Band Notes - Week of September 29 | Smore Newsletters for Education

Welcome!

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!

General Information for All

InstaRaise Fundraiser Recap

Thank you so much for you help and support with this year's fundraiser! We broke records and raised a total of $26,987 from 110 students. The average student raised almost $250 and we had almost 500 supporters that donated! We get to keep 80% of what each student raised, while 20% goes to InstaRaise for their portion.

Your student's band financial account has now been updated in CutTime. Simply login using your MagicLink and see your student's financial statement that has been applied as credit to their account. This helped a few students pay for instrument usage fees and other amounts due on their account. Any remaining credit will be applied later towards our Spring Trip for those students who are eligible. It will also go back directly to students for awards, social events, and contest medals and ribbons.

Please message Mr. Pulley on ParentSquare if you have any questions about your student's band financial statement, and thanks again for your help in making this our best fundraiser yet!

List of Band Events

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.

Parent Chaperone Sign-Up

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.

Check Out Our Socials!

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:

Teacher & Student Shared Responsibilities

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.

Band Calendar

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.

Beginner's Ensemble

Instruments Come Home Daily!

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:

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How to Practice & Weekly XP Chart.pdf

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Event Information

First Beginner Sit-In Concert

When?

Thursday, Oct 16, 2025, 06:30 PM

Where?

Belton Middle School, Sparta Road, Belton, TX, USA

location_on Open maps

Symphonic Band

Region Pass-Offs Information

Students received their Region Pass-Off sheets as they prepare and practice for the upcoming TMEA All-Region Auditions on Saturday, November 8 in College Station. This is our most individually-competitive event we do all year long so we expect students to work diligently in getting their music passed off on a consistent basis.

Each pass-off counts as a major grade and can be done a little at a time. Students may pass their music off with a director, lessons teacher, or (new this year) submit a video via Schoology to the assignment. Here is the list of pass-offs and their respective due dates with the goal of Correct Rhythm, Correct Notes/Fingerings, & Correct Articulation/Stickings:

Pass-Off 1 Due September 5: Winds - Memorized Concert Bb, Eb, & F Scales and Percussion - Mallet Etude m. 1-8
Pass-Off 2 Due September 12: Winds - Etude 1A (first half of Etude 1) and Percussion - Snare Etude m. 1-20
Pass-Off 3 Due September 19: Winds - Memorized Concert Ab & C Scales and Percussion - Timpani Etude m. 1-8
Pass-Off 4 Due September 26: Winds - Etude 2A (first half of Etude 2) and Percussion - Mallet Etude m. 9-14
Pass-Off 5 Due October 3: Winds - Memorized Chromatic Scale and Percussion - Snare Etude m. 21-35
Pass-Off 6 Due October 17: Winds - Etude 1B (second half of Etude 1) and Percussion - Timpani Etude m. 9-18
Pass-Off 7 Due October 24: Winds - Etude 2B (second half of Etude 2) and Percussion - Mallet Etude m. 15-20
Pass-Off 8 Due November 7: Percussion Only - Snare Etude m. 36-54

After School Sectionals

Sectionals will start on Monday, August 25 until Friday, November 7 one day after school per week from 4:00-5:00pm. All students in both Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble are required to attend one sectional per week from 4:00-5:00pm for a weekly grade.

Mondays

Flutes in Ensemble Room with Trahan

Tuesdays

Clarinets in Ensemble Room with Trahan
Tubas in Band Hall with Pulley

Wednesdays

All Saxophones in Ensemble Room with Trahan
Percussion in the Band Hall with Smith
Horns in the Orchestra Room with Pulley

Thursdays

Trumpets, Trombones, & Euphoniums in Band Hall with Pulley

Oboe, Bassoon, & Bass Clarinet: During regular class with a director - nothing after school required

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.

Wind Ensemble