Top Ten Things to Know as a Jenison Marching Band Parent
10. Prepare yourself, your family, and your friends for a busy season ahead. Add dates to your calendar, set reminders of due dates for payments, forms, and orders, set aside time to read the weekly email and to read this blog. Want to hang out? Come join us, we will all be with the band!
9. The show is a work in progress all throughout the season. The directors will change, fine tune, adjust, take out, and add things in as the season goes on. The entire show will be learned in parts. At the start of the season, all the parts are not ready to go. This means that no two shows will be identical. Budget your time and funds to come to as many of the performances as you can! Remember, no recordings of the show can be posted online - it's best to come see it live!
8. Rehearsals during the week are on Monday and Tuesday nights. You should show up to the end of the rehearsals to see the "full run." It is a great chance to see your band member in action, to learn where they are on the field, and to get to know other band families. Don't be shy either, come introduce yourself and sit with us! Staying for the full run through is also a fantastic way to see for yourself why rehearsal might "end" at 9pm, but your marcher doesn't make it to the car until sometimes much later! (More to come on that soon!)
7. Marching Band is an investment, and needs equipment - like any other activity your marcher might find time to participate in, band members will need appropriate supplies. Quality tennis shoes and a BIG water jug for rehearsals are essential. Did you know that marchers RUN - like really run? They do stretching, conditioning, and strength building exercises during every rehearsal to develop stamina and endurance! They even have an entire, choreographed warm up routine that they do! You'll see that at the Community Performance at the end of band camp! It's amazing to see. (more on Band Camp in a later post!)
6. What on Earth does that mean? Trust me, you're going to hear words this year that you may have never heard before. If you're like me, your child will tell you things they need, or items that they have to remember - and you'll want Google translate to help you decipher what they are talking about. Quick lesson: dinkles are shoes, shakos are hats, plumes are feathers that stick out of the hats - and you can't touch those unless you're wearing gloves! Compression Gear is tight fitting garments worn under the uniforms in order to smooth and disguise the lines of the body. Band members wear compression gear with the Jenison logo under both the traditional uniform and show costume. When in show costume, they also wear a full bodysuit for an added layer of compression. Color Guard will have a set of Full Body Tights to wear, which has a similar use to the compression Gear. (Megan will send a link for that in the Band App - an platform used by color guard to communicate information that pertains only to guard). Dot Books are spiral bound notecards on which students write down their "dots" or where they are at any point in the performance. Silks are flags, Weapons include Rifles and Sabres that are spun and tossed and caught by the color guard. If you don't know what something means - it is okay to ask - we were all there once! Glossary of marching band terms - coming soon to a blog near you!
5. Did I mention that marching band is an investment? Be prepared for some sticker shock with entrance fees. The cost to enter a competition can be pricey - but remember that this cost is NOT to just see our band perform. This cost covers the cost of seeing potentially a full day of marching band performances. Many venues offer a family deal - (2 adults and kids under 18) for a discounted price! Each Invitational is a HUGE fundraiser for the hosting band. The ticket price helps to keep the costs of band lower overall! Have cash on hand, just in case, but most venues accept card or apple pay now as well. Some larger events like Regionals in Toledo, the State Competition and Grand Nationals will require tickets to be purchased online. (More to come on those events soon!)
4. Order a show shirt and/or a show sweatshirt. Wear the show shirt to competitions! Some of us go so far as to find fun accessories to coordinate with the show - earrings, headbands, hats, shoes, cardigans, even some years - fancy pants! (None of this is required - but it sure is fun!) The show shirts, for parents, help us find each other. If you see a Jenison Band Show Shirt - sit with us, or invite that person to sit with you! We are your people, and you are now ours! If you don't have a shirt - you definitely should get one. There will be a couple of opportunities to order. Order on the first opportunity so that you have your shirt for the first competition. Trust me, you'll wear it so much, it will pay for itself in no time!
