VIBES Ear Plugs have partnered with The Blue Devils, Santa Clara Vanguard, and many other drum corps and musical organizations.  We would like to do the same for our LVW families!  Read below for information provided to us by VIBES.  

Vibes Hi-Fidelity Earplugs (seen on TV's Shark Tank) are discreet, reusable earplugs designed for musicians - instead of blocking and muffling sound like traditional foam earplugs, Vibes reduce the volume of loud live music to a safer and more comfortable level that prevents permanent hearing damage, while still allowing you to hear yourself and the rest of the ensemble play clearly. 
Each pair of Vibes also includes:

• Three sizes of interchangeable eartips to ensure a proper fit for any sized ear
• Attachable cord that allow the earplugs to be hung around the neck and prevents them from getting lost
• Pocket-sized carrying case

Vibes are trusted by over 200 of the country's top high school and college band programs (including schools like U of Alabama, U of Texas, Indiana U, and UW-Eau Claire), professional orchestras, military bands, independent WGI ensembles, and DCI drum corps.

Lutheran Vanguard of Wisconsin members (and their families) and staff are eligible to purchase Vibes Hi-Fidelity Earplugs at the price of $17.00/pair, discounted from the standard price of $28.95/pair. All orders must be placed by end of day on Tuesday, April 15. Staff will distribute the earplugs to the those who place orders.

Click this link to learn more about Vibes Hi-Fidelity Earplugs and to place your order.

​

​We are looking for volunteers to help press the creases back into the LVW bibs.  This will be done on Sunday, March 30th, at the same time as the Rehearsal Camp at FVL (1:00 to 5:00pm).  Volunteers should come to the uniform room (across from the band room) or fine arts classroom (1029, the room with the mirrors) and look for Rachel McCabe.
 
We will have a couple irons and ironing boards available, but it would be helpful if a few volunteers brought an iron and/or board.  Distilled water and other supplies will be on hand.  Not everyone will be pressing bibs all the time; we also need volunteers to rehang the bibs that have been pressed.  Many hands will make light work.
 
So if you were wondering what you were going to do in the Appleton area while your son or daughter is rehearsing, or if you just want to meet other LVW parents and make new friends, consider helping make the band look sharp by volunteering for the pressing party.  If you have any questions, please contact Chuck Adrian ([email protected]).

​The March rehearsal camp will be held at FVL.   Rehearsal will begin at 1:00.  Please plan on arriving at least 15 to 20 minutes early. We will conclude all of our activities by 5:00 PM on Sunday afternoon. Please check with your school’s director/LVW coordinator for travel plans to and from the rehearsal.  

Information is posted on the homepage for the KML Bus.  Here is the same information:

Please RSVP for the rehearsal, even if you are unable to attend.  The RSVP form is found on the LVW website's homepage at www.lutheranvanguard.org. You can also click the Button below.

There will be no LVW meal provided at rehearsal, so you may want to pack a brown bag supper for the return trip home. Again, check with your school's transportation, as some groups may stop at a fast food restaurant after rehearsal.

Please wear comfortable shorts or sweats for rehearsal. A nice pair of tennis shoes is also a must.  You should also bring a water bottle or water jug.  If the weather cooperates, we may go outside for visual rehearsals!  Please dress appropriately for the weather.

OF SPECIAL NOTE - The FVL Student Council will be using the Commons for a pizza fundraising project that day.  They are making pizzas with Pizza Pros, which we all know as Mr. Adrian's company.  There is also Youth Softball practices scheduled for both the large and small gyms.  If the weather is nice, they MAY be outside.  So just in case, LVW has reserved the new Timothy Trout Sports Center for the day!  We will be able to use the Center for Color Guard rehearsal, as well as visual rehearsals, especially if the weather is not cooperating for outdoor rehearsal.  We will plan on the percussion section using the Band Room, and the winds using the Auditorium for music rehearsals.

If this is your first rehearsal for 2025, you will be given your music at rehearsal.  Wind players, please bring your own instrument.  Brass players, remember to bring your own mouthpiece if you are using an LVW brass instrument (Mellophone, Baritone, Tuba).

COLOR GUARD: if you still need Color Guard shoes and/or the LVW Practice Flag, please go to the LVW STORE page and click the appropriate Buttons to order what you need. If you are a returning member, please check to make sure your shoes still fit and are in good shape BEFORE you come to the June Camp! Those that have already purchased the LVW Practice Flag will be receiving them at the March rehearsal.  There is still time to purchase one if you have not done so yet.  Flags will not be handed out if they have not been paid for on the LVW Store. 

WINDS/PERCUSSION: if you need black marching shoes or the LVW uniform compression shirts, please go to the LVW STORE page and click the appropriate Buttons to order what you need. Shoes and compression shirts will be ordered shortly after the rehearsal, so PLEASE order them ASAP if you have not done so.  The shoes and compression shirts will be handed out during the June Camp.  If you are a returning member, please check to make sure your shoes still fit and are in good shape BEFORE you come to the June Camp!  Thank you for checking on those things ahead of time.

