Don't Delay! Register for DGN Alumni Band Today!

You're running out of time to get registered for DGN Alumni Band 2021!

Homecoming 2021 will be here before we know it, and it will be so much fun to play our instruments together, in community, once again! Dust off your instrument and join us for a memorable evening of music and fellowship!! 

This year's DGN Alumni Band performance at Homecoming will take place on Friday, October 22, 2021. 

REGISTRATION DEADLINE is Friday, October 1, 2021. NOTE: To be guaranteed a new t-shirt or sweatshirt, you must register by Friday, September 24.

The schedule for the evening, preliminary details, and official REGISTRATION may be found at the following link:

tinyurl.com/DGNAlumniBandRegistration2021

DGN Alumni Band is Back in 2021!

We're getting the band back together!

Homecoming 2021 will be here before we know it, and it will be so much fun to play our instruments together, in community, once again! Dust off your instrument and join us for a memorable evening of music and fellowship!! 

This year's DGN Alumni Band performance at Homecoming will take place on Friday, October 22, 2021. 

REGISTRATION DEADLINE is Friday, October 1, 2021. NOTE: To be guaranteed a new t-shirt or sweatshirt, you must register by Friday, September 24.

The schedule for the evening, preliminary details, and official REGISTRATION may be found at the following link:

tinyurl.com/DGNAlumniBandRegistration2021

Check back on this website in early August for scans of music, and further updates!

DGN School Song Recording Project Instructions - Due September 6

Thank you for your interest in recording the DGN School Song with us this year! We'd love to have your help.

HERE is the main recording guidelines document you need.

And, linked below is a super-helpful "how to" video that Mr. Smith has created to make this as easy as possible for you!

https://tinyurl.com/DGNSchoolSongHowTo

Feel free to forward this information to any of your Alumni Band friends who may have missed our initial post about the project!

Don't forget, the due date is Sunday, September 6th ... and we have to hold firm to that deadline. 

If you have any questions, please let us know. We are really excited to see and hear you on screen!

Eyes With Pride!

Alumni Invited: Virtual DGN School Song!

Hey DGN Band Alumni! (Hey what?!) We are working on producing a "Virtual DGN School Song" with the 2020 Trojan Marching Band, and we'd like to invite you to participate/record with us! 

Recordings will be made at home, and submitted to the DGN Fine Arts Department through a Dropbox URL. The target date for receiving submissions will be September 6, 2020.

If you are interested in participating, please complete this Google Form, and we will be in touch - via email - no later than August 31 with all the recording details!

https://tinyurl.com/DGNAlumniBandVirtual2020

DGN Alumni Band 2020 - COVID-19 Update

This is the time of year we would typically post a "registration" page for the DGN Alumni Band, and begin to share details about an upcoming performance at Homecoming. COVID-19 prevents us from moving forward with any performance plans at this time. 

The current focus of District 99 officials is to plan safe and effective instruction for students, beginning in August, in a manner that adheres to current state regulations and guidance from the DuPage County Health Department. It is too early, at this time, to know exactly what this means for the DGN Bands. 

If you would like to put a 'place holder' on your calendar, Homecoming is currently scheduled for Friday, September 25. However, until Illinois reaches Phase 5, a performance of the DGN Alumni Band is highly unlikely. 

Presuming we are unable to stage a gathering for the DGN Alumni Band in 2020, we will most certainly return to organized performances once a vaccine is developed, and Illinois moves to Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois plan. 

We extend our best wishes to all alumni for safety and peace. Check back on this website for future updates. Thank you. 

Homecoming 2019 - Thank You DGN Alumni Band!

Arrival and Performance Details - Homecoming 2019

Dear 2019 DGN Alumni Band Member:

Thank you for registering to join us for DGN Alumni Band 2019! We are really looking forward to welcoming you back to campus on October 4. We have 50+ alumni signed up, and it's going to be a great night.

