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Beginning Band

Schedule 2011-12 School Year

Week of Sept 6 -Sept 9 — Discussions and information about the coming school year. We will decide the best instrument for each child during this week.  The decisions are made through trials, discussions, and physical attributes of each student, as well as desire.  The most important factor here is desire.  Decisions regarding instruments are final and must be approved by me before any changes are finalized after this date. Every student will have a confirmation paper sent home when this decision is finalized and will include all materials needed. No Instruments needed until Sept 19, 2011.

Sept - Fundraiser begins Wednesday Sept 7 and runs until Sept 30. The Delivery of products will be November 7.  Saturday September 10 is our Saw Mill City Social Activity. 12:00-4:00PM Cost $8.00 wrist band for unlimited go-cart rides, bumper boats, water balloon fights, and Putt Putt Golf

Week of Sept 12-16 — Continue to fit for instruments. Students learning music theory, in game form. — Students are learning ear training through musical games. 

Week of Sept 19-23---- All students required to have instruments and books. Students learning how to produce their first sounds, assemble the instrument, and proper hand placement.  Monday, all flutes need instruments. Tuesday all double reeds need instruments. Wednesday, all single reeds need instruments (saxes and clarinets). Thursday, all brass players need instruments( trumpets, French horn, baritones, trombone, and tuba). Friday all percussionists need their bell kits.

Week of Sept 26-30 — continuing with learning how to produce their first sounds, assembling the instrument, and proper hand placement.  

We are finding it difficult to complete our assembly with all the 6th grade trips and lack of class time as of late.  We will continue our assembly the next week as needed.

Week of Oct 4-Oct 8 — Students still learning how to produce their first sounds, assemble the instruments, and proper hand placement. Students should have received their note spellers and are expected to be working on them in class when other students are receiving their individual instructions.

October 3-7 — Students are learning to read music.  

Those students without a permission slip turned in by the deadline Oct 14, will NOT be allowed to ride the bus to our Engagement/Rehearsal.  Missing a rehearsal will result in missing the performance. You are however encouraged to acquire your own ride to the rehearsal and in such a case, will be permitted to perform with us. Attending the rehearsal is imperative to the performance.  

October 10-14— We are still working by instrument groups. Reinforcing good posture, hand positions and tone production. Still completing the note spellers.  Permission slips due for travel to Northern.

October 17-21—Students now ready to play as a band, band arrangements are introduced.

October 24 -28— Monday October 24th is the First Performance at PHN Auditorium. There will be an all afternoon rehearsal and evening performance (6:00PM). All permission slips are due the Friday a week before we travel. Our yearly permission slip is due at the end of the school day (2:05) on Friday October 14, 2011. This is the one and only permission slip and will serve the students for the entire year.

November —Lock-in Friday, November 4 we need parents to work 4 hour shifts throughout the night. Conferences are the 2^nd week of November. November 14, 2011 is the  fundraiser delivery date.

December — Christmas Concert at McMorran Auditorium December 13, 2011 @ 7:00PM -7:45 PM.   More info forth coming.  Parent chaperones are needed during the day and evening performance to supervise the students, to collect donations, as well as pass out programs.

Jan — Welcome back!

Feb — Students encouraged to come after school for individual help as needed on Mondays and Thursdays

March — Come and support the  8th grade band  Friday evening March 9 and Saturday March 10 @ District 16 MSBOA Festival.

April 3-7— Spring Break  Elementary school recruiting band application due Monday April 10, 2012

May —Recruiting band performances May 7; Full 6th grade band May 31, 2012 Spring Concert at McMorran 7:00 PM

June 13— Older students (7th and 8th grade only) Cedar Point , Ohio a day of fun  for members in good standing 6:00AM – 10:00PM

Beginning Band Grading

All beginning band students are graded by a daily participation grade. If they come to class prepared every day, and pay attention in class, they will receive an "A" each day. If they are forgetful, or don't listen in class, then that grade will fall for each infraction. I believe every child learns differently and at their own rate, however every child does learn if they are prepared and attentive. To grade a beginner on their progress would not be fair to those with no previous musical experience. Next year, the students are graded more by their ability to perform. All band students at Fort Gratiot are required to practice daily, at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.  

