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Practice record
forms
Copy of score sheet for
etude assessments
All dates are tentative until cleared with administration.
Please double check all dates as the date draws near. I will do my best to
keep these as accurate as possible.
First Days..
First day with instruments will be Wednesday, September
3, 2008.
All students will need their book: Technic Today Book
2
- available at Port Huron Music Center, see links
Music we are working on:
Playing Tests -
Playing Tests will begin soon for this school year. I will still be after
school on Tuesdays and Thursdays if students would like individual help with
their music.
The first playing test will be Etude #1, followed by Etude #6,
and then Etude #16, then the
final one will be the scales.
There is a new protocol for playing tests this year. The
students will be encouraged to do their tests at home and bring in a video or
audio recording. The medium must be in a CD or DVD in any format that most
computers are capable of playing. Students that are able to accomplish this at
home are free to record as many times as they wish. If students make a mistake,
I encourage them to redo it as many times as they need to. I need a parent to
certify that the recording is the student that it states on the cover of the
recording and that the recording had NOT been edited each redo must be in its
entirety. The students will be required to bring in the parent certified
recording by a specific date (announced in class). Students without the ability
to record at home will record their performance in class on video tape as in the
past. Tuesday and Thursday after school recording in the band room are allowed
prior to the turn in date for students without the technical ability to record
at home. The advantage of coming after school is we can accommodate the
students to have more than one try at the performance test. This option is NOT
available after the announced date except as a makeup. For
example, if the turn in date for recordings is Monday, students cannot stay
after school on
Tuesday to record their performance CD or DVD;
they will be required to play for their grade in class on video tape Monday.
However, they are welcome to come after school on Tuesday for added instruction
or help and after their test is graded, they can come in any Tuesday or Thursday
to make up a playing test for a higher grade.
Scales, are the final playing test for the year, and
will be done at school in the video room, they will
determine final seats. Please remember students must also be able to write your
scales from memory.
Please see the calendar for playing test schedules. All 7th and 8th grade
students will be tested on their ability to perform the lessons we learn in
class. Students will be expected to perform on video tape. The video taped
assessments, I will evaluate after school and on weekends, scores will take 1-2
weeks for results to be posted.
I am also available after school to assist any student that feels they might
need extra help. The only restrictions on retakes; it must be made up before the
last week of the first nine week marking period.
The students must have an "average" test grade of at least 70% for the extra
credit to count. I am confident every member of our bands can perform at that
level with a minimum of effort.
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 out come 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 allows 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, incase of illness or tragic
family situations there will be no penalty, and extra credit will only be
required if time permits. Reward trips are a reward to compensate the
young musician for work well done. Absences at a performance may
jeopardize the status of a student's "member in good standing" that is required
for traveling with Fort Gratiot Bands. All decisions are final and up to the
discretion of the director of the band in question. Please give the director as
much advance notice in writing as possible, when unavoidable absences must take
place.
Christmas and Spring Concerts
Information sheet
chaperone info sheet
Generally, we perform at McMorran Auditorium. There will be rehearsals during
the morning 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.
Expectations and Opportunities
I will expect all students to come to class prepared. All
full band performances are mandatory. We typically perform 2 times during the
school year.
Performance opportunities not mandatory are:
Fun activities:
Grading
All students in band class are graded by their ability to come to
class prepared and pay attention, as well as their ability to perform on their
instrument the lesson assigned. I believe every child will learn at their own
pace, given the right instruction. Therefore, I will be available to help those
not performing at the expected rate, after school. Every child is expected to
practice 30 minutes daily, five days a week.
Golden Chair Award
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
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 four consecutive
weeks, they are invited to a 200-club party. These parties are held once a
month after school 4:00-5:00PM 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.
Practice record forms
Extra-credit
Extra-credit is available for students that forget their
materials, those with playing test scores over 70% but less than 90%, or anyone
that may have missed a performance or lost points.
 | Infractions for forgetting materials/talking.......-5 |
| Missing a mandatory concert........................-100 |
| Gum chewing/food or drink............................-20 |
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 cut off date for extra credit turn in.
| +20 points ......Any live musical performance (wedding, folk
festival, church - a special musical or the like not normal weekly church
service, or you could even attend an elementary school choir
performance) |
| +50 points.......Student performance on their school instrument for an
audience of 45 people or more. |
What Do I Need?
This will depend on the instrument your child will be playing. Each
instrument has it's 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- #3 Mitchell Laurie reeds
Saxes -four- #21/2 -3 Van Doran reeds
Oboe -two- Jones red M soft -Hard reed
Brass Players:
Valve oil and slide grease
Trombones- water bottle and slide cream
Mouth pieces:
Trumpets 7C; Baritone and Trombones 12C
Percussionists:
Mallets and 2B snare sticks
Optional:
- Metronome
- Chromatic tuner
- Begin to collect a music library of fun music as well as appropriate
solos
- Private lessons
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 have an open door policy. I love parents in the
classroom and you're welcome to see first hand how we do things. Hand written
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 or
carmstr835@comcast.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 their responsibility 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.
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