In this section you can submit your questions and we will answer them! Just remember, there's no such thing as a silly question - most likely, we have all had the same question in the past!
Have a question you'd like to submit? Email us here!
Where can I find the required gallon water jug for my student?
Usually, stores like WalMart will keep them in stock. You can also try Lowe's!
Here are a couple of options we've found online:
Will students be excused from band camp for Flash Focus/Orientation?
Yes, they will be excused for a portion of their designated Flash Focus time! More information coming soon.
What are all of these acronyms? BOA? ISSMA? DCI?
BOA stands for Bands of America, which hosts regional and national competitive events for high school marching bands. Typically, FC travels to both a Regional competition (like the one in Louisville on Sep 16) and the Super Regional held in October at Lucas Oil Stadium. Due to scheduling conflicts between BOA and ISSMA for the 2023 season, FC will not attend the Super Regional this year.
ISSMA stands for Indiana State School Music Association, which hosts local competitions for Indiana high school marching bands. FC participates in Class A with other large schools such as Avon, Carmel, and Center Grove. Generally, FC competes at Regionals and Semi-State. The top 10 bands at Semi-State from each ISSMA Class then advance to State Finals.
DCI stands for Drum Corps International, known as Marching Music's Major League! Band students ages 15-21 can tour the US during the summer months, competing in various competitions across the country, with one of 30+ corps. FC has a great tradition of having either current or former students compete each year. The DCI season culminates in mid-August at the World Championships held at Lucas Oil Stadium. Prelims are held on Thursday, Semifinals on Friday, and the top 12 corps compete on Saturday evening. Traditionally, our Marching Flashes will practice from 9am-12pm the day of finals to allow interested students to attend Finals.
Do I have to fill out the financial agreement form or can I just tell you which option I want?
Yes, we must have a signed agreement either via the online form, or a printed version that is signed and turned in via the white box in the band room.
Rehearsal is listed from 9a-4p. What time should my student arrive, and will they really be done at 4?
In the band world, you always want to arrive early enough to have your instrument, music, and all other necessary items ready to begin at the noted start time. It is recommended that students arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the listed rehearsal time in order to prepare. If you arrive at the noted start time, you are late! At the end of rehearsal, you should expect that your student will be ready to leave once they ensure that all instruments/items are stored properly and their area is clean and ready for the next day. This may take anywhere from 10-20 minutes depending on where rehearsal was located that day (i.e., practice lot, stadium, band room).
How do students obtain marching band performance shoes?
Any student needing marching shoes (either new students or returning students needing a new pair) will be fitted for shoes in the near future. Cost of performance shoes will be charged to the student's account.
How can I see my financial account in BoosterHub?
On the BoosterHub Dashboard select "People" in the blue column on the left hand side. On People page, search for your own name in the search field towards the upper right hand side. Your name should return in your search. Click on your name. Your profile will appear, scroll ALL the way down. You should see 4 colored boxes. Select "Accounting".
If you are a visual person, check out this video walking you through these steps:
My marching student needs knee pads—any recommendations?
Any sporting goods store will likely have knee pads in either the basketball or volleyball sections. You can also find them on Amazon. Several students have pads made by McDavid. Here’s a link to a good pair as an example: McDavid Hex Pads for Knees/Elbows/Shins, Moisture Wicking, Youth & Adult Sizes (1 Pair) https://a.co/d/dWvOG6C
How can I stay informed of all band events, updates and opportunities?
There are several tools and methods used to communicate to band students and their families:
BoosterHub is a tool used to house our FC Bands website, fcbands.org. It is also home to your band account profile. (A profile is created when a band student is registered, however it is not active until it is confirmed. Emails will be sent out in the near future to anyone who has not yet confirmed their account providing instructions to do so. Please make sure to complete this step so that you are kept informed!) BoosterHub houses our calendar, store (for payments and fundraisers), news (including previous week's Cadence newsletters) forms and reminders.
ParentSquare is a tool used by teachers and administrators of FTCSC. There is an app that can be downloaded. It can also be set up so that you receive email notifications. If you do not already have ParentSquare set up, follow this link for more information: https://ftcsc.org/parentsquare/
Social Media You can find us on Facebook and Instagram. Franklin Central Bands is our public facebook page. Please also find and join any and all applicable groups: Franklin Central Band Families and Friends, FC Percussion Symphony Families and Friends, Franklin Central Guard Parents.
Weekly Cadence is our weekly newsletter. This newsletter will be published on Wednesdays. Questions or requests for this newsletter can be communicated to engagement@fcbands.org
Monthly Parent Meetings the band booster board will host parent meetings monthly. These meetings are typically held on a Wednesday evening and can be found on our calendar. The directors and booster board members will be in attendance. Meeting format includes time for questions and answers. Our next scheduled parent meeting is August 16 @ 7:30pm.
What is the difference between required volunteer shifts and other volunteer opportunities?
The marching band financial agreement (unless buyout is selected and paid) requires each family to work 4 shifts across our 5 hosted events (ISSMA scholastic marching band finals; Craft Fair; IPA competition; WGI percussion regional competition; and IHSCGA state competition). You are free to choose which of those events work with your schedule, as long as the adults in your family (or extended family!) work 4 or more shifts.
We have additional opportunities throughout the year to volunteer which do not count toward the event shift requirement. Those include helping at the car wash; chaperoning students to and from competitions and other events; helping build and maintain props; serving food at band camp, home football games, and other times we feed the students before competitions; and select fundraising opportunities such as working PepWear booths).
All of these volunteer opportunities are critical to the success of our program! Plus, you get to work alongside our other amazing band parents, and see up close how hard your students work to perfect their program.
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