14 September 2025
2025-26 Foothill High School Music Program’s Newsletter
Announcements:
🗣️✨A message from Mr. Fagundes: “What a wonderful time we had on Friday night at our first home football game! The pep band had a fantastic time in the stands, and I’m extremely proud of how great the students sounded. Give yourselves a pat on the back! I truly believe the football team played better because of our energy in the stands. I received many compliments from administrators and other spectators, which shows just how amazing our students and program are. I’m already looking forward to our next game on October 3rd!”
New Dates!!!!
- January 23rd:
- Pasta & Crab Feed Annual Booster Fundraiser Dinner:
- Save the date for an evening of music, food and fun together. Held at the Veteran’s Hall!
- Honors Jazz & Jazz B perform; other small jazz, brass or string quartets/ensembles welcome to perform by advanced request to Mr. Nishimori
- Pasta & Crab Feed Annual Booster Fundraiser Dinner:
- March 11th: Sonoma State Band and Orchestra
- Honors Symphony Orchestra @ 3:00pm
- Honors Wind Ensemble @ 6:00pm
📣 Check the Kick Off Meeting Slide Show. This is updated regularly and has many important links and specifics for band students and families.
📅 Important Dates:
10/3 Fri Evening Football Game: Pep Band and Half Time Field Show Performance!
10/4 Sat Honors Jazz Band at NCBA Antioch (Time Tentative: 6:45am call time, 7:00am departure, 8:30am Warm up, 9:00am Performance.)
10/11 Sat First Marching Band & Guard Competition at Liberty High, Brentwood
10/13 Mon All State Orchestra and All State Band recordings uploaded to website + confirmation with your teacher.
10/15 Wed @ 7pm Fall Concerts for Honors Wind Ensemble & Honors String Orchestra
10/18 Sat @ 8am Marching Band Picture Day
10/25 Sat, All Day. Foothill High School hosts our 51st Annual Fall Band Review! Fall Band Review is on Saturday, October, 25th. All program families (strings, bands & guard) and students are required to help. Save the date and Sign Up Here to volunteer :Band Review Sign Up
💵 Fundraising
Vertical Raise **Fundraiser – Our fundraisers are more important than ever! With everyone’s help, we WILL hit our $40,000 goal by Sept. 27. We have raised over $25,000 in Vertical Raise so far! Please send out more student messages to friends and family.
A quick note: Vertical Raise is a separate program from the Student Share fundraising program and DOES NOT replace those needed donations. While Student Share donations are from you, the parents and guardians, the Vertical Raise campaign is intended for close friends and family (aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc.) who want to contribute to your students’ musical education!
Surf & Turf Sale Fundraiser – New date pending! This semi-annual food sale (formerly “The Meat Sale”) will, as in the past, be held at Foothill High School. Watch for a SignUp Genius to help with the sale, custom cuts, and bagging.
Fall Band Review Trophy Sponsorships – Sponsor a trophy (or trophies!) for the 2025 Fall Band Review:Foothill Fall Band Review Trophy Sponsorship .
Please share this link with family, friends, and businesses that you think might want to sponsor a trophy. Questions? Contact Sue Kuo at susiekuo@hotmail.com.
Still getting reminders of your Student Share Donation?
Haven’t had a chance to pay yet?
Pay what you can. Installment Plans Available. Contact below.
Here is How to Make your Student Share Donation!
Your voluntary Student Share donation is how your family supports your student’s music goals and ensures they get the best music program possible.
Any amount helps, but please strive to meet or exceed the requested amounts. There are four options for you to make your donation:
1) Write a check – No Fees. Student’s drop off in the band box in band room.
2) Pay through CutTime link – Instant – but charges us a fee
3) FutureFund – PUSD sponsored platform, easy to use, fees for us and you
4) PayPal Giving Fund. Use your PayPal account (or easily set one up) and pay through the app. No transaction fees for you or us!
- How?
- Open the PayPal app
- Click the “menu” in the upper left corner
- Scroll down to “Donate”, tap
- Search for “Foothill Band Boosters” and select
- Click the “Donate” button and select the “Other” category
- Input your student’s Student Share amount (see table below)
- Follow the payment instructions and you’re done!
