Monday, August 26, 2019

08/30/19 Football Game

The season begins.  Thank you for helping on the Pit Crew!

The Band marches halftime at Friday night's game vs GISH.  We need your help right before the game (during pregame) and possibly as the game starts at the North end of Foster Field, by the blue Band trailer.  We will help get equipment unloaded so the Pit can warm up and get everything set up.  We should be unloaded by the start of the game so you can then watch the first quarter and most of the second quarter.  Then, at 5 minutes remaining in the 2nd Quarter, we need everyone back at the trailer and we will get ready to go on the field.   At 2 minutes before Halftime, we move on to the NW side of the field to preset and then move to the field at the start of halftime.  After the Band has performed we move everything back off the field and load it all back in to the trailer.  This week will be our first run this year, so there may be some adjustments made as we go - thank you in advance for your patience as we get everything fine tuned.  These first weeks are vital because we are establishing what we each need to be doing for Halftime so that when the competitions start, we know the routine and can execute smoothly.  Come join the team, we will have a fun time.

We could also use a few people to help at 5:30 pm at UNK Fine Arts to get the percussion battery and sousaphones out.  Look for the blue Band trailer - we will be parked on the South side of the C.T. Ryan Library (East of the Fine Arts building).  Then again AFTER the game at the same spot East of UNK Fine Arts to load the battery and sousaphones back in to the trailer and then unload back at the High School Band room.  Students do most of this work, but it helps to have some adults around to assist in loading & unloading the trailer at UNK as the students are in uniform and we don't want to risk damaging uniforms as we load and unload stuff from the trailer.

Remember to Sign Up on the Band Website at SignupGenius for your spot for each performance.  IF possible, it would be ideal to have the same 12 people for the competitions and games so that everyone has their job and know what needs to happen.  But, we understand that not everyone can be at every game and competion, so we appreciate your help and your willingness to volunteer and support the Band.  The first eight (8) people to sign up will be offered a free pass lanyard to the Football game.  (Please return the lanyard/pass to me after the game so we have it for the next game).

Your help is needed and it is appreciated!  Thank you!

Remember to wear BLUE.

If you have any questions, call or text Ed Uden 308-440-0694.

Loading the Band Trailer, Equipment Carts & 2019 Field Lineup

This post has details on loading the trailer and on the lineup for the field.

Loading the Trailer:  (Left&Right are as you face the front of the trailer)
1) Podium Stands (largest one first, then the other two) - decks toward the wall - strap all to wall
2) Timpani (4th largest one on left side under nose shelf, then 3rd one in front, then 2nd largest on right side by the door, then smallest one in between these three.  Then strap across to keep them up front.)
3) Generator needs to go next to the wall right by the side door, put orange cones between generator and door for easy access from side door
4) 2 Sousaphones on Trailer Nose SHELF
5) Sound Tower Rack (up front by the podium stands).
6) Wagons (put up on the 2x10's to create the shelf - put Left one in first, then Right one.)
7) Set the 'bridge' on the left wagon over to the front shelf.  Put white Bass Drum on the bridge (between shelf and left wagon) - strap it on to the bridge
8) Subwoofers - One goes under wagons on left side up by the podium stands - strap it in.  Second one goes up front by the Sound Tower Rack.  Speakers go up on the wagons, one by left Vibe, one by right Vibe
9) Marimba3 (red wheels - nose back) - under the wagons, on the left side
10) Vibe1 (nose back) on top of wagons, left side
11) Vibe2 (nose front) on top of wagons, right side
12) Xylophone (nose front) on top of wagons, in the middle - between Vibes 1&2
13) Marimba1 (nose front - goes in under wagons w/Marimba2)
14) Marimba2 (nose back - goes in under wagons w/Marimba1)   - then LoadLock at back of wagons
15) EquipmentCart1 (pit/aux cart), then LoadLock
16) EquipmentCart2 (battery/harnesses), then LoadLock
17) 2 Decks from Wagon1 on the Left side, over the wheel well area, on top of the load locks
18) 2 Decks from Wagon2 on the Right side, over the wheel well area, on top of the load locks
19) EquipmentCart3 (colorguard/bassdrums), then LoadLock
20) SynthCart, strapped to right side wall
21) ? new Aux Rack
22) Attendance Backpack, Pepband Charts - up front
23) For Games:  Sousa stands may fit on carts or may need to go on the wagons (likely on the wagons).  X-stands, snare & tenor stands may go on carts or on wagons for the games.

