Our volunteers play a very instrumental role in helping the band students achieve their goals - ‘Being the Best They Can Be’!!! It is truly amazing how we have two high school bands that continue the “tradition of excellence” the bands from the Fort Mill School District are known for - and two booster clubs that work together on common goals. Not only do we have a great band staff in all of the schools in the Fort Mill School District but we have excellent support by the band parents that enables the band directors, assistants and outside staff to focus on our children while we, the band parent/band family, help keep the band machine running.

 

It's been almost a month since the band students completed 12 hour days during band camp and they are now starting to see the results of their hard work. School has begun and they are also learning one of those very important  life skills they will carry with them thru the rest of their lives - balancing their schedule - of band practices, homework, family life and their other activities.

 

With that said, please ask your students how their day was. The students will need your continued support and it is important for you to be encouraging their efforts everyday whether they have had a “good day” or “bad day” in their eyes. Is the show a fine tuned work of art right now? Absolutely not but continue to watch as these students will grow and come together as one unit over the next two months while continuing to juggle their daily schedule. It truly is an amazing thing!!!

 

Remember that band can be an extremely rewarding experience – not only for your child but for the entire family. Get involved, support the students and the band directors/staff, come watch the end of practice, go to a football game, attend a competition, get your questions answered, etc. Your child will love to see you participate.

 

We all know one of the major goals of the booster club is to provide financial support to the students and directors in order to help keep the level of the band program to what is expected by the community and help the students achieve their goals. It takes a considerable amount of revenue to offer the students their well-deserved quality band experience. As we all know, school budgets rarely cover the band's needs; the band boosters come to the rescue with extra funds to keep the program fiscally responsible. Our organization ensures the future of quality music education for the student musicians.

 

Where does this money go? Every year is different but income generated by fundraising activities go to items like - outside instruction for all aspects of the band program, maintenance of school owned uniforms and instruments, marching shows (drills, music, band camp, etc.), concert music, winter guard (drills, music), percussion ensemble music, equipment (tarps, props, flags, instruments, electronics), student awards/recognition, travel (buses, trucks/trailers, food), registration fees, administrative items (accountants, SC non-profit fees, website, etc.), dues and education for directors and many other items - the list goes on and on.

 

Obviously, it is easy to see how the booster club's fundraising efforts benefit the band program and our children. Band is one of the many positive activities that the students can participate in high school. The benefits of a good music education are endless but here are a few quotes from nationally distributed articles -

• Music majors are the most likely group of college grads to be admitted to medical school. Lewis Thomas, Case for Music in the Schools, Phi Delta Kappa, 1994

• Students who participate in school band or orchestra have the lowest levels of current and lifelong use of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs among any group in our society. H. Con. Res. 266, United States Senate, June 13, 2000

• High school music students have been shown to hold higher grade point averages (GPA) than non-musicians in the same school. National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988

• 78% of Americans feel learning a musical instrument helps students perform better in other subjects. Gallup Poll, “American Attitudes toward Music,” 2003

• Nine out of ten adults and teenagers who play instruments agree that music making brings the family closer together. Music Making and Our Schools, American Music Conference, 2000

• 71% of Americans surveyed by the Gallup Poll believe that teenagers who play an instrument are less likely to have disciplinary problems. Gallup Poll, “American Attitudes toward Music,” 2003

• With music in schools, students connect to each other better—greater camaraderie, fewer fights, less racism and reduced use of hurtful sarcasm. Eric Jensen, Arts with the Brain in Mind, 2001

• A study of 7,500 university students revealed that music majors scored the highest reading scores among all majors including English, biology, chemistry and math. The Case for Music in the Schools, Phi Delta Kappa, 1994

First of all, a huge thanks goes out to everyone who has helped make this Verizon season and the start of this Panther season such a huge success. Not only have we raised a significant amount of money so far to help offset everyone's band expenses, we have actually all managed to have a pretty good time doing it. Did you know,

• The combined booster club has volunteered over 3,145 hours to work at 16 Verizon concerts

• 168 different volunteers have worked at least one Verizon concert

• Countless hours have already been spent measuring/sewing uniforms, chaperoning, sewing flags and building props

We understand everyone's time is precious but thanks for spending some of it supporting the students of the Fort Mill School District Bands.

 

Lastly, please continue to stay involved and support not only your student but the band programs of the Fort Mill School District - whether it is at a fundraising activity, building props, sewing flags or working on uniforms - your time is appreciated. The importance of a good music education are well known. Don't we all want to provide the most and best opportunities for our children?

 

Thanks in advance for volunteering to help the students achieve their goals and continuing the tradition of music excellence in the Fort Mill School District!!!