If you know of someone who may still want to join LVW for this season, please direct them to the website and the RSVP.  We may still be able to accept new members for the wind section, but time is quickly running out.  Our Color Guard and Percussion sections are not taking on new members   As this is the final rehearsal before the summer season begins, new members MUST attend this rehearsal, as we will not be accepting new members after the March camp.

Check back to this page occasionally. There may be more updates before the rehearsal.

​Hello LVW Friends and Family.  Please use this form to reserve your tickets in the LVW Block for the Cedarburg show, which will be held at Cedarburg HS on Wednesday, July 2.  LVW will be performing a concert standstill performance to open the show.  You can find more information for the show and who is performing at Rotary Music Festival.  It will be a great show, featuring six of last summer's top twelve corps at the World Championships!


The show is reserving 115 tickets for the LVW Members and Directors.  They will not need to order or reserve tickets.  This form is for reserving additional tickets for you, your family, relatives, or any other friends of LVW.  This show is very likely to sell out.  DCI will begin online ticket sales for all shows on Monday, February 10.  

You are not actually purchasing or paying for your ticket with this form.  It is simply a form so that I know how many tickets to purchase in the LVW Block.  We will be paying the Group Rate for our tickets.  That is typically a $5 savings per ticket from the full ticket price.  Since Drum Corps International has not posted their prices yet, you can expect to pay between $20 - $30 for each ticket.  The block will not be in the premium sections, but in the lower-price sections.  If you would like to purchase premium tickets on your own, please DO NOT use this form.  

Payment will be done through the LVW Store, which can be found on our website.  You will be notified when that becomes available.  For now, you are simply letting us know how many tickets you will purchase.

In order to make sure we have these tickets reserved, please fill out and submit this form by Friday, February 28.  After that I will purchase the group tickets through Drum Corps International.  After that purchase is made, I will not be able to get additional tickets in the LVW Block.  So please make sure you submit before February 28.

If you have questions, please contact James Neujahr at [email protected].

Thank you for your continued support, and get excited for LVW 2025!

Mrs. Hohenstein is coordinating the KML Bus for the January Camp.  She will be emailing all the WLA/KML/WLHS/PREP families with bus information and a reply form. Any other non-KML families or homeschool students who wish to ride the bus should email her directly if you plan to ride.  We don't want to miss anyone!  

Mrs. Hohenstein Email - [email protected]

Bus Schedule
Jan 4 - Load at KML Door 13, depart KML at 10:30am, arrive at Hickory Street Kwik Trip around 11:15am
Jan. 5 - pick up from FVL at 4:00pm, Drop off at Hickory Street if needed

Hello LVW Staff, Directors, Volunteers, and both past, present, and future LVW Parents and Students!  It is just a few short weeks until our first rehearsals at the January Camp - can you feel the excitement?

The 2025 season officially gets under way during the weekend of January 4-5. Rehearsal will begin at 1:00 PM on Saturday.  We will begin in the auditorium for the welcome from the staff, opening announcements, and an overview of the two-day camp. We will conclude all our activities by 4:00 PM on Sunday afternoon. Please check with your school’s director/LVW coordinator for travel plans to and from the camp.

Camp Location:
Fox Valley Lutheran HS
5300 N Meade Street
​Appleton, WI 54913

If you are sure you will be marching with LVW this summer, go ahead and REGISTER for the season (This is NOT the same as the RSVP - they are two different forms).  We have quite a few members already registered!  We want all members registered by February 1st, so this first weekend camp will serve as a great introduction to what LVW can be.  So if you’re not quite sure about an LVW commitment, come to the camp and experience the fellowship, friendship, and excitement of LVW!

IMPORTANT - Please RSVP for the camp, even if you are unable to attend January 4-5 but intend to participate in 2025.  A link to the RSVP is also located on the LVW homepage.

This RSVP form is intended for Returning LVW Members, Staff/Directors, New LVW Members, and Parent Volunteers.  We will need an accurate "head count" for things like meal planning, music, equipment, and so on.

Parents – if you would like to volunteer for the camp, we will have a Sign Up in a separate post on our website.  That sign up will be posted within the coming weeks.  We will have volunteer spots for kitchen help, overnight chaperons, uniform fitting/measuring, and possibly a few more tasks.

When you arrive at FVL
There will be signs and volunteers directing you where to take your overnight gear, suitcases, instruments, and so on.  There will be lots of activity at FVL that weekend and we want to make sure first where everything will go.  Students will be sleeping in music rooms and gyms.  It can get chilly at night at FVL, so please bring warm sleeping bags and/or blankets!

Meals
For Saturday supper, pack a BAG SUPPER.  Saturday evening snack, as well as Sunday breakfast and lunch will be provided by LVW.