Homecoming Parade
The Village of Downers Grove changed our parade route last year, and it no longer takes place on Main Street. Instead, the parade goes through the neighborhood to the west of Main Street. I am aware that in years past Alumni Band members were invited to march with the current band in the parade. In truth, we have never had a large enough group of alumni present to make this arrangement work well. Because we are on a new route, we are asking alumni to NOT march with the current band members, and enjoy the parade as a spectator. We will look forward to having you join us later in the evening! 

Arrival & Check-In
Please arrive between 4:30 and 4:45, and check-in at our registration table in the Main Street Lobby. Please park in the Main Street Parking Lot and enter through the Main Street Entrance. This entrance is for Alumni Band participants only. Your admission to the game is complimentary as an Alumni Band member. Additional friends and family members must use the public admission gates to the stadium and must pay to attend the game.

If you pre-ordered a t-shirt, please have $15 (T-shirt) or $30 (Sweatshirt) in exact change, or a personal check (payable to DGN Bands). We will not be set up to accept checks or credit cards. If you have arranged to use a North High instrument, you will pick it up at this time. 

We will have sheet music for you when you arrive. If you are a wind player, and have a lyre and/or flip-folder, please bring it. We will have a few extra, but I cannot guarantee we will have exactly what everyone needs to carry music on their instrument. If you are a drummer, you'll either memorize the music in advance ... or you'll do what you've always done, and fake it. (Oooh, was that out loud?! I feel I can say this, as a fellow percussionist.) 

Rehearsal
Our rehearsal (5 - 5:30) will be on the grass field to the East of Carsten's Field. We will review music and receive instructions about our marching formations for Pregame and Halftime. The Trojan Marching Band will join us at 5:30, and we will continue the rehearsal until 6:15 PM.

Dinner Break
Once our rehearsal is over and the North High Band finishing their preparations, you will have an opportunity to visit with one another and get something to eat. The Trojan (Athletic) Boosters run a concession stand at Carstens Field that includes soft drinks, burgers, hot dogs and all sorts of other great football food! 

Pre-Game Parade
Those alumni that would like to parade the track with us should be in the Field House no later than 6:50 PM. 

Performance Notes
I am excited for you to witness, first hand, the great work our 2019 Trojan Marching Band is doing this year. I'm sure you will recognize many things about the band that are similar to your days of performing. As Mr. Smith joined our team last year as the Head Marching Band Director, we asked our Drum Majors and Section Captains to create a list of "traditions" that were important to them. They came up with a list of 50+ traditions; even I - the old guy - was surprised at the depth of the list. We are honoring all of the strong traditions that are a part of that list, while at the same time giving our current band members - and staff - an opportunity to make their own imprint on the heart of the DGN Band family. We hope you will enjoy our new "Trojan Fanfare" that opens our Pregame performance. We debuted this piece in 2018, which honors our school through thematic references to both our DGN School Song and DGN Alma Mater. The students are also excited to share their "50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing" themed Halftime show with you; one thing you will notice immediately is that the students are memorizing their halftime music, including the Athena dance tune that changes with each performance. No more flip folders on the field during halftime for our current students, but you are certainly allowed and encouraged to use music for our performance at Homecoming. 

Color Guard registrants should have already received (or will soon) an email from Crystal Zaragoza with video resources to help you learn the routines for Homecoming 2019. 

During the Game
Only Alumni with an official DGN Alumni Band shirt will be allowed to perform on field or be in the designated seating on the track. 

We ask that all Alumni be seated in the Alumni Band section on the track, and do not move into the stands to sit/play with the DGN Band. I know that if you are a recent grad, it's tempting to relive the "glory days" in the stands with the current Trojan Marching Band. But the truth is that we just don't have room to accommodate alumni in the band-box. Thank you for your cooperation. 

