Seeing the 2026 WDMB in full uniform this week was awesome under the Friday Night Lights! Our ballerinas are absolutely breathtaking! It was great to shine brightly alongside the WD Cheer Squad and see our WD football team grab an amazing win over Haddonfield.

We are certainly continuing to battle through some unfortunate weather patterns, losing another seven hours of rehearsal this past week. Even with the loss of time, the group is really digging in and making the time we do get matter. We are so proud of how the band is developing and growing together. We are ready to shift into the next gear of the season!
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Gear 1 – Summer Rehearsals/Camps
Gear 2 – School Starts/Football Performances
Gear 3 – Competitions ← WE ARE HERE!
Gear 4 – Championships

Schedule Update: Due to the loss of rehearsal time last week, we've added Thursday rehearsal back to the schedule for this upcoming week. We are so close to having our full production complete! We need this time to lock it all together and roll into the weekend as strong and confident as possible.

Construction Update: This week, the track and surrounding areas are scheduled to be worked on. Please be aware of the possibility of limited access around the stadium area when dropping off and picking up students. In general, we prefer all students to be dropped off near the band room and walk over to the stadium. The "curbside" service is nice, but it does cause some issues. Students should never park in the tennis court area.

THIS IS DEPENDENT ON CONSTRUCTION: If possible, we would like to invite all family and friends to come out this Friday night to see our completed 2026 production! We are planning on rehearsing from 5–8 p.m., then going inside to dress in full uniform before coming back out to perform a full, dressed run-through. This will only happen if we have access to the stadium. We will confirm this on Thursday.

Competition Tickets: Tickets are available for our upcoming shows at Brick Memorial & Madison HS. Only adult tickets are available from Mr. Kershaw. Student/Senior Citizen tickets are available at the gate at the show.
Be sure to purchase your adult tickets from Mr. Kershaw! We keep the proceeds from the adult tickets we sell.
Cash only is accepted for all ticket sales.

Brick Memorial TOB (Saturday, 10/3)
Adult: $15 (Available from Mr. Kershaw)
Students & Senior Citizens: TBD (Available at the Gate)

Madison TOB (Sunday, 10/4)
Adult: $15 (Available from Mr. Kershaw)
Students & Senior Citizens: $10 (Available at the Gate)

Color Guard Shoes: Payment ($40) for color guard shoes is due. Students who ordered shoes should forward payment to Mr. Kershaw. Please make checks payable to "West Deptford High School."

PARENTS! We need YOU at our most important parents' meeting of the year! It's our last meeting before our Home Show, and we need everyone!! Please make every effort to come out Monday, 10/5 at 7:30 p.m. in the WDHS Auditorium. Thank you!!!

Here is this week's schedule.
Monday, 9/28 - Nothing Scheduled
Tuesday, 9/29 - Rehearsal 6pm-9pm
Wednesday, 9/30 - Rehearsal 6pm-9pm
Thursday, 10/1 - Rehearsal 6pm-9pm (added to replace 9/22 & 9/26 cancellations)
Friday, 10/2 - Rehearsal & Possible Preview Performance!?! 5pm-9pm (with shakos!)
Saturday, 10/3 - Brick Memorial TOB - Competition Debut!
    10:30a - Rehearsal Begins
    2:00p - Rehearsal Ends/Load Trucks
    2:30p - Lunch (provided)
    4:00p - Depart for Brick Memorial HS
    5:30p - Arrive at Brick Memorial HS
    8:00p - WDHS Performs
    8:45p - Awards
    9:45p - Depart for WDHS
    11:15p - Arrive at WDHS, unload buses / trucks stay loaded
    11:30p - Dismissed
Sunday 10/4 - Madison TOB (updated 9/22)
    9:00a - Rehearsal Begins
   10:30p - Rehearsal Ends/Load
   11:30p - Depart for Madison HS
   12:40p - Lunch on bus (student provided)
   1:30p - Arrive at Madison HS
   4:00p - WDHS Performs
   4:45p - Awards
   5:45p - Depart for WDHS
   7:45p - Arrive at WDHS/unload
   8:15p - Dismissed

