Jazz Tour

We'll be leaving at 8:10 from school and going to all four elementaries.

Fred Assam:  9:15
Brandon Elementary: 10:30
Robert Bennis: 1:00
Valley Springs:  2:15
Return to MS at 3:00.

Remember to bring money for lunch ($7.00 plus tax).
Attire:  Black top (any kind without writing), jeans, and Santa hats.

6th Grade Winter Concert

Tuesday, December 20th - 7:00pm - BV PAC

Warm up at 6:15 in the HS Band Room

Dress Clothes
No Jeans or Shirts with writing
Ladies, shoulders must be covered and skirts/dresses must be an appropriate length.

Music for Jazz Band

Here you go, guys!  Enjoy your Thanksgiving breaks!  See you all Tuesday morning.

Click on the "Play" button in the audio bar on each page to hear the song you want.

http://jwpepper.com/10277448.item
http://jwpepper.com/2445658.item
http://jwpepper.com/2473682.item
http://jwpepper.com/2439123.item

Middle School All-State Band Information

We know you’ve been working very hard to prepare your All-State band material.  Can you believe that auditions are coming up in only a few weeks?  There are a few things you and your parents need to know as we close in on audition day.  Please read over all of this information carefully with your parents so you can be well prepared for your audition.

Extra Help

If you would like additional one-on-one help in preparing for your audition, please sign up for a time on the white board in the band office.  Mrs. Baker has times available every night after school.  You may sign up for up to two lessons per week, but please space them out so that you will have time to practice in between.  Also, please sign up for the earliest available time on the day you are planning to get help.  Mr. Miller has times available most days after school and many days before school.  Please contact him directly for available times.

 Auditions

Auditions will be recorded in the Middle School Band Room.  The two options for audition times are :

1.  During the school day the week before Thanksgiving break (November 21-23)

2.  After school the week after Thanksgiving break (November 28-December 1)

If you have a preference for which day you record, please let Mrs. Baker know as soon as possible.  If not, we will assign groups for each day.  The recordings take about 25 minutes for each person, so we will need quite a bit of time to get all students recorded. 

Auditions must be performed in the following order:  Scale sheet in the order written, starting with chromatic, 6/8 Etude, 4/4 Etude.  Percussionists must perform scale sheet in the order written, mallet etude, timpani etude, snare rudiments in the order written, snare etude.  Mallet etude and scales may be performed on marimba, xylophone, or bells. 

Fees

There is a $9.00 fee to audition for All-State band.  We will need to send in one check as a school, so please bring $9.00 in cash to Mrs. Baker or Mr. Miller.  We will combine all money into one check to send in to SDMEA. 

Lodging

We have received word that lodging in Pierre may be difficult to come by this year due to a number of events being held on the same weekend.  Please call to reserve your room now to ensure that you and your family have a place to stay should you be selected!  You can cancel later if you are not selected.  Room blocks have been reserved at several hotels.  See www.sdmea.net/ms-all-state-band.html and click on the 2012 Lodging Link for more information. 

All-State Weekend

All-State band will be held in Pierre on March 2nd and 3rd.  All rehearsals are held at T.F. Riggs High School in Pierre.  Since this is NOT an activity officially sponsored by the Middle School, each student will need to make their own travel plans with their families.  More information will be available as the date gets closer for those selected.

Once again, thank you for all of your hard work and dedication in preparing for this event!  We appreciate the time and work you have put in to make yourselves better players and are proud of your efforts and achievements.  Our entire band has benefited from your hard work and dedication.  Thank you!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Baker and Mr. Miller

Jazz Band!

Good news!  It's time for jazz band to start! :)

We will have our first rehearsal next WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2nd at 7:00am.  Please bring your instrument and come prepared to play!  Jazz 1 is for 8th grade students, and we're in need of trumpets, saxophones, trombones, piano, electric guitar, electric bass, and drum set players.

I would like everyone interested in jazz this year to please fill out the following informational form:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dGgySW1uRGlSU3ZpYzhRX1VwQ2JHTHc6MQ#gid=0

Our rehearsal schedule is as follows:
Full group rehearsals: November: 2, 4, 8, 10, 15, 18, 22, and 29.  December:  2, 6, 9, 13, and 14.
Please make plans to arrive early enough to get your instrument set up before rehearsal begins.  Also, plan on having a sectional with your instrument once every two weeks.  The sectional schedule will be set once jazz band has started.  The first sectional will be trumpets on November 3rd.

We have our first concert on December 15th, and we will be taking our tour around to the elementary schools in December as well.  Get excited!

8th Grade Fundraising Announcements

Hello band parents! We have started reading some concert band music for our December concerts! Jazz bands will be kicking off soon, too! Here are some important news items for you:

1. Frozen food pickup- Frozen food will be ready for pickup at 8:30am this Saturday, October 22^nd. The pickup will be at the Brandon Valley Transportation Center, 812 E. Redwood Blvd. Money from the sale is due to the band room on or before Wednesday, October 26^th. Please return the money for the total amount of your student’s sale in one check,payable to the Brandon Valley Band Parents.

