Foothill Music

The Falcon Beat – Volume1, Issue 9

October 12, 2025

Announcements:

🏆Director’s Message:

Our Marching band and Colorguard kids were amazing at our 1st competition at Liberty on Saturday. Winning 1st in Colorguard, Percussion, Music, and General Effect. 2nd place in Drum Major and Visual! 

The kids felt very proud of their performance and I couldn’t be anymore proud as their director!

Mr. Fagundes

💌President’s Message:

Congratulations to the marching band and color guard students, as well as the parent volunteers, for a job well done at Liberty on Saturday. Their many hours of practice were rewarded with a great performance and top notch scores. Thanks to the families who support them and our program! Cheers to the start of a great season! Additionally, all families are invited to attend this Wed’s honors wind ensemble and honors strings orchestra concerts to enjoy some amazing music at Foothill this fall! 

We will have General Parent Meeting #3 – October edition on 10/28. Please note the date and plan to attend.

Our next big push is the Foothill Band Review! 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. All are expected to help out, both families and students alike. If you have not yet joined the Wednesday evening planning meeting, do pop in, either in person or online, to understand what the hype is all about!

We 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 using the links in this PDF.

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. 

🗓️ Important Dates:

October 13th (Mon) All State Orchestra and All State Band recordings uploaded to website + confirmation with your teacher.

October 15th (Wed) @ 7pm Fall Concerts for Honors Wind Ensemble & Honors String Orchestra

October 16th (Thr) @ 7pm Band Review Planning Meetings in the FHS library or virtual

October 18th (Sat) ALL MARCHING BAND & GUARD students arrive@ 7:30am. Marching Band Picture Day Order Form HERE 

October 25th (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

October 28th (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

December 6th & 7th (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, of course!

January 23rd (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

March 11th (Wed) Sonoma State Band and Orchestra

  • Honors Symphony Orchestra @ 3:00pm
  • Honors Wind Ensemble @ 6:00pm

🎶 Ensemble Classes

Honors Jazz  – Great job at NCBA Antioch on 10/4 – Honors Jazz received the highest score out of 12 competing ensembles.🎉

Jazz B – January 23rd, performance addition – Crab Feed – Downtown Pleasanton.

Honors Symphony Orchestra – Upcoming performance – October 15th, Call Time: 6:15pm

String Orchestra – Playing test upcoming:  Major Scales.

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

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 2 weeks 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 Donation needed for Hospitality: We 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

If you enjoy cooking or simply want to lend a hand, we’d love to have you join us as well! Find us on the Band review adult signup listed above or Band App!

Thank you for supporting our band community.

Ritika Sharma, Foothill Hospitality Lead

Questions? Email hospitality@foothillmusic.org

Other Band Booster Immediate Volunteer Needs:

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 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

Marching Band & Color Guard Picture Day 📸

  • Group, buddy and individual picture options for picture day with “Photo 360” on Saturday, October 18th, at 7:30 a.m.
  • Order Form HERE If you would like to purchase any photos of the full group, individual, or buddy/sections. Please fill out the form and have it ready to turn in with the photographer on the morning of the 18th.

Marching Band & Color Guard Jackets🧥

  • Our official Marching Band and Color Guard jackets are now available to order! Please visit the site to make sure to place your order by Oct 17th. This will be the only jacket order for the year, so don’t wait. Orders placed by Oct 17th will arrive by October 30th.

📣 Foothill Band Review 2025, Saturday, October 25th!📣 

The Foothill Band Review is our biggest event of the year!

It 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!

📣Reminder:

ALL FHS MUSIC FAMILIES ARE EXPECTED to VOLUNTEER @  FHS Band Review 10/25!

Sign up early to get your first choice 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 Sue Kuo at susiekuo@hotmail.com.

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@foothillmusic.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.

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.