- 11am arrive in the band room with uniforms on, hats in boxes. We will rehearse on the field quickly, just to learn our new field entrance and refresh our memories. (Students who are traveling with parents should consider leaving after this rehearsal if possible.) Once we’re done we’ll load the bus. Students will wear uniforms on the bus so that we don’t have to pack them underneath. They can take jackets off for the ride. Hats will go underneath, along with instruments, and coats or blankets or whatever you’re bringing for the game.
- 12pm departure. Music Boosters will have a sack lunch for everyone with sandwich, chips, cookie and water. You’ll grab that before you get on the bus and then we won’t make a stop until we get to Champaign.
- 3pm arrival - in the parking lot we will assemble instruments, put on our jackets and layers if needed and take everything we need to the game. If we have time we will play for the crowd at the tailgate tent. Band students must be in uniform and with the band when we enter the stadium, otherwise they will have to purchase a ticket.
- For those students who are traveling to and from the game with family, you will need to meet us in the parking lot so that you can enter the stadium with us. And you’ll also need to figure out how to get your instrument and uniform to and from Champaign, if it’s going on the bus you need to make sure it gets loaded, or you bring it with you in your own vehicle.
- When we enter the stadium we will enter as a group through the gate that is the band entrance, and band students in uniform plus our chaperons will be able to go in that gate.
- For those students who are traveling to and from the game with family, you will need to meet us in the parking lot so that you can enter the stadium with us. And you’ll also need to figure out how to get your instrument and uniform to and from Champaign, if it’s going on the bus you need to make sure it gets loaded, or you bring it with you in your own vehicle.
- 3:30 or some time around there we will enter the stadium and go to our spot which will be near the student section and as close to the field as possible. We will play in the bleachers as much as we can during the warmup time, and during the game. Especially after touchdowns! We will turn and face the Byron crowd so they can hear us best.
- Halftime - we have 6 minutes so we will run to our spots on the field, play Can’t Stop the Feeling, and then Wisconsin and then march straight off the field to the cadence and back to our seats where we will continue to sit as a band playing as often as possible for the rest of the game.
- After the game and the post game celebration, we will board the busses.
- Students who are traveling home with parents will need to be picked up by a parent and I need to see you before we leave for the bus. You’ll need to sign out, and come and see ME. Don’t tell someone to tell me you are with your parents. You will also need to make sure you have your case off the bus in Champaign.
- Students who are traveling home with parents will need to be picked up by a parent and I need to see you before we leave for the bus. You’ll need to sign out, and come and see ME. Don’t tell someone to tell me you are with your parents. You will also need to make sure you have your case off the bus in Champaign.
- On the way home we will stop in Bloomington for food. I expect that we will be rolling in to Byron around 11pm, but that’s a wild guess, which could fluctuate by as much as an hour depending on how long the game goes, traffic getting out of Champaign, and how long our dinner stop takes. Students will notify parents when we are about 20 minutes from home so that they can have someone there to pick them up when we get back.
Additional information for chaperones:
- You can have a box lunch if you want.
- You will need to purchase a game ticket.
- I’ll have you sitting on the edge of the band on either side of us, and students will have to notify you when they’re leaving for the restroom or concessions, and then they should tell the same person that they’re back. Please help me keep track of the students at all times. They should not go anywhere alone in the stadium, and restroom breaks are quick and for emergencies only. If anybody needs anything that you can help with, go for it. Keep an eye out for kids getting too cold or too hot.
- When we go between the stadium and the bus I imagine there will be a lot of things we’ll need you to help carry, but I’m pretty sure they won’t allow us to bring in bags or wagons.
- I’ll have a clip board with a sign out sheet and also attendance for someone to be in charge of every time we get on and off the bus.
- You get to choose the bus movie. =)