Marching Band Competitions are on Saturdays. There is typically a rehearsal Saturday morning to fine tune for that day’s competition that ends in loading the truck. Then a break for lunch, followed by uniforms/braiding and call time/departure, with the performance time slot usually in the evening. Competitions are a lot of fun for the kids and the families.

The kids get to meet students from other High School Marching Bands and watch shows from other teams. Students will travel to the Competition as a team and come out to the field when it is their turn to perform. Our performance time slot will be announced before the event and communicated to families. After Mountain View’s performance is complete they will take instruments and show uniforms back to the truck to load up. Then they will sit in the away stands as a team to watch the remainder of the performances. As always, be respectful of the other teams and don’t be too rowdy in the stands. After the competition ends and awards have been presented, students will travel home in the buses as a team and will be picked up back at the Mountain View campus after students help unload the truck back at the school.

As a parent/family spectator you get to see a variety of shows and see how fun and different the shows can be. Being in a crowd of Marching Band enthusiasts has a completely different vibe from the football games. Come ready to be amazed! All spectators sit in the Home stands, but we try to sit together as Mountain View Band fans in the stands. Competitions require all spectators to buy a ticket. If tickets can be purchased in advance you will receive that information. Tickets are always available at the gate. Different venues have different cash/card restrictions. Concessions and Competition T-shirts are available at most venues, though the variety varies, and the availability of popular T-shirt sizes are not guaranteed. Come out to support the band and make our cheering group loud and proud for our Mountain View Toro Marching Band!

Volunteer opportunities at competitions are varied and many. We need several chaperones in each bus that travels to and from the competitions with the kids. The kids are fun to hang out with and the singing and antics in the bus can be super fun and hilarious to watch or take part in. Come be a part of the shenanigans. Truck crew members and any other willing volunteers have lots of fun loading, unloading, and hanging out at competitions. But there is plenty to do both before and after if you would rather sit in the stands for the competitions. Needs include volunteers to hand out uniforms, braid hair, help fill and haul water to the buses, and/or load instruments, props, etc. and get everything loaded onto the trucks and strapped down so it can depart before the buses, and/or help unload and clean up and put everything away after returning from the competition. Thank you for supporting the band program and our amazing kids!

Sample Itinerary for a Marching Band Competition:

• 9:00am - Saturday Morning Rehearsal Begins

• 11:00am - Rehearsal ends and load truck

• 2:00pm - Band Room Opens; Uniforms come out

• 3:15pm - Call time in North Pod

• 3:30pm - Load Buses, depart Mt. View

• 4:00pm - Arrive at Competition School, Restroom Break, begin Visual Warmup

• 5:30pm - Begin Music Warmup

• 6:15pm - Transition to Gate

• 6:30pm - Gate Time

• 6:45pm - Mountain View performs their Show

• 7:00pm - Reload truck

• 7:30pm - Return to Stadium, Concessions Time, Watch Bands

• 9:00pm - Awards ceremony

• 9:30pm - Load buses and depart for Mt. View

• 10:00pm - Arrive at Mt. View, unload truck, and dismiss