Odem Bands Schedule – Week of 11/3/2019 – UIL State Marching Contest
This week is a big week for The Spirit of OHS Marching Band as we return to the UIL State Marching Band Contest Wednesday! Please read this week’s information carefully if you have a student involved in the band. Spectator information is also included below. We hope that the students have a large group of fans on Wednesday at their performance!
Monday – Send-Off Dinner/Performance:
In honor of their advancement, the Owl Band Boosters will be hosting and providing all advancing students with a send-off dinner on Monday, November 4, 2019 starting at 5:00PM in the High School Cafetorium. Dinner will consist of Hamburgers & Hot Dogs with all the trimmings, chips and dips, drinks and a dessert of an ice cream sundae bar. Families are welcome and invited to join their students at the send-off dinner, cost for parents/siblings and additional guests will be $5 per person.
Following the dinner students will have their final Monday night rehearsal of this season! At 8:45pm we invite family and friends of the band to attend a run-through performance of the show to finish the rehearsal.
Tuesday – Rehearsal/Pack:
Tuesday we will rehearse with the band from approximately 6pm-8:45pm. Before the end of rehearsal we will pack instruments/props into the truck and trailer. We need every student who is not a JV Football player to be present for this final practice before State! Please help us make sure your students attend both practices as we try and put one final coat of polish on the show! We will also make a check of students bibber lengths at that rehearsal. We could use a couple of parents to help us with being meticulous on that at about 8pm or so.
Wednesday – UIL State Marching Band Contest Information –
For Students:
Band Students need to arrive by 6am at the Stadium on Wednesday for our walkthrough of the show. We will board the buses at 7:30am for our departure. During the 6am-7am timeframe we will have a crew from KiiiTV on hand to film. Students should wear their State Marching Shirt along with their normal shorts/leggings underneath their uniform for the day. (Those are expected to arrive and be passed out Monday at the Send-Off dinner)
We are going to depart and head up to the Alamodome and park before walking across the street to the Bill Millers we usually use for lunch. Students will then head back to the Stadium and quickly be ready to begin the process of preparing for warm-up and their performance. Our trucks/trailers are allowed into the lot at 12:15pm, and we need to report to our Warm-Up at 12:50pm. During the process of unloading we need some parent help to unload and do a last check of uniforms.
The students perform at 2:15pm and will take a group picture before additional section and individual pictures are taken by Jolesch Photography. Students are able to signup via email for alerts when those photos are available for purchase. We will need to pack up all of the students equipment and have the truck/trailer out of the lot by 3:15pm. We need students to quickly change and be in the stands by that time if at all possible so they can see the University of Texas El Paso Marching Band at 3:30pm before Awards/Announcement of Finalists at 3:45pm.
Students must be in their band shirts at that time, as well as wear either shorts that are not cut-off, frayed, or with holes, or leggings, or jeans. At the conclusion of the announcements we are going to walk to the Tower of Americas for dinner. (Please see info below if family wishes to attend) Should we make finals the itinerary from this time on will be in flux as we prepare for that performance. The first finalist band performs at 6:45pm, and we will attend to watch Finals even if we do not perform. Awards and the Full Band Retreat are at 9:15pm. We will depart the Alamodome for home about 10pm or so, and should arrive back at school around 12:30am. (Please note that all students MUST attend school the next day. We have a game Thursday evening that all students must attend)
Wednesday – UIL State Marching Band Contest Information – Spectator/Fans:
We will depart at 7:45am from Odem HS. In case you would like to line the road on our route, we will turn right at the bus exit from the high school, then left on Cook to pass by the pool area before going out Main Street (FM234) towards Edroy and merge onto I37 North.
For spectators we have created a document here that you can use to help guide your arrival and purchase of tickets at the Alamodome. (http://www.odembands.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2019-3A-UIL-State-Marching-Spectator-Guide.pdf)
TICKETS AND SESSIONS
Ticket prices at the gate will be:
- Adult Double Session (4/5): $30
- Student (Grade 7-12) Double Session (4/5): $24
- Adult Single Session: $19
- Student (Grades 7-12) Single Session: $14
- Students in 6th Grade and under: Free
Session 4: 3A Prelims (Wednesday morning/afternoon)
Session 5: 3A Finals (Wednesday evening)
Session schedules are posted at: http://www.uiltexas.org/music/marching-band/state.
