Band Notes - Week of August 31
2026-2027 School Year - Belton MS Band
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!
All Payments Due September 11
All payments for school-owned instrument usage fees, Beginner shirts, Advanced polo shirts, Jazz shirts, and Auto Decals are due by Friday, September 11 by visiting the Forms page of our website and paying through MySchoolBucks.
You can also send cash or checks made out to BMS with your student to school in an envelope with their name on the outside. These will need to be handed to a director or you can drop them off at the front office from 8am-4pm on school days.
If you have signed up for Payment Plans 2, 3, or 4, you just need to make your first payment by this date. Many parents already paid at Band Registration at the beginning of August. If not, kindly use this as your reminder to make your payment by September 11.
Remember we use the CutTime program to track how much you have paid into your student's Band account, so click here to be resent your MagicLink to look up their account of what you have and have not paid. See the section below for more information about CutTime, or contact Mr. Pulley if you are having problems accessing your account.
Google Classroom
We will be switching to Google Classroom this year for posting our assignments and announcements to students. All students have accepted the invitation to join their class, as well as the program-wide Belton MS Band Group.
Parents and guardians can sign up to be emailed summaries about their student's work in class, such as missing and upcoming work due and posted class activities. Please contact Mr. Pulley if you have any questions about Google Classroom.
Private Lessons Are AWESOME!!!
Lessons are the fastest way students improve on their instrument because they have a quality teacher guiding them in their development of proper tone, rhythm, articulation, and musicality. Students enrolled in lessons usually earn first division superior ratings, make the All-Region Band, the have more fun learning their instrument because they sound better, faster.
Please read this document before deciding whether or not to sign up for lessons since it outlines the benefits of taking lessons that occur during your child's band class! If you have any questions about lessons, please email Mr. Trahan here.
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.
Our CutTime Program
CutTime is a program we use that allows you to stay informed without login hassles and get reminded without inbox clutter. Be on the lookout for a text message from CutTime from 844-385-8463. The message will come to your mobile device phone number we have on file for you (and your student) via a "Magic Link", which is a uniquely personalized to you and secure.
Read the attachment below for instructions on how to add your Magic Link to your smartphone's home screen. Once you receive the message, you will gain access to your CutTime Portal Page where you can:
- View Announcements
- View and Subscribe to Events that involve you and your student
- View and Sign Up for Volunteer Opportunities within these events
- Check Account Balances
If we don't have your contact information, please fill out this Contact Information Update Form ASAP. If you missed or can't find your CutTime Magic Link, go to this link to resend it to your device on file.
Feel free to take 3 minutes to watch this introduction video and see what's in store, and feel free to send us a message if you have any other questions or feedback.
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.
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. 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 attached
Band Calendar
What Are We Learning About?
Beginners are now learning the parts of their instrument and starting to make their very first sounds on their mini-instrument!
This means the actual sound-producing part, such as mouthpiece, head joint, mouthpiece and barrel, mouthpiece and neck, etc. Don't be surprised when you see students making sounds on these parts first before putting the whole instrument together. In fact, this is what they are supposed to be doing in order to create a solid foundation and the fundamentals necessary for being an excellent musician.
Starting soon, students will be allowed to take their instruments home and should be brought back to school daily. We will try to check out French horns, euphoniums, and tubas that can stay at home until May in order to avoid taking them back and forth. We will also continue our music literacy lessons where students learn how to actually read music! The preview of this program can by viewed below created by Mr. Chilton:
ACTION REQUIRED: All-Region/Non-Region Track Declaration Form
To ensure our students receive the most suitable skill development and preparation, we've established two tracks: the All-Region Track and the Non-Region Track, catering to their individual needs.
All students participate in after school sectionals to complete weekly pass-offs for a major grade. Upon successfully passing off a section of music to a director or lessons teacher, they receive a grade of 100 for that major grade. Pass-Offs are scheduled with specific due dates to meet these benchmarks. The benchmarks differ between the All-Region Track and the Non-Region Track to align with each student's current musical skill level. The primary objective of the All-Region process and these pass-offs is to foster growth in all students, regardless of their current skill level.
