2016-2017 Student/Parent Handbook Keith Heim Director of Bands 615-680-9365 (band phone/text #) 615-758-5152 (WWMS front office) http://wwmsband.weebly.com The West Wilson Middle School Band has a long standing tradition of excellence. The goal of our program is to build character and instill life skills through participation in the performing arts.
Why Music? Music is a very important element in the development of your child's education. We don't consider the performing arts an "activity." Rather, the music ensembles at WWMS are co-curricular classes. They, along with your child s core academic classes form the foundation of a well rounded education. Students will be taught the elements of music, music theory, music history, and music reading. There will also be numerous opportunities for public performance as a member of the performing ensembles at WWMS. Bands at West Wilson Middle School Beginning Band All sixth grade students at WWMS are provided the opportunity to begin instrumental music classes. Students in beginning band will be selected to play flute, clarinet, trumpet, or trombone. Other instruments such as saxophone, French horn, tuba, and percussion may be added later in the year. No previous experience is necessary to sign up for beginning band. Music reading, instrumental technique, practice skills, and good performing habits are the primary focus in this class. Intermediate Band Students in this class are seventh graders with one year of experience on their instruments. This ensemble will focus more on performing concert band literature, but will continue to build basic instrumental skills. Advanced Band This ensemble is comprised of eighth grade students and focuses primarily on performing standard concert band literature as well as more advanced instrumental training. Pep Band This is our athletic band. Made up of seventh and eighth grade band students, this ensemble plays at pep rallies, as well as select football and basketball games. Most of the music performed is more pop oriented than the music performed in concert band or jazz band. Jazz Band In this ensemble students will play jazz, rock, funk, and other styles of popular music. Students will not only reinforce music reading skills, but will be given the opportunity to perform as a soloist, and will learn the basic fundamentals of music improvisation. 2
Classroom Expectations If you observe the most respected and successful people in our society, you will often find that their behavior and character have a tremendous influence on their success. The following behavioral expectations are not just ways to be successful in our classroom. These are character traits that will set our students up for long-term success well beyond their time in school. TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT AND KINDNESS - Say please and thank you, take turns, make others feel welcome or included, avoid saying mean/hurtful things, keep hands off of other people s belongings, be honest. LISTEN - Obviously listening is one of the most important skills a musician can possess. We also need to be great listeners when instruction/feedback is given by an adult, when students are asking/answering questions, and when others are speaking to us in conversation. BE RESPONSIBLE - Clean up after yourself (DON T LEAVE A TRAIL!), stand by your commitments, be a helper (by picking up trash, assisting others with a job, etc.), always leave rooms/buildings in better condition than before you arrived, be prepared for classes/performances. MAKE YOUR BEST EFFORT - Always do the best work that you possibly can. Mastering an instrument or ANY skill can often be challenging. Be positive and work hard to overcome obstacles. Remember that individuals with moderate talent and a great work ethic will often surpass people with excellent talent, but who give little effort not just in music, but in all areas of life. USE SELF DISCIPLINE - Avoid any actions that will distract others and prevent them from doing their best. This includes talking during class time, playing your instrument at inappropriate times, making unnecessary noise with your body/music stand/instrument case/other objects. Everything you do affects everybody else around you. Know when it is appropriate to be relaxed/silly and when it is not. An individual who can discipline themselves will not have to be disciplined by others. PRACTICE - The only way to master any skill is to practice it on your own. Practice does not make perfect, but it does make better. It doesn t matter if you are learning a new math concept, how to throw a baseball, how to drive, how to play an instrument, or how to change a diaper the only way to get better at something is to put the time into practicing. 3