Here is next week's schedule.
Monday, 10/5 - HOME SHOW BAND PARENTS MEETING 7:30pm
Tuesday, 10/6 - Rehearsal 6pm-9pm
Wednesday, 10/7 - Rehearsal 6pm-9pm
Thursday, 10/8 - Nothing Scheduled
Friday, 10/9 - Rehearsal 5pm-9pm (with shakos!)
Saturday, 10/10 - Washington Twp. TOB
    1:30p - Rehearsal Begins
    4:30p - Rehearsal Ends/Load Trucks
    5:00p - Dinner (provided)
    7:00p - Depart for Washington Twp HS
    7:30p - Arrive at Washington Twp HS
    9:30p - WDHS Performs
    10:45p - Awards
    11:45p - Depart for WDHS
    12:15a - Arrive at WDHS, unload buses / trucks stay loaded
    12:45a - Dismissed
Sunday 10/11 - Nothing Scheduled

This past week was a great week of growth as the WDMB works to put the final pieces of its 2026 production on the field. We are so proud of what our students are accomplishing. They are really gaining strength and confidence.

Thank you to the parents who have been coming out to help with our prop (lifesize music box) build. The pit crew helps add the special touches to our performances, and we couldn;t do it without you!

This upcoming week is homecoming week! This includes our homecoming pep rally during the school day and homecoming football game this Friday! We are excited to have the entire ensemble in thier full uniforms this Friday night and get back under the lights with our cheerleaders and football team. We love football, but halftime belongs to the bands, and the WDMB is coming in ready to roll.

Note about full uniform: Musician uniforms will be issued Tuesday. Students will need to take them home, try them on, and report any issues. Musicians should plan to have hair pulled up when wearing their band hats (shakos). We will have rehearsals this week with them. No jewlery should be worn while in full uniform. Musicians should also plan to have light weight, athletic wear for under their uniforms. 

We are a little less than 2 weeks out from our first competitions. 
Brick Memorial TOB - 10/3 & Madison TOB - 10/4
We are excited to take our production of "BALLERINA" into competition. This is where we really shine.

Here is this week's schedule:
Monday, 9/21 - Nothing Scheduled
Tuesday, 9/22 - Rehearsal 6pm-9pm
Wednesday, 9/23 - Rehearsal 6pm-9pm
Thursday, 9/24 - Rehearsal 6pm-9pm (with shakos!)
Friday, 9/25 - Homecoming Football (H) Haddonfield
     5:00pm - Report
     6:30pm - Move to stadium
     6:40pm - Away Team Band - Pregame performance?
     6:55pm - National Anthem
     7:00pm - Game Begins
     8:10pm - WDMB Halftime performance!
     9:30pm - Game ends
     9:45pm – Dismissed​​
Saturday, 9/26 - Rehearsal 9am-1pm
Sunday 9/27 - Nothing Scheduled

Here is our compeititon debut week schedule:
Monday, 9/28 - Nothing Scheduled
Tuesday, 9/29 - Rehearsal 6pm-9pm
Wednesday, 9/30 - Rehearsal 6pm-9pm
Thursday, 10/1 - Nothing Scheduled
Friday, 10/2 - Rehearsal 5pm-9pm (with shakos!)
Saturday, 10/3 - Brick Memorial TOB - Competition Debut!
    10:30a - Rehearsal Begins
    2:00p - Rehearsal Ends/Load Trucks
    2:30p - Lunch (provided)
    4:00p - Depart for Brick Memorial HS
    5:30p - Arrive at Brick Memorial HS
    8:00p - WDHS Performs
    8:45p - Awards
    9:45p - Depart for WDHS
    11:15p - Arrive at WDHS, unload buses / trucks stay loaded
    11:30p - Dismissed
Sunday 10/4 - Madison TOB (updated 9/22)
    9:00a - Rehearsal Begins
   10:30p - Rehearsal Ends/Load
   11:30p - Depart for Madison HS
   12:40p - Lunch on bus (student provided)
   1:30p - Arrive at Madison HS
   4:00p - WDHS Performs
   4:45p - Awards
   5:45p - Depart for WDHS
   7:45p - Arrive at WDHS/unload
   8:15p - Dismissed

