Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Why does a student audition? Students who enroll in band audition so that they can be placed in a band class with students at their skill level.
  2. How many bands are there and how does placement in a band affect a student’s schedule? There are four bands, beginning with the top: Wind Symphony, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band and Concert Band. (Please do not be alarmed if, on the printed course schedules, the school district uses different names for the bands.) Currently, during concert season, both Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble students meet each week for one day after school for practice as an ensemble and one day for practice with the instrument section (sectionals practice).
  3. Does a student have to come to summer band practice? A student who is interested in marching for the fall show should make every effort to come to summer practices. Early in the summer, the band learns the music for the fall show. In August, the band begins learning the fall show drill. A student who shows up the first day of school without having been to summer practice will be two months behind the other students.
  4. What happens if the student’s family will be out of town or there is some other reason the student cannot attend summer band practice? The directors need to know if the student intends to stay in band but cannot be at practice for some reason. Writing for the show’s drill begins early. It’s a complicated geometrical problem, and it is not so easy to add and subtract students without changing the look of the show. Please e-mail the directors if the student cannot attend any or all days of summer practice.
  5. What is a dot? A “dot” is the student’s position on the field.
  6. Should a student come to marching practice if he or she does not have a dot? Yes. Those who work hard and demonstrate reliability may eventually earn a spot on the field. If a marching student is injured or ineligible because of grades, a student who has been there all along can be moved to fill the empty slot.
  7. What does “ineligible” mean? When six-week progress reports come out, students with one or more failing grades cannot participate in extracurricular activities such as band events or contests at least until the student has brought the grade up to passing on the next report card.
  8. What should a student wear for marching practice? Summer and fall practices take place during the hottest time of year in Houston. Most practices are on the hot concrete parking lot, where temperatures may reach above 100 degrees. Students should be attired in shorts (no long pants), light-colored shirts, hats, socks and shoes. Sunscreen and hats are strongly advised.
  9. What should a student bring for marching practice? Each student should have his or her own half-gallon or larger water jug, marked with the student’s name and filled with water each day. Students should also have a dot book, made from a 4x6 spiral notecard set hung around the students’ necks with a shoestring.
  10. What is the band fee supposed to cover? The band fee covers the fees for contests, transportation to local contests, drinks at games and contests, and food at contests. Students who do not pay the required fees can be placed on the “not clear” list and will not receive report cards. Seniors on the “not clear” list can not graduate. Families whose financial situations make payment difficult should contact the band directors.
  11. What else will a student need to purchase? Students must pay a fee to the school district for cleaning the uniforms. They must have a gray uniform T-shirt to wear under their uniform bibber pants and at parades or at other band performances in which students are not wearing the full school uniform. Students, except those in percussion, will also need to purchase at least two pairs of black gloves each year. New students, or those who have outgrown last year’s shoes, must purchase black marching shoes. Students must also have a garment bag to transport their uniforms to games and contests. They may purchase their own or order the Tote Unlimited garment bag in school colors. The company will put the student’s initials on the bags. Tote Unlimited also sells a zippered duffle bag, which is recommended but not required, to hold shoes and other essentials at band events. All of the above items can be purchased through booster club order forms. On their own, students should buy two pairs of black socks.
  12. What other optional items can students and parents purchase? The Clear Brook Band Booster Club sells clothing and other items to promote the band and school. This year, the marching show shirt, commemorating the marching season program, will be an optional purchase for both parents and students. Parents, especially those who plan to chaperone or volunteer as a band-aide, are encouraged to purchase the booster club’s red polo shirt or T-shirt for games and contests. Please see the website shop tab for other available merchandise, which can be purchased online or at many band events.
  13. How much is the rental fee for school-owned instruments? Students who play French horn, tuba, baritone, oboe, bassoon, percussion and other school-owned instruments pay a fee of $100 to the school for the maintenance of those instruments.
  14. Can we purchase our own instrument? Many students own their own instruments, and directors can advise students and parents about brand names and where to purchase them. Some woodwind players purchase a second higher quality instrument for concert season and save the instrument they first learned on for marching season.
  15. What instruments are not allowed on a school bus? The larger instruments whose cases will not fit down a bus aisle cannot be taken on a school bus. Among these are French horn, tuba and percussion instruments. When students go to football games and contests, these instruments are loaded on the Clear Brook Band equipment trailer. Students are responsible for seeing that their instruments are brought to the trailer before events and then removed from the parking lot and taken home or placed in the slots when the band returns to school.
