October 19, 2025
2025-26 Foothill High School Music Program’s Newsletter 🪶
Announcements:
🥳Director’s Message:
It’s officially Band Review week—the most exciting time of the year for our wonderful program! We’re gearing up for a monumental event next weekend, and we couldn’t do it without all of you who help plan and volunteer on the day of. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone and meeting some new faces throughout the day!
Mr. Fagundes and Mr. Nishimori
💌President’s Message:
We are soooo thankful for the many hours that have been put in by our AMAZING PARENTS! As you know, we are preparing to host a few thousand people at our 51st Foothill Band Review on Saturday, October 25th. This annual event benefits ALL MEMBERS of the Foothill Band, Guard, and Strings Program.
📣 Foothill Band Review 2025: We are less than 1 week away and we still have vacant positions in the Signup Genius that we need filled before the big day! Signups are needed URGENTLY for parking helpers (active) and parade barrier guards (front row spot for the parade, an easy stationary job!). These positions are REQUIRED by the city for us to run the event. No experience needed!
We also need your help feeding/hosting our visiting judges, directors, and staff for our special event. Ritika, our AMAZING Foothill hospitality lead will do all the work, all you need to do is send in a food donation from the list. Drop off donations to the Music Room on Thursday, 10/23 from 5-6:30pm. Signup Genius Link for Item Purchase Choices.
Thank you! Warm musical regards,
Cheryl Goebel
🌸Spring Trip 2026 San Diego
We are excited to announce our Spring Trip 2026 to San Diego, happening from Thursday- Sunday, April 16-19, 2026!
Any students in Band, Orchestra, and/or Color Guard are eligible to attend. This trip is fully optional and NOT required. Students will miss two days of school and will need prior teacher approval. Note: Students who are in We The People will have a date conflict with Nationals weekend- which we are pretty sure your awesome team will attend. If you decide this is a trip you would like to attend, confirm with your parents, and then you may sign up and pay. Details in the San Diego Trip webpage!
To be fully registered, the trip leads need to receive the following on or before Nov. 7:
- The completed student google form AND a payment of either $300 deposit or a payment in full of $945. Google forms and credit card payments are both date and time stamped. Cash or check payments will be recorded regularly.
- Adult chaperone google forms will be sent out after interest is indicated on the student form.
- The deposit/payments are fully refundable between Oct. 9- Nov. 7, 2025.
- After Nov. 7, the $300 deposit is non refundable, however excess funds are refundable.
- Payments can be made by cash, check, or credit card. See details attached.
- Our current plan and fee schedule is based on 100 students. We will have 3 staff members and will need 9 adult chaperones.
- Sign ups are first come first served. Directors reserve the right to adjust student attendance to fill in critical ensemble instruments.
Please read all of the attached information first, then ask us any questions you may still have. Thanks!
San Diego Trip Leads,
Harshetha Kumar & Cheryl Goebel
📣 Check the Kick Off Meeting Slide Show This is updated regularly and has many important links and specifics for band students and families.
📣 Parents! Please install the BAND app ASAP! This is the best way to get fast and live communications! It is a place for boosters, teachers, and parents to chat, post, and ask questions. Install and post NOW. You will find fun pictures, video performances, and our wonderful music community.
📣 Stay informed by reading weekly newsletters, BAND app, and our Foothiil music website!
🗓️ Important Dates:
10/25 (Sat) – All Day. Foothill High School hosts our 51st Annual Foothill Band Review! This year’s Foothill 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
10/28 (Tue) – General Parent Meeting #3 – October Edition
- All String, Band, & Guard parents
- In the FHS Library at 7:30pm-8:15pm
- Come find out the latest program news & more details about our SPRING 2026 TRIP
10/30 (Thur) Home Football Game, Marching Band & Color Guard
11/1 (Sat) Competition @ Dublin HS, Marching Band & Colorguard
11/7 (Fri) Home Football Game; 8th Grade Welcome Night! Tailgate BBQ for 8th graders and marching kids at 5pm; call time 6 pm
11/8 (Sat)NCBA @ Merced, Honors Jazz Band A
11/9 (Sun) Pleasanton Veterans Day Parade, Marching Band & Colorguard
11/15 (Sat) Competition @ James Logan HS, Marching Band & Colorguard
11/20 (Thr) Friends & Family @ AVHS for Marching Band & Colorguard; ALL WELCOME!
11/22-23 (Sat/Sun-overnight) WBA Championships @Fresno, Marching Band & Colorguard
12/6 (Sat) Holiday Parade for Marching Band & Color Guard (Time TBD; approx. time 3-7pm)
12/6-7 (Sat & Sun, 9am to 4 pm) The annual Surf & Turf Sale! Come buy high quality cuts of meat for your holiday feasts! Offerings and prices coming soon. All proceeds go to the band program!
