Band Handbook

Rehearsals

All rehearsals will be scheduled in the afternoons from 3:50 to 5:25 p.m. 5 minutes before the afternoon bus arrives. Students are expected to attend all after school rehearsals for ensembles in which they participate. A schedule of events will be given out well in advance. If a student has a conflict, they should make arrangements with the director before hand, at least 1 week in advance for rehearsals, and 2 weeks or more for a performance. Students should bring in excuse notes before missing an event, or rehearsal; excuse notes are required for absences.

The week of a performance, rehearsals are mandatory. Extenuating circumstances will be addressed on an individual basis. City functions such as ALL City and District Band requires 100% attendance. Missing one of these rehearsals will result in removal from the group. Tardiness will result in the loss of chair position.

Performances

Certain performances will be graded (ex. Winter & Spring Concert). If a student must miss a Performance, the director must have a 2 weeks notice in advance, since you have the dates already please make sure there are no conflicts. If a missed performance is excused, an alternative assignment will be given to the student to make up the grade. Sometimes circumstances arise and certain things cannot be avoided, the director will address these on an individual basis. Parents are encouraged to drop off and pick up students at the school for away performances; (of course Parents are always welcome to come). If this is not possible, the details need to be arranged in advance of the performance with the student’s assistant principal. A copy of this approval in writing must be provided to the band director.

Sports

Students participating in school sports will be expected to attend on a “half and half” basis. If this is not possible, it is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements in advance with the band director or coach. “We will work with you on this.”

Uniforms

The concert uniform for all bands is a white top and black bottom. Boys: White dress shirt, long black tie, black pants, black socks and black shoes. Girls: White top, black skirt- (no skirts above the knees), or a black concert dress and black shoes (no open toe). (Please make arrangements before the day of the concert to get these items.)

Marching Band: The students will be issued a complete uniform. The students will leave the uniforms at school and change into them just prior to a performance. The uniforms are not to be taken home, but will be returned to the school directly after the performance. Students will need to purchase their on black shoes and wear black socks. Shoes may be purchased through the band boosters. Shoes may also be used during the Spring & Winter concert

Instrument Storage

Students may store instruments at the school in the band room at their own risk. If the student is renting an instrument, it is suggested that the student take advantage of the insurance option available at the time of purchase.

Awards

Members of performing organizations will receive awards at the Annual Awards Banquet. Some ensembles have completion requirements: Two semesters of marching band and guard, Jazz band, etc. Awards are based on full participation in rehearsals and performances. Special recognition and or trophies are awarded for being in the Music Panther Honor Club and leadership positions such as President, vice-president, Librarian, Drum Major, Drum Captain, and Guard Captain, as well as for participation in All-City Band, Solo/Ensemble and District Band. Certificates and or Bars are awarded for being in a performing group and not missing any rehearsals or performances.

Assessment Measures:

Mastery will be assessed via performance based through Concerts, playing tests, and written tests, as well as guided practice in class and practice logs. Performance on the instrument (Ex. Concert or playing test) will generally evaluate correct posture, proper characteristic instrument sound, correct fingers, rhythms, articulations, interpretation of style and any other pertinent factors relating to the music. Class work will involve worksheets and other relevant activities pertaining to the subject of study.

Practice logs will be checked once per marking period. A total of 6 weeks will be checked for marking period one. A total of 8 weeks will be checked for each of the 3 remaining marking periods, a grand total of 30 weeks for the year. After school practice, Ex. Marching band rehearsals will count towards your practice log; Private lessons will count the same as your private lesson (teacher verification), any sessions with Mr. Privette after school will count that number of minutes, either solo/ensemble.

Sixth grade at least 100 min. per week. / 120 min and over 5 extra points

Seventh and Eighth graders 150 min. per week. / 180 min and over 5 extra points

Reeds:

Woodwind students are also responsible for reeds (Mitchell Lurie{Premium} with Hite mouthpiece, size 2 ½ for beginners..size 3 second semester/over the break to B and C, then to size 3 ½ as students move closer to high G,A,B, and C (2^nd year). Then to Vandoren V-12 reeds (silver box)..Size 3, then 3 ½ … end of eight grade. If you are taking private lessons, ask your private teacher what reed you should be playing on.

