Wimberley Texan Band Boosters
Band Camp?
Band Camp usually begins the first week in August (check the upcoming events page for dates). It's Texas heat so make sure your student wears light clothing, comfortable tennis shoes, sunscreen, and it's extremely helpful to have a camel pack or water jug filled with water. We do provide water at practice, but they will stay hydrated if it is convenient for them.
What happens at practice?
Practice will be held at the high school practice field, which is the former baseball field. During the summer, practices are often held twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, with a break in between these times. The key to surviving summer practices is comfortable clothing, plenty of sunblock and HYDRATION! Be prepared to do a lot of laundry, as your student will likely want (need) to change clothes between practices!
During the school year, if practices are held in the morning, students will probably want a clean shirt and deodorant before going to classes. For Monday night or any other evening practices, many students bring a “second lunch” to have after school before practice. Parents are welcome at Monday night practice to see the show’s progress!
Help! How do I know what my child should wear?
Formal, Informal Uniforms
The band has formal and informal uniforms. For most marching performances and all contests they wear formal uniforms. Underneath these uniforms, quick dry shirt and shorts which are purchased through the director. All hair must meet standards set by the director and it needs to be tucked inside the shako. There should be no visible jewelry. Black Dinkle shoes and long black socks are required with the formal uniform. For the first few games of the season, the band wears their their quick dry shirts and shorts (under uniform wear).
Band shoes are ordered and paid for at registration. Parents need to separately purchase long black socks (several pairs are advised). We recommend getting a small bag for your student solely for these band items (including deodorant) so they can be at the ready.
For day-to-day practices, students can wear whatever athletic/comfortable clothing they wish, provided the outfit meets school dress code.
What happens on game days?
At all Games
Students report to the designated area to get instruments and uniforms. They need to be in their place at call time. They march into the stadium as a group.
When the second quarter of a game is almost over, the Band leaves the stands and goes onto the track to begin warming up. The Band performs their marching show on the field during the half-time break. At all games, they play spirit songs in the stands to pump up the crowd.
After the game, the band members march out of the stadium as a group with their instruments. If the Band is in formal uniform, there is a strict procedure that the students must follow to return their uniforms, which may take up to half an hour or more to process all the students.
Home Games
After school, students may report to a designated area. For home games, students do have the ability to leave school with parent permission to get meals, but need to be back in place ready to go at their call time. Before call time, they will prepare for the game by gathering all their equipment, warm up, check out, and change into their uniforms. The Wimberley Texan Band marches to the stadium.
Away Games
Call time is immediately after school dismissal. Occasionally, students dismiss during the school day.
Students will have their instruments ready for the loading crew to put on the band trailer. They check out their formal uniforms, and they are responsible for their own uniform until it is checked back in to an adult in charge of uniforms. Students must individually check out and return their own uniform.
For away games, students cannot leave after school because the band departs earlier. We eat together before we leave or stop on the way. Meals may be provided through the Band Boosters for a fee. That form is available at band registration at the beginning of the year. Students may also bring their own food.
What happens on contest days?
The Wimberley Texan Band usually competes in three to four marching contests each season, in addition to any UIL contests. We compete in contests to get feedback on our performance from qualified judges. From this, we can assess our progress in marching, musicality, performance, and overall development of our program. It is exciting to see other bands across the State.
Contests are generally a full-day affair, with report time early in the morning and return time late at night. The time that the Band reports to the school to leave for a contest depends upon the performance slot they are assigned. Students will get their uniforms and load the trailer. Occasionally the trailer may need to be loaded after a football game. After a brief practice, the students board the buses for the contest. There are usually two rounds of a contest – prelims and finals. You can stay tuned to the Wimberley Texan Band Boosters Facebook page to see these results and photographs when they are available. Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend contests. Confirm with the band boosters if they are providing a meal for the students. If a meal is not provided or it is going to be a particularly long day, you may want to send money with your student for them to purchase additional snacks from the contest’s concession stand. Upon returning to the school, all equipment must be unloaded and uniforms turned in before students can leave.
Volunteering
During football season, it is required to have chaperones that ride on the buses with the band and help with pit equipment. We are there to make sure the students have everything they need and help them if they need something. We always need male and female chaperones. If you would like to volunteer, go to our "Volunteer" page and it will direct you to a sign-up page.
You can also volunteer by helping staff the concessions. Our concession stand is a big fundraiser for us. The funds we earn from the concession go to extra food for the students, band trips, scholarships, and support for the band needs requested by the band directors.