West Wilson Band Supply List All students in band will need to have the following items: 1 ½ BLACK 3-ring binder Clear sheet protectors for binder low glare works the best A pencil to keep in band binder at all times Highlighter (any color) to keep in band binder at all times Luggage tag for instrument case (even if using a rental or a school instrument) Wire music stand to keep at home for practice A good mouthpiece can make a big difference in tone quality and ease of playing. I strongly recommend that students have their own mouthpiece. IF YOU USE A SCHOOL INSTRUMENT IT IS REQUIRED. The following items are instrument specific and are only required of students who play the instrument for which the supplies are listed: FLUTE Flute Swab/Rod combo (for cleaning/drying the inside of the flute) Polishing Cloth for outside cleaning OBOE Silk Swab (for cleaning the inside of the oboe) Cork Grease 3 4 reeds (med. soft for beginners, medium for advanced) Reed Case (an absolute must to protect reeds) CLARINET Clarinet Swab (for cleaning the inside of the clarinet) Mouthpiece Swab or Brush (for cleaning the inside of the mouthpiece) 4 or more reeds Beginning Vandoren # 2 strength Intermediate Vandoren #2½ strength Advanced Vandoren #3 strength 4 reed capacity case to protect reeds (Reedguard and Reedmate are common) Cork Grease Recommended mouthpieces: Yamaha 4C or Hite Premiere SAXOPHONES (ALTO, TENOR, AND BARITONE) Saxophone Swab (for cleaning the inside of the saxophone) Mouthpiece Swab or Brush (for cleaning the inside of the mouthpiece) 4 or more reeds Beginning LaVoz medium strength Intermediate/Advanced Vandoren #2½ strength 4 reed capacity case to protect reeds (Reedguard and Reedmate are common) Cork Grease Recommended mouthpiece: Hite Premiere brand mouthpiece 4
TRUMPET Cleaning Kit (should include all of the following): Mouthpiece Brush Valve Casing Brush Flex Brush or Snake Valve Oil Tuning Slide Grease Recommended mouthpiece: 3C (Bach, Blessing) or TR-11 (Yamaha) FRENCH HORN Cleaning Kit (should include all of the following): Mouthpiece Brush Flex Brush or Snake Rotary Valve Oil Tuning Slide Grease Recommended mouthpiece: Holton Farkas medium TROMBONE Cleaning Kit (should include all of the following): Mouthpiece Brush Flex Brush or Snake Tuning Slide Grease Slide Cream Small Mister/Spray Bottle (to hold water to help lubricate slide) Recommended mouthpiece: 6½AL (Bach, Blessing), Schilke 51-D small shank BARITONE/EUPHONIUM Cleaning Kit (should include all of the following): Mouthpiece Brush Valve Casing Brush Flex Brush or Snake Valve Oil Tuning Slide Grease Recommended mouthpiece: 6½AL (Bach, Blessing), Schilke 51-D small shank TUBA Cleaning Kit (should include all of the following): Mouthpiece Brush Valve Casing Brush Flex Brush or Snake Valve Oil Tuning Slide Grease Recommended mouthpiece: Conn Helleberg 7B PERCUSSION Medium-Hard Bell/Xylophone Mallets (Innovative Percussion F-12), drumsticks (Vic Firth Bolero or Zildjian 7A) Stick/Mallet bag (this should also have a luggage tag w/student s name) A metronome to use when practicing 5
The West Wilson Middle School Student/Parent Guide to Renting or Purchasing a Band Instrument These are the brands of instruments that are highly regarded and commonly recommended as being very reliable by most middle/high school band directors. These are not the only reputable brand names, but these are the brands I have had the most success with. Other brand names may not necessarily be poor quality instruments, but they may be difficult to repair if damaged, and often times replacement parts are not even made. Please be aware of this when buying an instrument made by a manufacturer not on this list. If you have questions about a brand or manufacturer please call or e-mail me and I will be more than happy to help. FLUTE: Jupiter Armstrong Gemeinhardt Yamaha Artley TRUMPET: Jupiter Holton Bach Yamaha Conn Blessing CLARINET: Jupiter Selmer Yamaha Buffet Bundy Armstrong TROMBONE: Jupiter Bach Yamaha Conn Holton Blessing My strongest recommendation to everyone is to RENT an instrument for beginning band. There are three reasons why I believe this is the best option for beginning band families: 1. Most rental programs deal with the above listed reputable brands. Your student will start out with a high quality instrument. 2. Many rental programs are rent-to-own. At some point you will be the owner of the band instrument, but you don t have to pay the entire purchase price at one time. 3. The stores we do our rental programs with usually include repair costs in the rental fee. If something goes wrong (we all know accidents happen sometimes) most repairs will not cost you extra. I have found through the years that students who rent/own their band instruments tend to take pride in what they do and find more success than students who use a loaner instrument. There is an investment in the process which adds to the desire to succeed. If you have any questions about this process or need help locating a usable instrument, please contact me. I am here to help! 6
