<p>My soon-to-be freshman D (Music Ed) has to be at campus on August 15 for band camp, and the other freshmen arrive on August 19 for orientation. We cannot stay in Miami that long, but are feeling guilty about missing important stuff. Any info from other parents about what the parent activities are? This is the second one to leave the nest, so we don't require any hand-holding or support groups. LOL</p>
<p>Hey fafnir...congrats to your daughter!! We were in the exact same boat last year - only my D didn't decide to join Band of the Hour (BOTH) until mid July or so - we had to scramble to change flights, hotel, etc.!<br>
But it was a great decision for her - it has really defined her place at UM in so many ways.
I flew down with her, and because it was prior to the move-in rush, I was able to get a room right across the street at the Holiday Inn - made our life so much easier. There are very few kids in the dorms, so she stayed with me at HI. But the RA will be on the floor, so your D won't be totally alone in the dorm if she chooses to stay in her new digs.<br>
If you can stay for the 1st day or 2 of band camp, I think you'll enjoy sitting at the umbrella tables in front of Stanford and watching them march...I'll be there! And the band director has a parents meeting on their first day - which was much more informative than any of the regular orientation stuff.
We ended up stating for most of orientation because we thought we 'should'...there really wasn't any info provided that you haven't heard before. We were sad to have missed the first performance of BOTH - as they play for the freshman class in the convo center and parents were welcome...but we just couldn't stay that long.
Please feel free to ask me anything about BOTH - what does your D play?</p>
<p>Awesome, If i go to Miami, I'll be in BOTH, I play saxophone and already visited and talked to the directors and drum majors of the band, it seemed awesome, I'm excited for band camp If I don't end up going to the University of Michigan</p>
<p>Cool! My D also plays sax :cool:</p>
<p>Thats awesome...I've done a lot with music over my life, and I defintely want to keep it with me for the rest of it, but the decision of which UM is mind boggling</p>
<p>She's a bassoonist as a major, but she plays tenor sax, flute and piano too. For band, she's going to play alto sax (not as heavy for her), and she's excited and nervous. Our HS band doesn't march, so she has no experience. I told her that she really needs to know this stuff for her teaching career, but what does Mom know about anything? She's met a bunch of music people online, and it seems to be a tight and friendly community, just as you would expect.
Just in case anyone knows, does the school have instruments for band members if they don't own the one they're going to play? We're dragging down everything but the piano--quite an effort--so we were hoping that we don't need to factor in an alto rental too.Looking forward to meeting everyone!</p>
<p>Fafnir - tell your D not to worry!<br>
Our HS didn't have marching band either (or football, for that matter!) and my D quickly discovered that she wasn't the only one without marching experience.<br>
That first week is tough - its hot, the days are long, and the marching steps seem impossible...but everybody is in the same boat and by the end of that week (or before!) she will have made some of her best friends...and when the rest of the freshmen move in, she will already feel like an old pro.:cool:
The school does have instruments to rent...I don't know the details.</p>
<p>Yes, I know they offer instruments to use, but I believe there is a rental fee along with the "band fee,"</p>