R.B.Chamberlin Middle School Bands Handbook 2014-2015 7 th Grade Band (10 th Period 12:23-1:07) 8 th Grade Band (11 th Period 1:10-1:55) Jazz Band (after school, by audition) Mr. Thomas M. Resnick Jr., Director Course Description: The purpose of this course is to develop in each student high standards of musicianship on an instrument. This leads to the development of a successful musical organization where students learn and perform at or near their potential. Various drills and exercises for developing rhythmic and technical skill plus a wide variety of band literature are covered. Philosophical Beliefs: Because music is an integral part of society, we believe that all students have the right to formal musical training as part of their education. Through music education, students gain an awareness of historical and cultural heritage and create and value good music. Requirements: Members of the RBC bands are required to have at least one year of instrumental study prior to Middle School band. Students need to have an instrument in proper working order. Woodwinds need to have at least 3 working reeds and cork grease. Brasses need to have a proper mouthpiece and the requisite valve oil or slide oil. Trumpets will need a straight mute (Mutec Mutes will be available for purchase). Percussion students will use the Vic Firth SD1- General Drum Stick. Band students will need the Blue (7 th ) or Green (8 th ) Standard of Excellence Band Book for class (more information below). Goals and Competencies: 1. Properly assemble, care for and handle your instrument 2. Develop a better understanding of proper breathing, posture and practice habits 3. Perform within a large and small ensemble settings 4. Develop facility with scale passages, articulation, flexibility and dynamics 5. Perform major scales Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, C, F & G concert 6. Perform a chromatic scale beginning on any pitch 7. Demonstrate different band styles (Chorale, March, Pop) 8. Explain Concert Pitch and its relationship to your instrument 9. To develop and maintain a beautiful sound (no unmusical sounds permitted) 10. Define musical terms and foreign language terms related to band
Instrument Storage: Storage will be provided in the Band Room at R.B. Chamberlin Middle School during the day. Students are expected to take their instruments home after school. After school instrumental practice is required in order to complete the weekly Instrumental Self- Evaluation (attached). Instruments are NOT to be left in the building over the weekend or during holiday breaks. Weekends and extended breaks are a great time to get in some individual practice time. Instruments MUST be kept on shelves. NO students are permitted in the band room office.
RBC Bands Dates 2014-2015 August September October October November November November December December December January February March March March April April April May May May 20- First Day of School (7 th Grade Band 10 th pd., 8 th Grade Band 11 th pd.) 15- Band Booster Meeting- THS Band Room- 7:00 p.m. 2- RBC Bands Night at Tiger Stadium (THURSDAY, 5:45 RT) 20- Band Booster Meeting- THS Band Room- 7:00 p.m. 3- THS Tiger Marching Band Showcase- THS Auditorium- 7:00 p.m 11- RBC 8 th Grade Band Grandparent s Day Performance 17- Band Booster Meeting- THS Band Room- 7:00 p.m. 8- RBC Holiday Bands Concert- THS Auditorium- 7:00 p.m. 11- THS Holiday Bands Concert- THS Auditorium- 7:00 p.m. 15- Band Booster Meeting- THS Band Room- 7:00 p.m. 26- Band Booster Meeting- THS Band Room- 7:00 p.m. 13- Band Booster Meeting- THS Band Room- 7:00 p.m. 2-THS/RBC Jazz Night THS Auditorium- 7:00 p.m. 3- THS/RBC Bands Winter Concert THS Auditorium- 7:00 p.m. 16- Band Booster Meeting- THS Band Room- 7:00 p.m. 18- O.M.E.A. Jr. High Solo & Ensemble Contest (away) 20 - Band Booster Meeting- THS Band Room- 7:00 p.m. 23- THS Fine Arts Festival (Instrumental Night) 4- RBC Band Concert- RBC Auditorium- 7:00 p.m. 8 & 9- O.M.E.A. Jr. High Band Contest (away) 18- Band Booster Meeting- THS Band Room- 7:00 p.m.
