Dear Concert Band Parents and Students,
I am looking forward to another exciting and rewarding year with the Phoenixville Middle School Bands. Your child is involved in a fine music program, largely because of YOU supporting your children in the Arts! With the commitment and hard work of the director, the children's love, and your support—we cannot lose. This letter contains a schedule and other details that will answer many of your questions about the program.
Scheduling
When do I have band?
Just like elementary school, there are band practices and lessons. Instrumental lessons follow a rotating schedule. Each band student will have a group lesson that rotates one period later each week. Students will always have their lesson on the same day of the week, but the period that they have their lesson will rotate so that students will only miss the same class once a month. It is important to see students at their regularly scheduled lesson time. If students are not sure when their lesson is, they should check the lesson schedule posted in the band room. The schedule is also read each day on the morning announcements. In addition to lessons, we meet as a full band days Monday, Thursday, bi-weekly Wednesday, during period 8. A lesson schedule link may be found on the left side of this page.
On the first day of school the band will meet, but students do not need to start bringing their instruments until the third day of school. Parents should help check to see that students mark the days that they have lessons and band in the daily planner. Students must attend all lessons. If you miss your lesson because of a test, you should attend the make-up lesson on Friday of that week. You can read more about this on the lesson schedule at the end of the letter.
Supplies
What do I need to buy? Click on the links!
For now, keep your lesson book from last year--your were probablly playing Accent on Achievement Book 1, or Essential Elements Book 1.
Vic Firth 5A Wood Tip.
6th Grade I will see you for band on Wednesday but you do not need your instrument the first week.
7th and 8th grade bring your instrument on Tuesday, the second day of school.
All students play in a band last period during school, but please consider playing in Jazz Band Two! I would like you to try Jazz Band 2. The first practice is Monday Sept. 11! If you like playing your instrument, show up Monday, Sept.11!
Jazz Band two is a Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band for 6th grade students. We may rotate personnel and every student may not play every song, but you will be busy.
I will open door 24 at the band room near the auditorium entrance at 7:00. Practice will start at 7:05. This will start Monday, Sept 11.
All sixth grade will be assigned a smart music subscription for your instrument. We will also use your Accent on Achievement/Essential Elements Book 1.
In class we will be using Smart Music. I will share SmartMusic Links the second week of class. If Smart Music is new to you, you are in for a treat. It provides a much more engaging practice environment and offers immediate, accurate feedback—research shows that this feedback and intensely motivated parents are two of the most important factors in determining success at any skill.
Other Supplies All students should have the reeds and oils necessary for their instrument. One of the things parents can do to help their children is to make sure that instruments are in good playing condition. Even if the instruments are well-cared for by students, they need to be cleaned and serviced by a professional. If your clarinet or saxophone has not been to the shop since you bought it in fourth grade—it needs work. Brass instruments require less service than woodwind instruments. If the valves and slides on a trumpet work well, the instrument is probably fine.
Skip ahead to your instrument
Oboe reeds—Miller marketing is the best local source JORA and reed soaker swab
Flute swab and polishing cloth, pad cleaning paper
Clarinet swab, Mitchell Laurie reeds 2, --please do NOT buy the Rico reeds in the orange box, thumb cushion, pad cleaning paper
Saxophone Rico Royal reeds you may start the year with 2 — Yamaha 5C mouthpiece. If you do not have a cap on your mouthpiece, it will likely break if you drop it. If your student drops things, you might want to buy two. When you buy a mouthpiece it does not come with a ligature—the metal piece that holds the reed on the mouthpiece.
Look to move to a Meyer 5 mouthpiece if you will continue playing through middle school and you want to learn not to drop things—this one is more expensive, however it does include a ligature. Get a swab/shove it, pad cleaning paper
Trumpet valve oil, slide grease—make sure your tuning slide and third valve slide work, valves still sticking
Trombone slide oil Slide-O-Mix-Trombone-Lubrication-System- (this oil cream mix works well for students and it is much better than the beginner slide oil), tuning slide grease
French Horn and Tuba players same as trumpet above
Percussionists Vic Firth 5A Wood Tip.
