This flyer will give you some general information regarding the Akins Eagle Band (AEB) at Akins HS. In the near future, HS Directors will be talking with students directly to answer any questions they may have.

When Choice Sheets for Akins HS are delivered to your campus, you will want to select Band as an elective. The choice sheet may list Band or Marching Band. Pick either one...we will make sure you are in the right course.

At the end of this document, you will find a form to complete indicating your intentions regarding participation in band at Akins HS. Please complete this form as soon as possible.

If you have any questions at any time, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Tate Fincher

Director of Bands - Akins HS

tate.fincher@austinisd.org

512-841-9804

HS band is very different than middle school band...if you enjoyed middle school band, you will love HS band.

Highlights of HS Band Include:

• Being a Part of the AEB Family - Students talk about their band "family"...when you are a part of band at Akins HS, you are a part of a close-knit group that treats each other as family. You are part of something great and a member of the premier program at Akins HS.
• Marching Band - Marching Band tends to be the thing incoming students are most "afraid" of coming into HS. The funny thing is...this is the thing that most HS students end up loving the most! Our advice to all new students is this...give it a shot! You will be pleasantly surprised!
• HS Football Games - AEB performs at all Akins Varsity football games. No HS football game in Texas is complete without the band...and AEB brings energy and excitement to every game!
• Marching Band Contests - AEB competes in 4 to 7 marching contests each year. We continue to enjoy more and more success each year, and this year will be no different. This year's contests include several performances in the Austin area, as well as Midland, TX and San Antonio, TX.
• Concerts - AEB presents at least 4 concerts a year, sometimes more. Students will perform anywhere from 9 to 12 (or more) different pieces of music throughout the year.
• Travel - AEB takes at least one trip each year. In 2017, the Akins Band will travel to Santa Fe, New Mexico to go snow skiing! Past trips have included: Walt Disney World, New Orleans, Corpus Christi, and Dallas.
• Private Lessons - Students in the Akins Band have access to some of the best private lesson instructors in the state. These are professional musicians who are experts on different instruments. Students can opt to take 30-60 minute individual lessons on a weekly basis with these master teachers to quickly get better on their instruments!
• Master Clinicians and Educators - AEB is fortunate to have the top band educators and musicians in the nation (if not the world) working with us on a continuing basis. Current clinicians and guest teachers include: Jerry Junkin - Director of Bands at UT Austin, Paula Crider - Director Emeritus UT Austin Longhorn Band, Dr. Scott Hanna - Assistant Director of Bands at UT Austin, John Benzer - University of Houston, Dr. Caroline Beatty - Director of Bands at TX State, Dr. Kyle Glaser - Associate Director of Bands at TX State, and many more that visit often.
• Work with Band Composers - AEB invites at least one visiting composer to work with students each year. This gives students an opportunity to ask questions and learn why the composer wrote the music they are playing. It is a rare experience that our students enjoy!

HS Band can be very busy. Depending on which group you are performing with or your level of involvement, you can expect to spend at least 8 hours a week outside of the school day in the fall, and at least 3 hours a week outside of the school day after marching band has ended.

You can get an idea of our schedule by looking at the calendar page on the band website here.

Here are the projected costs for participation in band in 2017-2018. These costs are subject to change if needed.

We will work with any financial situation! We fundraise on a regular basis and it is entirely possible to participate in band by raising all the money with fundraising. If you (or your student) wants to participate...we will find a way!

Money should never prevent a student from participating!

Anticipated Costs - Not all fees apply to all students. Please e-mail Mr. Fincher if you have a question about a fee.

• Fair Share - $425.00 - Required for all students. - This covers all operating expenses not covered by the district for the band program. These include (but are not limited to); transportation, marching band design, music purchases, percussion staff, color guard staff, clinicians, instrument repair, uniform repair and upkeep, instrument purchases, contest entry, etc.
• Instrument Usage Fee - $25.00 per semester - Required for students playing the listed instruments. - This covers rental and usage of a school owned instrument at Akins HS. The instruments we provide for this fee are: oboe, bassoon, French horn, euphonium, tuba, and percussion. This fee is only charged to those students playing one or more of these instruments.
• Percussion Supply Fee - $50.00 - Required for all percussionists. - This covers purchases throughout the year of sticks, heads, and other percussion specific materials.
• Flip Folder - $5.00 - Required for all brass and woodwind players.
• BERP - $18.00 - Required for all brass players.
• AEB Summer Uniform - $57.50 - Required for all new students. - This uniform will be the property of the student and includes: navy polo with AEB logo, khaki shorts, baseball hat, belt, and water jug.
• Marching Shoes - $29.00 - Required for all new students.
• Marching Gloves - $7.00 - Required for all new students.
• Uniform Bag - $27.50 - Required for all new students.
• Water the Eagles - $10.00 - Required for all students. - All students are provided with water throughout marching season at all events, games, and contests.
• Tailgating - $175.00 - Required for all students. - All students are fed (once or multiple times) at all football games, all contests, and other events.

Payment can be made with a one-time payment during August.

or

A payment plan can be made to pay off fees over time.

You can make a payment with cash, check, money order, or with a credit/debit card.

There are also multiple fundraising events throughout the year including:

• Selling concessions at UT Sporting events, concerts, and Circuit of the America events and concerts. You can find more information about signing up for those events here. Each event can earn a worker $35 to $125 in their band fee account.
• Popcorn sales
• Chocolate sales
• Pastry sales
• Candle sales
• Discount card sales.

Click here to email me directly.

I know this is a lot of information... I am happy to answer any questions you have. Let me know how I can help!

We are looking forward to having you as a part of our family. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you feel there are any conflicts or potential roadblocks to participating in HS Band at Akins HS!