Thank you for visiting! Are you thinking about joining the instrumental music program at Cactus? The following step by step guide will help you understand what needs to be done and where to go to get assistance for that. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Simmons at jsimmons@pusd11.net!
1. Why Band?
If you are still on the fence about joining band at Cactus, please click the below link to learn more about the benefits of doing music in high school!
2. Learn About the Class Schedule at Cactus
The class schedule can be a little complicated. Students take four classes at a time and change classes each semester for a total of 8 classes per year. There are no year long band classes at Cactus, so students need to register for both semesters if they would like to do band yearlong. The Fall class is called “Marching Band” and the Spring class is called “Concert Band” for winds and “Instrumental Ensemble” for percussion. Taking band every semester will grant students credit towards all of their PE requirements, all of their Fine Arts requirements, and half of their other Elective requirements. To get more details on how classes and credits work, visit the below link.
3. Decide Which Ensemble(s) to Join
It is HIGHLY ENCOURGED that students do not take a semester off of band if they intend to do band in future semesters. It is important for marching band students to continue into concert band to continue to hone their instrument skills if they want to have a greater marching band experience in the future. Students who choose to only do concert band also fall behind due to taking a semester off and missing fundamental music skills and team building. The students travel a ton during the marching season and spend so much time together outside of school that students who join just for concert band will be behind both musically and socially. However, there is no strict rule against doing just one semester a year and sometimes conflicts do arise.
If you are choosing to do JUST spring concert band / percussion ensemble, please contact Mr. Simmons to make sure he has you/your child on his list. (jsimmons@pud11.net). Once he confirms the correct course registration, you are good to go and should wait for the spring semester. The rest of the instructions on this page will not pertain to you.
If you are choosing to do yearlong band or just marching band, please continue following the rest of this page.
4. Join “BAND”
“BAND”, not to be mistaken with the activity of band, is our group app and main method of communication for all things regarding the marching season. It will contain itineraries, volunteer signups, announcements and more. All students are required to be in the BAND app and it is highly encouraged for parents to join as it is our primary means of communicating.
5. Get all of the necessary information
There is a lot of information for marching band. It can be daunting, but please don’t stress! We have a lot of veterans that want to help and Mr. Simmons is more than willing to clarify any questions. Please visit the below link that contains everything you need review. The most pertinent information on the page are the following categories:
- The Handbook
- The Calendar
- Fees
- Items Needed for the Season
6. Get Registered!
Once you have read through all of the above, it is time to get registered! The below link will get you to the page to get registered for the marching season. There are two pieces that need to be completed to get registered:
- The Band Camp Registration Form
- RegisterMyAthlete
Links for both are on the registration page. The Band Camp Registration form is due by May 1st to have a position on the field show. The RegisterMyAthlete piece is required by district for all athletic activities. It includes a physical and concussion piece. Please follow the instructions on the page and get that physical scheduled ASAP! RegisterMyAthlete should be completed by the first day of Band Camp.
7. Save the Important Dates and Wait!
The following dates are mandatory for all 2023 members
- March 4th Info Session, 7pm at Cactus HS Auditorium (Parents and Students)
- July 15th-19th, Band Camp Week 1, 1pm-9pm at Cactus HS
- July 22nd-26th, Band Camp week 2, 6pm-9pm at Cactus HS
Please take a look at the pre-season information by visiting the below link. Pre-season is imperative to the success of the group and is scheduled late enough for incoming freshmen to be able to attend after their schooling.
If you have done all of the above, you should be good to go! Registering for Band Camp and the “BAND” app should mean you will receive all of our regular communications about what’s upcoming. If you have any questions at all, please contact Mr. Simmons via email at jsimmons@pusd11.net. Thank you!