Sabin Middle School Student/Parent Handbook 2018-2019 Melissa Shank Band Director The Student/Parent Handbook is a guide to help students and parents understand more about the expectations for the band program at Sabin. It is important that the money and time invested in learning to play a musical instrument is accounted for in worthwhile ways. In order to achieve the goals of the Sabin Band Program, it is necessary that we understand that learning to play a musical instrument is not always as easy as it looks. Many hours of practice, a willingness to study hard while cooperating with other students, and a desire to make music, are key elements of success. As we work together to achieve quality in our music performances, we need to develop routines that will assist us in achieving our goals.
Welcome to the 2018-2019 Sabin MS Band Program! Supply List Instrument (with all items to make it work) Pencil (EVERY day!) Band Folder (provided) with all required music (on loan to student like a library book) Music books: 6th grade -Traditions of Excellence Book 1* and Scale and Rhythm Chunks** 7th grade -Tradition of Excellence Book 2* and Scale and Rhythm Chunks** 8th grade - Foundations for Superior Performance* *These books will be provided by the band director when the $15 Band Fee is paid **Scale and Rhythm Chunks may be purchased in the band room for $6. Music stand for practicing at home (keep it at home!) Metronome & Tuner for practice at home (purchase at a music store or download an app. I like Pro Metronome and Tonal Energy apps.) SHEET MUSIC NEW THIS YEAR: Students will be given original sheets of music (not photocopies), in addition to the music books that are provided by the Band Fee. Sheet music is expensive, especially when individual parts must be replaced due to damage or loss. Sabin Band Students will be asked to take special care of their sheet music and be responsible for it. Students will need to pay for damaged or lost parts. Replacement parts will cost $5 per song. PENCILS ONLY are used to mark music as to not permanently change a part. Parts will need to be erased before being returned. Students will be shown what their music should look like when it is returned. In order to help students keep their music in good condition special band folders will be provided to protect the sheet music. Grading I. Ensemble Contribution (20 pts per day) Students will arrive to class on time, actively participate in daily playing and classroom activities, give their full effort, and are required to bring and have readily available the following items: o Instrument in good playing condition o Band books and sheet music in band folder (provided) o Pencil o EVERYTHING Labeled (including music with name & measures numbered) o Name tag (first and last name, in bold, readable font) II. Assessments a. Playing Tests (50 pts each) o Students will play individually during class for the band teacher. There will be one official playing test per quarter. Assignments will be posted on the Sabin Band website and in the band room. b. Pass-Offs (10 pts each)
III. IV. o Students will receive a list of Pass-offs that must be completed each quarter. Pass-offs must be completed in number order and played individually for the band teacher. o Pass-offs are meant to show progress of skills on the instrument. Each pass-off will get progressively harder and assess different skills (notes, rhythm, tempo, technique, etc). o There is a grade attached to each pass-off (10 points) for a total of 100 points per quarter. Practice Time a. Practice Logs (50 pts each) o The required amount of time is 15 minutes, 5 times per week o Students will earn 10 points for each day that they practice for 15 minutes or more. o Students will write down their practice time on a Practice Log sheet (can be printed from the Sabin Band website) o Practice Logs will be due on the Monday after the week of practice. For instance, if the week of August 27 is written down, that practice log would be due the following Monday (or first day of school that week). Performances (200 pts each) Participation in Concerts are important as students receive instruction, learn from peers, assist others with listening skills, complete the full ensemble sound, and reinforce the concept of team. Concerts are the end of unit exams and it is vital that all students are present for the team to be successful. To receive full credit students must be on time and in full uniform, with all music and an instrument in good working condition (including reeds). Excused Absences from Performances include (ONLY) o Illness from school if a student is absent for more than half a day of school, the student should not attend the evening performance. o o Pre-arranged absence from school, verified with Sabin Attendance Office Family emergency if a family member is suddenly admitted to hospital, car accidents, etc. In other words, an actual emergency. A note or phone call from parent must verify this There will be 2-4 required performances throughout the school year. Most performances will take place in the Mitchell High School Auditorium and the students are expected to dress in the proper uniform as outlined below. Students need to be in the warm- up area 30 minutes prior to the concert starting time. Concert Dress Code It is important to look our best for all performances. Students are required to dress for a concert in the following: White, collared dress shirt, long or short sleeved. (white undergarments please) Black dress pants (no leggings or track pants/joggers) or skirt (knee length or longer) Black dress shoes (no flipflops, sneakers, or boots. ladies shoes you can walk in, please)