Beginning with the 2nd Marking period, each child is asked on Monday if they have completed the required practicing the prior week.   This is an honor system.  If a child is not improving, and they are practicing daily, it is time for some one on one after school on Mondays or Thursdays.  Please feel free to have your child stay for some added instruction.  The required practice is 30 minutes each day there is school.  This MUST be five different days, if there are 5 days of school. Increments of 10 minutes may count as a day, and then make up the rest of the required minutes on a different day.  If a child is home ill, they are excused from that day's practice. If there are only 2 days of school that week,  they are only required to practice 2 days.  I also know there are rare situations that interfere with daily home practice and for that reason, we have one week of forgiveness for every 3 weeks of completed practice. Learning to be a musician requires regular consistence practice at home. This is how students learn to develop their beautiful sound and to know they are playing it right.  In a classroom of 60+ students it is not possible for them to hear themselves.

Concert Performances

All performances are mandatory. Each is worth 100 points. Our band is a team and we need the full team to play. We rehearse together for balance and tonality and to achieve a solid polished performance. Every child is equally important and to miss the sounds of one or more, will hamper the final outcome of the performance for every child in the band.

Concerts are comparable to a final exam in an academic classroom. They learn the notes, fingerings, nuances, and phrases. They learn the melodic fragments and progressions.  They learn to balance the melodies with the harmonies.  The emotions and feelings the music is able to bring to our thoughts allow us to experience the music.  We use musical structure, style and even form to make sense of the musical ideas the composers were trying to help us to portray. They have learned and understand how to evoke an appropriate response in an audience through their, at times, minute and subtle articulations and/or dynamics, as well as phrasing. In short, they learn to make music.

Music is much more than just playing the notes and knowing their own parts. Every child is a star and every child is important!

Unavoidable absences do happen, and if there is prior knowledge, I do expect the students to make up the lost points. However, in case of illness or tragic family situations there will be no penalty, and extra credit will only be required if time and opportunity permits.  Any student that misses a mandatory concert, for a reason other than illness or tragedy, will NOT receive an “A” in band that marking period regardless of the extra credit opportunities. With extra credit, it may be possible to receive a grade of a “B”, but not an “A”.

I will expect all students to come to class prepared. All full band performances are mandatory. We typically perform 3 times during the school year.

Mandatory Concerts

Fun Activities:

Extra-credit:

Extra-credit is available for students that forget their materials or have missed a performance.

Extra credit points:  All concert attendance and performance dates must be during the same 9 week marking period that extra credit is expected.  Please send in a written note signed by a parent, stating the date and activity you attended or performed in. Write your name and class hour on the extra credit and place it in the extra credit box in the front of the band room before the end of the marking period.  I usually announce in class, the cutoff date for extra credit turn in.

Golden Chair Award-Beginning with the 2nd Marking Period (November 7)

This award is given to a student in each class, each week.  The student with the most minutes of practice, shown on a practice record, turned in on Monday, dated, and signed by a parent to verify those minutes, will be awarded our “Golden Chair Award.”  Records will be kept and a special recognition for these students will be made at the Spring Concert in May. 

The 200 Club-Beginning with the 2nd Marking Period (November 7)

This club is a very prestigious group of musicians. They are the most dedicated and the most accomplished musicians in the band.  When a student has turned in a practice record with 200 minutes each week, for 4 consecutive weeks, they are invited to a 200 club party.  These parties are held once a month after school 2:15-3:15PM in the Library. We watch a G rated video or play games, and have a snack such as cookies, pizza, or even make your own ice cream sundaes.

Social Activities

We work very hard in class, and I believe it is important for the students to interact and have fun, but not during class time. So I make sure we have plenty of opportunities to make friends, especially in the beginning of the school year. Saw Mill City and the Lock-In are the major activities that all the students are involved in. There are more opportunities for the older students such as Chicago and Cedar Point.

