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.

Our Beginner Sit-In Concert is coming up Thursday, October 17 at Belton MS. Students will need to arrive no later than 6:15pm and everyone should use the H7 entrance of the Cafeteria in order to avoid the volleyball game happening at the same time. Please click here for a parking map that contains a more detailed view.

Parking will be limited due to the volleyball game, so it is suggested that parents drop off their student first and then park in the Overflow Parking area indicated on the map at the link above. Students should be seated and ready to start with all their materials no later than 6:25pm, and our concert starts at 6:30pm.

The concert will last no longer than an hour and please click here for the information flyer that contains all the details for this major grade. Feel free to email us if you have any questions: beltonmsband@gmail.com.

Congratulations to the following students for completing ALL of the Region Pass-Offs! 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:

• Samuel S., alto saxophone
• Nolan W., trumpet - NEW
• Ethan S., trumpet - NEW
• Will G., horn - NEW
• Nolan L., percussion - 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.

Starting this week, students not participating in All-Region Auditions 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 students for completing ALL of the Region Pass-Offs! 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
2. Ally M., flute
3. Grace B., flute - NEW
4. Selah M., bassoon
5. Eli P., bassoon
6. Jacob W., bassoon
7. Sophia T., clarinet
8. Marley S., clarinet
9. AbbieClaire D., clarinet
10. Eian J., clarinet - NEW
11. Averi L., clarinet - NEW
12. Benjamin G., clarinet - NEW
13. Charles R., alto saxophone
14. Noah M., alto saxophone
15. Samuel S., alto saxophone
16. Maddox M., alto saxophone - NEW
17. Phoenix M., tenor saxophone
18. Gia S., baritone saxophone
19. Dominic J., trumpet
20. Nico A., trumpet
21. Eve N., trumpet
22. Ethan V., trumpet
23. Nolan W., trumpet - NEW from Symphonic Band
24. Ethan S., trumpet - NEW from Symphonic Band
25. Ryan T., horn
26. Eli H., horn
27. Grant K., horn
28. Lane P., horn - NEW
29. Will G., horn - NEW from Symphonic Band
30. Andy U., trombone
31. Tyler M., trombone
32. Carter S., trombone
33. Yeshaya V., trombone - NEW
34. Luke R., euphonium
35. Lani P., percussion
36. Charlotte B., percussion
37. Charlotte D., percussion
38. William P., percussion - NEW
39. Jadyn J., percussion - NEW
40. Davis S., percussion - NEW
41. Nolan L, percussion - NEW from Symphonic Band

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.

Starting this week, students not participating in All-Region Auditions 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.

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

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