Parent & Student Handbook
Helpful Hints
Here are some helpful hints that will make their band experience a little easier.
Never send the students to a practice or performance on an empty stomach. - By far the single most common reason that Band Students have problems with upset stomachs, motion (car) sickness, passing out at rehearsals or a performance is because they show up for a particular event with an empty stomach. I would say 99% of students who have had some kind of problem like this were those who did not eat.
Communicate - It seems that students very rarely share important information with their parents unless they are asked a direct question. So it is important that you ask them what is happening in band. There is a very large Bulletin Board in the band room. I update this board almost daily. It contains everything the band students and their parents need to know. It also includes their current financial/fundraising status. If this avenue does not result in what you feel to be the proper flow of information, please call me at 412-678-9790. If I'm not in my office at the time, you can leave a message on my machine and I will gladly return your call as soon as possible. You can also e-mail me at saband@comcast.net.
Band Web Site - We maintain a very informative web site. We hope you find this electronic bulletin board instantly accessible and easy to understand for both band students and band parents. Schedules, due dates, times, forms and general information are available in an easy to understand format. Many of the forms are downloadable for your convenience. The web address is www.saband.org.
Uniform Maintenance - To avoid frequent and costly uniform cleaning and pressing you should make sure the band student properly hangs up their uniform in an open area after each performance. They can brush the mud/dirt off their pant legs, but of course only after they dry completely. Also remember these uniforms ARE NOT MACHINE WASHABLE.
Band Shoe Maintenance - Once again the best way to take care of the band shoes is regular cleaning, after every performance. The first thing that needs to be done is clean all of the mud and dirt off the shoes immediately after they dry. Then use a cleaner like Soft-Scrub or 409 with a toothbrush to take out all of the scuffs. Then use a good black shoe polish to finish.
When this no longer works the next step is to purchase a bottle of Nu-Life PREPARER and a jar of Kiwi brand Meltonian "Black Cream" polish. Most shoe repair shops carry these products. With these products the shoes must be clean and dry, then soak a cloth with the Preparer and rub it into the shoes, paying particular attention to the dirty spots. In most cases this process alone is enough to make the shoes looking new. Then after the preparer dries, rub in the Meltonian shoe polish. You should use gloves when using this polish as it is very strong.
For shoes that seem beyond saving there is one last effort to be tried. You first clean the shoes, then rub in the Preparer. While the shoes are still wet from this you can spray the shoes with NuLife Color Spray, a light coat is best as this spray tends to run easily, let the first coat dry then spray again. This spray is amazing, I have seen it make 4-year-old shoes look like new.