Ryle Marching Band Announcement
Hello Ryle Band Family,
The past few months have brought many challenges to our lives and continue to pose many unknowns. We have spent the past several weeks consulting with our administrators, staff members, fellow band directors, and our band booster president to discuss our current situation. After much thought and consideration, we have come to the conclusion that the Ryle High School Marching Band will not compete during the 2020 season. To give you some more insight on this decision, these are some of the obstacles and questions that we have been considering:
- Current guidelines state we cannot have more than 50 members on the field at one time, in pods of 10 (9 students and one instructor). This remains in effect through at least August 3rd. We do not know when this will be changed.
- Per current guidelines, we are currently only permitted1 hour of practice per day (staggered over the course of the day with small groups of students). We are also limited to 6 hours per week per student total. This also remains in effect through at least August 3rd. We are not sure when this will change. Even if restrictions are eased somewhat, rehearsing a marching band will be very impractical and difficult.
- We currently have 130 students signed up for our marching band. This number limitation makes it very difficult to write and pay for marching drill. Once work begins on the drill, we would have to pay the drill writer regardless of what happens later in the season. We would not be able to reuse that work for next season. This would be a financial risk for our program. Additionally, we do not know when the entire band would be able to rehearse and perform as one group.
- We know that there will be travel restrictions but we do not know to what extent. Some unknown factors include how to transport students safely on busses, overnight trips, long bus rides, and out of state travel.
- Bingo, the Tournament of Bands, and concessions are our three most profitable fundraisers. With significant uncertainty regarding these activities, not only in Boone County but statewide as well, we are very limited in funding a competitive season without jeopardizing the future financial stability of our program as a whole. As mentioned above, there are certain financial commitments that once they are made, will need to be paid regardless of if the season were to be discontinued later in the year.
- The start of fall sports has yet to be determined. If football is able to happen, we do not know if bands will be allowed to attend. We do not know if spectators will be reduced to 50% capacity or even allowed to attend at all. This also applies to marching band competitions, where tickets and concessions are the primary form of profit.
- We are not sure what the band classroom will look like in the Fall. The cornerstone of any successful band program is classroom instruction. We feel that as directors we have to prioritize this instruction for the overall well-being of the program and for the education of our students.
- Even if we attempted to begin as normal, there is no guarantee that the season would finish.
- We do not know if we can have the same number of volunteers to help with our program as in year’s past (assistance with food, transportation, props, etc.). It takes so much support from our amazing band family to make a marching season happen!
- Most importantly, we must consider what is appropriate for the safety of our students, staff, and their families.
There are certainly more concerns involved but we hope that this helps to provide a rationale for our decision. With that said, we cannot at this time provide specifics to what our marching program will look like this year. If allowed, we would like to still perform at football games, parades, and other community events. Our goal is still to provide an activity that strives to make a positive difference in the lives of our members through music and movement. We will still encourage and assist our students to achieve their highest potential as they develop confidence, cooperation, leadership, responsibility, and to have high standards of excellence and character.
New rehearsal schedules will be announced soon. Our plan at this time is to begin rehearsals for our summer program the week of July 27th. Students will be rehearsing in small groups, in staggered sessions throughout the day. Please keep in mind that everything is fluid and even this could change. More details will be provided soon, as we await guidance from our district and other governing bodies on how to rehearse safely and effectively.
Our band booster board will meet this Thursday evening, with many items on our agenda for discussion, including 2020 band fees, rehearsal guidelines, fundraising, and many other items.If you have any specific questions/concerns you would like us to address, please use the google form below to submit your items before our meeting Thursday evening:
https://forms.gle/iiQChaVQHGd4KcBm7
This has been an incredibly difficult decision for us to make and is not one that we make lightly. The directors and staff of the Ryle Band love working with the marching program and understand how important it is to our students and parents. Making the right decision is not always the same as making the popular decision. The integrity and pride of the Ryle Band will last through these times. Prior to March of this year, the 2019-2020 school year was one the strongest years in the history of the Ryle Band in all aspects (marching, jazz, percussion, color guard, etc.). We are confident that we will be able to return to this form in time. Regardless of anything else, our promise to the students and parents of the Ryle Band is that we will do everything we can to make sure that you are safe and that you have a positive experience through music education. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Sincerely,
Mr. Joe Craig
Mr. Jesse Gibbs
Mr. David Jump
Mrs. Cindy Richmond, Ryle Band Booster President