3. If you haven't already - join the Jenison Marching Band Parents 2025 Facebook group page. This is a great place to ask questions, share advice, introduce yourself, get reminders, find information about fundraisers, and links for ticket sales. Some of the very talented photographers in the group share their AMAZING photos throughout the season. They generously post them to share for everyone to enjoy.
2. As the season gets started - ENCOURAGE your band members to Keep showing up - even when things get hard. The season can be exhausting. There is a period of adjustment for the marchers and the adults. Be patient with each other and it will get better - AND it is totally worth it! Encourage your band members to attend their SECTION parties - don't just encourage them - send them. Give them permission to go. These are great social events for new marchers to get to know the other members of their section. They bond with upperclassmen, and their peers alike. (Who knows, maybe they will find a section leader who drives and can bring them home when they've forgotten something!) Encourage your band members to have fun and work hard. Praise their hard work, compliment their drive to achieve great things. We are their biggest fans and they should know it. I find myself bragging about our marching band and their hard work to anyone who will listen!
1. If you are looking for one of the fastest ways to meet other band families who are welcoming and generous with their time and talents, AND also looking for a way to get a peek inside the inner workings of the band - have I got a suggestion for you... VOLUNTEER! Watch the weekly email for links to SIGN UP GENIUS to select opportunities that work best for you. There will be plenty and you can earn $100 off your band fees by completing 10 volunteer credits. There are MANY ways to help out throughout the season - one of the first and most frequent opportunities is with FEED THE BAND. This is exactly what it sounds like - you show up, and help serve a well balanced meal to the entire band, color guard, front ensemble, tech crew, drum majors, and directors! Sandy Terbeek and Rachel Zondervan co-chair this committee and they handle the main courses - but everything else that the band eats is donated by parents like us! If you can't donate your time - please contribute food items! (These will also be on a sign up genius sent out in the emails). Donations can be made in the form of GFS gift cards - all monetary donations are used to purchase sides for meals, snacks for bus rides, and bottled waters for football games and competition days. Feeding and watering these hard working teenagers are not easy tasks and it takes everyone contributing for it to work!
Looking forward to meeting all of you this season! Reach out if you have any questions!
Kate Cummings-Ackerman
9. The show is a work in progress all throughout the season. The directors will change, fine tune, adjust, take out, and add things in as the season goes on. The entire show will be learned in parts. At the start of the season, all the parts are not ready to go. This means that no two shows will be identical. Budget your time and funds to come to as many of the performances as you can! Remember, no recordings of the show can be posted online - it's best to come see it live!
8. Rehearsals during the week are on Monday and Tuesday nights. You should show up to the end of the rehearsals to see the "full run." It is a great chance to see your band member in action, to learn where they are on the field, and to get to know other band families. Don't be shy either, come introduce yourself and sit with us! Staying for the full run through is also a fantastic way to see for yourself why rehearsal might "end" at 9pm, but your marcher doesn't make it to the car until sometimes much later! (More to come on that soon!)
7. Marching Band is an investment, and needs equipment - like any other activity your marcher might find time to participate in, band members will need appropriate supplies. Quality tennis shoes and a BIG water jug for rehearsals are essential. Did you know that marchers RUN - like really run? They do stretching, conditioning, and strength building exercises during every rehearsal to develop stamina and endurance! They even have an entire, choreographed warm up routine that they do! You'll see that at the Community Performance at the end of band camp! It's amazing to see. (more on Band Camp in a later post!)
6. What on Earth does that mean? Trust me, you're going to hear words this year that you may have never heard before. If you're like me, your child will tell you things they need, or items that they have to remember - and you'll want Google translate to help you decipher what they are talking about. Quick lesson: dinkles are shoes, shakos are hats, plumes are feathers that stick out of the hats - and you can't touch those unless you're wearing gloves! Compression Gear is tight fitting garments worn under the uniforms in order to smooth and disguise the lines of the body. Band members wear compression gear with the Jenison logo under both the traditional uniform and show costume. When in show costume, they also wear a full bodysuit for an added layer of compression. Color Guard will have a set of Full Body Tights to wear, which has a similar use to the compression Gear. (Megan will send a link for that in the Band App - an platform used by color guard to communicate information that pertains only to guard). Dot Books are spiral bound notecards on which students write down their "dots" or where they are at any point in the performance. Silks are flags, Weapons include Rifles and Sabres that are spun and tossed and caught by the color guard. If you don't know what something means - it is okay to ask - we were all there once! Glossary of marching band terms - coming soon to a blog near you!