2. Indoor Concert – The Marching Lynx Indoor concert will be held on Tuesday, November 1^st at 7:00pm. Please note the earlier start time this year. This is the only concert of the year in which admission is charged. Activity passes are accepted. Adults are $5 and students are $3. It is an exciting night of great music and fun!

3. Hegg Brothers Holiday Jam. As we told you earlier this fall, the Brandon Valley Band Parents are bringing the Hegg Brothers Holiday Jam to the Brandon Valley Performing Arts Center! Local musicians Jeremy and Jon Hegg and friends put on a spectacular holiday show, which in a short two years has become one of the hottest tickets in the region! We are anticipating a sellout! Our students will be selling tickets to this event starting next week. Here are some details:

A.  Initial offering of up to 4 tickets per student starts on 
October 26th and orders are due back by or before November 7. 

B.  A second offering of tickets, if tickets are still available, 
will start on November 9^th.  

C.  Be sure to fill out 1 order form for each purchaser, making sure 
to fill out COMPLETELY including band member name to get credit

D.  Payment MUST be included with each order or the order will NOT 
be processed. Orders should be returned to the band room in one envelope per student. The envelope should include the student’s name and grade. 

E.  Band members will receive credit toward the cost of next year’s trip for each 
ticket sold.

 

Please let Mr. Miller know if you have any questions.  Thank you!

7th Grade Auditions

Seventh Grade Chair Placement Auditions are coming up!

You should prepare the following exercises, PLUS be ready to play your B-flat, E-flat, and Chromatic scales.

A schedule will be posted next week.  This will be graded and entered into the first quarter grade.
Good luck to everyone!

From the Rubank Intermediate Method book:
Flute:  Page 10 #3
Clarinet:  Page 13 #4
Saxophone:  Page 7 #2

From the First Book of Practical Studies:
Trumpet:  #39
French horn:  #45
Trombones:  #25
Baritones (TC):  #39
Baritones (BC):  #25
Tubas:  #25
Percussion: SEE MR. MILLER

Pizza Party!

All 8th Graders are invited to attend a pizza party with the Marching Lynx.

Who:  8th Grade Band Members and Brandon Valley Marching Lynx
What:  Pizza Party!
Where:  High School Football Field
When:  Saturday, October 8 from 1:45 to 4:15 pm
Why?  To get to know the other members of your section, see how marching band rehearsal runs, and get a head start for next year!  Oh, and to eat lots of pizza! :)

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO RSVP:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dHdRTkFPNnpySjltS1V2VFBrMkdOQWc6MQ#gid=0

Big Sioux Review!

The Big Sioux Review, our home Marching Band competition, will be held this Saturday, September 24th!

The show starts at 6:30pm.  The Brandon Valley Marching Lynx will perform their 2011 field show "American Faces" at 10:00pm.  There will be 13 bands competing.

Middle School Band students get in FREE!  Check in at the front ticket gate.

Marching Performance

All middle school bands will have their first performance at the Varsity Football game on September 30! 

The game starts at 7:30, and the performance times will be as follows:

Seventh Grade: 6:55

Sixth Grade: 7:00

Eighth Grade 7:05

ALL GRADES:  Report to the High School at 6:20.

Uniforms:

Sixth Grade: BV Spirit Wear or Red/Black top, Blue jeans with no holes, and tennis shoes.

Seventh and Eighth Grade: BVMS Band Shirt, Blue Jeans with no holes, and tennis shoes.  Yes, your shirts will be tucked in. J

Students will be admitted to the football game for free after their performances.  We encourage them to stay and watch the Brandon Valley Marching Lynx performance at half time.  Please make arrangements to bring your instrument home after the game.

Eighth Grade Frozen Food

Reminders-

Your orders are due Monday, September 26th.

Delivery will be October 22nd.

All funds are due October 26th.

T-Shirts!

Each year, the seventh and eighth grade bands wear uniforms.  These uniforms are very simple, but help us look great as we march in the fall and again in the spring.  We also wear them for yearbook pictures and Turkey Supper.  The first time we use them will be for our marching concert on September 30th.

This year, the uniform will again consist of a long sleeved BVMS Band T-shirt and blue jeans.  The jeans must be full-length (no jean shorts or capris) and can not have holes.  We will order shirts the week after Labor Day.  Shirts were tried on during band on Friday, and an order will be ready to go soon.

The cost of the shirt is $15.  Please bring a check made out to BVMS to Mrs. Baker.  If you prefer to pay in cash, please be prepared with exact change.  This can be brought at any time, but must be turned in by September 28th.

There are a few scholarships available, so if this cost is prohibitive for your family, please let us know.  We want everyone to be able to participate!

Important Information for this school year

Hi parents! 
Thanks for taking time to check out our blog.  We will be posting all of our important information here, so please be sure to check back frequently.  We are very excited to have the opportunity to teach your children this year in band.  We had a great start in camp, and are ready to have a wonderful school year!

For this first post, we're trying a new experiment... bear with us!  In an effort to save on copy costs and keep a few more trees in the forest, we're not sending out the usual four-page welcome back letter.  Instead, please read through the information here and then follow the link at the bottom to electronically "sign" the agreement.

