Beginning Band
Lakota offers band to all students entering 7th grade. No prior experience is required. In order to assist both the students and their families learn more about band and all it has to offer students for grades 7-12, Lakota West High School band staff offers a day to “Try Band” when 6th grade students can experience many of the available band instruments. All are welcome to come join the fun and Try Band! To learn more, click on the link below.
Junior School Band Program
Lakota Plains Junior School and Lakota Ridge Junior School are the two schools that feed into the Lakota West Freshman School. Directors teach two or three seventh and two eighth grade bands, with these bands meeting five days per week. Both schools offer after-school jazz band programs for eighth graders and second-semester for seventh graders. Near the end of their eighth grade year, students may audition for the Marching Firebirds.
Marching Band Opportunity for all current 8th – 12th grade students
Football Band
The addition of the Football Band option is to allow 8th grade students, athletes, and others who are looking for a less intensive marching experience to join while still learning skills and having a great social experience with friends.
The Lakota West Marching Firebirds (Football Band) will perform at all home football games. The band will learn and perform our traditional Pre-Game, The band will perform at halftime of home football games and at two marching competitions in exhibition throughout the season. This band will wear the traditional marching uniforms seen at the right. It will include all members of the competition band. This band will learn and rehearse these shows during one week in the summer (July) and one day a week right after school.
Who can join?
All band students and anyone interested in color guard from 8th grade to 12th grade. This will include any 8th graders in the fall that would like to be involved! There is no audition for the Football Band, anyone who signs up and is able to participate in the rehearsals and pay the fees will be a member. You CAN play a sport and be involved in the Football Band as long as you can make the rehearsals / practice work for both. Talk to your band director and coach if you have questions about sports schedule conflicts.
When and where does it practice?
There is one week of band camp the last week of July with rehearsals from 8am-5pm. During that week the band members will learn both shows, work on marching and playing basics and, have several fun social events in the evenings. After school practices are Wednesday after school from 3:30-5:00pm. All practices are at Lakota West High School in the parking lot in front of the Main entrance or in the Lakota West Stadium. Lakota provides an activity bus to get students to the high school for this rehearsal.
What does it cost?
The participation fee for marching band is $300. Football Band members who use a school owned instrument will need to pay the required school instrument rental fee. $50 for winds and $30 for percussion.
Marching Band Opportunity for 9th -12th grade students
Competitive Band
The Lakota High School Marching Band (Competitive Band) will be an auditioned band. The competitive band will perform a 7-8 minute show that will compete in local and national marching competitions. This show will be a complex and carefully integrated show designed to be enjoyed and compared to other schools on the national Bands of America Circuit as well as several other local circuits. The competitive band will wear custom costumes for guard and musicians alike. All members of this band will also be in the football band.
Who is it for?
Dedicated music and guard students 9-12 looking to maximize their performance in marching band. Competitive band members will not be able to balance this group in addition to sports during the fall season due to the practice and performance schedule of the Competitive Marching Band. Students must be able to attend all rehearsals and performances throughout the season. Additional fees for travel and costuming will be necessary for this group. This group will travel more extensively to accommodate the national circuit performance locations.
When and where does it practice?
Competitive Band will be present at all of the Football Band rehearsals in addition to several weeks of band camp and weekly rehearsals necessary to learn the much more complex halftime show.
What does it cost?
The participation fee for marching band is $300. The district will charge no additional fees for participation in the competitive band. There will however be additional costs to be a member of the competitive band. There will be a costuming fee for a custom show specific costume that students will be able to keep at the conclusion of the season. The biggest expense will be to facilitate travel. Travel fees to our tour company are all inclusive and are used to cover bussing, flights, food, activities, and more. Competitive Band ( Lakota West High School Marching Band ) is $700 – $1800 based on travel for competitions each year.
What kind of performances will we get to do?
In addition to the football band experiences this group will also take one to two overnight trips for competitions or performances. The band’s first performance of the season will often be at the MSBA show that is hosted by Lakota West High school and Upbeat Club.