12/9 (Tue) @7-9pm Winter Concert
1/23 (Fri) 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
3/11 (Wed) Sonoma State Band and Orchestra
- Honors Symphony Orchestra @ 3:00pm
- Honors Wind Ensemble @ 6:00pm
🎶 Ensemble Classes
Honors Jazz – Prepping for Merced Competition – November 8th. – Schedule TBA
Jazz B – Be sure to schedule sectionals before Thanksgiving Break.
Honors Symphony Orchestra – Great concert on Oct. 15th!!! – Now prepping for Winter Concert.
String Orchestra – Playing test upcoming: Major Scales.
Honors Wind Ensemble – Wind Ensemble had a wonderful performance this last week on Wednesday. Thank you for everyone who attended. We look forward to seeing you at the next concert on December 9th
Symphonic Band – We will be working on major scales and start scale tests in class. Winter Concert is coming up on December 9th.
Concert Band – We will be working on major scales and start scale tests in class. Winter Concert is coming up on December 9th.
Private lessons are encouraged for all of our students. If you need help finding someone for private lessons, please let either director know
🙌 Parent and Guardian Volunteering
📣 Foothill Band Review 2025: We are less than 1 week away and we still have vacant positions in the Signup Genius that we need filled before the big day!
Some signups are in greater need such as parking helpers and parade barrier guards. These positions are required by the city for us to run the event. No matter the position, there are experienced volunteers ready to help you, so no experience is necessary. Many hands make light work!
Sign up now to get your first choice volunteer slots! Please contact Cynthia Sandhu at volunteer@foothillmusic.org if you have any questions.
We’re happy to report that the Student Signup Genius is live, and is already 90% filled by our Music Student Volunteers! Let’s follow their example and do the same for the Adult Signups!
Just click here: Band Review Sign Up!
✏️Foothill Band Review 2025 Hospitality: Food and material donations are needed to supply our wonderful Hospitality Suites on both Foothill and Amador campuses! We need your help feeding and hosting our visiting judges, directors, and staff for this oh so special event. Ritika, our AMAZING Band Review hospitality lead will do all the work. All you need to do is volunteer to supply a food donation in the SignUp Genius list.
Drop off donations in the Band Room (orchestra side) on Thursday, October 23rd from 5:00 – 6:30 pm. Visit the Signup Genius to donate here: Hospitality Donations
If you enjoy cooking or simply want to lend a hand, we’d love to have you join us! Volunteer on the Band Review FBR 2025 SignUp Genius listed above or the Band App!Thank you for supporting this great annual event! Questions? Email hospitality@foothillmusic.org
✏️8th Grade Night! Welcome Tailgate on 11/7 at 5:00pm; Marching student call time 6:00pm On Friday, November 7th, we are inviting eighth graders, both new and those currently marching with us, from Hart, Pleasanton Middle School, and Sunol Glen to be part of our Football Game Pep Band. The 8th graders will play music with the band in the stands and get a feel for how amazing it is to be a member of our Foothill Instrumental Music Program. The Boosters will be hosting a tailgate style dinner for all band members and the 8th grade students. We’ll be serving beef hot dogs, a vegetarian option, fruit, chips, drinks, and cookies.
We are hoping for 8 amazing volunteers to help make this happen! Two volunteers to prep, four to help serve the food, and two to help clean up. You can sign up to volunteer below: Sign Up to donate and/or volunteer HERE If you have any questions, please email Cheryl Goebel at president@foothillmusic.org
Other Band Booster Immediate Volunteer Needs:
- Communication Lead – OPEN contact Mauli Desai: communications@foothillmusic.org
- Yearbook Lead – OPEN contact Cheryl Goebel: president@foothillmusic.org
- Merchandise Sales at football games, contact Richa Malik: merchandise@foothillmusic.org
- Truckers – We need helpers to transport & move equipment at competitions and away performances (Oct 25, Nov 1, 9, 15, 20, 22-23, Dec.6) Some Fri. and Sat. morning packing assistance is needed. Please contact Peter Goebel at logistics@foothillmusic.org
Executive Board Positions needed for 2026-27
- Student Treasurer
- Communications Lead
- Secretary
📊 Treasurer of Student Accounts Information
Getting monthly reminders for your Student Share Donation? Pay what you can as you go. Installment Plans are Available. Our program DEPENDS on this money to function. Your voluntary Student Share donation is how your family supports your student’s music goals and ensures they get the best music program possible. Please strive to meet or exceed the requested amounts, but any amount helps.
There are four easy ways to make your Student Share donation:
1) Write a check. Then give it to your student to drop in the locked band box in the band room.
2) Pay with PayPal (https://paypal.com/). Use your PayPal account (or set one up if you don’t have one) to pay your Student Share in the app. Here is how it works: open the PayPal app, click the menu in the upper left corner, scroll down to Donate and tap, search for Foothill Band Boosters and select it, 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!