Spectators are encouraged to arrive early to avoid congestion at the doors. The Box Office will open 75 minutes prior to first performance of the day and doors will open 45 minutes prior to the first performance in each session. (For our performance I would arrive at the Alamodome Parking Lot no later than 1pm to ensure time to walk to box office/purchase tickets and be seated)
Tickets are available in advance through Ticketmaster. Be advised that a Ticketmaster- imposed service charge will apply.Website: www.ticketmaster.com OR Phone: (800) 745-3000
Tower of Americas Dinner Tickets for Family:
The Owl Band Boosters are combining their funds with the amount allotted for dinner from the district to allow the students a memorable meal following their performance Wednesday at the Tower of Americas. After the announcement of preliminary results (approximately 4:30-4:45PM) at State Contest on Wednesday, the students will be having dinner at the Towers of America in the Observation Deck Banquet Room. Students will walk, via the pedestrian bridge from the Alamo Dome to the Towers of America to have dinner. Dinner will be a buffet style meal with beef and chicken fajitas with rice, beans and other sides, a nacho bar, and ice cream float bar. Parents/Families are welcome to join us at the venue for dinner. Those wishing to join us will be responsible for the cost of their meal, $25 each person.
Reservations to the venue are required though; therefore, if parents/families are interested in joining us, they must notify us and purchase their meal pass in advance. Meal passes will be available at the send-off dinner on Monday, as well as around the time we have our run-through Monday night at 8:45pm. A final count will be sent to the venue after that. Access to the observation deck outer ring is included with the cost of the meal pass. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Band Booster President, Mandi Edwards at 361-742-2706. A very special thank-you to the Owl Band Boosters and OEISD for making this meal possible for the students!
State Marching Contest Souvenirs:
Wednesday there will be t-shirts/sweatshirts and other apparel available for purchase. The vendor for UIL SMBC is TeamIP at the event. Prices are $25-$80 depending on the item. Patches are also available for sale, but please note we will purchase the smaller state patch for every student in the next week or so.
Thursday – Odem vs. London:
Thursday we will complete our long week by traveling to London to support the Owls as they play for the District Championship. Students will need to be at the school by 4:45pm to depart for the game. We will leave at 5:30pm and arrive at London for the game to begin at 7:30pm. We will return home about 11pm and need to unload all of our equipment before students depart for their 3-day weekend.
As you can see this week is going to be VERY busy for us! The following week is also going to be busy with Monday, Veteran’s Day performance at 9am, Wednesday Feast of Kindness Performances, and Friday Playoff Game 1 (information to come).
Upcoming Events:
Wednesday, November 6th: UIL State Marching Band Contest
Thursday, November 7th: Odem vs. London (London)
Monday, November 11th: District Veteran’s Day Ceremony
Wednesday, November 13th: OEISD Feast of Kindness
Friday, November 15th: Tentative Playoff Game 1
Friday, November 22nd: Tentative Playoff Game 2
Saturday, December 7th: All-Region Auditions (MS and HS)
Friday/Saturday, December 13th-14th: All-Region Clinic/Concert
Monday, December 16th: OJH/OHS Winter Band Concert
Tuesday, December 17th: Screeching Owl Jazz Band Winter Evening of Jazz
You can find the 2019-2020 Odem Bands Calendar here. (http://www.odembands.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2019-2020-Odem-Bands-Calendar-Version-1.1.pdf)
Schedule this Week:
Monday: 5:00pm Send-Off Dinner ($5 Tickets for Parents/Family)
. 6:00pm-8:45pm – Rehearsal
. 8:45pm – Public Run-through/Performance of Show
Tuesday: 6pm-8:45pm – Rehearsal/Pack Equipment
. JH/JV Football Games (Parents needed to help!)
Wednesday: UIL State Marching Band Contest
. 6:00am – Students Arrive for Walkthrough (KiiiTV Present)
. 7:30 – Board Buses
. 7:45am – Depart
. 10:20am – Arrive at Alamodome/walk to lunch
. 10:45am – Be at Bill Millers for Lunch
. 11:15am – Walk back to buses
. 11:30am – Band Dresses in Uniforms
. 12:15pm – Trucks arrive in Parking Lot A
. 1:05pm – Warm-Up
. 2:00pm – In Tunnel
. 2:10pm – Enter Field
. 2:15pm – Band Performs
. 3:15pm – Truck Loaded/Departs back to Lot B
. 4:00pm – Preliminary Results/Announcement of Finalists
. 4:15pm – Leave Alamodome for Dinner
. 4:45pm – Dinner
. 6:15pm – Return to Alamodome
. 6:45pm – Finals Begin
. 9:40pm – Awards Conclude
. 10:00pm – Depart Alamodome
. 12:30am – Arrive at OHS
Thursday: Odem vs. London
. 4:45pm – Students at Band Hall
. 5:15pm – Board Buses
. 5:30pm – Depart
. 6:30pm – Arrive at London HS
. 7:30pm – Kick-Off
. ~11:00pm – Arrive at Odem HS
Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns! This is going to be a great week for students! Thank you for your help and support of them throughout this season!