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Welcome to my Band Website!

Click on your school’s link at the lower left to see your performance calendar. Each school’s site will be updated often with pictures, recordings, and other fun items.
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The pages at the left include topics of interest to everyone.
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All band students are expected to play their instruments at home. Assignments/Recordings lists the music they should currently be practicing. Music for fun has additional music that can be printed and played.
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Enrolling in Middle School Band

I encourage all band students to enroll in band for the 2010-2011 school year. Middle school students enroll in 7 classes, four of which are core classes, the fifth is “extended core”, and other two are electives. Band is one of the elective courses.
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Being involved in a co-curricular activity such as band is a great way to make new friends in middle school, and auditions are not required for 6th or 7th grade band. Who’s in band? Football players, basketball players, cheerleaders, drill team members, drama students, honor roll students, choir members, WEB Leaders, and many more! There are lots of groups to join in middle school! Band is a great way to get involved!

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5th Grade Band

5th graders work out of the band book – Standard of Excellence by Bruce Pearson and Chuck Elledge. Woodwind students play flute and clarinet. Brass students play trumpet, trombone, baritone, tuba, and French horn. Percussion students play bells while everyone learns their first seven notes, then they add the snare drum. Occasionally a woodwind student starts on oboe.
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Most of the time students play along with the class and with the teacher. Playing with a piano or the book’s CD is useful as they build their technique.
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Fundamentals to be learned include:

* notereading – pitch

* notereading – rhythm

* posture

* hand position

* articulation for woodwind and brass / sticking for percussion

* breathing techniques for woodwind and brass
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The book has pass lines marked with a medal – one or two per page. 5th graders are to play these lines individually during class to demonstrate their mastery of the material.

A target goal for 5th graders in the book is to cover the first half – up to page 19 and pass line #84.

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6th Grade Band

6th grade band rehearses with a larger group, and starts to perform with students in their junior high attendance area. While 5th graders usually meet with their own class, 6th graders usually meet with all the classes in their grade level (up to a maximum of 25 students).
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Pass lines are assigned, and some of the most important lines in the back half of the book include: #87, #95, #100&101, and #103. The range of notes is increased, brass players study lip slurs, and percussionists study 16th notes.
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These new skills open up a larger selection of sheet music. 6th graders play mid-year and spring concerts as do 5th graders and they get additional performance opportunities:

* Old Settlers Parade – All-City 6th Grade Band

* 6th Grade Band Tour – perform as a junior high area band at their feeder elementaries

* Area Band Concert at the junior high, with the 7th graders

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