- Here are the Student Share donation amounts for each ensemble to insert in the “Other” field:
- Fall Marching Band & Color Guard Students: $900
- Wind Ensemble Students: $225
- Concert & Symphonic Band Students: $150
- Orchestra Students: $100
- Jazz Ensemble A and B Students: $200
- Winter Guard Students: $900
- Winter Percussion Students: $900
Please reach out to Steve Haney, our VP of Fundraising, at fundraising@foothillmusic.org with any questions, contacts, or ideas!
🎶 Ensemble Classes
Honors Jazz – Need to be working on 88 Basie Street and Hammerhead for NCBA Antioch on 10/4
Jazz B – No updates
Honors Symphony Orchestra – Labyrinth and Mad King, Scherzo, Barrier Reef, and Idyll for 10/15 Concert
String Orchestra – Working on River Song and Valkyrie
Honors Wind Ensemble – Through the Looking Glass, October, and Serenade for 10/15 Concert. Students will be working on scales and sectional time before the Fall concert.
Symphonic Band – Continue reading new music and selecting our winter concert set. Students will also be working on major scales in class.
Concert Band – Continue reading new music and selecting our winter concert set. Students will also be working on major scales in class.
🙌 Parent and Guardian Volunteering:
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to fill out your Parent Volunteer Form !
👔 All Music Band and Orchestra Concert Attire
Students in String Orchestra, Honors Symphony Orchestra, Concert, Symphonic & Honors Wind Ensemble will need concert attire for performances this year.
Tuxedo: Black Tuxedo, Black Bowtie and cummerbund (or vest), White shirt (wing collar is a good choice), Long black socks, Black dress shoes (pants will need to be hemmed)Tuxedo Link OR ANY tuxedo works fine – MUST BE ALL BLACK with a WHITE SHIRT
Concert Dress: Long black dress, Black dress shoes (dress will need to be hemmed)Dress Link
- Students may choose EITHER option
- Plan ahead for ordering, delivery, and alterations!
Concert Attire is required for all performances.
🥁 Marching Band and Color Guard
Marching Band & Color Guard Picture Day
- Group, buddy and individual picture options for picture day with “Photo 360” on Saturday, October 18th, at 8:00 a.m.
- Order forms will be distributed to students as we get closer to the date.
Fall Band Review 2025, Saturday, October 25!
The Fall Band Review is one of the biggest events of the year- a premier marching band and field show competition that brings schools from across Northern California in the NCBA circuit to Foothill. The day kicks off with a parade down Main Street and continues into the night with exciting field shows at the Foothill High School stadium. It’s a full day of music, family, food, and fun—and it takes all of us.
IMPORTANT VOLUNTEER ROLES STILL NEEDED:
Logistics Lead and Facilities Lead at Amador. Please reach out, reply to this email, or attend the next meeting. Direct any questions to fundraising@foothillmusic.org
Interested in learning more? Come to a Band Review Planning Meeting:
All Parents Invited to our Fall Band Review 2025 Weekly Planning Meetings!
- Next Meeting: Wed. September 17, 7pm – Foothill Campus, Room C-6 or join online via Google Meet
Reminder:
ALL FHS MUSIC FAMILIES ARE EXPECTED to VOLUNTEER @ FHS Band Review 10/25!
Sign up early to get your first choice volunteer slots!
Band Review Sign Up
📸 Photography & Media
Hey Parents! The Media team needs parents to help take pictures at events!
If you’re willing to take pictures at your student’s event and send them to us, please reach out to photography@foothillmusic.org
Photographs of all Band events can be found onFlickr
- Videos will be uploaded to ourYoutube Playlist for each performance.
Please note that most videos will be marked private, and are un-searchable on the platform until the band season is over.
That’s it for The Falcon Beat this week — thank you for your energy, time, and support in making Foothill Music thrive. Go Falcons! 🦅
Email president@foothillmusic.org to change or add contact information to our distribution list.