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

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.

If your student has their own personal device (such as a cell phone or tablet), we highly recommend they download the Tonal Energy app (TE Tuner) found at this link: https://www.tonalenergy.com/te-mobile.

This app costs between $4-5 and does not require a subscription or wi-fi (or network) to be used. This is the same app many musicians use since it works both as a tuner and a metronome, and is highly beneficial for all our students when they practice. Reach out to a director if you have any questions or if your student needs help getting it set up.

If they don't have their own personal device, there are free websites listed in the Band Schoology Group your student can access under "Free Online Practice Guides" that include metronomes and tuners.

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

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.

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.

We need your help in providing a suitable place for your student to practice 5 days a week for 25 minutes a day. This means a place with no distractions practicing with their home stand with a sturdy chair. The more supportive and encouraging you can be, the more they can achieve on their instrument!

All instruments go home everyday, and we have now checked out all of home instruments we have available. All students are welcome to practice before school starting at 7:30am when the Band Hall opens, and is also available after school for practicing until 5:00pm. Space is limited after school due to sectionals taking place until the end of October.

We encourage all intermediate and advanced students to participate in the TMEA All-Region Auditions in order to grow and improve their musical skills. However, for some students the music is too hard and despite working on it since August, the difficulty level is above and beyond their current reach. We as the directors we never want to set students up to have a negative experience in Band, especially with an audition or performance.

The week, we will be speaking with students privately one-on-one to let them know if they will NOT be attending All-Region Auditions on November 2 in College Station. After this week starting October 14, these students will be excused from after school sectionals for the rest of October. Only students participating in the auditions will be required to attend sectionals for this Fall semester. After School Sectionals will restart in January with a different schedule in preparation for UIL Concert & Sightreading Evaluation. Please message Mr. Pulley if you have any questions about this.

Congratulations to the following student for completing ALL of the Region Pass-Offs before the due date this Friday! This means they have memorized the required scales and learned the rhythm, notes & fingerings, and articulation/stickings for all of their etudes! They are well prepared for moving to the next level of refining, which includes tempo, phrasing, dynamics, and musicality.

Please join me congratulating the following student:

• Samuel S., alto saxophone - NEW

We encourage all intermediate and advanced students to participate in the TMEA All-Region Auditions in order to grow and improve their musical skills. However, for some students the music is too hard and despite working on it since August, the difficulty level is above and beyond their current reach. We as the directors we never want to set students up to have a negative experience in Band, especially with an audition or performance.

The week, we will be speaking with students privately one-on-one to let them know if they will NOT be attending All-Region Auditions on November 2 in College Station. After this week starting October 14, these students will be excused from after school sectionals for the rest of October. Only students participating in the auditions will be required to attend sectionals for this Fall semester. After School Sectionals will restart in January with a different schedule in preparation for UIL Concert & Sightreading Evaluation. Please message Mr. Pulley if you have any questions about this.

Students have received a pass-off sheet similar to the clarinet one shown. This will help students track their progress in preparing for the upcoming TMEA All-Region Auditions on Saturday, November 2 in College Station.

Pass-offs include scales and etudes and will guide students in their practicing. Students will also be graded with these pass-offs, which will allow them to take ownership and responsibility for their own progress.

Congratulations to the following students for completing ALL of the Region Pass-Offs before the due date this Friday! This means they have memorized the required scales and learned the rhythm, notes & fingerings, and articulation/stickings for all of their etudes! They are well prepared for moving to the next level of refining, which includes tempo, phrasing, dynamics, and musicality.

Please join me congratulating the following students:

1. Kaitlyn C., flute - NEW
2. Ally M., flute - NEW
3. Selah M., bassoon
4. Eli P., bassoon
5. Jacob W., bassoon - NEW
6. Sophia T., clarinet
7. Marley S., clarinet
8. AbbieClaire D., clarinet
9. Charles R., alto saxophone
10. Noah M., alto saxophone - NEW
11. Samuel S., alto saxophone - NEW from Symphonic Band
12. Phoenix M., tenor saxophone
13. Gia S., baritone saxophone
14. Dominic J., trumpet
15. Nico A., trumpet
16. Eve N., trumpet - NEW
17. Ethan V., trumpet - NEW
18. Ryan T., horn
19. Eli H., horn
20. Grant K., horn - NEW
21. Andy U., trombone - NEW
22. Tyler M., trombone - NEW
23. Carter S., trombone - NEW
24. Luke R., euphonium - NEW
25. Lani P., percussion
26. Charlotte B., percussion - NEW
27. Charlotte D., percussion - NEW

We need parent chaperones for this event on Wednesday, October 23. Please sign up on your CutTime MagicLink that includes large vehicles (SUV, van, or truck) to haul instruments and equipment, as well as chaperones to ride the bus and monitor students. We will feed you Lunch at Raising Cane's for FREE to show our appreciation for helping out! Read through the attachment below to see all the details:

Email: beltonmsband@gmail.com

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

Address: 1704 Sparta Road, Belton, TX, USA

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Facebook: facebook.com/beltonmsband

YouTube: youtube.com/beltonmsband

Instagram: instagram.com/beltonmsband