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A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z

 

A                                                                                                                                                                                                              

 

Attention -  The command: "Band - Ten - Hut!!!"
 
At attention, you do not talk, move, or look around. Feet are together, stand tall with legs straight, but do
not lock knees.  Your weight should be evenly distributed over both feet, directly through the center of your
body. Head is up with the chin slightly above horizontal. Eyes are focused straight ahead.  Section leaders
and drum majors will assist band members in what exactly to do with their instruments while at attention.

 

Auxiliary - Another name for the Colorguard, usually used in conjunction with the Marching Band and is the
typical term to describe members of a team working with rifles, flags and sabers during field competitions.
See Color guard.

 

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Back March - Marching in reverse while the upper body remains steady, without movement.

 

Band Camp - A session prior to the start of the school year where all Marching Band and Color Guard
members are introduced to marching basics & to introduce the music that has been selected for the field show.

 

Band Horns Down - Horns snap to rest position on four of command.

 

Band Horns Up - Horns snap to playing position on four of the command.

 

Band Parade Rest - On fourth count, feet are spread to shoulder width apart.

 

Band Ready Front - Given after Dress Center Dress to ready for the next command.

 

Battery - The marching component of Drumline.  The instruments included in the Battery section are: snare drums,
tenor drums, bass drums and cymbals.  The battery percussion unit march on the field during football games,
winter field competitions and on the floor during spring competition.

 

Bleary Eyed - Your student’s stare after hours of band camp participation, months of morning “zero period”
practice, pep support at football games and weekend competitions.

 

Booster Parent Meetings - Meetings held every second Tuesday of each month where important discussions
are held and decisions made impacting the extracurricular activities, performances and schedules regarding
band functions.

 

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Caption - A specific area of the performance of a marching band while in competition.  The Captions are: Music
Performance; Music General Effect; Visual Performance; Visual General Effect; Percussion; Auxiliary; Drum Major. 

 

Caption Awards - Presented to the Marching Band with the highest scores in the areas of Music Performance,
Visual Performance, Percussion and Auxiliary in each division.

 

Chorus - Background music played during a solo improvisation.

 

Colorguard - Marching Band Members who add visual impact and color to the musical performance in a
challenging activity that combines equipment work using flags, rifles and sabers, with dancing and marching.

 

Competitions - Schools competing against other bands for scores and awards.

 

Concert Band - Symphonic Band

 

Crab Walk - Moving parallel to the sidelines while keeping your body oriented to the sideline from the top down.

 

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Donation - This is needed for music related activities other than onsite classroom instruction and onsite school
performances. Donations compensate for the costs for our music program not funded by the Garden Grove
School District.  A personal payment is tax deductible.

 

Dress Center Dress - All heads turn down line in order to dress positions within the line.

 

Drill - Movement and marching formations of the band on the field.

 

Drum Major - A student leader in marching band.  Drum majors conduct the band when it performs, and the parade
drum major performs a baton routine while leading parades. 

 

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eScrip - (electronic scrip)  Participating businesses contribute a percentage of your grocery loyalty card,
credit cards and/or debit/ATM card purchases to your student's account.  Please see the section on fund raising
for more information. See Scrip (Paper/Traditional)

 

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Field Show - A marching band competition that takes place on a football field where any number of high school
marching bands perform up to an 11 minute show for an audience and a panel of judges.

 

Flags - Used by the Color Guard on the field of competition to add visual color, beauty and impact to the overall
performance of the Marching Band; also called silks.

 

Football Field - Contrary to popular opinion, it is the preferred location for Marching Band competition.  Although
most schools allow football teams to compete on the same surface during short periods of the year when the
Marching Band is not performing.

 

Funk - A style of music with several off-beat and unusual rhythms.

 

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General Fund - The monies in the general fund are used toward costs associated with competitions, fees
paid to coaches, transportation to/from events, equipment maintenance and repair, instrument repair, entry fees
and uniforms.
 

Glide Step - Marching on a field so that your upper body doesn’t move from side-to-side or up and down.

 

H                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Top

 

Hash marks - Hashes divide the width of the football field into thirds. Using a 22.5 inch step students will

discover that there are 28 steps between each third (from the home stands side to the first hash, between
hashes, and between the back hash and the visitor stands sideline).

 

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Improvisation - To make up the music one plays on the spot while the other jazz members are playing background.

 

J                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

 

Jazz Music - An American art form that originated in New Orleans around the turn of 20th century.  Jazz is
characterized by strong, distinctive tones, improvisation and rhythmic patterns.

 

Jazz Run - An elongated running stride in which musicians do their best to reach their spot that is many, many 
feet away in only a few beats.


K                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

 

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Lick - A series of notes making up a section of the music.

 

Louis Armstrong Award - An award given to a member of the jazz band for the most outstanding jazz player of the year.

 

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Marching Band - A highly dedicated and talented group of musicians, that merge music with movement and
visual effects on football fields each fall in shows and competitions.  Also, these same musicians provide half

time entertainment during football season.

 

Marching Basics - Marching techniques learned and reviewed at the beginning of the season, typically during
a two week period just prior to the start of the school year.  The basics include proper placement of feet during
marching, how to keep in step with the music, and marching formations.

 

Marching Block - A group of musicians marching in a certain pattern, and in unison.

 

Marching Shoes - Specially designed shoes for marchers, purchased through Music Boosters. 

 

Mariner Cards - A fundraiser where merchants have agreed to offer discounts or free merchandise based on
a purchase amount.  Proceeds from the sale of Mariner Cards are deposited into the student account and the
band booster general fund. (fundraiser not being held during the 2006-2007 school year.)