Bonus Points:

Concerts outside of school (bring program or ticket stub) 1 pt. each

Member of outside music groups-

Ex. Marching Band, Jazz Band, Church Group- 1 pt. per week (during that season)

Private lessons (with teacher verification) 1 pt. per week.

Note: Bonus points may only raise a student one-letter grade. Unused Points will be forfeited at the end of the grading period. Students must turn in bonus points by the end of the nine weeks in which they are earned. Students will have the opportunity to retake any test given in class within one week of the original test grade. Students are responsible for arranging to make up any missed work due to absence from class. Students who make an “A” during the nine weeks, 100 minutes on the practice log each week, must be in a after school music group, (ex. Marching band) and missing no rehearsals or performances will earn membership in the Music Panther Honor Club that nine weeks. Students who earn this for the whole year will earn a special honor at the end of the year banquet.

More information on how you earn a Performance grade in band.

Tone Quality:

A Very full and supported from top to bottom of range: good intonation; embouchure and playing positions are correct.

B Good support but a little “airy”, “fuzzy” or “edgy” (Use more air support or a stiffer reed. Brass open teeth)

C No air support; lack of control in top and bottom ranges; very “airy/fuzzy/edgy:’ tight or forced sound, squeaks.

D No tone control; all “air” in sound; very “stuffy” and unfocused

Scale:

A One to no errors; excellent tone quality; correct speed and tonguing; very even; no hesitations; correct intonation

B Two errors in technique or pitch; good overall tone with slight lack of tone control at top range; too fast or uneven rhythm or started again.

C Three errors and uneven or too fast, incorrect tonguing, tone/pitch problems.

D Four errors with noticeable tone and pitch problems.

E Five or more errors; student is obviously unprepared

0 Student did not play

Music Selection:

A grade will be given in each of the following categories:

Technique

Style

Rhythm

Articulation

A No errors

B A few errors, but no key signature errors; too slow, “heavy tonguing”

C Errors throughout

D Obvious errors throughout; much to slow; little technical continuity

E Selection is obviously unprepared

0 Student did not play.

Making a Difference - The Positive Side of Preparation

There are many levels of preparation that evolve from the time a new piece of music is passed out until it is performed. For progress to occur, each rehearsal should yield a higher level of refinement until every member of the group reaches a comfort level that enables them to perform with confidence. Making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process. Conscientious preparation will cause mistakes to diminish over time. Do not confuse making mistakes with poor preparation! There is a big difference between making mistakes while playing a part that has been given a reasonable amount of preparation, and merely stumbling (or not playing at all) through that same part on everybody else's rehearsal time. Frequently, additional technical exercises (scales, rudiments, etc.) will be needed to assist the musician in attaining a desired level of proficiency. As stated before, each rehearsal should yield a higher level of musical refinement. What may have been considered a great start on a piece of music will undoubtedly be considered less than adequate several rehearsals later. Achieving the common goal of making good music is a very special joy to be shared by students, director and audience. This goal is unattainable if inadequate preparation becomes commonplace. This goal, along with the joy and satisfaction associated with it, are held in high regard at Princess Anne Middle School. A rewarding, successful experience as a member of the Princess Anne Middle School Band is entirely within your grasp. Go ahead, "make a difference." Now let's learn how to practice.

Practice Guidelines: A Princess Anne Panther Band member has a personal duty to practice for his/herself, as well as for their fellow band members. Remember, a band is only as good as its weakest player. In order for practice to improve your playing, it must be directed toward proper goals and efficiently carried out. Before you practice, you should have a picture "in your ear" of how your instrument should sound. Listen to live and recorded music so you will know where and how you should direct your practice.

Be aware of your immediate goals. What is your greatest weakness right now? It might be sound, strength, facility, note reading, sight-reading, theory or counting. What technical problems do you most need to overcome? It might be scales, arpeggios or rudiments.

With this in mind, you can begin to practice more effectively. Let's begin.

How much should I practice?

