Marching band season is about to begin! July 9th is our first practice and we can't wait!

What to expect in the coming weeks:

• July 9th all physicals are due.
• Sign-up Genius emails for volunteering opportunities and food donation requests will be in your inbox. 
• Fill out your criminal history form if you plan on volunteering CLICK HERE to fill it out (works best on a computer) **you cannot volunteer without this form on file**
• Away Band Camp informational meeting will be July 16th at the end of rehearsal (parents attend).
• SENIORS ONLY: senior posters due July 21st 9:00am!

It's going to be a fantastic season because of parents like you, but don't forget to...

Get your physical done without delay, so you're ready to march on the very first day!

Need some swag? Visit our Marching Knights Apparel Shop and place your order today! Orders placed by June 15th can be included in the first TEAM DELIVERY during Home Camp.  Please select Pick Up at check-out for Team Delivery.

A FREE Marching Knights tote bag will be included with all orders $125 and more no promo code needed.

There are no returns/exchanges on decorated items.  Please check the size charts provided and contact Cujographix if you have any questions or need additional sizing information.

Senior Posters: There are FIFTY TWO SENIORS that will be turning in their senior poster on the first day of Home Camp. The posters are a standard sized poster board cut in half. CLICK HERE for the details.

Facebook Site: We have an active Facebook page (Walled Lake Northern Marching Band) if you would like to join. You can find the answers to questions you might have or links to sign-ups, and much more! **if you have a question that is specific to your child only, please email Mrs. H to ensure your question is answered with little delay.**

Thank you to the student and parent volunteers who assisted with the moving of our music department to the stage and all of the band camp necessities to Clifford Smart. No photos were taken of our amazing crew because everyone was busy working, but please enjoy the stage and all of it's packed up glory. We are forever grateful and thankful!

The Wind Ensemble performed at graduation which is always a fun way to end the school year. Being able to see our seniors walk across that stage always fills us with great pride and reminds us of the many memories we have shared through the years. Thank you for an incredible year of music! Pick up your instrument this summer, dust it off, take it out for a spin! Just play it! Enjoy your summer and see you in the fall!

Flower Sale: Every year Commerce Elementary has a flower sale that takes place in May, and when someone calls upon the band for help, the call is always answered! Thank you to the band students that helped out on a Saturday so the elementary school could have another year of success with their event! We never get tired of saying, "band kids rock!"

When in Rome...all roads lead to pasta, playing music, and making memories.

What does that mean? If you haven't heard yet, the Marching band and any band members will be invited to a trip to Rome in about a year and a half. Does this sound like something your child will be participating in? If so, we highly recommend you take a moment this summer to secure a passport so you don't have to worry about getting that completed during the busy school season. Caesar the Day- get your passport today, Rome's calling your name, so don't delay!

A big thank-you to our amazing Boosters for supporting the annual Choir photo books! These special keepsakes are custom-made by Mrs. Ward on Shutterfly and gifted to our graduating seniors, along with personalized Certificates of Appreciation. Your continued support makes meaningful moments like this possible.

Chicago Trip Approved

We’re thrilled to announce the Choir trip to Chicago has been approved! Registration details are available HERE.

Dates: November 14-16, 2025

Cost: $1459 for students and $1649 for chaperones. 

Minimum Required: At least 25 participants must register by July 1 for the trip to move forward.

Trip Highlights Include:

Shedd Aquarium

Museum of Ice Cream

John Hancock Observatory (with TILT tickets)

Broadway shows: The Lion King and Grease

Comedy improv show

Broadway workshop with cast members

Magnificent Mile shopping

Navy Pier

Dinner at Ed Debevic’s

Mrs. Ward is incredibly excited and hopes enough students register to make this amazing experience happen.

The Choir program has had a phenomenal year—full of concerts, standing ovations, top scores at festivals, a special performance at a state conference, and so many unforgettable memories. We can’t wait to see what next year brings! 

Congratulations to Mrs. Phillips for a fantastic first year at Walled Lake Northern. From concerts, to competitions, accompanying the musical, and much more, we are grateful for the opportunities you have given our students. We can't wait for next year!

HELP WANTED: The Music Boosters is looking for an orchestra representative. This person would give us the inside scoop on all things orchestra. If you know someone who might be interested, please contact Liz Vachon at lizvachon@gmail.com. 

There are so many ways to get involved with your child's musical passion and here are some current/future needs to make our program successful:

Trailer Driver: Do you have a truck and like to tow things? Help a band out and get us where we need to be when we need to be there! Want to learn more about this volunteer opportunity that will have you being the hero of the season? Shoot Liz Vachon a message at lizvachon@gmail.com 

Orchestra Representative: Attends the booster meetings monthly and reports on all things orchestra.

