We begin this week by congratulating the members of the 2023-2024 Odem JH Symphonic Winds for placing 4^th in the State of Texas at the ATSSB State Outstanding Performance Series Contest this past week! This is a phenomenal accomplishment for the program, and we congratulate the students on their outstanding performance of a ‘A Scottish Festival’ this past May at Del Mar College!

This week is a continuation of the start of our season for the high school band. The rehearsal schedule for Monday and Tuesday is the same as this past week; sectionals in the morning, afternoon indoor rehearsal, and outside marching in the evening. We need students to be in attendance at all of the rehearsals. Wednesday’s schedule will run differently due to the March-A-Thon and pool party that evening. Please see the section below for a March-A-Thon form if you need another one. Checks/Money Orders should be made to ‘Owl Band Boosters’ for this fundraiser. The boosters will be able to accept cash on Wednesday before we leave if it’s a cash donation. (We can take checks/money orders tomorrow or Tuesday) Please help us by assisting in finding at least three to five donations per student! 

Thursday we will begin setting drill for our show on the field, and that evening rehearsal is very important that students are in attendance! Students need to have a roll of duct tape and a sharpie for that rehearsal, as well as their charged cell phone. We use an app called ‘UDB App Pro’ that’s available for iOS and Android. If a student doesn’t have a cell phone, they should speak with us in advance so we can print off hard copies of their coordinate sheets. Friday we have planned a morning practice to continue setting Song 1 drill from 8am-10am. 

Our final event this week will be for our flute players to the National Flute Association Convention in San Antonio. Students need to be at the HS Band Hall by 5:00 am. We have paid for the registration fee, but students will need to bring money for breakfast/snacks, lunch, and dinner on the way home. We also need students to have their flutes this day, as the day ends with a student flute choir performance at 5 pm they will take part in! (Note: Food around the convention center is going to be higher priced. We’ll stop by a fast food restaurant on the way home, and hit the nearby river center mall for lunch.) This is an amazing opportunity for our flute students, as it is rare to have this convention be this accessible to us! We should return to Odem at around 9 pm.

Finally, fees for band are due this week. See the section below for more information on those. We also need any extra shirt orders that you may want to place by Thursday too. 

I encourage all students to please be on our Remind account by texting the phone number 81010 with the message @thespiri . Parents are welcome to join as well (Just keep in mind you will get every message we send) 

Fall Fees and Band Shirt Extra Orders

This week we need students to turn in their Fall Band Fees

$80 All Returning Marchers Except Guard who don’t need shoes.

OR $125 (total) for Freshmen and Anyone who needs shoes

$580 in Total for Guard (Most paid only the $300 in May) Guard does not pay the other fees.

Please contact me if you have questions about fees or need to work out a payment plan. We work with families on these as much as we possibly can, but do need to get them in so we may order supplies for the marching season. We ONLY accept Check or Money Orders in the Band Hall – Please NO CASH!

Additionally, we do always get requests for our show shirts from parents/relatives/other community members. Due to the setup fee being high, we will only be placing one order for these shirts this year, you may order extras if you would like. This completed form and payment via check or money order by Thursday, August 1^st. http://www.odembands.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-Marching-Band-Tshirt-Order-Form.pdf Students do not need to complete this, it is included in their fees and we will get sizes in rehearsals this week.

March-A-Thon – Wednesday

We will have our annual March-A-Thon on Wednesday. Forms were given to students last week, but I have posted it here as well to where you may print it off at home or work too. (http://www.odembands.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-Marc-A-Thon-Form.pdf) This fundraiser is a great one to kick off our school year each year. We’ll stop and play a song at an address along the route for $50. If they don’t live along the route we can also stop at the park as an address or in front of the school. 

Physicals

Just as a reminder Physicals by a doctor are required to be completed for each student every other year for Marching Band, just like with Sports. They may be completed and turned into me, or into the Athletic Trainer. We have access to form information via RankOne as needed there for these forms. We still have a couple of students with these outstanding. Please complete these ASAP! https://www.uiltexas.org/files/athletics/forms/PrePhysFormRvsd1_10_20.pdf

Additionally, the medical history form (first page of link) must be completed by EVERYONE every year. (It’s information from parent/student) Please send those completed forms with students tomorrow – students may not rehearse outside until we receive these! Again, medical physicals by the doctor are good for 2 years, the history form is an annual form. Thanks!

Full Summer Band Schedule here: http://www.odembands.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024-2025-Odem-Bands-Calendar-Version-1-4-7-2024.pdf

Summer Band Schedule – Week 1

Day:	Event:
Monday:	Sectionals: Front Ensemble: 9:00 am – 10:30 am – Band Hall Guard: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm – HS Cafetorium Woodwinds: 9 am – 11:30 am – Jazz Room High Brass (Tpt/Horn): 10:30 am – 12:00 pm – Band Hall Low Brass: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm – Band Hall  Leadership Meeting: 2 pm – 2:45 pm – Band Hall Full Band Rehearsal Inside: 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm – Stage/Band Hall (Guard)  Outside Marching Rehearsal: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Parking Lot
Tuesday:	Sectionals: Front Ensemble: 9:00 am – 10:30 am – Band Hall Guard: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm – HS Cafetorium Woodwinds: 9 am – 11:30 am – Jazz Room High Brass (Tpt/Horn): 10:30 am – 12:00 pm – Band Hall Low Brass: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm – Band Hall  Leadership Meeting: 2 pm – 2:45 pm – Band Hall  Full Band Rehearsal Inside: 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm – Stage/Band Hall (Guard)  Outside Marching Rehearsal: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Parking Lot
Wednesday:	Full Band Rehearsal Inside: 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm – Stage/Band Hall (Guard)  March-A-Thon: 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm – Neighborhoods  Pool Party: 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Thursday:	Full Band Rehearsal Inside: 1:30 pm – 5:00 pm – Stage/Band Hall (Guard)  Outside Marching Rehearsal (1st Day of Drill): 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Parking Lot
Friday:	Outside Marching Rehearsal: 8:00 am – 10:00 am
Saturday:	Flute Players to the National Flute Association Convention Students at Band Hall by 5 am Return around 9 pm

Upcoming Events:

Day:	Event:	Time:
Tuesday	Fall Marching Fees Due $80 for All Students Except Guard who don’t need shoes.OR $125 for Freshmen and Anyone who needs shoes $580 in Total for Guard (Most paid only the $300 in May) Guard does not pay the other fees.
Wednesday	Annual March-A-Thon/Pool Party
Saturday	National Flute Association Student Day
August 21st:	Meet the Band
August 30th:	First Football Game vs. Ben Bolt at Home

Thank you for your help and support of these amazing students! Please contact us if you have any questions!