It's been another great week for the WDMB! On Friday, we brought the BOOM at our 1st pep rally of the year! We then got to witness WDHS history as we honored the anniversary of 9/11 attacks and see the dedication of our stadium field. It was a great evening with huge turnout. At halftime the WDMB brought the house down with their strong performance. WDHS has so much to be proud about, and we are happy to be a part of it all.

BAND PARENTS MEETING -  TONIGHT! 8pm
Tonight, we have our monthly band parents meeting at 8pm in the HS auditorium. We are entering our busy season with event planning as concession stand and home show crews are forming.  We need you! Please plan to attend!  Thank you.

2026 WDMB Tour Shirt Orders - Orders for this year's "BALLERINA" tour shirt will be taken through Saturday, 9/19.  These shirts are adults sizes and include the show theme's artwork on the front and the full list of 2026 performances on the back. These are keepsakes and basically everyone buys them. Order forms are linked HERE and will be available in the HS band room.

CALIFORNIA 2027 - Information is out for our spring trip to California in June 2027. We are so excited to be able to offer this once in a lifetime experience to our students. GCIT students can participate as well. This opportunity is for HS students only, Be sure to check out the information here.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT PIT CREW - Parents! Come out on Wednesday nights during rehearsal and help us get our gear competition ready. We can always use a few more hands out there to help it all along. Thank you to those who have been comeing out to make us look our best!

This week we will be finishing our 2026 production. This Tuesday we will finish learning the final drill positions and begin polishing the show music. The entire band has really stepped up with being on time and we are seeing the benefits. This group is acheiving every night so hold on, it's just the beginning!

Alternative Uniforms - We are not planning to wear our alternative uniforms again this season. Students should pack the shirt, hat, lapel pins away. They should not be worn casually, they are uniforms to only be worn with the group.

We do not have any performances this week. Our next performance will be at the Homecoming Football Game on 9/25. The band & colorguard will be in full uniform for this event and all subsequent events. Uniforms will be issued next Tuesday. Students will need to take them home, try them on, and report any issues. Musicians should plan to have hair pulled up when wearing their band hats (shakos). We will have rehearsals this week with them. Musicians should also plan to have light weight, athletic wear for under their uniforms. 

Here is this week's schedule:
Monday, 9/14 - Band Parents Meeting 8pm
Tuesday, 9/15 - Rehearsal 6pm-9pm
Wednesday, 9/16 - Rehearsal 6pm-9pm
Thursday, 9/17 - Nothing Scheduled (Rehearsal if rain on Tue or Wed)
Friday, 9/18 - Rehearsal 6pm-9pm (with shakos!)
Saturday, 9/19 - Rehearsal 9am-2pm
Sunday 9/20 - Nothing Scheduled

Here is next week's schedule:
Monday, 9/21 - Nothing Scheduled
Tuesday, 9/22 - Rehearsal 6pm-9pm
Wednesday, 9/23 - Rehearsal 6pm-9pm
Thursday, 9/24 - Rehearsal 6pm-9pm (with shakos!)
Friday, 9/25 - Homecoming Football (H) Haddonfield
     5:00pm - Report
     6:30pm - Move to stadium
     6:40pm - Away Team Band - Pregame performance?
     6:55pm - National Anthem
     7:00pm - Game Begins
     8:10pm - WDMB Halftime performance!
     9:30pm - Game ends
     9:45pm – Dismissed​​
Saturday, 9/26 - Rehearsal 9am-1pm
Sunday 9/27 - Nothing Scheduled