Uniform Chair: This position fits all band, choir, and orchestra students in their concert uniforms (NOT MARCHING BAND UNIFORMS). You do not need to be able to sew. You can do this volunteer job and still have a daytime job. You are in charge of when fittings happen. If flexibility is what you need, this is the job for you!! You will fit them at the beginning of the school year, and you will help organize the return of the return of the uniforms at the end of the year. A few more details involved, but this is the basic overview. SO FUN WITH A FRIEND!!! Want more information? Contact Nicole German at nicolegerman422@gmail.com or Jody Klarich at  jodyk1814@gmail.com 

Food Rep Shadow for Fall of 2025: Feeding the band is one of the coolest jobs you can have. Teenagers love to eat and they love when you feed them! Please consider shadowing our food reps or you can ask them any questions by emailing Ruth Jeffries at thejeffries73@hotmail.com or Val DePotter at  vdepotter@att.net 

Pictured from left to right: Luke Henry, Alex Stetson, and Ella Goodley; our Drum Majors for the upcoming marching band season! All of them are excited to be leading the band alongside Mrs. H and we are excited to have them on the podium.

Drum Majors are chosen by Mrs. H in a multi-step audition process that includes a written essay, teaching students to march, and an interview. It is never an easy choice for Mrs. H because marching band students are incredible kids. Congratulations Luke, Alex and Ella! We are looking forward to your leadership this season.

Did you know that the Drum Majors are not just there to conduct the band? These students are literally Mrs. H's second in command. They are there to assist with whatever is needed to ensure the almost 200 band members are on task, looking sharp, feeling supported, and having fun. The easy part is the conducting, it's the stuff you don't see that is the magic. Interested in seeing the magic happen first hand? Fill out a criminal history form and volunteer! 

We were able to catch up with Ella before the end of the school year and this is what she had to say about her upcoming role, "I’ve looked up to or been part of the leadership for the past three years, so I’m so excited for the opportunity to be that for the freshman and underclassmen. I want to make marching band a place where they want to be and feel as welcomed and comfortable as I did." 

Group plastic gift card orders are made 1x per month.  If you are in need of cards but have not seen the next order date, check with Jen Bruss.  

Group card orders ship to a central location.  Please note that, especially during the summer months, you will likely need to pick them up from the Bruss house.

Not yet a Raise Right User? You can sign up for Raise Right at any time.  Earn funds for your student and our program via gift card purchases and/or online shopping.

Questions? Reach out to Jen Bruss at wlnmusicboostersscrip@gmail.com

Go to Kroger Community Rewards to register your Kroger Plus card and earn money for our music program, just by shopping for your groceries! The Music Boosters use the profits for whatever our incredible teachers need which directly benefits all of our students in band, choir and orchestra. Our Organization name is Walled Lake Northern Music Boosters and our organization number is PA319 for registration. Sign up today!

We are so excited to bring this show to Walled Lake as a district premiere, but also a Northern premiere as well.  Auditions for this show will happen November 3, and 5-7.

If you are not familiar with the show, there is a requirement for 2 dogs to be included in the cast.  One (the Bruiser role) is a chihuahua and the other (Rufus role) is an American bulldog.  We have an established connection with a renowned theatrical dog trainer.  However, we are looking to save some money on the housing for the 2 animals and 2 trainers while they are in town to work on our show.  Mrs. Ward is reaching out to see if anyone has suggestions/availability for:

-A home, cottage, apartment, AirBnB/Vrbo, or other dwelling near the Commerce Area.  Maybe an apartment above the garage, a sub-lease apartment in a home, or someone has parents/grandparents who go south for the winter and their house is available??

-Must have a kitchen

-Must have two bedrooms

-Must have separate/private entrance

If you have any ideas or solutions, please reach out by next Wednesday, June 11^th.  Thanks in advance for your support!

DID SOMEONE SAY ICE CREAM???

During one of the performances of the show, we invite American Sign Language Interpreters to perform alongside our students, and the National Honors Society each year supports the fundraising efforts needed to host the ASL actors. The question is, do you like ice cream? If the answer is yes, please head to Dairy Queen on Union Lake Road on Wednesday, June 11th from Noon to 4pm. 15% of the profits will be donated! Thank you Dairy Queen and thank you NHS for helping us meet our fundraising goal!

Our next Music Booster Meeting is August 27th at 7pm in the Choir Room. There is not July meeting. Enjoy your summer!