Saw Mill City

Scheduled for Friday the 9^th of September as we have in the past, we have set up a day for the students to enjoy Saw Mill City on Lapeer Rd next to the KOA Camp grounds.  In the past, we had unlimited access to the Go-Carts, Putt Putt Golf, Basket-Ball and other attractions from 4:00PM until 8:00PM.  The trip is open to parents as well as all band students. The cost will be  $8.00 per person to be paid at Saw Mill City. This is an excellent opportunity to meet your child’s new friends and their parents. Transportation will not be provided.

Band Lock-in

...is scheduled for Nov 4 this year, at Fort Gratiot. The students arrive at 8:00 pm and go home at 8:00 am. They play games, eat pizza, engage in planned and organized sports like activities all night long, or just sit and talk. The 8th grade does the planning and organizing. Parents are needed to work 4 hour shifts. It IS a lot of work, but when you see the enjoyment these kids get from this activity, it is all worth it. Cost is $6; includes all you can eat pizza.

Christmas and Spring Concerts

Generally, we perform McMorran Auditorium. This year is no different; the concert is at McMorran on the13th of December, 2011 at 7:00PM-7:45 PM. There will be rehearsals during the afternoon and the students will return that evening for their performance. Our concerts are approximately one hour long and the students are expected to stay for the duration. The spring concert is again at McMorran  Thursday, May 31, 2012 at 7:00PM.

Parent Volunteers:

We need you! Please think about helping and let us know when you can.

What Do I Need?

This will depend on the instrument your child will be playing. Each instrument has its own set of requirements. I encourage every child to have access to a music stand for home practice and following is a list of  required as well as optional, however very valuable materials.

Required:
Reed players:
Cork Grease, swabs, and a reed saver big enough for 4 reeds
Clarinets -four- #2 Mitchell  Laurie reeds until after Christmas, then 2 1/2  and then #3’s
Saxes -four- #21/2 -3 Van Doran reeds
Oboe  -two- Jones red Med soft -Med Hard reed (in the beginning it is a good idea to purchase the fiber cane reeds,  they last longer, but they sound pretty bad)
Brass Players:
Valve oil and slide grease
Trombones- water bottle and slide cream, not oil
Mouth pieces:
Trumpets 7C; Baritone and Trombones 12C; Tuba 24W
Percussionists:
Wooden Mallets and 2B snare sticks - (Please, Do NOT leave them in your case in the band room) and a home metronome

Optional:

1. 1. Metronome (not optional for percussionists)
2. 2. Chromatic tuner
3. 3. Begin to collect a music library of fun music as well as appropriate solos
4. 4. Private lessons

Private Lesson, for beginners, I ask that you wait until after Christmas to lessen the confusion with different styles of teaching.

Any Questions, Comments, or General Communication

I am always available after school for anything you might need. However, voice mail sometimes takes a backseat. I have almost 300 students this year and I do get overwhelmed at times with phone calls. Please, feel free to come in any time; I do have an open door policy. I love parents in the classroom and you're welcome to see firsthand how we do things. Handwritten notes are an effective way of communication; however the best way to contact me would be email.

carmstrong@port-huron.k12.mi.us  or  carmstr835@sbcglobal.net 

Band Music

1.       All music passed out in class is the responsibility of the student to keep their music in their music folder.

2.       All music must be kept in excellent condition; erasable pencil marks are appropriate and encouraged.

3.       If a student is absent, it is among their responsibilities to have another student in class collect their music. If a student is missing   music there is a charge of $1.00 per page and incase of a book, the replacement cost of the book (most books cost about $6.00, however most likely it is out of print and losing it is devastating to the program.)

4.       Lost music is located near the door in the cubbies; please check before you ask for a new copy.

It is a good idea to mark your music and your folder with your name  and do NOT leave it in your case or in the band room.