Greetings and WELCOME to the Bunnell/Stratford Bulldog Marching Band & Color Guard 2014-2015 Edition!

If you are receiving this it is because you have registered online, to be a member of this award winning, Nationally recognized organization.

PLEASE — if you are NOT participating — PLEASE contact jamesmiller@bunnellband.org and advise your STATUS today! Do not wait — we are writing you, or your child, a “spot” starting this weekend!

Please gear up as we begin the quest to compete in the National Marching Band Championships in November!

New and First Year Members —

I’m sure that you are nervous and possibly anxious… that’s totally normal! This is a very exciting time in your life. PLEASE do not give up. If you are having second thoughts, please come to camp and give it a try. If at the end of camp you are not feeling like you belong to a great performing group, then you don’t have to stay as a member. PLEASE REMEMBER — a drill spot has been written for you!

This email will be quite lengthy, as I want to give you every thing that you will need to prepare for the upcoming competition season, which begins in September. In order to prepare to compete on a National level, we will be starting this summer with Sectionals, Marching Basics & Band Camp in August (see Calendar link below) and Fund Raisng. You should soon receive an email or phone call from your section leader (that list is below as well) as to when your Sectionals will be held.

No WORRIES! If you are out of town on vacation, you’re excused!

BUT — please — VERY IMPORTANT — if for some reason you have second thoughts (we truly need everyone who has signed up) PLEASE notify me IMMEDIATELY!

Thanks!

And now for some general info:

1. Twitter — please follow us at Twitter here — @bunnellband

If you do not have an account — please go here to create one now — www.twitter.com — then click here to follow the Band Feed https://twitter.com/BunnellBand

2. Have Questions? — Here’s a great resource page — http://www.bunnellband.org/Site/FAQs.html

Parents — here are some FANTASTIC resources — http://www.bunnellband.org/Site/Parents.html

3. Links:

Here are some very important links for ALL MEMBERS…

Schedule — http://www.bunnellband.org/Site/Schedules.html

Click this link to see the schedule. Summer rehearsals begin on July 10. All members who are in town are expected to attend. Guard and Drumline have separate schedules, that will also appear on this calendar.

There will be sectionals as well! — You or your child will receive a phone call or email as to when and where the sectionals are held for your section (flutes, clarinets etc…) — you should attend these sectionals as this is where the student leaders will help everyone learn the music.

Audio of the show — https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B093prcObtSVQ3FCd1IzcU5jZnc/edit?usp=sharing

Get your music here — https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B093prcObtSVSkN3UEphMzNzeDQ&usp=sharing

Get your AUDIO of YOUR part here — https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B093prcObtSVVE5HdjJBR28wbk0&usp=sharing — go into the folder marked Audio by Section… you can also access the ORIGINAL tunes by the Who, as well as the full band audio. Your audio will have a click track.

Get Your Drill Sheets and watch the Drill Animation here (coming soon) — https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B093prcObtSVOS1HUHRRYkxvbmc&usp=sharing

Band Handbook — https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B093prcObtSVYkxxdTNoNS1YR28/edit?usp=sharing

Band Handbook (iPad) — https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B093prcObtSVSE8xc3FKZ0tXNjA/edit?usp=sharing

4. Fund Raising

Everyone has to share in the expenses of running the Band & Guard. The “Fund Raising Obligation” covers busses, staff, custodians, uniform upkeep, instruments, equipment (guard & band), awards, scholarships and other daily operations of the Band & Guard. The “Fund Raising Obligation” for 2014-2015 is set at $415 per student. (Siblings receive a $50 discount).

This amount should be covered by the fund raisers that we provide. Simply sell 3 full page ads to businesses, relatives, family friends and you will meet this goal without having to pay anything out of pocket! We have been selling these ads for the Cavalcade Ad Book for close to 35 years — the businesses in Stratford expect that we will be selling at this time. Remember — all ads are 100% tax deductible!

please see — http://www.bunnellband.org/Site/Fund_Raising.html — for more details.

The Ad-Book is the biggest fund raiser of the year and starts NOW! Please download the forms here —

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B093prcObtSVcHprQllkbVVqQnM/edit?usp=sharing

and use this link http://www.bunnellband.org/Site/Ad_Book_Info.html — to learn more.

You can see a sample ad here — http://www.bunnellband.org/Sample_Ad_Page.pdf

And you can forward this link to your family and friends to purchase an ad online — http://www.bunnellband.org/Site/Purchase_an_Ad.html

please note that, since we are a 501(c)3 not for profit — all ads are 100% tax deductible.

There is a TON of info on the web page about Ad-Books — please check it out!

5. Band Camp

August 18-21.

There will be a performance (the premiere performance of 2014) for ALL PARENTS and their families on Thursday, Aug 21, 2014 around 5pm.

Please click here to learn more about Band Camp (Don’t be Frightened!!! Everyone gets through it!) — http://www.bunnellband.org/Site/Band_Camp_Info.html

That’s all for now — there will be a weekly update called “Band Notes” that you will receive via email…

PLEASE — do not hesitate to contact me with any questions and concerns — and PLEASE be MATURE and contact me ASAP, should you start to have second thoughts — we can work it out!!!

thank you

Jim Miller