Method Books Each student needs to purchase his/her own method book for in class use and at home practice. We will be using the following books in class this year: 6 th Grade: Essential Elements for Band (6 th grade students do not need a book until we finalize instrument selections!) 7 th Grade: Essential Elements for Band (you may use last year s copy) There is a previous version of the beginning band book called Essential Elements 2000 that is compatible with the new edition. You may purchase that book if it is available. Instruments and Supplies We are very fortunate to have several music stores in our area that work with our band program. In addition to their convenient locations, most of these businesses will bring instrument and supply orders directly to our school. You may visit these stores in person or visit the websites below to take care of your instrument rental for the 2014-2015 school year. Shiloh Music Center 4056 N. Mt. Juliet Rd. Mt. Juliet, TN 37122 (615) 758-9473 www.rentfromhome.com enter the code ds35b to get started Music & Arts 536 N. Thompson Lane, Suite G OR 1050 Glenbrook Way, Suite 460 Murfreesboro, TN 37129 Hendersonville, TN 37075 (615) 893-4241 (615) 264-8686 www.musicarts.com click on the rentals tab to get started The Music Stop 310 W. Main St. Murfreesboro, TN 37130 (615) 217-6165 www.themusicstoponline.com Shuff s Music 118 3 rd Ave. N. Franklin, TN 37064 (615) 790-6139 www.shuffsmusic.com All of these stores should have band instruments for rental/purchase, mouthpieces/reeds/accessories, and the method books we will use in class this year. You may also want to ask them about the availability of private instrument lessons. 7
Grading Policies and Procedures Our band classes are graded using a points system. Each assignment, daily class participation, or assessment will be given a point value. Each grading period s final grade will be determined by dividing the number of points earned by the number of points possible. If there are 200 points possible during a 9 week grading period and you earn 180 points your grade would be a 90%. Each class period is assigned a daily participation grade. This grade is affected by off task behavior, inattentiveness, or lack of effort. You have to be fully involved with every class activity to master each skill/concept. If you do not bring your instrument to class or cannot participate because of missing materials (reed, mouthpiece, music, etc.) your grade will be affected! You are still expected to be involved with what we are learning that day. Share music, finger along on your instrument or with a pencil, or ask to use a loaner instrument for the day find a way to still contribute to the success of our team. There may also be a brief written assignment documenting the reason why you are not participating that day. Assignments/assessments will be both written and performance based. Many of our individual performance based assessments can be recorded and emailed or posted electronically for Mr. Heim to hear. We will cover these procedures in class. For those without access or familiarity with that technology, students can still perform those assessments in the classroom for me at an appropriate time. We will occasionally have after school rehearsals and will have 3-5 evening performances per year. In addition to our band concerts, we may play at some WWMS athletic events. Attendance is required at all rehearsals and performances. Public performances are the most visible way for our band students to demonstrate the learning that takes place in our classroom. When students are missing from the ensembles, it affects the balance, blend, and overall precision of the bands. Performances are considered to be assessments of our learning and will be graded accordingly. Unexcused absences from a performance will affect your grade. 8
