Belton MS Band - Week of August 29

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 towards the bottom.

After you've read through everything, feel free to contact a director if you have any questions.

This date is the deadline for many things that are due, which includes the following:

• Uniform Shirt Order - Click on the link to order a shirt for your student (if you haven't already), and one for you as well! We encourage all our parent chaperones to wear these when they are helping at our events. Put the word "Parent" next to the name so we know it's not for the student.
• Parent Chaperone Sign-Up - Make sure to sign up to become a chaperone at BOTH the link and the district volunteer background check. Instructions for this process can be found here.
• Payments for shirts, auto decals, and instrument usage fees are also due by September 15, either by cash or check made out to BMS with a valid phone number. You can also pay for them online, at this link: tinyurl.com/beltonmsbandstore

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. Be sure to Subscribe to our calendar using the instructions provided on the website.

Alternatively, you may prefer the List of Band Events format that can be found clicking on the link.

This past week, we took our first quiz over the parts of their instrument and overall did very well! You can see their grade in Schoology or Skyward, or ask your student to see their graded quiz on paper this week.

This week, we will create flashcards and study the first 6 spaces of the notes on our staff and students must pass them off in 8 seconds or less. We will do the same for the first 6 lines and pass them all this week.

After everyone has finished passing off all of their flashcards, we will begin instruction on mini-instruments, which is the part of the instrument that creates the sound (headjoint for flutes, reed crowing for double reeds, mouthpiece & barrel for clarinets, mouthpiece & neck for saxophones, mouthpieces for all brass, and strokes with practice pads for percussion.

Parents: Please help your student memorize the "Staff Chant", which we will use all throughout this school year. Listen and learn from the recording here!

The Band Hall will be open before school starting at 7:30am until after school at 5:00pm. Students may come to the Band Hall to practice on their Warm-Ups, Region Scales, and Region Etudes.

Students in Symphonic Band are required to attend one sectional per week from 4:00-5:00pm for a weekly minor grade. 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. These grades replace the Practice Records used in previous years.

Here is the Sectional Schedule in effect for August 29 to October 28:

• Mondays: Bassoons (Ensemble Room with Trahan) AND Trombones & Euphoniums (Band Hall with Pulley)
• Tuesdays: Saxophones (Ensemble Room with Trahan) AND Trumpets (Band Hall with Pulley)
• Wednesdays: Clarinets (Ensemble Room with Trahan), Tubas (Cafeteria with Pulley), AND Percussion (Band Hall with Smith)
• Thursdays: Flutes (Ensemble Room with Trahan) AND Horns (Band Hall with Pulley)
• Oboe: During rehearsal once a week with Pulley

All of these dates have been updated on our Google Calendar: http://tinyurl.com/beltonmsbandcalendar

Congratulations to the following students were named Librarians in Symphonic Band:

• High Woodwinds (flutes, oboes, & clarinets): TJ Henderson
• Low Woodwinds (bassoons & saxophones): Lizzie Stewart
• High Brass (trumpets & horns): Layla Morton
• Low Brass (trombones, euphoniums, & tubas): Teagan Pierce
• Percussion (mallets & drums): Peytyn Sanderford

Congratulations to the following named Loading Crew members from Symphonic Band:

• TJ Henderson
• Bailee Heltness
• Teagan Pierce
• Cooper McDonald
• Peytyn Sanderford

The Band Hall will be open before school starting at 7:30am until after school at 5:00pm. Students may come directly to the Band Hall when the doors open to practice on their Warm-Ups, Region Scales, and Region Etudes.

Students in Wind Ensemble are required to attend one sectional per week from 4:00-5:00pm for a weekly minor grade. 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. These grades replace the Practice Records used in previous years.

Here is the Sectional Schedule in effect for August 29 to October 28:

• Mondays: Bassoons (Ensemble Room with Trahan) AND Trombones & Euphoniums (Band Hall with Pulley)
• Tuesdays: Saxophones (Ensemble Room with Trahan) AND Trumpets (Band Hall with Pulley)
• Wednesdays: Clarinets (Ensemble Room with Trahan), Tubas (Cafeteria with Pulley), AND Percussion (Band Hall with Smith)
• Thursdays: Flutes (Ensemble Room with Trahan) AND Horns (Band Hall with Pulley)
• Oboe & Bass Clarinets: During rehearsal once a week with Trahan

All of these dates have been updated on our Google Calendar: http://tinyurl.com/beltonmsbandcalendar

Wind Ensemble held their first Playing Assignment last Friday during class, and unfortunately, many of our students did not meet their full potential. We require mastery-level achievement on these assignments, and expect that any student who made a grade below 100 with be retaking this assignment this week before school or after school outside of sectional time. Grades are available in Schoology and Skyward, and ask your student how they did on their playing assignment.

Students were to play either concert Bb, Eb, or F scale memorized at 66 bpm as notated on their Region Scales Sheet. Each instrument section was assigned one scale to be played. Please encourage your student to pass off their scale for a 100 this week if they have not done so already. We appreciate your help and support!

Congratulations to the following students were named Librarians in Wind Ensemble:

• High Woodwinds (flutes, oboes, & clarinets): Maddie Thornal
• Low Woodwinds (bassoons & saxophones): Kenna Cushman
• High Brass (trumpets & horns): Jesus Espinosa
• Low Brass (trombones, euphoniums, & tubas): Aubrey Edwards
• Percussion (mallets & drums): Anthony Anderson

Congratulations to the following named Loading Crew members from Wind Ensemble:

• Shyam Ramani
• Coco Byrkit
• Reed Vance
• Jaden Albalat
• Jesus Espinosa
• Claire Brown
• Alayna Sevey
• Logan Bausch
• Graham Chambley
• Tyler Eschete

The students already know how to play regular 8th notes as played in a concert band, also call "straight 8th's". This week, we are learning how to play "swing 8th notes" in a jazzy style using the first few pages of the red Essential Elements for Jazz Ensemble. Your student should be practicing these first few pages of the red book at home.

Starting in September, faculty from the Temple College Music Department will be hosting a jazz jam for all middle school, high school, and college instrumentalists and vocalists on the first Sunday of each month at Treno in downtown Temple. They will provide a pro rhythm section, music stands, and a handful of Real Books. The goal is to get students even more excited about jazz and improvising while expanding the jazz culture and community in central Texas.

The inaugural Sante Fe Jazz will be September 4th from 1:00-3:00pm at Treno Pizzeria. We would love to see you take some chances and make some music with them! And we'd love to see the students' families out supporting their kiddos and live jazz!!

Download the information flyer below:

Congratulations to the following students were named Librarians in Jazz Band:

• Saxophones & Rhythm Section (drum set, vibes, & piano): Iris May
• Brass (trumpets & trombones): Ana Perez

Congratulations to the following named Loading Crew members from Jazz Band:

• Jaden Albalat
• Jesus Espinosa
• Reed Vance
• Claire Brown
• Lizzie Stewart

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Email: beltonmsband@gmail.com
Website: beltonmsband.org
Location: 1704 Sparta Road, Belton, TX, USA
Phone: 254-215-2828
Facebook: facebook.com/beltonmsband