BVMS Band students will have five large group concerts this year along with middle school solo contest in the spring.  Our first performance opportunity is just around the corner; we will be playing at the football game on September 30!  The full schedule is included with this post, and we hope that by giving you these dates now you will be able to plan your schedule so that your child can attend all the required concerts.

In addition to band on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, your son or daughter will also have small group lessons once per week.  This schedule will be posted once school has begun.  These lessons are required, and are a great way for your student to improve musically, so please help your child remember to bring their instrument back and forth to school on the days that it is needed.  If a lesson is missed, our expectation is that it be made up within three school days.  Students are expected to practice at home.  Please encourage your child to play for you- it is always more fun and rewarding to play when you have an audience!  Practice records will come home weekly and will need to be signed and turned in at each lesson, so please help your son or daughter remember to complete these.  

           

Students will earn a grade in middle school band.  The school grading scale will be followed, and the student’s grade will be broken into four categories. 

1.  Lessons- 30%

Lessons are a vital part of the band curriculum.  Students work in small groups according to their instrument and individual ability level to gain new skills.  The lesson times are assigned by the teacher to coordinate with the student’s schedule.  The lesson grade will be determined by the teacher and will include both lesson attendance and preparedness for the lesson.  If a student must miss a lesson for any reason, it must be made up within three school days.  Students can sign up for make-up lessons in the band office. 

2.  Daily Participation- 30%

Participation points for group band rehearsals will be awarded in this category.  Points can be earned by coming to band on time with all materials and ready to learn.  Good rehearsal etiquette will ensure maximum points are earned.

3.  Practice Records- 10%

Because everyone progresses at a slightly different pace, at-home practice is a very important factor in musical success.  The practice requirement is meant to allow students to work on individual needs at their own pace.  Practice time should be substantial enough to accomplish specific goals while not being overwhelming.  It is best to break the practice requirement into 4 to 5 blocks of time throughout the week, rather than trying to complete it all in one sitting.  This year’s goal is 100 minutes per week.

4.  Concert Participation- 30%

We work very hard to put together outstanding performances for our friends, family, and community members, and students will be rewarded for those efforts as well!

We believe that these guidelines will help us to create a successful music learning environment while maintaining high standards of music performance at Brandon Valley.  If you have any questions regarding these policies, please feel free to contact us at any time.

As parents, you can help ensure your child’s success in band by making sure that they have all the required supplies.  Instruments should be in good working order and kept clean to maintain good tone and pitch.  Students should bring their music to each rehearsal, and should always have a pencil.  Woodwind instruments should have at least three good reeds with them at all times so that if one gets chipped they don’t have to miss out on any rehearsals or performances.  We suggest purchasing the small plastic reed guards along with your reeds for storage.  This will probably save you money in the long run as it will extend the life of your reeds!  Brass players should have valve or slide oil with them at all times to keep their instrument running smoothly.  Percussionists are expected to bring their own snare drum sticks to each rehearsal.  Required books will be discussed at students’ first lesson.

We are confident that we will have a great school year.  We will work hard, learn a lot, and have a ton of fun along the way.  We will keep our blog updated throughout the year with our schedule, what we’re working on, and other things you may find helpful.  If you have any questions for us during the school year, please feel free to contact us at school anytime.  Our email addresses are Laura.C.Baker@k12.sd.us or Jesse.Miller@k12.sd.us and the Middle School phone number is 582-3214.

Please electronically "sign" that you have read and understand these policies at the link below:
"https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dGYxOHVTN09fU0VpV2RseHgwalV6dHc6MQ"

Thanks, and enjoy the year!
Mr. Miller and Mrs. Baker

2011-2012 BVMS Band Calendar

Please put these dates on your calendar today to avoid conflicts!

Friday, September 30^th: Marching Performance at Football Game - 7:00pm
                               6^th, 7^th, and 8^th Grades
Thursday, December 15^th: 7^th and 8^th Grade Band Concert – 7:00pm
Tuesday, December 20^th:  6^th Grade Band and Chorus Concert – 7:00pm
Tuesday, March 6^th:  Augustana Jazz Festival – ALL DAY
                                Jazz Band Students Only
Saturday, April 14^th:  Annual Band Turkey Supper- 5:00-8:00pm
                               7^th, 8^th, and Jazz Bands Only
Tuesday-Friday, April 10-April 13:  Recital Week
                               6^th, 7^th, and 8^th Grades
Saturday, April 21^st: Middle School Solo Contest
                               6^th, 7^th, and 8^th Grades
Sunday, May 6^th:  Brandon Loyalty Day Parade- 2:00pm
                              7^th and 8^th Grades Only
Thursday, May 3^rd:  6^th Grade Band and Chorus Concert- 7:45pm
Friday, May 11^th:  7^th and 8^th Grade Bands Concert- 7:00pm

Let's Have a Great Year!

Welcome back to school!

Mr. Miller and I are very excited to welcome you back to school.  We have tons of exciting things in store, starting right away with our first marching performance at the home football game on September 30th!

Check in each week for news, events, and all kinds of other things you will need to know to help make this year as great as possible.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Baker