Band Notes - Week of February 23

General information that applies to all students and parents can be found towards the top of every newsletter, while information specific to your child's ensemble can be found in that particular section by scrolling all the way down.

Feel free to contact a director if you have any questions and our contact information is at the bottom of this newsletter. Thanks for reading!

Please click here to see all of the Band Events for this new school year in order to plan your family's activities. Remember, performances are a required part of our curriculum, so please contact a director ASAP for any conflicts.

Click on this link to sign up to become a district volunteer and complete the background check. Even if you have done this before, this process must be repeated every school year: Parent Chaperone Sign-Up. Please sign up for volunteer opportunities on your CutTime MagicLink.

We want to interact with you on social media, so be sure to Like, Follow, and Subscribe on all of the following platforms you use:

• YouTube Channel
• Parent Square Group
• Facebook Page
• Instagram Account
• Band Website
• Google Photos Album
• SoundCloud Channel
• Smore Newsletters

In the Belton MS Band, we form a partnership between teacher and student where both share responsibility in their musical development. Our team of teachers include middle school directors, private lesson instructors, high school directors, and even hired clinicians, masterclass teachers, and adjudicators. We also strive to communicate and produce strong partnerships with parents since their support is vital in their student's growth.

To that end, we as the teaching team provide Introduction, Comprehension, and Demonstration to students for their instruction. However, each student has a responsibility as well to facilitate Repetition in the form of practicing daily for at least 25 minutes, 5 days per week.

This means that instruments go home everyday to practice the concepts, patterns, and music that we go over daily in class. This leads to student Mastery of their music and ultimately of their instrument. Students have homework everyday in Band as they practice their instrument in preparation for performances and to continue their musical growth. Reach out to a director if you would like more information on how to better help and support the musical growth of your student.

Students should take their instruments home daily and we expect them to practice 5 days a week for at least 25 minutes. Students may also practice before school in the Band Hall starting at 7:30am every school day.

Parents, we implore you to help set up a consistent practice routine at home for your student. Students will not improve their musical skills on their instrument without practice outside of regular class time. The directors, we will teach your student what and how to practice, but we need your help in establishing when and how much they practice. The more they practice, the better they will get faster. Please review the How To Practice and Weekly XP Chart attachment below:

Click here to see the Calendar page of our website to find all of the current events, including special rehearsals, contests, and performances for the whole school year. We provide this so you can plan your family's activities. Remember, performances are a required part of our curriculum, so please contact a director ASAP for any conflicts. Be sure to view the List of Band Events that can be found clicking on the link.

On Saturday, Beginners participated in the annual Beginner Solo Contest, which was judged by four professional music educators. Students have been diligently preparing for this contest for the past few months, and a total of 80 solos were performed by first-year musicians. Notably, 56 of our students received First Division Superior ratings, accounting for 70% of the total! Additionally, 22 students achieved Second Division Excellent ratings, while 12 Outstanding Performers were recognized by the adjudicators as the top performers of the day.

Please send a heartfelt congratulations to these exceptional musicians who were named Outstanding Performer:

1. Lilly Besst, oboe
2. Aneliese Bowen, clarinet
3. Ethan Hovland, clarinet
4. Lala Manzey, clarinet
5. Micah Franklin, trumpet
6. Theo Wooley, trombone
7. Grayson Burkett, euphonium
8. David Heaton, tuba
9. Izzie Baldridge, mallet percussion
10. Micah Stewart, mallet percussion
11. Zoey Copeland, snare drum
12. Wyleia Kamprath, snare drum

Sectionals will occur until Thursday, March 5 one day after school per week from 4:00-5:00pm. All students in Symphonic Band are required to attend their sectional once per week for a weekly grade in preparation for our UIL Concert & Sightreading Evaluation in early March. Students should be picked up in the parent drop-off loop by the Cafeteria by 5pm.

Mondays

• Percussion in Band Hall with Smith

Tuesdays

• Brass (trumpets, horns, trombones, euphoniums, & tubas) in Ensemble Room with Trahan

Wednesdays

• None

Thursdays

• Woodwinds (flutes, clarinets & bass clarinet, & all saxophones) in Ensemble Room with Trahan

Students are expected to "Be Punctual" and arrive seated with all materials and ready to rehearse at 4pm sharp or their grade will be affected. Students 1-5 minutes late will have their sectional grade reduced to an 85. Students who are late 5-15 minutes will have their grade reduced to a 70. Students arriving more than 15 minutes late will receive a 50.

Sectionals will occur until Thursday, March 5 one day after school per week from 4:00-5:00pm. All students in Wind Ensemble are required to attend their sectional once per week for a weekly grade in preparation for our UIL Concert & Sightreading Evaluation in early March. Students should be picked up in the parent drop-off loop by the Cafeteria by 5pm.

Mondays

• Percussion in Band Hall with Smith
• Woodwinds (flutes, bassoon, clarinets & bass clarinet, & all saxophones) in Ensemble Room with Pulley

Tuesdays

• Brass (trumpets, horns, trombones, euphoniums, & tubas) in Band Hall with Pulley

Wednesdays

• None

Thursdays

• None

Students are expected to "Be Punctual" and arrive seated with all materials and ready to rehearse at 4pm sharp or their grade will be affected. Students 1-5 minutes late will have their sectional grade reduced to an 85. Students who are late 5-15 minutes will have their grade reduced to a 70. Students arriving more than 15 minutes late will receive a 50.

For those who earned a spot in the All-Region Jazz Band:

1. Monday: Board Recognition at Pittenger Fine Arts Center (400 North Wall Street) from 5:45-7:00pm - wear your jazz band uniform
2. Saturday: Clinic & Concert at Temple High School (415 North 31st Street in Temple) from 8:15am-7:30pm (see details in itinerary below)

Email: beltonmsband@gmail.com

Website: beltonmsband.org
Call/Text: 254-262-3050

Address: 1704 Sparta Road, Belton, TX, USA

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