Q. Why should I encourage my teenager to join a marching band?
Because they are teenagers, they need to belong to a group of friends with whom to "hang out." As parents, we want to know that our teens will be with a good group that is safe and supervised.
Q. Will this take a lot of my teen’s time?
Yes!! From July through August, they will practice the show from six to sixty hours per week. September and October for 9 hours per week plus all day Saturday. There is no extracurricular activity at Dixie that spends more time in practice than the marching band.
Q. What are they practicing for?
The Kentucky Music Educator's Association judges competitions of marching bands from all over Kentucky and Ohio. The bands have to set up the show on a football field, perform, and take it all off again within 14 minutes. Bands are judged by eight judges on music, marching, and presentation. The bands receive scores, awards, and suggestions for improvement. The best bands compete for state-wide honors at the end of October. The Dixie Marching Colonels are consistently competing for state honors in its marching class.
Q. What is expected of the parents?
Band parents are automatically members of the Dixie Heights Band Boosters. We are a non-profit organization that is run by officers elected from within the organization to serve a one-year term. Our purpose is to support the band by working in fund-raising activities and to help put the show on the field. Our parents work more hours than any other parent group at Dixie. If everyone does a little something, we will be able to get the job done. We have a friendly group of parents, who can work and have fun at the same time.
Q. What kind of fund raisers do we have?
If we can raise money selling it - we do! The Band Boosters run outside concessions at Dixie Heights football and soccer games, and a number of smaller fundraiser, including the sale of
mulch, car washes, etc.
Q. What do we use the money for?
We rent trucks to haul instruments and props and school buses to transport students. We pay to purchase and repair instruments. We buy props, uniforms, costumes, flags, newsletters, first aid supplies, and awards. We hire instructors to train the various sections of the band. We give one scholarship ($500 per year) to a selected band member each year (renewable for three more years).
Q. What is the best reason for me to encourage my teen to join the band?
The band is a family. When your freshman begins school at Dixie in August, he or she will have already made friends with a whole bunch of other band members. Your student will know the Dixie building and at least one of his teachers. They will always have someone to sit with at lunch. This has given my teens an edge at Dixie, and it has shown up in good grades and good attitudes.
Q. How do they keep their grades up with all the practice?
Anything worthwhile is not always easy, but marching band teaches discipline and organization. These students have to make good use of their time. Mrs. Banta says that the marching students are among the best students in the school.
Q. How do I get more information?
This website is updated whenever new information becomes available. During marching band season, those can be daily updates! You can call any of the officers on the
Band Boosters officers' (see the Contact
Numbers Web Page). They love to talk about the band.
Q. Where do we sign up?
Give your name, address, and telephone number to: Robb Duddey, the band director. He will send you an information packet with all the forms you will need. | 
