2020 D-Y Winter Percussion
To the parents of potential Winter Percussion students,
I am posting this message to all the parents of Marching Band wind and percussion students in the event they may be returning to Winter Percussion this upcoming season or thinking about joining for the first time. Every other year the Winter Percussion ensemble travels and competes on the world stage at the WGI World Championships in Dayton Ohio. This is an amazing life changing experience for the students and a trip that the students will never forget.
I am posting this so that parents are aware of the expectations of the participants and potential cost of the trip. The Dayton trip will be Tuesday April 14th – Saturday April 18th. Those of you who have been around awhile may notice that the trip is one day longer than in the past. Unfortunately WGI changed the way they schedule the event and we have no control over this. Though students would miss four days of school, this trip has been approved by the school administration as well as the DY School Committee.
In past years we have gone to Dayton as much for the experience knowing that our chance of making it out of semi-finals or pre-lims was slim. However, this year we are going out to compete! It’s for this reason we are letting students and parents know now, way ahead of time, that if students want to participate as a musician in the 2020 WP season they must commit to going to World Championships in Dayton. We are not looking at this trip as an “extra” thing we do at the end of the season. This trip and performance on the world stage will be the end result of all the hard work starting in November.
The cost of the trip will depend on how many students are in the ensemble. We usually have between 25 -30 students in the ensemble so the trip should cost between $750-$850. Veteran parents may also notice that this is much higher than two years ago. This is because of the extra day we are required to take for the trip. I have structured the cost of this trip to include everything. The cost will cover hotel stay, coach bus transportation, WGI show fees, student tickets, box truck, truck fuel, and tolls. The cost will also cover ALL meals - even the meals on the bus at rest areas there and back. Other than “swag” students may want to buy at the event, students won’t need any personal money for this trip.
We will have fund raising set up to assist with the trip. Even right now, if a student sells more than their 30 fall raffle tickets they can use the extra money towards their trip. Of course more fund raising will be set up after the fall season. Unfortunately (due to the current state of our Bingo fundraiser) we will not have the opportunity for scholarship or assistance. It kills me to say that, but we simply do not have the money to do that.
I have already had parents volunteer to “chaperone” the trip but I am still taking requests if anyone were interested. We usually pick parents based on the seniority of the student, the level of involvement in the Band Parents organization, and most importantly, the parents’ rapport with the students.
Feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns – now back to Marching Band season!
Alexander M. Pendleton
Music & Performing Arts Department Chair
Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School
210 Station Avenue
South Yarmouth, MA 02664
Phone: (508) 398-7648
Fax: (508) 398-7635
I am posting this message to all the parents of Marching Band wind and percussion students in the event they may be returning to Winter Percussion this upcoming season or thinking about joining for the first time. Every other year the Winter Percussion ensemble travels and competes on the world stage at the WGI World Championships in Dayton Ohio. This is an amazing life changing experience for the students and a trip that the students will never forget.
I am posting this so that parents are aware of the expectations of the participants and potential cost of the trip. The Dayton trip will be Tuesday April 14th – Saturday April 18th. Those of you who have been around awhile may notice that the trip is one day longer than in the past. Unfortunately WGI changed the way they schedule the event and we have no control over this. Though students would miss four days of school, this trip has been approved by the school administration as well as the DY School Committee.
In past years we have gone to Dayton as much for the experience knowing that our chance of making it out of semi-finals or pre-lims was slim. However, this year we are going out to compete! It’s for this reason we are letting students and parents know now, way ahead of time, that if students want to participate as a musician in the 2020 WP season they must commit to going to World Championships in Dayton. We are not looking at this trip as an “extra” thing we do at the end of the season. This trip and performance on the world stage will be the end result of all the hard work starting in November.
The cost of the trip will depend on how many students are in the ensemble. We usually have between 25 -30 students in the ensemble so the trip should cost between $750-$850. Veteran parents may also notice that this is much higher than two years ago. This is because of the extra day we are required to take for the trip. I have structured the cost of this trip to include everything. The cost will cover hotel stay, coach bus transportation, WGI show fees, student tickets, box truck, truck fuel, and tolls. The cost will also cover ALL meals - even the meals on the bus at rest areas there and back. Other than “swag” students may want to buy at the event, students won’t need any personal money for this trip.
We will have fund raising set up to assist with the trip. Even right now, if a student sells more than their 30 fall raffle tickets they can use the extra money towards their trip. Of course more fund raising will be set up after the fall season. Unfortunately (due to the current state of our Bingo fundraiser) we will not have the opportunity for scholarship or assistance. It kills me to say that, but we simply do not have the money to do that.
I have already had parents volunteer to “chaperone” the trip but I am still taking requests if anyone were interested. We usually pick parents based on the seniority of the student, the level of involvement in the Band Parents organization, and most importantly, the parents’ rapport with the students.
Feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns – now back to Marching Band season!
Alexander M. Pendleton
Music & Performing Arts Department Chair
Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School
210 Station Avenue
South Yarmouth, MA 02664
Phone: (508) 398-7648
Fax: (508) 398-7635