Black socks or black tights/nylons. If you are unable to obtain the above items, please check the uniform collection in the Sabin band room. Please help yourself to what is needed prior to concert night and return items clean and ironed, on hangers, when finished with them. Practice Practicing is very important in order to reinforce learning that took place in class. If done properly, practicing can be fun and quite rewarding. The expectation is that students practice a minimum of 15 minutes five times per week. (Optional) After School Practice will be offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 3:45 to 4:30 P.M. in the Sabin Band Room. Private Lessons One of the best ways to improve as a musician and as a band student is to take private lessons. Private lessons allow students to receive individualized, focused attention that they would otherwise not receive in a large band class. Students who study privately excel faster and generally have more success with chair placement, auditions, honor bands, and more. Private lessons are by no means a requirement, but are strongly recommended. Ask the band director for private teacher recommendations. Band Website Please visit the Sabin Band Website as often as possible. Announcements, assignments, and a performance calendar, in addition to other useful information will all be posted there. Go the Sabin website, click on Academics, then Exploratory classes. From there, click on Band that is listed on the left side of the screen. Or bookmark this link for easy access: https://www.d11.org/site/default.aspx?pageid=8761 Communication I am looking forward to a GREAT year with the band students at Sabin. Let s keep a positive attitude and good discipline as we work together for the success of the Sabin Band students! Here are a few points to keep in mind: Parents: Please believe that we are all in this together and if we work with complete honesty, as a team, we can do our best to make sure every student has a positive experience. Please don t hesitate to email with concerns or questions. Email is the easiest way for me to get back to you in a timely manner. We are a team and must function as a team. Each member must be prepared for rehearsal, be on time, and honor their commitment to their team. My goal for band students at Sabin is to raise good citizens through music. Good citizens are reliable and productive and that is my hope for our students.
Jazz Band Jazz Band is a before school club offered to band students who complete an audition. Students must play a standard jazz band instrument to be in the jazz band- saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, drumset, guitar or bass. Students must come in knowing how to play their instrument, instruction will not be given for learning how to play an instrument. Clinics for learning the audition material will be held before school at 8:00 am on Tuesday, August 27 and Wednesday August 28. Auditions will take place Wednesday, September 5 and Thursday, September 6 before school in the Sabin Band Room. Sign up for a time slot in the band room. Jazz Band will begin the week of September 10 at 8:00 am in the Sabin band room and will rehearse every Tuesday through Friday. Field Trip Information 7th and 8th grade students will go on 1 performance field trip in April that takes place during the school day. Information will follow in email and the band website as details are solidified. Look for information in February to March. 8 th grade and Jazz Band students will go on a field trip to Elitches on Saturday, May 18, which includes a performance. There will be academic requirements to be met for participation in this field trip. Fundraising opportunities will be available to offset the cost of this trip as well. New This Year: one or more optional Saturday field trips during the year will be available to provide the experience for students to see live performances. Information will follow. Watch your email and check the band website for communication on these opportunities. Tips for Parents and Students (HELP) Help to set up the best possible practice facility. The area should be well lit and free from other distractions and should accommodate a straight chair and music stand. Establish a regular time and routine for practice. Students should begin with some warm-up exercises (long tones and scales), move into the assignment and isolate difficult passages. These passages can be played slower with different articulations to help resolve technical problems. Students should end practice time with a piece they know and enjoy playing for fun. Listen enthusiastically to your child s practicing. Recognize his/her effort and make positive comments. Remember, you are the audience your child will most appreciate. Participate in our three-way partnership: Parent, student, and teacher working together to make band an enjoyable and lifelong experience.
