Brooks Bands Week of 9/12-9/16

Congratulations to all of our 8th graders that participated in the OPRF Marching Huskies 8th grade night. We had 21 8th graders participate and there was over 50 8th graders total from all three public feeder programs! We did face a little bit of rain but it didn't damped the spirits of the students who had a great time working and playing with the OPRF Marching Huskies!

CURRICULUM NIGHT: Thursday, Sep. 15th

Don't forget to come out and meet all of your students' teachers this Thursday evening. This event is for parents only.

HOMEWORK:

Practice Record Journals (Due every Monday)

Week 3 Due Monday, 9/12

6th Graders: 120+ minutes = A, 90-119 minutes = B, 60-89 minutes = C, 30-59 minutes = D, below 30 minutes = U.

7th/8th Graders: Regular practice requirements 150+ minutes = A

Students need to have the Practice Record (outside cover) Practice Journal and Weekly Assignments and Goals filled out for full credit. A parent signature on the outside cover and on the Weekly Assignments and Goals is required for credit.

Practice records that are not turned in on time do receive a 10 point penalty each day it is late and will not receive credit if it is not turned in within the week. Make sure that both the cover as well as the assignments and goals page are signed to receive credit.

Music Theory: (Wed.)

6th Graders: Alfred's Music Theory, Lessons 1-3

7th/8th Graders: Alfred's Music Theory, Lessons 39-40

All students need to have their required Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory Book in order to complete this assignment in class.

BAND HANDBOOKS:

All students have received the Band Handbook to help them and their families understand the grading policies, required supplies, concert dress requirements and responsibilities of the students, parents and their band director. There is also helpful information on practicing, music enrichment opportunities available and sample forms for students and parents to copy from if needed.

Students also received a band handbook contract/video usage agreement form that needs to be signed by both students and their family. Due to recent district policy, teachers must have written parental permission to show video/movie clips as part of their curriculum. If a student does not have written permission from a parent an alternative assignment must be given. Periodically we use video clips of music performances from both school and professional level musicians to use for critique and comparison of what we are doing with our band program. We also use video clips of music educational/history series such as Marsalis on Music, Ken Burns JAZZ and Blast to name a few. These clips are also supplemented with activity sheets to help student comprehension and retaining information.

This band handbook contract/video permission slip needs to be turned in by Tuesday, Sep. 13th.

JAZZ PROGRAM

Jazz Ensemble (7th/8th Graders): The jazz ensemble meets on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:00 - 8:50 a.m. Students are selected into this group by audition and audition material was available at the end of last school year and will be available for students to pick up this week if they need another copy. The instrumentation of the jazz ensemble is similar to a traditional big band (saxophones, trumpets, trombones, piano, guitar, bass, drum set, and we have added vibraphone which can be used in the traditional big band setting. Flute and clarinet players have been encouraged to pick up saxophone as a secondary instrument. They may however audition in jazz ensemble on their primary instrument but will be competing for a spot in the saxophone section.

Auditions and workshops for the jazz ensemble are the following:

Mon. 9/12: Saxophone, trombone, trumpet workshop, 8:00-8:50 a.m.

Rhythm Section workshop(piano, guitar, bass, drumset, vibes) 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Tues. 9/13: Rhythm Section workshop 8:00 - 8:50 a.m.

Saxophone, trombone, trumpet workshop, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Thurs. 9/15: Saxophone, trombone, trumpet auditions 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Students will

need to sign up for a specific audition time and have a signed permission slip.

Fri. 9/16: Rhythm section auditions 8:00 and if needed 3:30 p.m. Students will need to sign up

for a specific audition time and have a signed permission slip.

All students auditioning need to have a signed permission slip for the jazz program before auditioning. NO EXCEPTIONS. Audition results will be posted on Monday, Sep. 19th and the first rehearsal starts Tuesday, Sep. 20th.

Jazz Lab Band: Is primarily our 6th grade jazz band and is open to all band students. Students that play oboe and french horn are encouraged to join jazz lab band on another instrument (i.e. piano, bass, guitar, etc.) Since this is an introductory level jazz band, students do not audition in order to participate. The jazz lab band rehearses every Friday morning from 8:00 - 8:50 a.m. and will start on Sep. 23rd.

All students that want to participate will need to have a signed permission slip in order to participate.

All jazz students, 6th-8th grade, will need to have the Essential Elements for Jazz Ensemble book which will be used all three years of their jazz experience at brooks.

The jazz participation flyers are available for pick up in the band room (D110) and I will also email this form out to parents to download. Please contact Mr. Barnard at jbarnard@op97.org if you have any questions regarding the jazz program.

7th & 8th GRADE BAND SECTIONALS/SEATING PLACEMENTS

Band sectionals for all 7th/8th grade band students will start on Monday, Sep. 12th. Students will receive a copy of the sectional schedule for the 1st trimester this week. The sectionals are scheduled during 3rd, 4th and 8th periods and students will be scheduled by their instrument section (i.e. flutes, trumpets, percussion, etc.) Each group will be assigned a specific day each week and the schedule will rotate from these three class periods so students do not miss the same class period more than once a month. In the case of a four day week, sectionals maybe rescheduled in order to fit each group within the week. The goal to the rotating schedule is to avoid as little disruption to every student's schedule as possible.

Students will need to check in with their classroom teacher before coming down for band sectionals and they should have a copy of their sectional schedule with them as their pass to come down. Students are excused from a band sectional if they are taking a test, presenting a project, or have a guest speaker in their classroom or are absent from school that day. If time permits, they should come down for the remainder of the class period if they finish early with testing/quizzes, etc. To confirm an excused absence (other than absent from school) students will need to fill out an excused absence form and have it signed by their classroom teacher. This form should be turned in by the next school day.

It is crucial for students to participate in the sectional portion of the 7th/8th grade band curriculum since it provides an opportunity to give more individualized instruction, work on instrument specific skills and complete performance assessments that cannot be completed in a full band class environment.

The 7th/8th grade seating placement assessments will happen the week of Sep. 19th. This will allow students focusing on jazz ensemble auditions or other co-curricular ensemble auditions the week before as well as give us a chance to review the seating placement material together in each sectional.

If students or families have any questions or concerns please contact Mr. Barnard at jbarnard@op97.org.