 

Mark Time - The act of moving your feet as though you were marching but remaining in one place.

 

Music Boosters - Parent volunteer organization that supports instrumental music and Colorguard activities
for Pacifica High School Music Program.  All parents of music department students are Music Boosters. 
Visit Who Is A Booster for more insight.

 

Music General Effect - In competition, the assessment of the emotional and theatrical parts of the performance.

 

Music Performance - In competition, is an objective assessment of a band’s musical technical execution
based on the fundamentals of ensemble performance.

 

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Pit - The non-moving component of the drumline.  These instruments are used for field shows and drumline
competitions. The instruments included in the Pit section are: xylophones, bells, marimbas, synthesizers,
sampler, tympani, suspended cymbals and gong.  These musicians do not march on the field of competition
but are positioned on the outer field or floor.

 

Pit Crew - Band Moms/Dads bring the pit instruments onto and off the field of competition.  They help load
and unload the big white trailer and also the small blue trailer.  Maintain ATV, cart and trailers. 

 

Press Box - The box where the announcer is situated in the center of the home stands.

 

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Rifles - An instrument used by the Colorguard to add visual impact to the Marching Band’s performance.

 

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Sabers - An instrument used by the Colorguard to add visual impact to the Marching Band’s performance.

 

Scrip (Paper/Traditional) - Paper or plastic gift cards in various denominations you purchase from participating

merchants through the Boosters. The merchants donate a percentage of the amount of a purchased gift card
back to the Boosters/student's account; varying from 1.75% up to 22 %. The scrip purchase order form will be
located in the band room and available soon on this website.  Please see the fundraising section of the website
for further explanation.  Also see eScrip.

 

SCSBOA - Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association.  Classification is determined by
the total number of woodwind, brass and percussion performers.  Pacifica is in classification 3A.
(Not participating 2005-2006 school year.)

 

Class 1A - 1 to 50 members.

Class 2A - 51 to 70 members

Class 3A - 71 to 90 members

Class 4A - 91 to 120 members

Class 5A - 121 to 150 members

Class 6A - 151 and up (or fewer than 151 by Director's choice)

 

Sections/Sectional - Band Proper is divided into sections according to the instrument played. There are major
sections(such as woodwinds, brass, low brass) and each of them is divided into subsections of individual
instruments.  A sectional is when the members of a section get together either during practice at school, or
more commonly at the section leader's home.

 

Section Leader - A student leader of a particular section of players in any performing ensemble, usually the most
skilled player on that particular instrument.

 

Shako - Band hat, to which a plume is attached for performances.                                                                                                                   Top

 

SCPA - Southern California Percussion Alliance.  Regional Spring percussion competitions.

 

Student Account - An account that is set up by the music boosters to track monies earned by students through
fundraising activities, donations and also reflects the parent's personal payments for tax deductible purposes. 
Students can use the excess monies in their account to pay for hotel rooms during away competitions, help pay
for their annual fair share obligation and/or equipment/shoes.  Parents should balance their student's account
information just as they would their own personal checking account.  Student account information is available
at each monthly Booster meeting; the first Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm in the band room.

 

Swing - A style of music from the 1940s during the period "Big Bands" were popular.

 

T                                                                                                                                                                                             

           

U                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Top

 

V                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Top

 

Visual General Effect - A subjective evaluation of the non-music components of a performance.

 

Visual Performance - An objective assessment of how well a band actually marches.  Judges takes into
consideration such things as: were the band members in step, were they in phase, were all musicians in proper
marching posture, were transitions executed properly, etc.

 

Volunteers - Parents that participate in the music program by contributing time to assist in, as examples,
snack bar staffing during football home games, assisting in moving equipment onto and off of the field during
competitions, becoming an active member of booster committees, elected officials and section representatives. 

Other organizational and task oriented opportunities exist to contribute to your student’s enjoyment of the Pacifica
High School music program.  Contact booster officials by clicking here for email or phone numbers, or join us at

our monthly booster meetings every second Monday of each month.

 

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WBA - Western Band Association. 

 

Class 1A (WBA) - Bands with membership no greater than 60

Class 2A (WBA) - Bands with membership no greater than 80

Class 3A (WBA) - Bands with membership no greater than 100

Class 4A (WBA) - Bands with membership no greater than 140
Class 5A (WBA) - Any number of members
 

WGI - Winterguard International Sport of The Arts World Championships.  This weekend event brings the best and

most talented percussion/Winterguard teams from Canada, Japan and from across our Nation to perform their shows
at their own venue sites.  What an experience!                                                                  

 

Winterguard - A Colorguard team that performs to recorded music at indoor competitions from January through April. 
Typically the Colorguard combines modern dance with flag, rile and saber work.  This group of students usually
consists of the color guard team that participates in Marching Band competitions during the fall season.

 

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Y                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Top

 

Yard lines - The length of the football field is marked off in yard lines that span five yards each, ascending from each

goal line toward the middle of the field which is the 50 yard line. The first yard line from the goal is designated the "five,"

and it is followed by the 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50--which is the center of the field.  It is extremely important
to understand that when marching across the length of the field members will march "8 to 5." This is an acquired skill
which requires adjusting the size of one's step.," the left foot will take the first step toward the next yard line. The left foot
will fall on counts 1, 3, 5, 7 and the right foot will fall on counts 2, 4, 6, 8. This means that the right foot will hit the next yard
line on count 8 BUT only if the steps are adjusting correctly. Students must concentrate on adjusting their individual step
size in order to execute this maneuver correctly. Step sizes are technically 22.5 inches in length.

 

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