Beginning Band

We're pretty comfortable with our first three notes. This week we started playing some longer phrases which takes a lot more air and support!  The percussion section is doing a great job keeping the winds together with their rhythms too.  We are now working through our method book each day.  Students need their Sound Innovations book every band day .  I'll be inviting them to a google classroom for beginning band this week.  There will be some short videos to watch to review the basics about their individual instrument.  Happy Practicing!

Concert Band

We had a great Tuesday - getting ready to record Holy, Holy, Holy for a future chapel service on Thursday. Then suddenly we became a 6th and 8th grade band for a short time!  So it's fine, we can roll with it.  There's going  to be a different plan for each class this week .  Let's start with our Leadership skill for music and beyond topic this week, since that's remained unchanged!  

This week we talked about ' the human aspect of leadership '--the importance of communicating and working with people.  Our conversation centered around a study that Google did of their employees (Read the whole Washington Post Article here)   They found that while STEM skills were important to the success of their employees the top characteristics were relational/people skills: " being a good coach; communicating and listening well; possessing insights into others (including others different values and points of view); having empathy toward and being supportive of one's colleagues; being a good critical thinker and problem solver; and being able to make connections across complex ideas. "  So their assignment was to start a conversation with someone, listen to others, communicate ideas, or talk to someone new.  To think about relating to others.  

7th Grade : I'll be assigning a brief section of "America" on SmartMusic this week.  It should be up by Monday morning--I'll send them an email.  I managed to get the weekly assignment to most of them--the others will get it via email.  Should keep them playing this week, yet not be too stressful--I know they are juggling lots this week being at home.  

6th Grade : On Thursday we met together and reviewed some of our basics about scales and walked through America section by section.  The 6th graders have been doing a fantastic job keeping up with the other classes who have been at their instruments longer--it was nice to just cover a few things with them on Thursday.  

8th Grade : On Thursday I gave our 8th grade leaders a group project.  They worked on playing our hymn of the month with just the 4 of them and recorded it on SmartMusic.  They were very pleased to share it with me at the end of class!  It was nice to see them being independent musicians and working out details together.  They'll have another project this week to stretch them some more.  

  Thanks to all the students for their flexibility!  We'll see what 2020 has up for us this week.  Hoping our students all continue making music, learning and having fun.  Thankful that whatever comes that God is in control and that  Together We are More than Conquerors through Christ!  

  General Band Safety Procedures:

• As students enter in the morning, they will place their instrument in the shelf spot assigned to them.  Class cohorts have their own designated space.

• As students enter the band room for class, hand sanitizer will be available.  

• Each class cohort will have their own seating space in the room.   Students will get their instruments from the shelf and take it to their seat to assemble.  

• Chairs will be spaced 6' or more apart.

• Students have their own chair and stand.  Chairs and stands will not be shared. 

• Beginning Band students will be rehearsing in the church balcony, so they are able to have their own separate space.  They will bring their instruments to the balcony to assemble.  

• Students will be provided a mask for playing (with a slit in it for their instrument's mouthpiece).

• Students will be provided and a fabric instrument cover for the bell of their instrument.  (Two layers, plus a MERV 13 filter between) (Percussion and piano players will use their normal masks).  Instrument covers have been shown to reduce aerosol dispersal from instruments to the same levels that masks do from regular breathing.

• Brass players will be given disposable cloths to empty any moisture from their instruments.