5. Did I mention that marching band is an investment? Be prepared for some sticker shock with entrance fees. The cost to enter a competition can be pricey - but remember that this cost is NOT to just see our band perform. This cost covers the cost of seeing potentially a full day of marching band performances. Many venues offer a family deal - (2 adults and kids under 18) for a discounted price! Each Invitational is a HUGE fundraiser for the hosting band. The ticket price helps to keep the costs of band lower overall! Have cash on hand, just in case, but most venues accept card or apple pay now as well. Some larger events like Regionals in Toledo, the State Competition and Grand Nationals will require tickets to be purchased online. (More to come on those events soon!)
4. Order a show shirt and/or a show sweatshirt. Wear the show shirt to competitions! Some of us go so far as to find fun accessories to coordinate with the show - earrings, headbands, hats, shoes, cardigans, even some years - fancy pants! (None of this is required - but it sure is fun!) The show shirts, for parents, help us find each other. If you see a Jenison Band Show Shirt - sit with us, or invite that person to sit with you! We are your people, and you are now ours! If you don't have a shirt - you definitely should get one. There will be a couple of opportunities to order. Order on the first opportunity so that you have your shirt for the first competition. Trust me, you'll wear it so much, it will pay for itself in no time!
3. If you haven't already - join the Jenison Marching Band Parents 2025 Facebook group page. This is a great place to ask questions, share advice, introduce yourself, get reminders, find information about fundraisers, and links for ticket sales. Some of the very talented photographers in the group share their AMAZING photos throughout the season. They generously post them to share for everyone to enjoy.
2. As the season gets started - ENCOURAGE your band members to Keep showing up - even when things get hard. The season can be exhausting. There is a period of adjustment for the marchers and the adults. Be patient with each other and it will get better - AND it is totally worth it! Encourage your band members to attend their SECTION parties - don't just encourage them - send them. Give them permission to go. These are great social events for new marchers to get to know the other members of their section. They bond with upperclassmen, and their peers alike. (Who knows, maybe they will find a section leader who drives and can bring them home when they've forgotten something!) Encourage your band members to have fun and work hard. Praise their hard work, compliment their drive to achieve great things. We are their biggest fans and they should know it. I find myself bragging about our marching band and their hard work to anyone who will listen!
1. If you are looking for one of the fastest ways to meet other band families who are welcoming and generous with their time and talents, AND also looking for a way to get a peek inside the inner workings of the band - have I got a suggestion for you... VOLUNTEER! Watch the weekly email for links to SIGN UP GENIUS to select opportunities that work best for you. There will be plenty and you can earn $100 off your band fees by completing 10 volunteer credits. There are MANY ways to help out throughout the season - one of the first and most frequent opportunities is with FEED THE BAND. This is exactly what it sounds like - you show up, and help serve a well balanced meal to the entire band, color guard, front ensemble, tech crew, drum majors, and directors! Sandy Terbeek and Rachel Zondervan co-chair this committee and they handle the main courses - but everything else that the band eats is donated by parents like us! If you can't donate your time - please contribute food items! (These will also be on a sign up genius sent out in the emails). Donations can be made in the form of GFS gift cards - all monetary donations are used to purchase sides for meals, snacks for bus rides, and bottled waters for football games and competition days. Feeding and watering these hard working teenagers are not easy tasks and it takes everyone contributing for it to work!
Looking forward to meeting all of you this season! Reach out if you have any questions!
Kate Cummings-Ackerman
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