Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Band Spirit Ideas

Encourage school spirit in your band.


For school bands, school spirit can be at a premium. Bands in small schools with minimal extracurricular programs, or in giant schools with huge bands where not all the members may know each other, can have trouble inspiring themselves to inspire others. Bands that have little to no contact with the rest of the school outside sports games may not have a tangible sense of how they fit into their school community. Help them grow their spirit and band together (so to speak) with school spirit activities.


Rock Band Pep Rally


Instead of just having the school band play the school song and a few other peppy tunes, make them an integral part of the pep rally. Get your band members to dress in rock clothes that feature their school colors, mascot and logo. These clothes can include tie-dyed T-shirts, jeans with school slogans written or painted on them in fabric paints or permanent marker, colored hair gel and hairpieces that match the school colors and faces painted like the school mascot. Let each section come up with their own theme and set ground rules for appropriate dress. Consult with the leaders of the pep rallies, usually cheerleaders, to come up with some new, fast-paced, catchy songs for your band members. They can play these new songs while the cheerleaders teach the student body a simple dance to go with them. Your band members can also perform solo; encourage them to dance and show off their new style.


Fundraising Karaoke


This idea is perfect for raising a lot of funding for your band and your school. Set up a karaoke stage at one of your school events and charge each student about $2 to sing two or three songs. Teach your band members a few new songs, or use traditional band songs if your group plays a lot of contemporary music. Use them as the backup band for each singer or group of singers, encouraging them to act like a real rock band. This activity is fun for the band because it allows them to use their music creatively; from a practical viewpoint, it gives them ample time to practice their music without even realizing they are practicing. This activity may also raise the band's reputation in the eyes of their peers and prove their worth and creativity to the community as well.


You could also split your band into fundraising groups. Have one group at the karaoke stand and place another group at a dance-off stand. Two people pay to see who can dance the fastest the longest while your band plays. Have a third group of your band set up a small area where children can pay a quarter to get a brief music lesson. You'll need extra instruments for this.


Touchdown Dance


Often, the band has a single field show and plays a very small part in the rest of sports events. They may play a touchdown or field goal song, but few people truly notice these efforts. Coordinate with your cheerleaders and create a dance for your band to do while they play after your team scores points. The dance should be simple and easy to do in the crowded space of the band stands but also be flashy enough that people notice. One effective way to do this is to have the band mimic some of the cheerleaders' moves. This gets the band up and moving and motivates them to pay attention to the games and cheer for their team, even if they don't particularly like sports. If you have a smaller pep band for indoor sports, dancing is sure to catch attention. Higher involvement in the games may also encourage more members to participate in elective band events like pep or jazz band.