  16. If a student plays an instrument not used in marching bands, what should he or she play during marching season? Marching programs usually do not include bassoons and oboes, although one year’s program included a bassoon solo. Students who play these instruments during concert season should discuss the possibilities with the directors and the private lesson instructor. Some students have opted to participate in color guard or percussion during marching season, while others have switched to similar instruments for the fall.
  17. Should students take private lessons? Private lessons are not required, but most students in the top bands take lessons. The school district contracts with several instructors, who are mostly college students majoring in music, in the CCISD Music Enrichment program. Students enrolled in the program pay for lessons through the district at a slightly discounted rate. Students may, with the advice of the directors, seek additional professional instructors outside the district program.
  18. How often do students take breaks during marching practice? Band directors take frequent breaks during hot practices, sometimes as often as every five minutes, so that students can drink water and stay hydrated.
  19. Why do students have to have a new physical every year? Students who participate in marching band receive a waiver of a semester in physical education for each fall season they march. Marching is more athletic than ever, and the district needs to verify that students’ health is safe for this kind of exertion.
  20. How can parents find out information if the students do not tell them? Students have often had a long day before they see their parents each evening, so they forget to tell parents key information. Parents should sign up to receive band e-mails and check this website, www.clearbrookband.org, for headlines and calendar listings regularly. A monthly newsletter with more indepth information is posted on the website home page, and past newsletters are still available under the website archives tab.
  21. How do students and parents sign up to receive e-mails, have access to music and drill, and review financial information? Students and parents should locate Brook Band Direct on the lower left side of the home page and register only those e-mail addresses where they wish to receive e-mail correspondence from the band. After registration, they will receive a confirmation e-mail (at each address registered) asking them to click a link to verify the e-mail has reached the correct address. Once the parents or students have replied to the confirmation e-mail, they will begin receiving the band’s regular e-mail correspondence, known as the Tuesday Note, as well as occasional band updates. They will also have access to music and drill for the marching season. Parents will have access to the records of their payments toward the band fee. The financial information is secure and unavailable online to anyone else but the booster club treasurer.
  22. What does UIL mean? The University Interscholastic League began at the University of Texas. UIL rules govern Texas intra-state competitions in marching band and concerts. UIL requirements also govern athletic and scholastic competitions in the state.
  23. What does BOA mean? BOA stands for Bands of America. Marching bands all over the country participate in their regional, super regional and grand nationals contest. BOA shows tend to be more theatrical and showy than traditional band shows. Clear Brook Band began participating in BOA events in the fall of 2004 and made it to finals at its first outing at the BOA Houston contest, held in Huntsville that year.
  24. What are bibbers? Newer band uniform pants like those worn by Clear Brook Band come up much higher than the waist and fit like overalls with attached adjustable suspenders. The uniform committee fits and hems the pants each year for each student. Uniforms are washable, but only uniform committee members are allowed to wash them with specific instructions from the uniform chair.
  25. What are shakos? Shako is the term for the style of hat worn by Clear Brook Band with the marching uniform. Students carry their shakos to band events in plastic boxes. Parent volunteers place the plumes in the shakos just prior to performances.
  26. What kind of uniform do students wear during concert season? All students except girls in the top band wear the marching season bibbers with a uniform tuxedo shirt and a black tuxedo jacket. Girls in the top band wear a black formal dress like those worn by the orchestra. Tentative plans call for all girls to wear the black formal dress eventually. All uniforms are school-owned.
  27. What are the main parts of a marching band? The marching band consists of the hornline (which includes brass and woodwinds), percussion (divided into battery and front ensemble) and color guard.
  28. How often does the band travel out of state? The school district currently permits out-of-state travel for the entire band or for sub-groups of the band, such as drumline or color guard, once every two years.
  29. How many hours a week does the band practice? UIL rules allow for a maximum of eight hours per calendar week of marching practice outside of the school day, plus warm-ups prior to games and contests. The Brook directors usually schedule somewhat less than eight hours of practice in case a practice runs longer than expected.
  30. Can students succeed in advanced classes and march in the band at the same time? Yes. Plenty of band students enroll in advanced classes and succeed. Band students are prominent in every measure of academic success at Clear Brook. A band student is almost always the salutatorian or valedictorian each year, and band students are well represented among other honor graduates. That does not mean it is easy, but band seems to help the students learn discipline and time management.
  31. Why should families join the booster club? The booster club supports the band financially by covering expenses not paid for by the school or school district. The club also facilitates communications among the directors, students and parents and provides a physical presence to help cheer for the band and assist the students in numerous ways. Families who participate find fun and friendships with other parents and students.

Vicki M. Cherewaty, band mom 2001-2008