HOW TO PRACTICE (to be most effective): 1) Begin with a warm-up. a. Play long tones first to warm up lips, work on taking a deep, full breath, and playing blocks of sound. Brass players next play lip slurs to build flexibility for changing pitch with lips. (3-5 minutes) b. Play a scale slowly. Listen to each pitch to make sure it sounds correct (key signature). Scales help to develop good technique and mastery of the instrument. (5-10 minutes) 2) Book or Music work next. a. Practice assignments, exercises in book, and/or sheet music. Find those spots that you are having problems with and/or the spots you may be tested on and practice them SLOWLY. This time can include counting, clapping, sizzling, writing in counts and fingerings, and singing. Use a metronome for all rhythm work! (15-20 minutes) 3) Play straight through music last. a. Play through solos or any other supplemental materials that you enjoy playing. Remember: The most challenging part of home practice is taking the instrument out of the case. It is much better to practice twenty minutes every day than to practice two hours once a week. Create a daily routine. If you stick to a practice plan, you will find you will see more steady progress. Don t look at practice as a chore; it is fun to make music and even more fun to see the improvement and growth! A practice session can be highly productive if a few simple steps are followed: 1. Find a convenient time of the day that can become a regular practice time. 2. Find a quiet room with a chair and a music stand. 3. Follow the practice routine outlined below. 4. Repetition is one of the means to correct problems but only if the repetition itself is correct. LEARN IT SLOWLY FIRST. 5. Don t just play practice something you cannot yet play in class.
SABIN BAND PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE All concerts are at the Mitchell HS auditorium and begin at 7 pm, unless otherwise noted. Monday, November 12-7th Period Band performs for Veteran s Day Assembly during school (at Sabin) Tuesday, November 13 - District 11 Honor Band Auditions*, Mann Middle School @ 5:30 pm Thursday, December 6 Sabin Band Concert (all grades) Thursday, December 13 - Jazz Band Concert (at Sabin cafeteria) Wednesday, March 20 - Joint concert Mitchell HS/Sabin MS Band Week of April 22 - Large Group Festival (7th Period & 1st Period Bands)** Thursday, May 9 - Jazz Band Concert (at Sabin cafeteria) Tuesday, May 14 Sabin Band Concert (all grades) Saturday, May 18 - Sabin Music Department Elitches Trip^ (Jazz Band & 7th Period) Additional (Optional) Performance Dates Tuesday, Oct. 16 th - 8th graders invited to perform at a Mitchell Band Concert (optional) Saturday, December 1 - Tuba Christmas Solo and Ensemble Festival - TBD *District 11 Honor Band (All at Palmer HS) Tuesday, December 18, 6:00-8:00 pm Monday, January 7 6:00-8:00 pm Wednesday, January 9, 6:00-8:00 pm Friday January 11, 9:00 am-3:00 pm 7:00 pm Concert **Large Group Festival This will be a performance field trip during the school day. The date for the trip will be announced in March. ^Elitches Trip There will be academic eligibility requirements to be met in order to participate in this trip. There will also be fundraising opportunities to help offset the cost of the $55 field trip fee.
2018-19 Sabin Band Handbook Agreement Form Please return this page only to Ms. Shank in the Sabin Band Room by Friday, August 31, 2018. This form is worth 50 points of the band student s grade. By signing below, I fully acknowledge that I have read and agree to abide by the policies outlined in the Sabin Band Handbook. I have read the Sabin Band Handbook completely and marked my calendar with all required concert dates. I fully understand what is expected of me as a positive, contributing member of the Sabin Band Program. Student Name Class Period Student Signature Parent Signature Date