Post Game
For those of you who choose to stay through the end of the football game, I hope you will join us on the track for the traditional playing of the Alma Mater and the "We Love Our Team" cheer. Once we parade back to the Field House we will sing the Alma Mater once more as a band, and I hope you will be a part of that moment, too. In 2018 we started a DGN Alumni Band "tradition", and it is to invite the Alumni Drum Major(s) with the most "seniority" to conduct the band in the singing of the Alma Mater at the Field House ramp. That Drum Major (or Drum Majors) may either accept the invitation, or choose to offer the honor to another Alumni Drum Major in attendance. For 2019, our most-senior Alumni Band Drum Major is Sara Grant, Class of 1996. 

Post-Post-Game
I have reserved a section of sofas and small tables at "Another Round," in downtown Downers Grove, to gather after the game. This restaurant & bar can accommodate our alumni base that includes former students both over, and under, the age of 21. They are expecting DGN Band Alumni to begin arriving as early as 9:30 PM. As you arrive, please let the management know you are with the DGN BandAlumni group, and they will point out the designated area. Food and drink orders are the responsibility of individuals. Our DGN Band Staff will join you to say hello and visit for a bit, but we will likely not arrive until 10:30 or 11 PM, after we yell "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here!" several times, and then get the building locked-down. 

Travel safely, and Eyes With Pride,

BT

Last Chance - DGN Alumni Band 2019

Tomorrow, September 20, is the REGISTRATION DEADLINE for DGN Alumni Band 2019! Dust off your instrument ... grab a flag or rifle ... and join us for a memorable evening of music and fellowship!! 

This year's DGN Alumni Band performance at Homecoming will take place on Friday, October 4, 2019. 

The schedule for the evening, preliminary details, and official REGISTRATION may be found at the following link:

https://tinyurl.com/DGNAlumniBandRegistration2019

Our HALFTIME MUSIC is available for you now (click here); believe it or not ... some alumni have asked to practice in advance! (Guard Choreography has been emailed to registrants.)

Alumni Band 2019 - Registration Closes This Friday!

This Friday, September 20, is the REGISTRATION DEADLINE for DGN Alumni Band 2019! Dust off your instrument ... grab a flag or rifle ... and join us for a memorable evening of music and fellowship!! 

This year's DGN Alumni Band performance at Homecoming will take place on Friday, October 4, 2019. 

The schedule for the evening, preliminary details, and official REGISTRATION may be found at the following link:

https://tinyurl.com/DGNAlumniBandRegistration2019

Our HALFTIME MUSIC is available for you now (click here); believe it or not ... some alumni have asked to practice in advance! (We are currently developing Guard Choreography; more info ASAP.)

Register for DGN Alumni Band @ Homecoming 2019!

Homecoming 2019 will be here before we know it! Dust off your instrument and join us for a memorable evening of music and fellowship!! 

This year's DGN Alumni Band performance at Homecoming will take place on Friday, October 4, 2019. 

REGISTRATION DEADLINE is Friday, September 20, 2019. 

The schedule for the evening, preliminary details, and official REGISTRATION may be found at the following link:

https://tinyurl.com/DGNAlumniBandRegistration2019

Check back on this website in early August for scans of music, and further updates!

2018 DGN Alumni Band Group Photo

Last Chance to Register for DGN Alumni Band Homecoming 2018 Performance!

Final Call! Register to perform with the DGN Alumni Band at Homecoming 2018!

We have a terrific group of nearly 60 musicians ready to march '8 to 5' down-field during Pre-Game ... and to "Shake It Off" at Halftime! Dust off that instrument and join us for a memorable evening of music and fellowship. 

This year's DGN Alumni Band performance at Homecoming will take place on Friday, September 28, 2018. 

REGISTRATION DEADLINE is THIS Friday, September 14, 2018. 

The schedule for the evening, preliminary details, and official REGISTRATION may be found at the following link:

https://tinyurl.com/DGNAlumniBand2018

Homecoming 2018 Sheet Music and Audio File

We are really looking forward to seeing our Alumni at Homecoming 2018!

HERE are the parts, and HERE is a recording, for anyone who wants to get a head start. (A few alumni have actually asked!)