Information
for Incoming Freshmen or New Students
What
groups make up the Los Alamitos High School Entertainment Unit?
The
Entertainment Unit is an award-winning group that consists of wind players (brass and woodwind), percussionists (front ensemble
and marching percussion) and a color guard (flags, rifles, sabers, props and dancers).
During the 2nd semester (spring), the wind players turn into two concert bands, the percussionists
compete separately as a marching indoor percussion ensemble, and the color guard competes separately as a winter guard.
When are summer camps? What is the fall schedule?
We publish our rehearsal and activity schedule months in advance. This
allows students and parents to plan vacations, doctor’s appointments, SAT’s, etc. You can find our summer and
fall schedule on the Event Calendar Page. All camps, rehearsals and performances are mandatory. If you have already planned a vacation, not knowing our schedule would
be, please contact us ASAP. It is very important that all students are at all events. It is an incredible feat to coordinate
120 members of the Entertainment Unit, so we need full attendance.
What
are the sectionals during the summer? Are they mandatory?
There
will be sectionals once or twice a week for most sections of the marching band. It is expected that students attend if they
are in town and not on vacation. Learning music requires lots of repetition and lots of consistency. The more we work at consistently
building habits in the beginning, the more successful we are at the end.
What
classes do I enroll in?
Wind players enroll in “Beg/Int
Band,” or “Adv Band” (see Courses Page to determine the appropriate course)
Percussionists enroll in “Percussion”
Color Guard enroll in “Color Guard”
*Each class has an option to receive Physical Education (PE) credit rather than fine art credit;
Please see counselor to choose the appropriate course to fulfill Graduation requirements*
Can my student be part of band/color guard and still participate in sports or other activities?
The short answer is yes. There are some activities that require more time
commitment than others. Our goal at Los Alamitos HS is for students to be active in student life and activities. We have many
students in the music program that are varsity athletes, officers of clubs, AP students, and involved in activities. The main
thing to keep in mind is in communication. If you have a question in regards to a specific activity/sport, please talk to
your counselor for more details.
My student wants to take AP
classes; can they still handle the commitment of band?
Once
again, the answer is yes. If your student is organized and has the determination to take AP classes, they are more than likely
able to handle band as well. The majority of band students are Honors & AP students. So yes, students can handle AP classes
and band. It will make them more organized and more disciplined students. It will also make them more desirable to colleges,
because not only are they taking AP classes, but they have shown a commitment to a team activity and a performing art.
My student is a freshman and I’m not sure if they can handle
the new experience of high school and the commitment of band.
Honestly,
band will help them get acquainted with high school. It will give them great friends in all classes and give them a second
home to feel comfortable in. Also, a student’s freshman year is, academically, their easiest. So it would be the ideal
time to let the student explore what high school life has to offer and get the amazing experience that we can provide through
being a part of the entertainment unit.
I am unsure if I am
able to meet the required fair share. What do I do?
In today’s
day and age, a single music director cannot meet the needs and demands of running and instructing a high-quality, competitive
high school music program. We bring in the best the activity has to offer in order to give the kids a great experience and
a high quality musical education. We offer many fundraisers to help you raise your part of the fair share. There are some
that even cost you no money and little effort (SCRIP). Many students are even able to complete 4 years of our program and
never pay a dime in fair share costs. So I encourage you to take advantage of fundraising opportunities. If you are still
in financial need, please contact the booster board President, Christy Coats (ccoats@sbcglobal.net) or the Treasurer, Paul Corrigan (paullosalamitosband@yahoo.com), so we can try and find a solution so your student can participate in music and get this great experience.
I just moved into the neighborhood or have not yet received any information. Who do I contact?
E-mail Mr. Sebastian, Marching Band Director (rsebastian@losal.org), or
Cathy Lewis, Booster Board Secretary (lahsbandsec@gmail.com)
OR
Just
complete the following form, and we will be in contact shortly.