Grades: 30%- Individual Assessment 30%- Concert Grades 10%- Written Work 30%- Daily Grade and Rehearsal Skills 1. Individual Assessment: -Individual Assessment is based on the Twinsburg Bands rubric (attached) -Self evaluation form (attached) to be turned in by the student weekly -Tests will be played for the director or recorded -Testing will be assigned from band book and concert music (Standard of Excellence Book 2, blue-7 th, Standard of Excellence Book 3, green- 8 th ) 2. Concert Grades: -Musical organizations by their nature are performance based. All performances are required unless otherwise specified by the director, and every effort must be made by the students and their families to arrange their schedules to accommodate performances. Unexcused absences cannot and will not be tolerated. Excused absences are those which are recognized by the Ohio Statute and include: personal illness, an emergency at home, religious observance, medical appointments (that can not be rescheduled), power failure and death of a relative. All excused absences will require make up assignments as necessary. Unexcused absences will not be given an opportunity to make up work. 3. Written Work: -Written samples will be used from the method book -Worksheets may be done during the tuning process 4. Daily Grade and Rehearsal Skills: -Having all equipment (in proper working order), music and pencil -Rehearsing with proper posture and position -Attendance by all members is mandatory at all rehearsals and performances -Focus on rehearsal and performance -Attitude- a positive & united effort to create a band that strives for the best! School Performance Responsibilities: As a performing group, it is our responsibility to offer support to our school and community by performing during the school day when needed. Band students will perform at Band Night at Tiger Stadium, 8 th grade students will perform for Veteran s Day (will require concert dress). All band students will perform at pep rallies (7 th and 8 th ) and will be recommended to have the Twinsburg Band T-shirt, which will be available for sale in the fall (est. $10-15). The new FORTE shirt will also be available to purchase.
Concert Dress: Rules: Consequences: Practice: Private Lessons: Ladies: Gentleman: Long Black Skirt (below knees) Black dress pants or Black Pants /Gauchos/etc... White Dress shirt White Blouse Black neck tie Black nylons or socks Black Socks Black Dress Shoes Black Dress Shoes NO TENNIS SHOES WILL BE PERMITTED 1. No food, gum or beverages in the band room 2. No unmusical sounds permitted on instruments 3. Instrument MUST be in working order (no stuck slides/broken reeds) 4. Be prepared- have instrument, music, book and pencil 5. Stay in assigned section and seat 6. Be in your seat and be ready to play by 12:25 (7 th ) and (1:12) 8 th 7. No talking when the director is at the podium 8. Hall passes will be issued only in emergency situations 1. Verbal warning 2. Verbal warning, meet with director after class 3. Loss of Daily Grade/Rehearsal skills points 4. Phone Call to parents 5. Office referral 6. Parent-teacher-administrator conference 7. Removal from class Students at the middle school level are expected to practice 20-30 minutes a day at least 4-5 times a week. As technique and music becomes increasingly difficult, the student will not be able to attain our musical goals without individual work. Self-Evaluation will be turned in weekly. Private lessons are highly encouraged. Individual study is the best and quickest way to improve on your instrument. Such lessons vastly improve the quality of the musical experience for both the student and the parents. Lessons are available through local music stores (information is attached) such as Aurora School of Music and Woodsy s Music in Kent, etc.
Instruments/Books/Accessories Students are required to have an instrument, book and music stand for band. The books required are Standard of Excellence Book 2 and Book 3 and can be purchased at RBC ($6- green, $8-blue in cash or a check made out to TWINSBURG BAND BOOSTERS), or a music store/dealer. A music stand is needed for home practice and can also be purchased from a music store/dealer. Instruments can also be rented or purchased from a music store/dealer. Mr. Resnick, R.B. Chamberlin Middle School and Twinsburg City Schools ARE NOT affiliated with any music store or dealer. Please contact the store or dealer with any questions regarding rentals or purchases. Do not return instruments at the end of the year. Students are expected to practice over the summer and are encouraged to participate in summer music activities (i.e. private lessons, summer bands, camps). Please do not return rental instruments to the school or the instructor. Listed below are reputable music stores. Pellegrino Music Center Woodsy s Music 5440 Everhard Road NW 135 South Water St. Canton, Ohio 44718 Kent, Ohio 44240 330-498-8400 330-673-1525 (rentals, repairs, purchase) (rentals, repairs, purchase & lessons) Aurora School of Music Academy Music Center 211 South Chillicothe Rd. 33505 Station St. Aurora, OH 44202 Cleveland, Ohio 330-995-0809 440-248-1745 (great for lessons) (rentals, repairs, purchase) As students progress and mature, periodically their equipment needs to be updated. At the middle school level, we encourage students to purchase equipment better suited to their growing needs. Beginner equipment may be switched out for intermediate or professional models of not only instruments, but also reeds, mouthpieces, cases, mutes, accessories etc. Although some beginner equipment is sufficient, we encourage our students to move to products that will better help them succeed in becoming better band students. Attached is a list of recommended brands and equipment. Internet purchases are not encouraged...call a reputable music store!
Recommended Band Equipment Instruments: Flutes: Clarinets: Saxophones: Yamaha Buffet Selmer Gemeindhart Yamaha Yamaha Pearl Selmer Keilwerth Powell Leblanc Yanagisawa Trumpets: Trombones: French Horns: Bach King Yamaha Yamaha Conn Holton Schilke Bach King B & S Yamaha Conn Mouthpieces: Clarinet: Saxophone: Trumpet: Trombone: Vandoren Selmer Bach 3C 6 & 1/2 AL Hite Meyer Yamaha 12C Reeds: Clarinet: Alto Saxophone: Tenor Saxophone: Oboe: Vandoren Vandoren Vandoren Marlin Lesher Mitchell Lurie Rico ROYAL Rico ROYAL Jones Oil, Grease: Trumpet: Trombone: Clarinet/Saxophone: Al Cass Trombotine Yamaha Cork Grease Mutes: Trumpet: Trombone: Snare Drum: Jo-Ral Jo-Ral Vic Firth SD1 General Stick Tom Crown Tom Crown Rubber Practice Pad Mutec Mutec Remo/Cannon Drum Pad Before purchasing equipment, be sure to check with Mr. Resnick or Mr. Bonitz to be sure you are purchasing a quality item.