The All-Region Track is designed for students who aspire to audition for our most competitive event of the year: the TMEA All-Region Auditions at College Station Middle School. These students must commit to attending the auditions all day on Saturday, November 7, and if selected, the All-Region Clinic & Concert at Belton High School on the following Saturday, November 14.
The Non-Region Track is for students who won't be attending the All-Region Auditions, but still benefit from this process and remain accountable for their musical growth by meeting appropriate benchmarks through their pass-offs. They have the same number of pass-offs as the All-Region Track and are still held accountable for achieving these grades, but at a less rigorous level.
After discussing with your student, please click here to make your decision on whether your student will follow the All-Region Track or the Non-Region Track. PLEASE COMPLETE BY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4.
After School Sectionals Continue Until November 6
Sectionals are one day after school per week from 4:00-5:00pm and the weekly schedule is below:
- Mondays: Flutes in the Ensemble Room with Mr. Trahan
- Tuesdays: All Saxophones in the Ensemble Room with Mr. Trahan and Horns in the Band Hall with Mr. Pulley
- Wednesdays: Clarinets in the Orchestra Room with Mr. Trahan, Trumpets/Trombones/Euphoniums in the Band Hall with Mr. Pulley, and Percussion in the Ensemble Room with Mr. Smith
- Thursdays: Tubas in the Band Hall with Mr. Pulley
- Oboes & Bassoons will be pulled from their regular 2nd/3rd period class to work with a director
ACTION REQUIRED: All-Region/Non-Region Track Declaration Form
To ensure our students receive the most suitable skill development and preparation, we've established two tracks: the All-Region Track and the Non-Region Track, catering to their individual needs.
All students participate in after school sectionals to complete weekly pass-offs for a major grade. Upon successfully passing off a section of music to a director or lessons teacher, they receive a grade of 100 for that major grade. Pass-Offs are scheduled with specific due dates to meet these benchmarks. The benchmarks differ between the All-Region Track and the Non-Region Track to align with each student's current musical skill level. The primary objective of the All-Region process and these pass-offs is to foster growth in all students, regardless of their current skill level.
The All-Region Track is designed for students who aspire to audition for our most competitive event of the year: the TMEA All-Region Auditions at College Station Middle School. These students must commit to attending the auditions all day on Saturday, November 7, and if selected, the All-Region Clinic & Concert at Belton High School on the following Saturday, November 14.
The Non-Region Track is for students who won't be attending the All-Region Auditions, but still benefit from this process and remain accountable for their musical growth by meeting appropriate benchmarks through their pass-offs. They have the same number of pass-offs as the All-Region Track and are still held accountable for achieving these grades, but at a less rigorous level.
After discussing with your student, please click here to make your decision on whether your student will follow the All-Region Track or the Non-Region Track. PLEASE COMPLETE BY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4.
After School Sectionals Continue Until November 6
Sectionals are one day after school per week from 4:00-5:00pm and the weekly schedule is below:
- Mondays: Flutes in the Ensemble Room with Mr. Trahan
- Tuesdays: All Saxophones in the Ensemble Room with Mr. Trahan and Horns in the Band Hall with Mr. Pulley
- Wednesdays: Clarinets in the Orchestra Room with Mr. Trahan, Trumpets/Trombones/Euphoniums in the Band Hall with Mr. Pulley, and Percussion in the Ensemble Room with Mr. Smith
- Thursdays: Tubas in the Band Hall with Mr. Pulley
- Oboes & Bassoons will be pulled from their regular 2nd/3rd period class to work with a director
First Performance Date Change
Our Jazz Band has been invited to perform for a Veteran's Day ceremony on Tuesday, November 10. Please note this is a change from our original calendar and list of events and all friends and family are invited to attend. We will share more details when they become available.
Mr. Pulley
- Wind Ensemble
- Jazz Band
- Brass Specialist (trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, & tuba)
- chris.pulley@bisd.net
Mr. Trahan
- Symphonic Band
- Woodwind Specialist (flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, & saxophone)
Mr. Smith
- Percussion Specialist (keyboards, drums, & accessories)
Email: beltonmsband@gmail.com
Website: beltonmsband.org
Call/Text: 254-262-3050
Address: 1704 Sparta Road, Belton, TX, USA
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Facebook: facebook.com/beltonmsband
YouTube: youtube.com/beltonmsband
Instagram: instagram.com/beltonmsband