Thanksgiving Update

I am So Grateful for you all!

This first month-and-a-half has certainly challenged the music department.  Students have been very accommodating with the frustration of not playing music indoors.  They have worked hard on written assignments, listening tasks, and theory.  I'm very proud of them, and thankful for their determination.

But now everyone has instruments and bell covers for their instruments, so we can begin indoors playing!  That also means we get back to work on playing those instruments at home.  Parents should know what to expect.  To that end, I give you a quick update for Thanksgiving.  Students will have this weekend and the following week to make sure they are caught up on the performing aspects of band.  I've also made a video of our new assessment tool, MusicFirst.

Summaries

Grade 7 Band
All students should have instruments and maintenance kits, including bell covers.  Maintenance kits are for marks. They have their first playing assignment in MusicFirst, their First Notes.  They should be encouraged to experiment with their instruments, and although their first sounds can be unusual, they are ALWAYS good first sounds ... please encourage them at home.

Grade 8 Band
Students should have maintenance kits and bell covers, as well as over-the-ear headphones for every class.  We split-class, allowing each student to play 30 minutes each class with time for air-exchange and distancing as per AHS requirements, but that means they will be using headphones every class as well.  They have their first assignment, Raider's March, in MusicFirst as well.

Grade 9 Band
Students should have maintenance kits and bell covers, as well as over-the-ear headphones for every class - this is for marks.  They will be doing their first performance in collaboration with the Senior Concert Band, "Amazing Grace", which appears in MusicFirst.  They will be playing every class, whether we are indoors or outdoors, for the remainder of the year.

Senior Band
​Students should have maintenance kits and bell covers, as well as over-the-ear headphones for every class.  We split-class, allowing each student to play 30 minutes each class with time for air-exchange and distancing as per AHS requirements, but that means they will be using headphones every class as well.  They have their first assignment, Amazing Grace, in MusicFirst as well.  They are also beginning a research project on one topic within the category of African American Music and Culture, which will culminate in a larger presentation later this year.

Panorama
Students will occasionally have some work to complete in the middle of the week for this class, such as right now, where students have some at-home work to do on the history of Steel Pans and the Soca Style.  We will continue to rehearse every Wednesday from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM, doors opening at 5:50 PM and closing at 6:05 PM (to maintain AHS protocols).  Apps for pan practice at home are available in Google Classroom, but you can just as easily print the layout on paper and practice on that.  Students are doing very well, and I'm very proud of them!

St. Cecilia Strings
We have so far learned how to tune our violins, violas and celli, as well as some basic fundamentals around pizzicato and first position fingerings.  They have an assignment in MusicFirst, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", which they are to play at home, hopefully from memory, in pizzicato style.  We do not have a practice on Tuesday, October 13, but will every Tuesday following that.  Students need to be picked up immediately after we are done at 4:40 PM.  Next time we meet, we introduce the bow.  I'm very proud of how these students have embraced the instruments!

Stage Band / Jazz Band / The Woodshedders
This group meets for the first time on Wednesday, October 14, 2020, and meets every Wednesday immediately after school.  Rehearsals go until 4:40 PM every time we meet.  Parents will need to ensure their students are picked up exactly at 4:40 PM.
Many of your students have selected a secondary instrument for this class.  This year and this year only, we are waving secondary instrument rentals of saxophones and trombones, however your students will still be responsible for maintenance of the instruments they receive.  We have a full jazz group with Senior High and Junior High students, and should have a lot of fun this year!

CHARMS IS GONE, MUSICFIRST IS IN

We have replaced our old system of assessment with MusicFirst.  In MusicFirst students will receive assignments that allow them to practice with accompaniments providing immediate feedback, develop sight-reading skills, access a music encyclopedia, and receive digital access to a monthly subscription to In-Tune magazine.  This is a huge improvement over our previous systems, and students are likely to find the tool highly engaging.

Every student currently has at least one if not more assignments in MusicFirst.  Please help your student access those assignments to complete them.  If there is an issue with technology access, please contact Mr. Windsor.

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As Always, but this year more than ever, thank you for your support!  Have an amazing, rejuvenating, well-earned thanksgiving really-long weekend!