Sixth Grade Band

We are having a playing test today on #132 in the book.  We will finish this test on Monday, so if your child did not take his or her test today, they should be ready for it on Monday.  We are making excellent progress in the book and I am very pleased with how well our students are playing, especially our clarinets.  Please, if your child is a clarinet player, encourage them at home to work on the high notes we are learning in class.  This can be a very frustrating time for them, as playing high notes is VERY challenging.  Some students get to this point and just throw in the towel because of the frustration.  I have told them that it will get better with more and more practice.  Please encourage them and keep them working at home.  Also, our brass students are working on higher notes as well, and that can get extremely frustrating for them as well.  Again, listen to them, encourage them, and keep them focused on practicing at home.  They will get better, but the next few weeks are an uphill battle.  It is super important that they work through these challenges and keep trying.  I ALWAYS appreciate the effort more than talent, because talent is a lot of simple luck, effort and hard work always pay off in the end.

 

Band Pictures for the Yearbook

We are shooting for next Wednesday to do band group pictures for the yearbook, so students will need to wear polos to school that day.  They can wear jeans/tennis shoes with them, but they need to have on band polos/black polos/black shirt for the picture.  They can change afterward because the picture will be done during the first core.  If this changes again, I'll let you know.  Thanks for your patience!

Parents,

See below for specific updates

 

Jazz Band

I have received information about participating in the District Jazz Band MPA Festival.  This is the same type of Festival that the eighth grade and some of the seventh graders are participating in March, but this is specifically for Jazz Bands across the district.  This festival is on April 24.  I've spoken with the students in Jazz Ensemble about participating in this event, and they are very interested in going.  I told them I've never done this event before, and I was hesitant to go and risk not doing well because of my own inexperience with it, but they are still interested, so I am checking with administration to see if we can make it happen financially.  I will get back with you on this as soon as I know something.  This would only be for Jazz Ensemble, since this event is geared towards traditional Jazz Bands, and I don't think bringing the entire Jazz Band would be appropriate.  As far as rehearsals go, we are on regular rehearsal next week with Jazz Band on Wednesday morning (ensemble is not required to come) and Jazz Ensemble on Thursday.  If I hear that we can go to Jazz Band MPA, I'll have to add an extra rehearsal each week for Jazz Ensemble in order to make sure we are prepared.  This may also impact Jazz Band rehearsals, too.  Again,  I'll let you know when I have more details. 

 

Seventh grade

Seventh grade will be having their final playing test from book two on #137 next Tuesday and Wednesday.  We are working on this exercise in class and students should be prepared to play on Tuesday and Wednesday.  We have had several students in first seventh encore class show a severe decline in participation lately, ranging from not bringing instruments every day, not participating in class activities, even to refusing to play their playing test because they did not feel they were prepared.  I'm very concerned about these students and will be emailing parents individually today.  We had a long discussion yesterday about effort, and the fact that I realize the exercises can be really challenging for some of our brass students because the notes are getting higher.  But I reminded them that even if all the high notes don't come out, students can still demonstrate that they know fingerings, and rhythm, and the vast majority of the notes are notes that they can play.  Please listen to your child and make sure they are making the effort at home necessary to improve.  I don't expect anyone to sound like a professional musician by any means, but I do expect effort.  And most of the students can play most everything we are doing in class if they are putting forth the effort.  We will also begin in book three soon, so if you have not gotten your child's copy of Essential Technique for Band, please try to have it by the end of next week.  Finally, we will be having Theory Day next Friday and students will not be needing instruments in class that day.

 

Sixth grade

We are making great progress in the sixth-grade book.  The portion of the book we are in right now is mainly geared towards our clarinet players learning how to play high notes.  Our next playing test for sixth-grade will be on #132, but that won't be for a while.  Students can look ahead to that exercise if they wish in order to be prepared for it when we get there.  And sixth grade will also be having a Theory Day next Friday so students will not need their instruments that day, either.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns and have a great weekend!

Parents,

See below for specific updates

 

Jazz band

The Honor Roll assembly has been rescheduled for next Tuesday, so we will have rehearsal for full Jazz Band on Tuesday at 7:45 am before we set up for that performance. We also have the elementary school recruitment trip on Wednesday, and I will need students here again that day at 7:45 so we can do a run through and load the bus in time to leave.  Students should wear polos for those performances, but can change afterwards if they want. I'm attaching the itinerary for that day as well as the permission form that came home yesterday to this email.  We also will be walking over to Southwest Elementary next Friday to perform for them between 1:30 and 2:30.  We will wear polos for that performance as well.  There will be no jazz band on Thursday because of all the performances next week.

 

Festival students

Because Monday has now become a student day, we will have after school Festival rehearsal on Monday.  We had a great rehearsal yesterday, and I SOOOOO appreciate how promptly everyone was picked up and how many eighth graders we had present.  These rehearsals will be very helpful in our efforts for the district MPA (Music Performance Adjudication) festival in March.  I'm attaching the itinerary for that day to this email as well as the permission form that is coming home today.  Festival rehearsals will be each Monday and Thursday from now until March 23.  Recordings of the pieces are on my website, so students should be listening to them at home to help with their practice.

 

Seventh Grade

We will have a playing test on Monday and Tuesday on #128 from the book.  We've been working on this in class and students should do well as long as they are continuing to work at home on this exercise.  Students will also need their copy of book three, Essential Technique for Band, by February 24.  Here's a link to the clarinet book so you can see what the book looks like.  Please make sure to order the correct book for your child if they do not play clarinet.

 

 

Sixth Grade

We will be having a playing test on Monday and Tuesday on #106 from the book.  We have made great progress on this exercise this week and students should practice on it at home to make sure they're prepared for the test next week.  We will also have a notebook check on Tuesday, so please remind your child to have his or her notebook in class every day and to ask for any missing handouts if they do not have everything they need.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns and visit the website to keep up on things happening in band.

Parents,

I will be at the All-District Band clinic tomorrow with our students who made All-District Band, so I will  have a sub in class.  Please remind your children about the expectations for a sub when I am gone.  Also, because of that, students will not need instruments in class tomorrow. There were also SEVERAL students who did not turn in practice sheets this week.  The email to parents will be coming out later today, so, if you don't get one, that's a good thing.  Please help your child to get off to a good start this quarter by making sure to turn in their sheets each week. Also see below for specific updates.

 

Jazz Band

We will have Jazz Band on TUESDAY next week at 7:45 am for everyone.  They will be playing for the 8th Grade Honor Roll Assembly that morning and we need to do a run through and move equipment to the gym.  Students should wear polos to school but can bring something to change into if they don't want to wear it all day. After that, we will have Jazz Ensemble on Thursday morning at 7:45.

 

Festival students

Deposits for Carowinds are due by February 7 (next Friday.)  The deposit is $30, total cost is $80.  Permission forms will be coming home soon.  Rehearsals after school begin on February 13.  Students should be picked up each Monday and Thursday at 5 pm.  Any eighth grade students who can attend are strongly encouraged to do so, and I'm offering extra practice time to eighth graders as an incentive.

 

6th/7th Grade

We are continuing to work in our book and take notes for the notebook.  Students should have notebooks each day in class, and the first check for the quarter will be coming up soon.  Also, 6th and 7th grade will be having Theory Day next Friday, February 7.  They will not need instruments that day, but will need paper, pencil and notebooks.

 

Also, don't forget to check my website for the calendar, recordings of concert pieces, and other info as needed.  https://www.gcsnc.com/Page/30363

 

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

 

Thanks!