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.

Click here to order and vote for your 8th grade band shirt no later than this Thursday, April 17 by 4pm: https://forms.gle/ahnFD2D13wjwai5d9.

Fill out this form ONLY if you are ordering an 8th Grade Band Shirt, which will include nicknames created by the directors on the back. The cost is $10 per shirt and your order and money are due by Thursday, April 17 at 4pm. You can pay with cash, check, or online by using this link: https://bit.ly/bms8thgradeshirt. If no money is received by Thursday, we will not order you a shirt.

PLEASE ONLY USE ONE SUBMISSION PER PERSON. RESUBMIT THE FORM FOR ADDITIONAL SHIRT ORDERS.

Students were recently given the materials and instructions needed for our End-of-Year Placement Auditions happening during class from April 22 to May 2. All current 6th & 7th grade band students are required to participate for a major grade. This audition serves as the individual assessment of each student's musical skills developed from this school year. Think of this as our individual STAAR test for Band.

Wind players will audition one-on-one privately with Mr. Pulley, while Percussion students will audition with Mr. Smith. Each audition should take no more than 5-10 minutes and students will receive both a score to determine placement and a grade for the gradebook. You can read more details on the attached document below:

Eighth graders interested in joining the Belton HS Band (M100) were given audition instructions and music. Click here to access the folder that contains all of the wind audition etudes and information sheet labeled "READ THIS FIRST! M100 Audition Information Sheet 2025". Please be sure your student reads all of the information on this sheet so they are fully prepared for the upcoming audition.

Additionally, students need to fill out this form ASAP located by clicking here so Mr. Kwaku can create a schedule for the auditions that are held at the Belton HS Band Hall after school on the week of April 21-25.

Percussion students should contact Mr. Smith for the details concerning Belton Drumline Auditions: ian.smith@bisd.net. Feel free to contact Mr. Kwaku directly if you have any questions regarding M100 Placement Auditions: kevin.kwaku@bisd.net.

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.

On Saturday, members of the Symphonic Band competed in the Solo & Ensemble Contest here at BMS. Out of 73 total events, 48 students earned First Division Superior ratings and another 23 students earned Second Division Excellent ratings. Please join us in congratulating the following 11 students who earned Outstanding Performer medals:

1. Ally Miller, flute
2. Eli Perrow, bassoon
3. Selah Morehouse, bassoon
4. Sophia Tubbs, clarinet
5. Maddox Mendoza, alto saxophone
6. Charles Rabroker, alto saxophone
7. Eve Neiser, trumpet
8. Tyler Millington, trombone
9. Jadyn Jones, marimba
10. Lani Perez, snare drum
11. Eli Perrow, tenors

Thank you so much for your support this school year!

On Saturday, members of the Wind Ensemble competed in the Solo & Ensemble Contest here at BMS. Out of 73 total events, 48 students earned First Division Superior ratings and another 23 students earned Second Division Excellent ratings. Please join us in congratulating the following 11 students who earned Outstanding Performer medals:

1. Ally Miller, flute
2. Eli Perrow, bassoon
3. Selah Morehouse, bassoon
4. Sophia Tubbs, clarinet
5. Maddox Mendoza, alto saxophone
6. Charles Rabroker, alto saxophone
7. Eve Neiser, trumpet
8. Tyler Millington, trombone
9. Jadyn Jones, marimba
10. Lani Perez, snare drum
11. Eli Perrow, tenors

Thank you so much for your support this school year!

Email: beltonmsband@gmail.com

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

Address: 1704 Sparta Road, Belton, TX, USA

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