3) Pay with CutTime (https://app.gocuttime.com/). CutTime is the Foothill Band Boosters management platform. Just login with your CutTime account, click below your students name, then click on the Payments link at the bottom of the list. Click on the green button that says “Make a Payment”, click the amount to pay, then fill in your debit or credit card information and submit the payment.
4) Pay with FutureFund (https://foothill.futurefund.com/). FutureFund is the PUSD sponsored platform that you signed up for when you registered your student for the school year. Just login to the site, click the Store button at the top of the webpage, click on the Band Boosters oval button below the page title, then select the Donation square designated for your students ensemble. Select your donation amount, fill in your students name, click Add To Cart, then proceed with the checkout process.
*When using PayPal, 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 Monica Fey, our Treasurer of Student Accounts, at treasurer.student@foothillmusic.org with any questions, contacts, or ideas!
👔 All 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.
Jazz Attire is per the director’s request (varies from the above concert attire):
Dark Colors; Long ties only; Coats for everyone wearing a collared shirt and tie; Dark Color Shoes/Black (NO WHITE SOLES); tall Black socks; Shirt should be either white, or dark.
🥁 Marching Band and Color Guard
📣 Foothill Band Review 2025, Saturday, October 25th!📣
The Foothill Band Review is our biggest event of the year! The annual band review is a premier marching band and field show competition that brings schools from across Northern California in the NCBA circuit to Pleasanton. The day kicks off in the morning 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!!! 🎉
Interested in learning more about band review? Please attend the weekly Band Review Planning Meetings! All parents & guardians are invited!
- FINAL Meeting: Wednesday, October 22nd at 7:00 pm on the Foothill Campus, Room C-6. If you can’t attend in person, please join us online via Google Meet at https://meet.google.com/rqp-zxzp-ovh
🧳The WBA Marching Championships will take place at Buchanan High in Clovis on Saturday & Sunday, Nov. 22-23, 2025. Students and staff will be staying at the Piccadilly Inn in Fresno, for 1 night on Saturday, Nov 22, 2025. Parents, both volunteers and others, are welcome to book rooms at the same hotel.
Hotel Address: Piccadilly Inn, 5115 E. McKinley Avenue Fresno, CA 93727
Boosters are covering the hotel costs for the students and directors. Parents, volunteers, and chaperones can make reservations by calling the hotel directly during M-F business hours. Please ask to speak with or leave a message for the sales manager. The general reception desk is not aware of block room rates.Call 559-375-7760 Reference the group booking code ‘FOOTHILL MUSIC’ to receive the contracted room rate of $93+tax.
*⭐Reservation confirmations require a personal credit card.
Reservations must be made by October 31, 2025, to receive the group block room rate. Breakfast is complimentary for both the students and the families who book using the group code. *
📣Reminder:
ALL FHS MUSIC FAMILIES ARE EXPECTED to VOLUNTEER @ FHS Band Review 10/25!
Sign up to get your volunteer slots! Just click here to go to the sign up form: Band Review Sign Up.
💵 Fundraising
Foothill Band Review 2025 Trophy Sponsorships: Sponsor a trophy (or trophies!) for the band review! Just click the link below, fill out the form, and proceed to the payment page on “GiveButter”: 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 Steve Haney: Fundraising@foohillmusic.org
The Winter Turf & Surf Sale: The annual Winter Turf & Surf Sale is on for the weekend of December 6th & 7th. This semi-annual food sale (formerly “The Meat Sale”) will be held at Foothill High School. Come and purchase choice cuts of meats and amazing seafood to enjoy at your holiday feasts! Parents and Guardians: keep an eye out for a SignUp Genius form to help with point of sale, custom cuts, and bagging of products.
Please reach out to Steve Haney, our VP of Fundraising, at Fundraising@foohillmusic.org with any questions, contacts, or ideas!
📸 Photography & Media (aka the Band Click)
Hey Parents!
Welcome to October, and the start of Competition Season! This is when all of the kids’ hard work comes to fruition… which also leads to the best time to grab candid shots of them! The best part – if the image captures the notice of our Yearbook editor – there’s a strong likelihood that it will show up in the yearbook or slide show!
You may think you need a fancy camera to take great Photos or Videos… but in reality, the best ones are taken close up…. with a cellphone! The requirements are: be able to tell your kid and their friends to smile for a picture without them rolling their eyes!
Our existing Click is small, and will lose some graduating parents next year. We will need your help through the rest of the season and beyond.
If you have a few images or videos to share, or want to engage for the season: Please reach out to photography@foothillmusic.org, and we’ll get you started!
- Photographs of all Band events can be found on Flickr
- Videos will be uploaded to our Youtube Playlist for each performance.
Please note that most videos will be marked private, and are unsearchable on the platform until the band season is over.
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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.