Essential Elements 2000 book two, and smart music, and practice pad.
Still working on these Important Dates for Concert Band
Please be aware of these dates and mark them on your calendar. Please note dates, times, locations, and what students should wear. Performances are mandatory. Students will only be excused for illness or for a family emergency. In these cases, I need parents to send a note to me when their child returns to school. There are no second or third string players in the band—everyone is on the starting team. It is only fair to the other students if all of us make the commitment to be at every performance. We love to see parents, family, and friends at our concerts—come hear a great show and cheer us on.
Fri., Sept 29, Band Performance Marathon, during school
Tuesday., Oct. 17, 7:00 p.m. start, Fall Band Concert
Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band
Wednesday, Jan. 10 , 7:00, Winter Band Concert
March 7, 8, 9, Spring Spectacular
Thursday., May 9, 7:00, start Spring Band Concert, Thursday, All Bands
Instruments
Students should label their cases with their NAME and SCHOOL. Instrument serial numbers should be kept on file at home. When a student misplaces an instrument, it is much easier to find it when it is labeled. Students may keep their instruments in the band storage room during the day, but they should not be left there overnight. Students will only play their best if instruments are kept in good working condition. The best times to take care of routine maintenance are immediately after the December concert and at the end of the school year. If you are considering upgrading to a better quality instrument, feel free to contact me for information and ideas.
Practicing and Grading
Students earn their grades based on achievement. Grades are based on three categories
Class work 50%
Performance Assessments 40%
Band Homework 10%
Band homework is practice at home. Adjust your practicing so that it fits within district guidelines and your family schedule. For the first marking period, students will turn in the practice chart each week to the band room. If students are having difficulty performing at a proficient level, they will need to turn in practice charts for the rest of the year. Charts are due on lesson days. Every band member needs to renew his or her commitment to practice regularly. My goal is not for every student to be a virtuoso musician—some will be more interested than others. I want students to have a good experience in band. Parents have made a financial commitment to provide instruments and books. Students have invested time in reaching this intermediate level from those ear-screeching first bellows that erupted from their instruments when they started. Parents should not have to give daily reminders about practicing, but they need to help students establish a regular practice routine that will allow students to learn the discipline and dedication to succeed in school and in life.
Start with a guideline of 30 minutes a day of practice—four days a week. Adjust your practicing so that it fits within district guidelines and your family schedule.
I like to joke with students by telling them that if they plan to practice on all of the days that they eat--they will easily achieve this minimum standard. After family commitments and homework, students need to practice before TV, computer, telephone…. Let's not settle for less than our best! Adjust your practicing so that it fits within district guidelines and your family schedule.
Attending rehearsals is a vital part of creating a fantastic concert and an enjoyable musical experience. Since performing ensembles are graded classes, attendance is also important for grading purposes.
We are aware that 8th period is a popular time for teachers to ask students to come and make-up or finish tests and projects. The entire music department has worked together to come up with an attendance policy for recap that is uniform for all performing groups.
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After the 2 excused absences, students may be excused from 2 additional classes, with a pass, but you will be required to complete a makeup assignment. All makeup assignments will be due the next class day.
What to do if you have a pass out of class
A student who wishes to be excused from rehearsal must acquire a written pass from the teacher that would like to see them prior to the start of rehearsal. You must ask your teacher for the pass and let them know that you have class. You will report to class and after we have taken attendance and gone over announcements, we will sign any passes out of class.
Please make sure that you are on time to rehearsals. Please do not stop and visit another teacher or stay late in 7th period. We will be taking attendance immediately when rehearsal starts.
Please contact me with any questions or ideas. Some students are too intimidated by a new school to ask when they need help. Let's make sure they are on board from the start of school. The number in the band room is 484-927-5234. If I do not answer, please leave a message on my voice mail. My e-mail address is [email protected] Thank you for supporting the Phoenixville Music Program. I want to be available to talk with you about what your children can do to be successful.
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