Worship Service
We will be attending worship at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Appleton on Saturday evening. We will provide time to change into suitable clothes for this service.  The service begins at 5:30 PM.  It will be a communion service.

What to Bring
You will need to pack an overnight bag with a change of clothes, overnight gear (Sleeping bag/blanket/pillow/air mattress/etc.), personal items (towel, soap/shampoo, deodorant, etc). We will be sleeping overnight at FVL.

For marching rehearsals, you will need to have comfortable shorts or sweats. Please don’t wear “jeans” for marching/visual rehearsals. You will also need a pair of CLEAN tennis shoes for use on the gym floor.

Don’t forget your instrument! If you will be using an LVW instrument (mellophone, baritone, tuba), you will need to bring your own mouthpiece. Reed players, please make sure you have a few working reeds for the weekend.

You will be given your music and other LVW equipment on Saturday at the start of camp.

Check back to the LVW Website occasionally. There may be more updates before the Camp.

Please tell your friends about this post, especially if they may be new to LVW.  We want excellent attendance at this camp!

For Returning and New Members
There is preparatory work that you can do to ensure the 2025 season kicks off strong.  Please continue to ready your bodies by exercising, stretching, and finding ways to make your muscles stronger.  Even a 1 pound flute gets heavy after holding it up for several minutes (with excellent posture!) 

Practice your instrument.  Make sure your skills are at the top of their game because you will be challenged by our staff and our music as we push toward excellence.

Know someone who might be interested?  Invite them to join you, at least for this first camp.  After all, marching band is way better with a friend (not that you won't have 100 or more new friends from around the state within a few months...)

And remember the more important preparation we're all enjoying this season, the advent of the baby Jesus, God's gracious gift to us and the fulfillment of his ancient promises.  Say a prayer of thanks for the undeserved physical and spiritual blessings we receive every day, and ask God to help you find ways to use those blessings to his glory.  

The LVW Staff can't wait to see you in January!

Information for the 2025 LVW Season has been added to the JOIN page! You can also see the 2025 Recruitment Information on the 2025 Member Info Pack page.

We will be marching in many of the Wisconsin parades where we have gained quite a following!  Not just our own parents and friends of LVW want to see us, but communities and parade organizers are REQUESTING that we march in their parades!  We will be marching in more parades in Wisconsin this summer than we have for a few years, giving our families ample opportunities to enjoy our performances.  

The Online Registration will open on November 15.  Until then, read through the information, ask questions, share with your friends, and get excited for next season!

The first rehearsal camp is in TWO SHORT MONTHS!  Start recruiting new members, and get excited to LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE!

With the graduation of Silas Amundson, LVW will be filling a Drum Major position in 2025.  Dan Hoogervoorst is returning for his final year as Drum Major.  

The auditions will take place at KML on Saturday afternoon, December 14.  

A drum major is first and foremost a representative of the Lutheran Vanguard of Wisconsin and, more importantly, their Savior. They are the one “standing out front” as a model for fellow band members and for the community. Their role is to serve as an example of Christian leadership and service not only in rehearsals and performances but also in how they conduct themselves and interact with others when not “on duty.” 
Requirements

• Minimum of one year of experience with LVW
• Current band member at a WELS area Lutheran high school or member of a WELS congregation

Responsibilities

• Directing warmups at rehearsals and performances
• Conducting music during rehearsals as determined by the directors
• Assisting with and/or leading sectional rehearsals as needed
• Acting as a liaison between directors/staff and ensemble members
• Leading various activities as determined by staff
• Assisting with marching and drill as determined by the visuals instructor
• Promoting the health and growth of the group (physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional)
• Other duties as determined by staff

Expectations

• Attendance at all rehearsals and performances unless excused by the executive director
• Prompt arrival at rehearsals and performances (read: show up early)
• Have a working knowledge of warmup music and performance music for the season 
• Ability to march and demonstrate marching basics, mark off step size, and spacing for marching

Those desiring to hold this position will fill out the application form at the link below by November 16 and audition at the designated time. The audition will consist of conducting, giving voice commands, marching, and an interview with members of the staff. Materials will be shared with those interested in auditioning.

If you are interested in auditioning for the Drum Major position, please go to the Drum Major Audition Criteria page.  There you will see lots more information as to what the audition will consist of, and what you will need to prepare.

Need a great Christmas gift for that special someone? Need some cool LVW merch for your own collection? Today's your lucky day! The LVW Fall apparel and merch store is now open! Many of the more popular items from previous sales are back and there are lots of new items to choose from including some cool LVW Alumni items! The store will be open until midnight on November 3. Items are expected to ship the week of December 2. Also new for this sale - shipping directly to your home or anyone else's home! Perfect for sending out Christmas presents! People in the KML area will have the option to pick up locally instead of shipping if they would like.

If you have questions about the items or the sale in general, contact Master Printwear at 262-677-0450 or [email protected]. Happy shopping!