Loading Equipment Carts:
=== Cart1: Pit Equipment & Extras
Cart1/TopShelf: 2 Synth Keyboards, Bells case [need to strap down keyboards]
Cart1/MiddleShelf: 2 Sousaphones
Cart1/BottomShelf: 2 PlumeCarriers, PercussionVault, Percussion case, Plume case
=== Cart2: Battery Percussion
Cart2/TopShelf: Drumline Harnesses (interlock 1,3,5,7 toward one side, 2,4,5,8,... toward other side)
Cart2/MiddleShelf: 4 SnareDrumCases and 1 Sousaphone
Cart2/BottomShelf: 2 TenorDrumCases, BassDrum1, Percussion case and the CymbalVault
=== Cart3: Percussion & Colorguard
Cart3/TopShelf: Colorguard Flag Bags (keep between the ends of the cart) [need to strap down]
Cart3/MiddleShelf: 4 BariSaxes, 1 Sousaphone
Cart3/BottomShelf: BassDrumCases5,4,3,2  and Snare5

In the Football stadium, we need 5 X-stands, 5 snare stands, 2 Tenor stands, and 6 Sousa stands
plus the rope and post to mark off the Band area.

Lineup for Front Ensemble on the Field:
1) Center Podium (50yd) [1 Dad sets it]
2) Sound Tower Rack [2 Dads, 1 pulls, 1 runs electrical, plus students] on left 48yd line
3) South/Right Speaker/Subwoofer (35yd) [2 Dads, 1 pulls, 1 runs cable to Tower]
4) North/Left Speaker/Subwoofer  (35yd) [2 Dads, 1 pulls, 1 runs cable to Tower]
5) new Aux Rack inside Right 40yd line [1 Dad pulls, plus student]
6) AuxPercussion Wagon1 - transport bass guitar, bells, gong, x-stand and white bass drum [1 Dad pulls, plus student]
7) Xylophone
8) SynthCart [1 Dad w/student - run power & audio line to Tower] on 50yd line - bass guitar on left [1 Dad pulls, plus students]
9) Glock/Bells (on X-stand?)
10) Timpani Wagon2 - also transport chimes on this wagon
11) South/Right Podium (25yd) [1 Parent sets it]
12) Vibraphone (red wheels)
13) Vibe1
14) Marimba1 [1 Dad pulls, plus student]
15) Marimba2 [1 Dad pulls, plus student]
16) Vibe2
17) North/Left Podium (25yd) [1 Parent sets it]
18) Props Wagon (flats on the middle of the field) [1 Dad pulls, plus students]


*** Be sure to check back, this post will be updated as we fine tune our plans and operations.

Photos of the loaded Equipment Carts:

Cart1-left

Cart1-right

Cart2-left

Cart2-right

Cart3-left

Cart3-right

Friday, August 23, 2019

Welcome to the 2019 Marching Band Season.  

We are looking forward to a great season supporting the KHS Marching Band by helping in the Pit Crew.  Thank you for volunteering.  We appreciate your involvement and support of the KHS Band.  Please sign up for the weeks you plan to help.  Thank you.  The Bearcat Pit Crew is made of of volunteer parents who help with transporting the band equipment to football games for the halftime show and to competitions.  We load and unload the percussion, low brass, sound system, props and other equipment on the band trailer and help the students move it on and off the field for halftime shows and competitions.  The Pit Crew works together as a team with everyone having their assignment and working to help our students have a great experience putting their show on the field.  We have had great teams for years and look forward to this coming year.

2019 Marching Schedule:
08/30/19 - KHS vs GISH Football Game at UNK Foster Field 7pm (setup, game & halftime)
09/20/19 - KHS vs PapioS Football Game at UNK Foster Field 7pm (setup, game & halftime)
09/21/19 - UNK Band Day Parade - Downtown Kearney 10am
09/21/19 - UNK Bearcat Marching Festival at KHS Football Field 1pm (setup & show)
10/05/19 - Harvest of Harmony (parade & competition) in Grand Island - all day
10/11/19 - KHS vs LSW Football Game at UNK Foster Field 7pm (setup, game & halftime)
10/12/19 - LHS Marching Contest (competition) in Lincoln at LHS - all day
10/18/19 - KHS vs LHS Football Game at UNK Foster Field 7pm (setup, game & halftime)
10/19/19 - LPS Marching Competition (competition) in Lincoln at Seacrest - all day
10/26/19 - NSBA State Finals Competition at KHS Football Field (competition) - late afternoon and all evening

We are doing signups this year through SignupGenius.  See the link on the Band website or click here to sign up.  If you have been part of the Pit Crew in past years, please consider signing up to help on the Pit Crew this year.  If you have not been on the Pit Crew yet, please consider helping support the Band, the Directors and the Students by helping on the Pit Crew this year.  Watch this blog for details about each game and competition event as this is the spot we will post all the information you need to be prepared to join the Pit Crew.  Thank you.

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