Musical Offerings in the Program of Studies

Last week, students attended grade level assemblies to discuss the scheduling process and course offerings for the 2015/2016 school year.  I wanted to take a moment to share some information about an exciting new course option for our students, Enriched Band.

Enriched Band is being offered as an option for students interested in pursuing additional music activities outside of the daily class time.  It will be offered as an option at all levels of band;  therefore, there will be Freshmen Concert Band, Enriched Freshmen Concert Band, Gold Concert Band, Enriched Gold Concert Band, Black Concert Band, Enriched Black Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Enriched Symphonic Band.  All students will perform an audition in the spring (as we have always done) and meet in the same way we have always rehearsed.

Students who opt to take the enriched version of their concert band assignment will be required to complete a worksheet each quarter documenting their plan for earning the enriched grades.   Students will have a "menu" of activities to choose from and various point values associated with those activities.  Students will be expected to complete their activities during the quarter, obtaining the necessary evidence to document completion (i.e. private lesson teacher's signature, programs from concert attendance, etc).  Materials will be submitted at the end of the quarter and students will receive a weighted grade for their work.

This is a great opportunity for students who are independent learners and are motivated to learn more about music.  When deciding whether or not Enriched Band is for you, please keep in mind that all activities will take place outside of the regular school day with limited direction by the band directors.  While students are encouraged to explore this option, the directors realize this is not for everyone. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact Mrs. Culver.

Have a great week! :-)

A Successful Saturday

Congratulations to all the members of the Freshmen Concert Band that participated in the Ohio Music Education Association Solo & Ensemble event this past Saturday.  I am excited to share with you that all the events the ninth graders participated in earned a superior rating, the highest achievement possible!  Our brass choir, woodwind choir, percussion ensemble and three soloists achieved this through hard work and a dedication to success.  I am very proud of the students and their accomplishments!

For those students who were not able to be with us on Saturday, a make-up assignment was distributed in class on Monday, 1/26/15.  (I have also posted the assignment at the top of this page.)  Students need to complete the assignment and return it to me no later than Friday, February 6 in order to earn credit.

For the next several weeks, the students and I will continue our preparations for our next concert on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.  I am excited to see how far we can go as we continue to pursue excellence!

Have a great week!

Solo & Ensemble Information

I have just uploaded the information for Solo & Ensemble Contest.  All performances are this Saturday, January 24, 2015 at Firestone High School.  I apologize for the delay in getting ths information out to you, as we were trying to accommodate swim meets and basketball games.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  We are looking forward to a very positive experience for all the students at this important event!

Happy December!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break surrounded by family and friends!  Now we are on the home stretch before our winter break.  Here are details for upcoming events in Freshmen Band!

1. Our concert is on Tuesday, December 9, 2014.  Students need to arrive no later than 5:45 p.m. to dress in their concert band uniform.  All students need to wear black shorts and a plain white t-shirt with no writing on it.  Gentlemen need to weak black socks and black shoes, ladies need to wear black flats.  We will be taking a formal picture of the band before our concert.
2. I have posted the exam schedule for the week of December 15 - 19.  Please take a look at it so you can make any necessary arrangements for this adjusted schedule.
3. Speaking of exams . . . . students will receive a study guide on Monday, December 8.  This document will outline the material to be covered on the exam as well as the format of the test.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Have a great day!

Flapjack Fundraiser!

The Instrumental Music Patrons are currently selling tickets to a fundraising event.  On Saturday, December 6, the boosters and band directors will host a pancake breakfast from 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. at the Applebees on Howe Avenue.  Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children 12 and under. 
All proceeds from this event will be used for maintenance and purchase of instruments, acquisition of new music, and ongoing support of instruction, benefiting all band students grades six through twelve.  Check out the Flapjack Fundraiser link at the top of the page.  

Perhaps the best part of all - the band directors from throughout the district will be serving the customers at this event.  Please plan to join us for this fun event!

This Week in Freshmen Band . . . . .

Things are off to a very positive start in Freshmen Band!  Here is what we will be working on this week.

Monday and Tuesday, students will combine with the Gold Concert Band students to create large woodwind and brass choirs.  (These rehearsals will take place during the 5A segment of band.)  These ensembles will not only perform on our holiday concert in December, but they will also participate in the Ohio Music Education Association Solo and Ensemble event in January.  Additionally, the Freshmen Band percussion ensemble will also be rehearsing on these days.

The students continue to work with Mrs. Culver to develop our selections in preparation for our holiday concert on Tuesday, December 9.  We will be focusing our efforts on learning individual parts successfully so we can accurately put them all together to produce an outstanding product.

Finally, all students were given a Freshmen Concert Band handbook on the first day of band.  The last page of the handbook is a page for students and guardians to sign and return.  If students have not done so yet, please take a moment to take care of this issue.  Additionally, students were asked to comment on this blog so I can be sure everyone can access it and the information contained here.  Let's see if we can have the entire ensemble tie u these loose ends by the end of the week.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

I am looking forward to a very productive week! :-)

Comment on That!

As our first assignment in Freshmen Band, students have been asked to comment on a post on the Freshmen Band blog.  I want to be sure all students have found there way here and can use this as a resource for finding up to date information for this ensemble.

Students, please comment on this post.  Simple type your complete first name and the first initial of your last name (ex. Jennifer C).

This assignment is to be completed by Friday, November 14, 2014.