Reasons for an excused absence from a rehearsal or performance include: Hospitalization of the student Death in the family Religious Holiday Other reasons as deemed excusable by the director Schedule conflicts and other unexpected emergencies happen from time to time. Please make every possible effort to be present at our performances. If the conflict is with a practice, a party, shopping trip, etc. our performance should be a priority. If the conflict is with a dance recital, a game that you are playing in, or things of that nature, please bring it to my attention early enough that we can attempt to work out a solution. We have even had athletes come into the auditorium and perform with their grade level during a sporting event before. I encourage our students to be involved in many activities. Throughout middle and high school I played several sports, played in band, sang in choir, participated in clubs, had a job, and very rarely had two game or performance situations that happened at the same time. Everyone is busy, but learning to be proactive about managing your time at a young age makes it that much easier as you mature into adulthood. Our district-wide grading scale is as follows: A = 93-100 B = 85 92 C = 75-84 D = 70-74 F = 0-69 Field Trips and Off-Campus Performances Students participating in the West Wilson Middle School Band Program have many educational opportunities. Some of these will be field trips to participate in or observe other musical performances and festivals. Students are expected to represent our community, WWMS, their parents, and the music department in a positive manner at all times. All Wilson County Schools and WWMS rules apply to all Music Department trips and events. 9
Performing Opportunities Outside the Classroom The Middle Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association (MTSBOA) is our regional band directors organization. MTSBOA oversees many events throughout the school year that provide opportunities for our students to experience and learn things beyond what happens in their classroom. The MTSBOA All Mid-State Honor Band Festival takes place in January. The students in these honor bands are the absolute best young musicians in all of Middle Tennessee. Mid-State auditions will happen in early December. The Wilson County Honor Band will take place in January/February. Students are selected through director nomination. I will have more information later about how our students can get nominated for this opportunity. In the spring we will attend the MTSBOA Concert Performance Assessment. We will perform two selections for a panel of adjudicators, and then perform a selection we ve never seen before. We will receive a grade for both our prepared performance and our sight-reading, along with constructive feedback from the adjudication panel. There is also the opportunity for students to perform as a soloist or part of a small group at a Solo and Ensemble Festival each spring. Students will receive a grade and constructive feedback from adjudicators. Students who earn a Superior or Excellent rating will also receive a medal to commemorate their accomplishment. Performance Uniforms We will be wearing our WWMS Band polo shirts with all black pants/skirt and all black socks/shoes for all performances. All band students are expected to cooperate fully with these guidelines. I have never seen a great athletic team or performing ensemble that did not take pride in its appearance. The goal is for our audiences to focus on how we sound, not be distracted by how we look. When we perform at the MTSBOA Concert Performance Assessment this spring, part of the criteria by which we are graded includes a professional appearance. A simple, consistent uniform is the easiest way to achieve the highest possible grade in that area of the assessment. We will make an order for these shirts sometime this fall. 10
Private Lessons All students are encouraged to take private lessons on their band instrument. This is the best way to truly excel as a musician. Private lessons allow a student to work on instrumental techniques at his/her own pace in a one on one setting with an instructor who will make individualized assignments. Beginning students can get a firm grasp of fundamentals, while experienced players can work on much more advanced concepts and techniques. Any student who is serious about continuing band through high school or who is planning to audition for the MTSBOA Mid-State Honor Band will benefit from the expert instruction provided in private lessons. Please contact any of the individuals listed below for more information about prices and scheduling lessons. Private Lesson Instructors Woodwind Instruments: Michelle Browne (flute)............ 615-719-1196........ mmbrowne@comcast.net Belinda King (flute)... 443-742-2250 (M)... 615-965-2159 (H)... bck1950@gmail.com Heather Slater (flute)............615-480-0527........ heatherloreeslater@gmail.com Jennifer Owens (clarinet/saxophone)..615-506-3264........ playmusic2332@gmail.com James Button (oboe)............. 615-790-6139 Jennifer Kearney (oboe)......... 941-875-1473........ bluebutterfly99@wildmail.com Monica Zsolt (clarinet)............ (615) 882-0065......... monica@monicazsolt.com James Zimmerman.............. 615-636-4604............ slimzim@yahoo.com Matt Davich (all woodwinds)... (615) 847-8636 (H)... (615) 319-5422 (M) mdavich@mailstation.com He also teaches at Shiloh music on Fridays and Saturdays! Evan Cobb (all woodwinds)......... evancobbjazz@gmail.com Brass Instruments: Paul Deyo (trumpet/horn)............ trumpeter953@gmail.com Patrick Kunkee (trumpet).......... 615-500-5587........... pk63@bellsouth.net Gretchen Demonbreun (F horn)..... 615-507-0629 Patrick Brassell (low brass)......... 615-339-4815.......... patrick.b@comcast.net Glenn Martin (low brass)............. gmartin2570@charter.net Weston Demonbreun (low brass)...615-689-3185........ wes.demonbreun@gmail.com Percussion: Jim Riley (drummer for Rascal Flatts)....................... www.jimrileymusic.com Paul Garretson.................. paulhgarretson@yahoo.com 11
