Brooks Bands, Week of Nov. 14th-18th

BRAVO 2012 St. Louis Tour (7th/8th Grade Bands, Choirs, Orchestra)

The BRAVO Staff officially announces the 2012 7th/8th Gr. Music Tour to St. Louis, MO, May 18th-20th, 2012. The tour will consist of performing at the Music in the Parks Music Festival in St. Louis, a visit to the St. Louis Gateway Arch and Museum, a visit to the St. Louis City Museum and Six Flags-St. Louis Amusement Park. There is a link on this blog that will take you to the informational packet for families that has all our current information available. Please read through this informational packet with your child so that they understand the eligibility requirements and expectations for participating on the tour.

There will be a brief informational meeting on Monday, Nov. 28th at 7:00 p.m. in the GBMS Auditorium. We encourage all students and families interested in participating to attend. The BRAVO staff will review the trip itinerary as well as cover student eligibility requirements, grade and behavior expectations, chaperones, medical & emergency forms and documentation, payment schedule and fundraising opportunities for students. Also linked is important information from the Oak Park River Forest Township Youth Services. If students qualify, the OPRF Township may be able to provide some financial support for this tour. Families need to fill out the "Income Verification Form" and will need to be able to provide proof of income in order to qualify for financial assistance. All applicants must apply through BRAVO, who is the supporting agency through this assistance. NO APPLICATION SHOULD BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE OPRF TOWNSHIP. Funds may be limited so please submit paperwork no later than Thursday, Dec. 1st.

Families can go ahead and sign the "Letter of Intent" found on the last page of the informational packet along with a check for $100 made out to BRAVO. This will be the deposit needed to secure your child's spot on the tour. The "Letter of Intent" and $100 deposit is due no later than Thursday, Dec. 1st. Families will be able to make payments with credit/debit card through the D97 revtrak online payment store (to be set up very soon). A link will be provided on the BRAVO website as well as your music director's webpage/blog. If anyone has any questions or concerns please contact your child's music director or the BRAVO office.

We look forward to another great tour for our band, choir and orchestra students.

Jazz Ensemble Performance @ Fitzgerald's Nightclub, Sunday, Nov. 20th

PLEASE NOTICE PERFORMANCE TIME CHANGE!!!!

Our students and families do not want to miss this event! Our very own jazz ensemble will be performing along with the Percy Julian Jazz Ensemble and the Pete Ellman Big Band at the historic Fitzgerald's Nightclub, 6615 Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn. It all starts at 6:00 p.m. with our two middle school jazz ensembles followed by a special performance of the Pete Ellman Big Band, one of Chicago's newest and most sought after professional big bands.

Cover for this event is $10 adults and $8 students accompanied with an adult and a portion of the profits will go back the the Brooks and Julian jazz programs. Please invite family, neighbors and friends to attend.

All jazz ensemble students will need to meet at 5:15 p.m.

MUSIC & ARTS INSTRUMENT STEP UP NIGHT (CANCELLED)

This event for Wednesday, Nov. 16th has been postponed due to a scheduling conflict with Music & Arts Center. We are working on rescheduling this event with Music & Arts and will have this event in the spring if we cannot reschedule within the next couple of weeks.

Other Upcoming Events:

Monday, Nov. 28th: St. Louis Trip Informational Meeting, 7 p.m., GBMS Auditorium For participating 7th/8th grade band, choir, orchestra students and their families

St. Louis Tour NONREFUNDABLE deposit and Letter of Intent due on Thursday, Dec. 1st.

Tuesday, Dec. 13th: BRAVO Annual Holiday Concert, 7 p.m., GBMS Auditorium

Jazz Lab Band, Jazz Ensemble and select small ensembles from Wind Ensemble will be

performing.

*Saturday, Feb. 25th: BRAVO Annual Pasta Night and Music Showcase, 4-9 p.m., GBMS Auditorium and Commons (specific performance times TBA). Cadet &

Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble and select small ensembles

from Wind Ensemble. (Jazz Lab Band may perform as well, confirmation to come!)

*This event is the required performance event for 2nd trimester for all academic bands. Please contact Mr. Barnard in writing (email preferred) no later than two weeks before this event if there is an important family conflict.

HOMEWORK:

1st. Trimester Outside Concert Summaries Due no later TUESDAY Nov. 15th

Students in any academic music elective are required to attend one live performance of a music, dance or theatrical event each trimester and fill out the Concert Observation Form based on what they saw at the event. A copy of the program or ticket stub from the event will need to be attached and the form requires a parent signature for credit.

Students can attend any event that is school related or out in the community (i.e. OPRF Concerts, community concerts and recitals, events in downtown Chicago such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Broadway in Chicago productions, etc.). Copies of this form can be downloaded from the link provided in the upper right hand corner of the band blog.

Concert Summaries are 5% of the total band grade so please do not forget to accomplish this assignment.

Practice Record Journals

Week 12 Due Monday, 11/14

All students, 6th-8th grade are now aiming for 150 minutes a week for an A on the practice record.

Students need to have the Practice Record (outside cover) Practice Journal and Weekly Assignments and Goals filled out for full credit. Parents need to sign two signatures, one on the outside cover and one in 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: Wednesday
6th Graders: Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory, Lessons 10-11 (time signatures)
7th/8th Graders: Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory, Lessons 43-44 (3/8 & 6/8 time signatures in slow & fast time)

This assignment should be completed in class if students use their time wisely.

Student Performance Assessments

We will be wrapping up performance assessments this week, 6th graders in class, 7th/8th graders during sectionals as we wrap up the trimester on Friday. Any 7th/8th grader that misses their scheduled sectional needs to come in at lunch to complete their performance assessments before the end of this week. If a student know ahead of time they will miss their sectional, they need to be proactive and take care of this assessment this week.

The performance assessments will be used to determine new seating for the 7th/8th grade bands for our next concert cycle of music (PASTA NIGHT).

STUDENT DATA FORMS/HANDBOOK CONTRACT & VIDEO PERMISSION SLIPS:

Thank you to all the students that have already turned in their Student Data sheets and Handbook Contract/Video Permission slips. Please check powerschool to see if you do have these forms marked as turned in. You should see a green check mark which will indicate that Mr. Barnard has received it and is on file.

Both forms are very important in order to have the most up to date information on contact information, instrument information and parental permission to use educational video clips as part of the band curriculum, per D97's video usage policy made last school year.

If you need a copy of any of these forms please contact Mr. Barnard for a new form.

JAZZ PROGRAM

Order forms for the "Brooks Jazz T-Shirts" have gone out. All students in the jazz program will wear these t-shirts for jazz performances throughout the school year.

Jazz Ensemble (7th/8th Graders):

Tuesday 8:00 a.m. rehearsal

Thursday 8:00 a.m. rehearsal

Jazz Lab Band:

Friday: 8:00 a.m. rehearsal

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.

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