Council Rock North Bands 2017

Transcription

1 Council Rock North Bands 2017 Dear Perspective North Band Member, Hello! Odds are, you already know me because I m at the Middle School every afternoon and I ve come to your concerts for the past two years. However, for those of you who might have forgotten, my name is Mr. Bishop, and I m the Band Director at Council Rock North High School. The time has come for you to start making decisions about the future of your studies in music, and I want to make sure that you had all of the necessary facts and information about the Band Programs here at North. As such, I ve put together this handy little packet of information for you to look over with your parents. Included is a description of the different Band offerings at the High School, the schedule commitments for each, and some other little bits of information for you. Remember, it s not very often that you talk to an adult about their involvement in Music when they were in school and they say, Quitting Band was the best decision I ever made. Instead, people talk about that decision as a big regret. At any rate, I hope you find this information helpful in making your decisions regarding your schedule for next year when you come to the High School. I look forward to working with all of you for the next four years on becoming better musicians! Sincerely, Mr. Bishop

2 is a co-curricular course at CR North. As such, Band is a class for which students receive a grade. STUDENTS DO NOT MISS TIME IN OTHER CLASSES FOR BAND AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. Instead, Band is a rostered class. Because is a co-curricular class, there are mandatory rehearsals and performances that take place outside the school day. Please see the schedule for the school year below for details. All rehearsals and camps are MANDATORY for all members. Attendance is factored into your grade for Band. For up to the minute updates of the Calendar, please visit our website: June Minicamp 6-9pm: During this time, we will distribute and play some of our music for the Fall 2017 field show. We will also begin learning the basics of marching. We must have definite numbers at minicamp to have drill written for Band Camp. July 2017 Free! August Camp 8am-4pm: Band Camp takes place at CRN. We usually spend morning sessions outside working on basic marching and learning drill for the Field Show and afternoons inside working on music. Each day culminates with ensemble music rehearsal outside the Band Room Camp 8am-4pm: This is the second week of Band Camp. We continue to refine our skills musically and visually this week Rehearsal 3-6pm: These rehearsals are meant to refine our show to this point for our first performance. 30 Preview 7:30pm: Preview Night is the first performance for both the North and South s. It is a chance for parents and the rest of the community to see the shows for free at the beginning of the season.

3 (continued) September 2017 We will begin our regular rehearsal schedule once school begins in September. Generally the weekly schedule is as follows: Monday 3-5:30pm Winds, Brass, and Colorguard Tuesday 6-8:30pm All Percussion (Battery and Pit) Wednesday 3-5:30pm Full rehearsal Thursday 3-5:30pm Full rehearsal Friday 7pm Football game October 2017 We will continue our schedule from September, adjusting for holidays as necessary. October also marks the beginning of our competition season. This means the addition of Saturday rehearsals and competitions. These days generally begin at 1pm and continue until we return from the competition at approximately 11pm. We will also march in the Newtown Halloween parade, followed by a Trunk or Treat at CRN hosted by our Band Parent Association. November 2017 Our competition season ends, and our Fall Concert takes place on the first Wednesday following the final football game at 7:30pm in the CRN Auditorium. The Concert immediate follows the annual Tri-M Music Honor Society Induction Ceremony. There will also be a dress rehearsal from 3-6pm on the day before the Concert. December 2017 The Band participates in the Newtown Holiday Parade. This usually takes place on the first Sunday of the month, and will go from approximately noon until 4pm.

4 (continued) January 2018 There are no mandatory events in the month of January. Students have the opportunity to perform with the Concert Band or in chamber groups at the Small Ensembles Concert, but this is not required. This optional concert begins at 7:30pm and includes a dress rehearsal on the day prior to the performance. February 2018 There are no mandatory events in the month of February. March 2018 In March, we begin rehearsals after school once a week (most likely on Mondays) from 3pm-5:30pm to prepare for our Spring Concert. The Spring Concert is likely to take place early in April. April 2018 Our Spring Concert usually takes place in April. We try to keep to a Wednesday evening at 7:30pm with our dress rehearsal on the day before from 3-6pm. We also perform at the Special Olympics opening Ceremony. This performance takes place on the last Saturday of the month from 8am-12noon. May 2018 The Band performs in the annual Memorial Day Parade and several ceremonies in Newtown from 8am-12noon. These all take place on Memorial Day. June 2018 All Band students are required to perform at graduation. Also, there is another optional Small Ensembles concert for any interested students. This concert usually takes place on the first Wednesday of the month at 7:30pm with a dress rehearsal the day prior from 3pm-5:30pm.

5 Accelerated Students looking for more of a challenge in are encouraged to sign up for Accelerated. Accelerated members are required to attend all of the same rehearsals and performances as members, but are also expected to learn the BCMEA/PMEA audition piece. Students in Accelerated will occasionally receive extra work to account for being an Accelerated course. Symphonic Band Symphonic Band is also a co-curricular course at CR North. This class is our auditioned group available to 10 th, 11 th, and 12 th graders. Symphonic Band students are required to attend all of the same rehearsals and performances as the Marching Band students. Concert Band Concert Band is intended for students who do not wish to participate in the rigorous Fall Schedule that demands. Many students enrolled in Concert Band play Fall sports, but want to continue to play their instrument. This class fills that need. Concert Band performs at two Small Ensemble Concerts (January and June), as well as graduation. There will be dress rehearsals for the two Small Ensemble Concerts on the day prior to the performances. Jazz Band(s) Jazz Band is exclusively extra-curricular and audition based. Audition materials will be available beginning in October. Auditions will take place in November with rehearsals starting shortly thereafter. Performances in Jazz take place from February through June. Improvisation Improvisation can be taken as an elective. This explores the world of Jazz and meets during school. Students will learn to create music spontaneously throughout this course. This course is strongly suggested for anyone interested in Jazz Band.