This Week in Band

Week 1: August 10-15, 2026

MONDAY	Guard & Percussion Sectional Rehearsals (4:00pm-6:00pm) Marching Band Senior Photos (7:00pm)
TUESDAY	Full Marching Band Rehearsal (4pm-7pm)
WEDNESDAY	No Scheduled Events
THURSDAY	Football Game: Scrimmage vs. Morgan Co. Call Time: 4:30pm (more info HERE)
FRIDAY	Meet the Bears Event - All Band Student Leaders & Drumline Call Time: 4:30pm (more info HERE)
SATURDAY	Concessions Clean-Up Day (8:00am)

As always, please check the band's calendar at:

BAND CALENDAR (ALL EVENTS)

FROM THE DIRECTORS:

We are off and running! Friday was our first day of school for the 2026–2027 school year, and we are excited to have everyone back. We especially want to welcome all of our new band families, including all of our new 6th-grade band students and their families!

Middle School Announcements
6th Grade: Welcome to the Bear Band! We are excited to get you started. Be sure to check the information below about our Instrument Rental Night and our annual 6th grade Start-Up Event and Ice Cream Social.

7th Grade: Welcome back! We are looking forward to another year of musical growth. As 7th graders, you'll have some new opportunities, including the chance to audition for Honor Band and All-State Band.

8th Grade: We are getting excited about our Pigeon Forge trip in December! Keep an eye on the Middle School Announcements below for more information as we get closer to the trip.

High School Announcements
Our regular Marching Band rehearsal schedule begins this week. Please see the schedule below for rehearsal times and locations.
We also have a busy week ahead:

Monday: Senior Band Member Photos for Banners (7:00pm: HS Bandroom)
Thursday: Home Scrimmage Game
Friday: Meet the Bears — Band Student Leadership Team and Drumline

For our high school band classes, Mr. Cantrell will be checking for signed syllabi this Friday. An electronic copy is linked below if you still need to complete it. Also, Band Binder checks begin next week. Please use the link below to review the requirements for the class binder and make sure your student is ready.

A Reminder for All Band Families
Please continue to check www.cherokeebluffband.com regularly and make it a habit to read This Week in Band every Sunday afternoon. We use this weekly email to keep everyone informed about what is coming up, and we don't want anyone to miss something important!

We are excited to partner with you again this year as we work together to provide the best possible music education and experiences for our students.

Onward & Upward 🐻🎶

GO BEARS!!

We love you guys!
Mr. Cantrell (CBHS); Mr. Lonberger (CBMS)

CBBA GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

CBBA GENERAL MEETING
All parents are welcome to attend (grades 6–12) as we work together to build an awesome experience for our kids. Meetings take place in the CBHS Band Room.

Our next CBBA General Meeting is Tuesday, August 11 (6:00pm)

It's true that band is a wonderful experience for the students. It's also true that there's a lot of work required to support it! That's why we need you as a volunteer. And, yes, you really will have fun when you volunteer and get to know other parents and band students. Check out our SIGNUPGENIUS link to see how you can help us!

If you haven't joined our Cherokee Bluff Band Parents Association - CBBA Facebook Page, please click the image below! This is a private page for general communications and posting links for photos, videos, directions, changes in schedules, etc. Please invite any band parents, grandparents, or other band family members to join!

Middle School Announcements:

6th Grade Band

Welcome to the Cherokee Bluff Band:
We are so thrilled to have you join the Cherokee Bluff Band experience. We will be communicating with you about instrument tryouts, rental night, and our annual "6th-Grade Start-Up Camp." We are looking forward to meeting you during Open House this Tuesday!

7th Grade Band

Scheduling for this year:
All current 7th Grade Band students were automatically enrolled in Band for this year unless a parent reached out to Mr. Lonberger indicating otherwise. Nothing needs to be done by students or parents for your child to remain in Band.

8th Grade Band

Marching Band Dates:
For students participating in marching band this year, the band website (www.cherokeebluffband.com) lists all dates for marching band practices, performances, and competitions, linked on the band calendar. Please make sure you have these dates marked on your calendar.
Pigeon Forge, TN Trip:
The 8th-Grade Band and Chorus will travel to Pigeon Forge, TN, on Thursday and Friday, December 10-11, for our Fine Arts Trip. Students will get to go to Dollywood, Pigeon Forge Snow, the Alcatraz Crime Museum, and Buc-ee's! All details can be found HERE. We will send home information on how to sign up for the trip in August when we return to school.

High School Announcements:

Band Class Syllabus Grade:
All families can find the band class syllabus HERE. Please read all contents and sign and return the last page for the first grade of the semester. Please reach out to Mr. Cantrell if you have any questions or concerns.
Required Band Binder:
Each student involved in the High School Band is required to have an organized Band Binder. You can find all information about what is required for the Band Binder HERE. We will be checking Band Binders beginning next week.
SCROLL DOWN AND LOOK AT ALL OF THE EVENT DATES ON THE CALENDAR! There is a list of events and a calendar. All parents and students are responsible for marking these events on their own individual calendars. A list of upcoming events and performances is provided in the "Upcoming Events & Performances" section below. There is no excuse for not knowing what's going on—please mark your calendars!
Attendance: Every parent and student should read the ATTENDANCE POLICY. Please be reminded that if you anticipate being absent from class or rehearsal, notify Mr. Cantrell so we can plan accordingly. It is recommended that you notify him well in advance (NOT THE DAY OF THE ABSENCE!). This is the link for the ABSENCE REQUEST FORM if you know that you will be missing a rehearsal or event.

Marching Bears Information

Marching Bears Weekly Rehearsal: (check the Band Calendar for more details.)
Mondays: Guard & Percussion Sectional Rehearsals (4pm-6pm)
Tuesdays: Full Band (All Students) Rehearsal (4pm-7pm)
Thursdays: Full Band (All Students) DRESS Rehearsal (4pm-7pm) (*All students must wear a white t-shirt!)
Fridays: Football Games (see Band Calendar for more info.)
Saturdays: Competitions: Sept 12, Septs 26, Oct 3, Oct 17 (these dates are required for all members)
Attendance:
Please be reminded that if you plan to be absent from class or rehearsal, please notify Mr. Cantrell so that we can plan accordingly for our rehearsals. It is recommended that you notify him well in advance (NOT THE DAY OF THE ABSENCE!). Use this link: ABSENCE REQUEST FORM to notify us of your absence.

Information about the Marching Bears can be found by clicking the button below. After arriving on the Marching Bears page, scroll to the bottom to find: the summer schedule, band camp info., full marching band schedule for the season, and other marching band resources for parents and students. Updates will be made as we get closer to these events. Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Mr. Cantrell.

Marching Bears Information 2026

Student attendance at ALL rehearsals is required. Failure to communicate pre-arranged absences will result in a penalty or withdrawal from the group. In order for us to be successful, we need ALL STUDENTS at rehearsal ALL OF THE TIME!

Looking ahead:

Guard & Percussion Camp: June 26 - June 30 (All Colorguard and Percussion students must attend!)
Parent Meeting: July 18 (CBHS Theater - 5:00pm)
Marching Bears Pre-Camp Rehearsals: July 19-20, July 22-23 (All Marching Bears members must attend)
Marching Bears Band Camp: July 26 - July 30 (All Marching Bears members must attend)