Band Notes - Week of February 2

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 students received an order form last week for band pictures that will take place this Tuesday, February 3. Students will wear their uniform and have their instruments in a group picture taken in the Competition Gym that day. This is for publication in the school yearbook and available for parent purchase. We will also have individual photos being taken in the Ensemble Room if you wish to purchase one of your student with their instrument wearing their uniform or a photo of their group.

We prefer that order forms be filled out ahead of time and money brought on Tuesday in order to purchase them. Students will need to be responsible for handling their form and money that day, not the directors. PhotoTexas will have a "Last Chance" order form that day where student will fill in their parent contact information, including email address and phone number. You can contact PhotoTexas directly by visiting their website phototexasphotography.com or by calling 800-833-6463.

Students who do not have on their band uniform at the start of their class period will not be allowed in the picture. Students must "Be Prepared" and be responsible for having their uniform on at the start of class on Tuesday.

Beginners will need to wear their band shirt tucked into jeans with closed-toed shoes and a belt for gentlemen. The full Beginner's Ensemble group picture will taken during 1st Period that starts at 8:10am. Individual Beginner pictures will be taken during their respective band class period.

Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble students will take their pictures during their respective class. These students need to wear their formal band uniform, which includes their polo shirt tucked into black pants, black socks and shoes, as well as a black belt for gentlemen. We will also take an additional All-Region Band group picture during 2nd Period for those students who attended the Region Clinic & Concert.

Jazz Band will need to wear their jazz uniform with black pants, black socks and shoes, as well as a black belt for gentlemen. This group picture and any individual pictures will take place during their normal 7th Period class.

It's here! Our shop is open and ready for your support!

Grab one of our limited collector's tins with M100, SBMS, & BMS band logos, and don't forget your insulated tumbler, too: https://shop.beltonmarching100.com/shop

One of our M100 families is donating their time making all of our 3D print merch on demand, complete with hype chains (& custom ones!), magnets, and earrings!

Thank you all for supporting the band! Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram @BeltonBandBoosters

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.

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.

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

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.

Students should take their instruments home daily and we expect them to practice 5 days a week for at least 25 minutes. Students may also practice before school in the Band Hall starting at 7:30am every school day.

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 attachment below:

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.

Beginners will have their next performance on Saturday, February 21 anytime from 9am-12pm at BMS. Students will prepare a solo to be performed one-on-one for a judge who is a professional musician on their instrument who will give them comments, critique, and a rating. Students must be academically eligible to attend this event. If they are not, they will perform their solo for a director earlier in the week at school. These students will be told privately with individual parent notification.

Students will need to arrive 10 minutes before their performance time in order to warm-up before proceeding to their room to perform. After performing in their time slot for around 5 minutes, students are then free to leave and can look up their rating afterwards on a shared Google Doc.

Our schedule is now open for parents to sign up their student for a time. Please use the appropriate link below:

• Winds (woodwinds & brass): https://bit.ly/beginnersolo
• Percussion: https://bit.ly/percussionsolocontest

We are looking for Symphonic Band students and parents to help run our Beginner Solo Contest on Saturday, February 21 at BMS. Volunteers will help judges, monitor rooms, run forms to the directors, and keep the performance times on schedule. This is a great opportunity for those students who need service hours through AVID and/or NJHS. Sign ups are in 2-hour time slots and please use this form to sign up: https://bit.ly/solocontesthelper. Thanks in advance!

Sectionals will occur until Thursday, March 5 one day after school per week from 4:00-5:00pm. All students in Symphonic Band are required to attend their sectional once per week for a weekly grade in preparation for our UIL Concert & Sightreading Evaluation in early March. Students should be picked up in the parent drop-off loop by the Cafeteria by 5pm.

Mondays

• Percussion in Band Hall with Smith

Tuesdays

• Brass (trumpets, horns, trombones, euphoniums, & tubas) in Ensemble Room with Trahan

Wednesdays

• None

Thursdays

• Woodwinds (flutes, clarinets & bass clarinet, & all saxophones) in Ensemble Room with Trahan

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.

We are looking for Wind Ensemble students and parents to help run our Beginner Solo Contest on Saturday, February 21 at BMS. Volunteers will help judges, monitor rooms, run forms to the directors, and keep the performance times on schedule. This is a great opportunity for those students who need service hours through AVID and/or NJHS. Sign ups are in 2-hour time slots and please use this form to sign up: https://bit.ly/solocontesthelper. Thanks in advance!

Sectionals will occur until Thursday, March 5 one day after school per week from 4:00-5:00pm. All students in Wind Ensemble are required to attend their sectional once per week for a weekly grade in preparation for our UIL Concert & Sightreading Evaluation in early March. Students should be picked up in the parent drop-off loop by the Cafeteria by 5pm.

Mondays

• Percussion in Band Hall with Smith
• Woodwinds (flutes, bassoon, clarinets & bass clarinet, & all saxophones) in Ensemble Room with Pulley

Tuesdays

• Brass (trumpets, horns, trombones, euphoniums, & tubas) in Band Hall with Pulley

Wednesdays

• None

Thursdays

• None

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.

This is the most individually-competitive jazz event we do all year and the students compete with other middle schools from all over Central Texas. Students that make the Region Jazz Band are considered state-ranked with Texas middle schools for jazz! Those who are selected for the honor of All-Region get to rehearse and perform with a notable jazz educator at Temple High School on Saturday, February 28. The performance later that same day will be held at Temple HS as well. Please see the itinerary below:

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