School Instruments: Dear Parents/Guardians, Your child may be using a school instrument while participating in band this year. Each instrument will include a mouthpiece and a case. However, each individual student must furnish expendable items such as reeds, valve oil, slide cream and cork grease. The instrument will be issued in good playing condition and must be properly maintained by the student during the year. Any damage or loss that occurs as a result of negligence, carelessness, or abuse by the student will be your responsibility---the school will NOT cover the expense. Please make sure that your child understands these guidelines. The instrument must be returned before the last day of school. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me (330-486-2293) or email me. Please sign the form below. Thank you for your cooperation. Best, Thomas M. Resnick, Jr. Director of Bands I have read the above letter and understand that any damage that results from carelessness or abuse will be my responsibility. STUDENT S SIGNATURE INSTRUMENT MODEL NUMBER PARENT S SIGNATURE MANUFACTURER SERIAL NUMBER
TCSD Instrumental Music Self-Evaluation Name: Date/Week: o.k. good awesome 1. My tone was.. 2. My rhythm and accuracy were 3. My concentration and focus were declined was the same improved 4. My ability to play notes and fingerings 5. My ability to count and play rhythms 6. My attention to dynamics 7. My posture 8. My overall ability to play the music 9. This week, I improved upon. 10. Next week, I will improve upon. over
Weekly Journal Date: Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun. Minutes Played Total Minutes Parents/Guardians: Please sign & review your student s self-evaluation & playing journal. Ask about the music they are working on. Acknowledge his or her progress with a comment and your signature below. 100 minutes of practice will equal an A for the evaluation grade. Thank you for supporting the program! -Mr. Resnick Signature: Comments:
TCSD Music Performance Rubric Key: 5 = Advanced proficient; 4 = Above proficient; 3 = Proficient; 2 = Partially proficient; 1 = Minimally proficient CIRCLE 1 through 5 Student name (or group): Selection to be assessed: I. TONE 5- Full, rich, and characteristic of the tone quality in all ranges 4- Characteristic in most ranges, but occasionally inconsistencies in some passages 3- Developing characteristic tone quality 2- Inconsistent in basic tone production 1-Significant improvement needed in basic tone production II. MELODIC ACCURACY 5- Accurate throughout, in all ranges/positions 4- Accurate, but isolated notes in need of adjustment in some ranges/positions 3- Developing melodic accuracy; some inaccuracies in some ranges/positions 2- Many incorrect notes substantially detract from the overall performance 1-Significant number of incorrect notes, entire passages performed incorrectly III. RHYTHMIC ACCURACY 5- Accurate rhythms throughout, tempo consistent 4- A few incorrect rhythmic figures, tempo inconsistent 3- Developing rhythmic accuracy; some incorrect rhythmic figures, tempo mostly consistent 2- Many incorrect rhythmic figures detracting from overall performance, tempo somewhat inconsistent 1-Significant rhythmic errors, whole sections incorrectly performed, inconsistent tempo (e.g., rushing, dragging) IV. INTONATION 5- Accurate throughout all ranges/positions 4- Accurate, with occasional intonation issues on isolated pitches which student tries to adjust 3- Developing intonation; mostly accurate, but some out of tune notes. Attempts to adjust to correct pitch. 2- Exhibits basic sense of intonation, but has significant problems. Makes little or no apparent attempt to adjust to correct pitch. 1-Significant intonation issues, makes no apparent attempt to adjust to correct pitch V. MUSICIANSHIP 5- Consistently performs all expressive markings, articulations, dynamics, and bowings (where applicable) 4- Performs almost all expressive markings, articulations, dynamics, and bowings (where applicable) 3- Performs most expressive markings, articulations, dynamics, and bowings (where applicable) 2- Performs few of the expressive markings, articulations, dynamics, and bowings (where applicable) 1-Ignores expressive markings, articulations, dynamics, and bowings (where applicable) Added Total: Comments:
R.B. Chamberlin Middle School Bands On-line Handbook Consent Form I have read all rules, expectations and consequences involved in the R.B. Chamberlin Middle School Band program. I have made note of upcoming performance dates and will plan accordingly. I understand my child s responsibility to the class and to the band program. Email confirmation is fine too! Student s Name Parent s Signature Date Please return to Mr. Resnick ASAP