🥁 The Weekly Downbeat: Lanier Longhorn Band Newsletter

September 21, 2026 | Issue #012

Band family, it is important to read the Director’s Newsletter and Weekly Downbeat! These two sources are the best place to start when you have questions and will save you and others time in trying to find answers. We pull together all the information into one place so you don’t have to search for answers. 

🤘It’s GAME WEEK @ The Ranch! And it’s going to be a busy week as we prepare for 8th Grade Night AND Military Appreciation!

📢If you or a family member has served in the military we want to honor you at Friday night’s football game! Please fill out this form so that you can be honored on the field during the pre-game Military Appreciation Ceremony on Friday. 

🫵We Need Your Help! 8th Grade Night is this week! We are expecting 150 8th Graders to join the Lanier Longhorn band in the stands!

We are seeking donations for pregame snacks to feed our future Marchers! We need donations of prepackaged chips, crackers, granola bars and cookies! Please see the below list of donations needed by section assigned:

• Seniors - prepacked chips
• Juniors - prepacked crackers, pretzels, etc
• Sophomores - granola bars
• Freshmen - prepacked snack pack cookies

👉For easy purchase, you can select from our Amazon Wish List! Or deliver items to the school following practice Monday or Tuesday of next week.

📍Below are LMB’s upcoming important dates. Be sure to check the full calendar on BoosterHub for all the upcoming activities and times.

**Full calendar

Monday 9/21- LMB Rehearsal 

Tuesday 9/22 - LMB Rehearsal

Thursday 9/24 - LMB Rehearsal; Section leaders visit LMS

Friday, 9/25 - 8th Grade Night/Military Appreciation @ The Ranch

Monday, 9/28 - Stadium Rehearsal 6:00-8:30pm

Reminder: Drop-off AND pick-up for games AND practice is in the upper parking lot.

🥁FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, Lanier Longhorns vs Roswell Hornets on Friday, September 25th! The game theme is USA Out! 

Game Day Schedule:

4:30 Band Room Opens (If students stay after school, they cannot wander the school. They can wait outside the band room area until the band room opens.)

4:30 Equipment Crew + Percussion + Trailer instruments Report Time

5:15 Report Time for ALL

• Students load trailers - Equipment Crew load the props and equipment
• Students bring everything up to the stadium from the band room 

4:30-5:30 Equipment Drop Pre-Game at the Stadium Band Section (flag bags, student bags, drum stands– anything you need for the game.)  

5:30 Section Leaders in aux gym with 8th graders.

5:45 In Commons with your section (circle up).

5:55 8th Graders join us

6:00 Warmup, Uniform inspection

6:40 Section Hype Time 

6:55 Begin the walk to the stadium 

7:05 LMB at the gate ready to march on - right hand side stadium entrance

7:10 Perform Pre-Game Show - Military Night AND 8th grade participation

7:25 Finish show and fill into the stands as quickly as possible

7:30 Kick off

At the start of 3rd quarter, 8th graders dismissed.

🍕LANIER MARCHING BAND, take the pressure off and place a PRE-ORDER MEAL FOR FRIDAY NIGHT! It is HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to pre-order so you can skip the line at concessions during your 3rd Quarter Break. The lines are incredibly long right after half-time with both bands lining up to place an order. All meals include the entree of your selection with chips, candy, and a drink.

💲Payment is due at the time of ordering!   👉Lanier Longhorn Band Preorder Meal Form. 

🤝All Volunteer Opportunities are now on BoosterHub for 8th Grade night! First and foremost, thank you so much to everyone who donates their time and energy to support our students! We truly could not do this without your incredible dedication.  

We are expecting 150 8th graders  to join us. Volunteering is a great opportunity to show potential future band members and their families what a great band family looks like! In addition, volunteers get a chance to peek behind the curtain to see how being part of an amazing team works together to make the show happen, meet other band families, and support our Band students, and program from within! There are still multiple spots left to fill.

• Concessions - Percussion and Flute Families this is your assigned week to volunteer for concessions.
• Pit Crew - Gator Drivers
• Longhorn Outfitters Merch Tent
• Meal Servers for 8th Graders

🔗Volunteer Slots for Friday, Sept 25th - Lanier Vs Roswell

🧹As we continue through the season, we have a few essential housekeeping items for volunteers that we must ask everyone to adhere to:

• Complete Sign-Ups in BoosterHub: If you plan to volunteer, please ensure you are fully signed up in BoosterHub. We provide Football with a list of individual names to be allowed free entry and we have to have the names of all individuals. Alternatively, when you sign up in BoosterHub for additional family members, there is an option to list the name of that person, please use that option to list the names of all volunteers so their name can make it onto the list.
• Attendance & Communication: Over the past few weeks we have had several parents volunteer for various spots, but then not show up or inform anyone they were no longer available to volunteer. We tailor our volunteer shifts to run as minimally as possible. When someone misses a shift without notice, it places a burden on other volunteers and compromises student safety—especially for our chaperone roles, where full coverage is required. We completely understand that emergencies, illness, and unexpected events happen. When these times occur we respectfully ask you to notify us so we can make arrangements. You can contact Jack Kelly at 919-730-9736 or any Booster Board member so we can arrange coverage. Thank you for your understanding, cooperation, and ongoing support of our program! We appreciate all that you do!

🚙Game Day Parking Reminder - Unless you have purchased a VIP Parking Pass, please do not park in the Band Lot. This includes Volunteers. We have a very limited number of spaces, and we also need to facilitate loading and unloading visiting band buses and equipment. 

👀Did You Know… the LONGHORN OUTFITTERS is open for business?! Be sure to stop by for all the fun merch to show your Longhorn Pride! We have noise makers, rally rags, jewelry and lots more at friendly prices! Visit us at Friday’s game, we’re near the main concession on the band side! 

🚨ACTION NEEDED - The Charleston Wrap Fundraiser is happening now through September 29! Most students have registered, but almost none have made sales. Please continue to reach out to family and friends and share your online link. Fundraising helps support the band program and helps cover the cost of dues! ALL STUDENTS/FAMILIES who have not registered need to go to registercw.com and put in the organization ID 27892.

🥁LHS Indoor Percussion is Coming Soon. Be on the lookout for information about the 2027 season and the Save-The-Date for the interest meeting in the weekly band email and percussion specific communication channels.

📆 The October Parent’s Night Out will be our last PNO before it goes on hiatus due to the busy holiday season! It’s been great these past several months spending time and hanging out with our awesome parents! All the laughter and conversation has truly built a strong band community! We can’t wait to see everyone there!  

📅 Saturday, October 17th

🕖 7:00–9:30 PM

📍 Downtown Sugar Hill

📸 Core Memories Incoming!

If you haven’t checked out the Lanier Band’s Google photo album you're missing out! There are some awesome photos of kiddos all throughout band camp uploaded. These are definitely core memories. Be sure to check the album out and if you have any photos add them to the album.

Everyone is invited to take and share photos of the kids throughout the 2026-2027 school year. Be sure to save the link and share your favorite photos so everyone can enjoy seeing the students and all their achievements all year long. The album is open to all winds, percussion, guard, staff, parents/guardians and friends of the band.

• 📸 2026-2027 Lanier Band Google Album

❓ Got Questions? Contact Us!

• LanierBandHelp@Gmail.com