Student Expectations

The RBV Band and Color Guard cannot be successful without our students giving it their all! Late summer to early December is an especially busy time for Marching Band. Color Guard and Drum Line continue their school year with a winter tournament season. Expect to work hard and have fun!

Be...

On Time - Arrive to rehearsal, tournament or show call times 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Give yourself some time to get where you need go, including picking up your instrument, getting into the right clothing or eating, without being in a rush.

Present - Attendance at practices and competitions are part of your grade and are a requirement. Practice is what makes a band great, and the only way to properly practice is to be there! Schedules will go out well in advance each year. This includes band camp in the summer.

Prepared - Bring all necessary equipment to school every day that you have Band. Make sure you have what you need to be present and prepared for the day's events, and that your instrument is in good working order. Communicate with coaches and directors to make sure that you have what you need.

Respectful - Respect your band leaders, directors, coaches and the volunteers that are there to support you. Listen to direction. Be polite and helpful. Respect each other! We get to the top, together.

Responsible - Your instrument and other equipment is your responsibility, as is your uniform or costume. Take ownership of your choices, and if you have taken on other responsibilities for equipment, leadership roles or other tasks within the Band - aim to perform them to the best of your ability.

A Team Player - A band is a team! Each section within it needs to work in unison and with each other to be successful. Help when you see help is needed. Support your band mates and show your support of other schools when at tournaments. Cooperate with band leadership, other band members and volunteers.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Marching Band and Color Guard begin at Band Camp. We have practice twice a week with additional practice time throughout tournament season to fine tune our show. Here's a breakdown of what you can expect.

Band Camp!

About Two Weeks Before School Starts 1-9pm Monday-Friday

We'll be learning the first parts of our field show and brushing up in this two weeks. For newcomers to Band, Band Camp is the best way to immerse yourself into the program, and you'll get the basic of drill. This is the time to get to know new band members and staff/ coaches, and to get ready for the start of the school year. Band camp days are approximately 1-9pm, Monday through Friday. If you have a conflict that will prevent you from making it to Camp, please contact the band directors as early as possible to discuss. Camp is crucial to keeping up!

Night Practice

Monday and Thursday 5-9pm

The field belongs to the Band on Monday and Thursday night! We have less than a dozen night practices before our first tournament in most cases. These night practices are critical to preparing our field show.

Sectionals

1 Hour Once A Week

Each major branch of the band: Instruments, Drum and Color Guard each have their own one hour time slot each week to have additional after school sectional practice.

Saturday Practice

3-4 Saturday Practices a Semester

Expect a few Saturday practices in September and October to prepare for tournament season. These practices are from 1-9pm unless otherwise noted.

Trips, Parades & Special Events

Every year the Band participates in a handful of special events that we are invited to or that we host. We march in parades, and we've gone on many trips throughout the years to places as near as Disneyland and as far as China and Europe! Each year we take as many opportunities as we can to do these fun and exciting trips and events.

Dressing the Part

Students will receive guidelines on proper marching attire or costuming for the field or winter shows, and will be fully instructed on how to care for their uniform or costumes which will include proper storage. You are responsible for every piece of clothing or kit that is issued to you. Your quarter masters will also be there to instruct and guide you. Please refer to your Band Handbook for full details marching uniform do's and don'ts.

Concert black helps create a polished and unified appearance on stage, allowing the audience to focus on the music and the ensemble rather than individual performers. By dressing consistently, the band presents a professional and cohesive image that reflects the hard work and preparation of the entire group.

Students have two options:

- A full length or below the knee black dress with appropriate coverage, black dress slacks with a black blouse, formal top or dress shirt. Dresses should cover the knees when seated; no strapless or spaghetti-strap dresses unless an additional covering is worn. Wear appropriate black footwear and black hosiery or socks when applicable.

- Black suit or approved black formal jacket with black dress slacks; white formal shirt; black bow tie; black socks and black dress shoes. The appearance should closely resemble a tuxedo but family should not feel the need to purchase a tuxedo unless they so choose.

We Love Our New Bandroom!

Our band room has recently been refurbished, cleaned, painted, and organized, and we want to keep it looking great for everyone! A few simple guidelines help us maintain a clean, safe, and welcoming space for the entire program:

Food, beverages, and gum are not permitted in the band room, back hallway, percussion room, Colorguard room, or other indoor facilities used for rehearsals. Water is always allowed.
Please do not store food overnight in lockers.
Keep lockers clean and organized, and please don't leave personal items on the floor outside of your assigned storage space.
Students should not enter the directors' offices, library, tuba room, percussion room, Colorguard room, or other restricted areas without permission, unless the space is specifically assigned to their section or role.

Taking a few extra minutes to clean up after ourselves and respect shared spaces helps keep our facilities in great shape and makes rehearsal more enjoyable for everyone! Everyone will participate in band room clean ups throughout the year.