General Reminders

• ALL STUDENTS have free, digital accounts for both of the following websites.  We have set these up at school across several tech day Fridays, and very close to 100% of students can get themselves logged in.  If you have the technology at home, please expect them to use these sites to practice their daily Essential Elements songs:

  1. www.EssentialElementsInteractive.com

  2. www.SmartMusic.com

  3. Login information is generally the following:

     1. Username = 57#

     2. Email = School email

     3. Password = First Initial + Last name= JJohnson, MCouey, etc. (Smart Music- some students had to add numbers behind to satisfy requirements)

     4. There were some complications along the way, but whatever worked for your student should have been written on their flyer, EE book or planner to help them remember later!

• All students are expected to practice 2 ½ hours per week = 21.5 min. per day (at minimum).  There are MANY students who are clearly not practicing.  Their passoff grades reflect that.

• Your student may write a simplified version of the daily assignment in their planner, so maybe only what we play in class each day.  Below you will see all music that requires attention this week.

• Please consider purchasing a digital tuner and metronome for your student to practice with.  There are some apps that work great for band students

  1. TE Tuner (Stands for Tonal Energy- $3.99) FABULOUS tuner and metronome we use every day in band class

  2. Bandmate app (free)- great tuner for students who are not sure what pitch they are playing- it shows you on the screen the exact name and image on a musical staff!!!

  3. Pro Metronome (free with paid upgrades)- I used this one all through college.  It has enough basic settings to do most of what we need at the middle school level.

 

HOMEWORK

Symphonic Band

• Weekly Scales- We will be rotating through all 12 major scales and chromatic scales roughly every 3 days this time of year.  Students should continue to work them up to “Quarter Note= 90-100.”

• Tuning- every day! Students tune to Concert F in class; saxophones tune first to their F#, followed by Concert F with the group.

• Brass practice buzzing songs, scales, pitches with mouthpiece only.  Woodwinds practice playing mouthpiece only with a tuner- saxes use mouthpiece and neck, clarinets mouthpiece and barrel joint.

• Essential Elements Book 1- Songs #110-120

• Essential Elements Book 2- Songs #34-40.

• Passoffs- MPA #1 and #2

• Marches of the Armed Forces

• Halloween- Addams Family, Grim Grinning Ghosts

• Christmas- A Christmas Portrait, As Lately We Watched, Christmas at the Movies- MUST be able to run these songs at tempo or close to marked tempo.  Students are still struggling to put music together in class.

• Spring- Mandalorian, Vivo Galop, The Ballad of Danny Boy

• Stand tunes- Go Big Black, Iron man, Mighty Raiders, The Victors.  We will be moving on to Hey Song and Land of 1000 this month.  Neck and Seven Nation will be handed out.

• Symphonic Playlist Found Here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSdcmiI6GVtu82aSc7SHackd3Rs6VGfQT

 

Concert Band

• Weekly Scales- We will be rotating through their 7 major scales and chromatic scales roughly every 3 days this time of year.  Students should continue to work them up to “Quarter Note= 90-100.”

• Tuning- every day! Students tune to Concert F in class; saxophones tune first to their F#, followed by Concert F with the group.

• Passoffs- Page 42, Rhythm Studies, Measures 17-36.  Students will clap/count or play on their instrument.

• Essential Elements Book 1 Songs #90-100

• Halloween- Addams Family, March of the Nightcrawlers

• Christmas- Patapan Fantasy, The Nutcracker, Jingle Bell Rock

• Spring- Trumpet Voluntary, Harry Potter

• Stand tunes- Go Big Black, Iron man, Mighty Raiders,The Victors.  We will be moving on to Hey Song and Land of 1000 this month.  Neck and Seven Nation will be handed out.

• Concert Playlist Found Here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSdcmiI6GVtsVdy8716Cr9eP8-hAYZsj0

 

Beginner Band

• • Concert Db major scale and chromatic scale will taught this month

  • We have started tuning in class to Concert F

    • Flute/trombone/baritone/tuba- F note

    • Clarinet/trumpet/tenor sax- G note

    • Alto sax/bari sax- D note

  • Passoffs

    • 3rd period- EE Book 1, song #67

    • 4th period- Scale #2

  • Essential Elements Book 1 Songs- #55, 58 to add snare drums to the class

  • Halloween- Creatures in the Attic

  • Christmas Songs- Rockin’ Drummer Boy; Name That Christmas Carol; Chopsticks for Christmas

  • Spring- Wolverine March, Star Wars

  • Stand Tunes- Go Big Black, Iron Man, Mighty Raiders, The Victors have been earned and we are working on biweekly.

  • Beginner Band Playlist Found Here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSdcmiI6GVtuu1Brar8eMiYzzjtFapvZd