Special
Band Announcements:
Our 2007
Winter Concert was a huge success! Everyone
performed very well
Your hard
work and dedication has paid off you
should all be extremely proud of yourselves!
Our Spring
Concert is scheduled for
Monday, June 2nd
at Stockbridge Theater. Hopefully we wont
get snowed out!
Here is
some information about CONCERT BAND:
Rules for Band
Class
When in rehearsal,
certain rules need to be followed. These
are to make sure that everyone gets an equal
chance at
learning their music and to get as
much time practicing as possible!
♪ Raise your hand when you wish to speak.
♪ Speak/play only when given permission.
♪ Sign out to leave the band room for any
reason.
♪ Treat all adults, students, and
instruments with care and respect.
♪ Leave the
band room exactly as you found it (clean!).
Grading Policy
ATTENDANCE
40%
During the school day,
band occurs from 2:00pm to 2:45pm on
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I
understand that it takes time to travel and
set up your instrument, so I will wait until
2:05 to begin rehearsal. If you arrive any
time thereafter, you will be considered
late.
Band members are
required to be at all performances. These
include one concert in December and one in
May. Any unexcused absence from a concert
will result in a zero for your performance
grade. If there is a medical or family
emergency, you must turn in a signed note
from a parent or guardian stating the reason
for your absence at the earliest available
time. Concert dates and times, concert
dress code, and other information will be
forthcoming.
PARTICIPATION 20%
Students are expected
to be prepared for class every meeting.
This means each student must have their
instrument, music, and a pencil. I will be
conducting random pencil/music checks
throughout the year that will count as a
grade; therefore, you should be prepared
every day! There are instrument lockers in
the music room that are available for use.
I will be in my room every morning (except
Wednesdays) before school, so feel free to
stop in and drop your instrument off.
Sometimes I will need
to work with the whole band, and other times
I will need to work with a small section.
No matter who I am working with, band
members are expected to be quiet and
respectful. Feel free to (quietly) review
the fingerings that you have in that
section, (quietly) write in the measure
numbers on your music, or (quietly) write in
rhythm patterns or valve combinations on
your music. The point is to be productive
(quietly).
PRACTICING
20%
Students are expected
to practice at home. I do not want to see
instruments left in the music room over the
weekend. Students are expected to fill out
a practice chart that will be signed by a
parent or guardian. Practice charts vary by
grade and will be available on the tack
board as you enter the music room. These
will be collected every Wednesday and must
be turned in on time to receive full
credit. I am not as much concerned with you
being a virtuoso as with you
becoming a virtuoso. Points vary by
grade please see your respective practice
sheets for more information.
HOMEWORK
20%
From time to time I
will give little homework assignments.
These will either be music assignments or
writing assignments. I do not give homework
to make your lives miserable. I give
homework to accentuate and enhance the work
we do in class. I will give you at least a
week to complete each assignment. Further
instruction will be provided with each
assignment given.
5th
Grade Instrumental Lessons
(5th Graders ONLY)
5th Graders
will have pull-out instrumental lessons once
a day every week starting the week of the 10th.
The schedule will look something like this:
Monday:
Saxophones 12:50-1:20
Tuesday:
Flutes 12:50-1:20
Wednesday:
Clarinets 12:50-1:20
Thursday:
Brass 12:50-1:20
Friday:
Percussion 12:50-1:20
All 5th
graders must attend these lessons! Playing
an instrument means learning how to play by
yourself, play in a band, and play with
others that have the same instrument!
Besides, well have a lot of fun!
Instruments
Instruments are handled
through American Music. A representative of
the company comes to Chester Academy once a
week. If students need reeds, oils,
greases, or significant repairs (anything
too complicated for Mr. Schweiss to do), the
representative will be able to take care of
it. You can purchase items/repair
instruments with the representative through
Mr. Schweiss. That being said, the sooner I
know something is needed, the quicker it can
be delivered.
Instruments should be
brought into school and stored in the band
room on band days. Instruments are allowed
to stay overnight during the week if
transportation is an issue. Instruments are
NOT allowed to spend a weekend in the band
room. This is for security and practicing
reasons.
Concerts
The Holiday concert
will be Thursday, December 20th.
The Spring concert will be Monday, June 2nd.
They will both take place at the Stockbridge
Theater at Pinkerton Academy. Detailed
information will be distributed prior to the
concert dates.
Concert dress will be:
Boys
-White Chester Musician Shirt.
-Black or Dark Pants.
-Dark Shoes.
Girls
-White Chester Musician Shirt.
-Black or Dark Skirt or Pants.
-Dark Shoes.
White Chester Musician
Shirts can be obtained from Mr. Schweiss for
a fee of $17. If this is going to be an
issue, feel free to contact me at any point.
Quitting Band
I will do my best as
teacher and musician to work with any
students who feels band is too much. I
understand there is a life outside the band
room that includes family, friends, sports,
etc. If specific concerns are presented to
me, I can arrange things so band has its
place in your schedule. If there is no
agreement that can be reached, let me know
as soon as possible. Leaving an ensemble
affects the entire ensemble. If you
feel you cannot do band this year, let me
know by September 19th! If you
do not speak with me before September 19th,
I will assume you are committing yourself to
band through the December concert! After
the December concert, but before January 17th,
you will have the option to leave again if
things become too much and a compromise
cannot be reached.
Beginning Band
and Lessons
Students need
to remember their lesson days.
As always, any
strategies parents and teachers can think of
to help students remember this schedule is
appreciated.
Students in Beginning
Band (grade 4) will have their lessons
immediately following lunch. Students in
grade 5 will miss 20 minutes of their lunch
time and 10 minutes of their classroom
time. This schedule was created to ensure
all students had ample opportunity to
participate in individualized lesson times
as well as miss as little of their classroom
responsibilities as possible. Here are the
days different instruments have lessons:
Grade 4
Alto
saxophone
.Monday 12:30
1:00
Flute
.Tuesday
12:30 1:00
Clarinet Group
1
..Wednesday 12:30 1:00
Clarinet Group
2
..Thursday 12:30
1:00
Percussion
Friday
12:30 1:00
Grade 5
Alto
saxophone
.Monday 12:50
1:20
Flute
.Tuesday
12:50 1:20
Clarinet
.Wednesday 12:50
1:20
Brass
Thursday 12:50
1:20
Percussion
Friday
12:50 1:20
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You've kept it hidden long enough.
Now it's time.
OUT OF THE CLOSET!
How long has it been? Since High
School?,
College?
or maybe even Grade School?
You've kept it hidden for a long
time.
You don't have to wait any longer.
We're here to help. Remember how
good it felt?
You can renew the experience if you
want to,
or pass the opportunity onto a
beginner.
It's time to act. Go to your closet.
Today.
Take out that Clarinet, French Horn
or Trumpet.
Maybe you're a drummer and still
have a Snare Drum.
Perhaps you bought a Guitar to learn
to play, and never did.
Maybe Uncle Ralph died and you got
his Concertina.
What you have and where you got it
is not nearly so
important as what you plan to do
with it.
Give it to Chester Academy to use
in their "Instruments for Kids"
program.
We want to make sure that any
kid who
wants to play music,
can play music, regardless of
economic status.
Don't you?
You will still have the memories,
even if the instrument has gone back
to work.
When was the last time you actually
looked at it, anyway?
Put some warm fuzzy feelings in your
future.
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