Overview

Marching band is fun, but it also requires a commitment, and we want everyone to understand what that involves. The season starts in the summer and runs until the beginning of November.

Rehearsals

• Marchers must be able to commit to 95% or more of rehearsals and performances between June and October. We realize that families have vacations and that there may be special circumstances and these must be worked out in advance with the adult leaders.

• Full band rehearsals take place throughout summer and fall. See the FHS Marching Band calendar for updated dates and times. This schedule is subject to change.

• There will also be mandatory sectionals scheduled by student Section Leaders, about once per week.

• Color Guard and Percussion will often have additional rehearsals specific to their needs.

• During the summer the full band will usually practice once a week with each section doing an additional one to two days.

• During the school year, the band rehearses about three days per week after school from September-October.

• On home football Fridays, there will usually be a rehearsal right after school that will lead into the band tailgate and football game.

• Due to rehearsals and performance requirements, marchers CANNOT participate in a fall varsity sport along with marching band.

Band Camp

• This year band camp will be held at Camp Pendalouan, Montague, MI.

• Camp will be August 12th-16th (Mon-Fri). Your attendance is essential and mandatory.

• Students will be bussed from the school to camp on Monday August 12th. It is required that an adult be able to come to camp on the evening of Friday August 16th to pick the students up and take them back to Farmington. There will be NO BUSSES back from camp.

• Families are invited and encouraged to join us Friday evening around 6pm at camp to see the band performance of what they worked on at camp.

Physicals

• Marching Band is a very strenuous extra curricular. It involves a lot of physical activity often in warm weather and sometimes in heavy uniforms.

• Due to this, the Marching Band uses the same physical form utilized by the Michigan High School Athletics Association and this physical form is a requirement for all band members.

• Prior to the first day of summer practice, you must have a physician complete a physical. This physical must have been completed after April 15th, 2024.

• If a physical is not turned in, marchers will not be allowed to take part in marching drills until they are turned in.

• Many clinics in the area do inexpensive walk-in sports physicals. 

  • Emcura Urgent Care charges $25. They have 2 locations: Bloomfield and Northville.

  • Prime Care Urgent Care charges $35. They are located in Novi. 

Football Games

• The band performs at most home football games. Football games will be noted on the band calendar on the website.

• On game days, the schedule usually looks as follows:

  • 3:00-5:00pm: Band pre-game rehearsal

  • 4:30pm: Families and volunteers arrive in the FHS student parking lot to set up the band tailgate

  • 5:00-6:00pm: Band tailgate. Marchers and band directors eat first followed by families

  • 6:00-6:45pm: Band goes to get uniformed, parents clean up tailgate, volunteers prepare hospitality and pit instrument transport

  • 6:45-7:00pm: Band preforms pre-game show

  • 7:00-8:15pm (approx): Band performs stand tunes in first and second quarter

  • 8:15-8:45pm: Band performs halftime show

  • 8:45-9:00pm: Band enjoys hospitality (snacks and waters)

  • 9:00-9:30pm: Band performs stand tunes in the fourth quarter

  • 9:30-10:00pm: Band marches out of the stadium and changes out of uniforms

  • 10:00-12:00pm: Optional after party (hosted by Marching Band parent)

Competitions

• The band performs at two weekend competitions during the fall to showcase their music and to see other Marching Bands shows as well.

• These competitions are usually between 30 to 60 minutes away from FHS and students are bussed to these competitions (parents are asked to drive themselves)

• More information about exact dates and times of competitions will be posted to the website and sent via email and Facebook once they are known.

• Much like Football games, competitions are a requirement for marchers (as missing marchers take away from the band being able to do its full performance at the highest level). If you know you will miss a competition, please speak with an adult leader as soon as possible.