and
above are welcome to apply for section captain and drum major.