Instruments and Equipment WWMS band students are expected to provide their own instruments. Exceptions to this are the larger instruments such as, F horn, baritone, bass clarinet, and tuba. We work with three different music stores in the area to provide several options for instrument rental or purchase. We have an extremely small number of instruments available here at school for checkout. Many of these, however, are fairly old and are starting to show their age. You will get a much higher quality instrument, plus repair coverage by renting. If you do use a school instrument, take care of it as if it were your own. Your instrument use contract states that you will have to pay for repairs if it is damaged, and you certainly don t want to buy a replacement if it is lost! Instrument Room Procedures Put your instrument in the correct area. Close and latch your case EVERY TIME YOU PUT YOUR INSTRUMENT AWAY! DO NOT TOUCH OR MOVE ANYONE ELSE S INSTRUMENT! Put your garbage in the trash can, not on the floor or the instrument shelves. Fundraising Fundraising is an unfortunate, yet necessary part of all school music programs. In addition to our requested band fee of $10, we need all of our students to participate in our fundraising programs during the school year. We will try to be creative with our ideas, but the most important thing is support from our parents and students. We will ALWAYS accept donations if you ever feel inclined to contribute. Our current instrument inventory is in serious need of updating. We could easily spend $25,000 on instruments and equipment that is necessary to meet the needs of a band program as large as ours, so everyone s effort is necessary when fundraiser events are happening! 12
How to Contact the WWMS Band Department West Wilson Middle School 935 N. Mt. Juliet Rd. Mt. Juliet, TN 27122 615-680-9365 (band room) You may also text Mr. Heim at this number! 615-758-5152 (school office) Mr. Heim s E-mail: heimk@wcschools.com Visit the WWMS band website to find news updates, an events calendar, educational resources, and pictures/videos of our students in action: http://wwmsband.weebly.com We also send out information, event reminders, and our WWMS Band newsletter as a text message using the Remind.com service. Simply send the message @wwmsband to the phone number 81010 to subscribe. Everyone is also invited to join the WWMS Band Facebook group. It is another convenient way to share information, pictures, and videos for our entire WWMS Band family. 13
Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children. - Walt Disney Bear in mind that the wonderful things you learn in your schools are the work of many generations. All this is put in your hands as your inheritance in order that you may receive it, honor it, add to it, and one day faithfully hand it on to your children. - Albert Einstein Whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right. - Henry Ford A coward gets scared and quits. A hero gets scared, but still goes on. - unknown The time is always right to do what is right. - Martin Luther King Jr. Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment. - Jim Rohn We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. - Aristotle Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. - Ralph Waldo Emerson Practice is the best of all instructors. - Publilius Syrus Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. - Martin Luther King, Jr. 14
Please read this page, sign it, and return it to Mr. Heim as soon as possible. I have read the West Wilson Middle School Band handbook and understand that it is my responsibility to attend all required rehearsals and performances during my time as a member of the band. I will do my best to represent our school and community in a positive manner, and will strive to be the best citizen and musician that I can be. Student's Name Date I have read the West Wilson Middle School Band handbook and understand that it is my responsibility as a band parent to ensure my child has the necessary items for class, encourage individual practice, and to ensure that he/she attends all required rehearsals and performances. Parent/Guardian's Name Date 15