6th grade 20 minutes, three to four times a week, minimum.

7th grade 30 minutes, three to four times a week, minimum.

8th grade 30 minutes, four times a week, minimum.

DEVELOPING GOOD PRACTICE SKILLS

PRACTICE...
WHAT IS IT
HOW DO WE DO IT
HOW TO APPROACH A TOUGH LICK

THOUGHTS:

Practice makes permanent, not perfect! If you start out by practicing wrong, you will permanently play that spot wrong!!

Good practice is hard work.

Practice is NOT always fun (sometimes it is - especially when you can feel the improvement!).

Practice is working on small sections until you can play them; then add the small sections together to make slightly larger sections, etc.

Practice and run-through are different procedures (both useful).

Putting the horn to your face and blowing (or grabbing the sticks & banging) is not practice. Think before you play. Think before you play. Think before you play.

Don't quit as soon as you "get it". Do it three more times!! If you really want to make it permanent, make yourself do it correctly three times in a row. If you mess up the 3rd time, you have to start counting all over again.

"Great! I got it!!" Tomorrow you probably will have lost it... But the good news is that it won't take as long to get it back as it took to learn it the first time!

It may take many days or weeks to get it right and be able to play it correctly every time!!

Practice is more than just notes and rhythms. Go for the details. Get a beautiful tone. Make sure the notes speak clearly. Get the dynamics & accents... DETAILS!

If you start making more mistakes or getting really frustrated, take a break. Come back to the spot later in your practice, or even tomorrow.

DO NOT PRACTICE UNTIL IT HURTS!!!!!! If a body part hurts, stop. If it continues to hurt every time you play, see a doctor!

THE TOUGH LICKS:

How you approach a tough lick depends on what is difficult about it!!!

A - Rhythm difficulties

Rule number 1-- Never play until you understand the rhythm. (If it is an easy rhythm, it is a good challenge to see if you can play it through right the first time, but then go back and make sure you were correct by doing little chunks & thinking about the rhythm.)

Intellectualize about the rhythm. Write in the counting if you need to, or write in where the beats fall.

Feel the rhythm in your body. Count through it, or speak through it while tapping your foot or being your own metronome.

Work slowly until you understand the rhythm. Be your own metronome. Work with a metronome. Figure out how tapping your foot helps. Gradually speed up.

ALWAYS work in small chunks - one or two measures at the most. Sometime you will need to work on 3 or 4 notes at a time!! Don't bite off more than you can chew or you will choke!

B - Nasty note combinations (nasty rudiment combinations)

Again, as always, work in small chunks. Here you will need even smaller numbers of notes - sometimes only 2 at a time!!!

When you have the small section you are working on learned, add more to it. Add the pickups or the measure before. Take it into the next measure.

Be sure to practice the "links". If you practice measure 4, then measure 5, and never practice linking 4 & 5 together, you will stumble every time you cross the measure. Practice measure 4 into the first note of measure 5.

Go over to offending notes in many different ways - forwards, backwards, different rhythms, staccato, legato.

Start slowly & gradually work faster. If you are thinking, "I can play it best fast", you haven't really got it learned yet! If you can only play it fast, you are missing notes. Play it at all tempos.

Do you know your alternate fingerings (standard sticking patterns) that help make the tough spots easier?

C - "It's too high!" (or too low) (or too fast to stick evenly)

Be sure you have practiced you basic skills. Brass players, are you working on lip slurs every day?? Those are your push-ups; they strengthen your chops so that you can slur more easily, but also so you can be more flexible on the low notes and have the strength to do the high notes! Woodwinds & brass, are you playing long tones? They strengthen muscles, too! Boring, but important!! Percussionists, are you practicing your long rolls and even single strokes??

Do you warm up before every practice? You must warm up the muscles slowly or you will injure something and never have the strength to conquer the extremes.

Work up to (down to) the note gradually. Play the notes around it and be sure they are solid and gradually add the next one.

Is your embouchure/position correct for this note?? You may need to tighten your lips or open your jaw more or take more mouthpiece in your mouth or angle the instrument differently. Ask your teacher.

Practice every day. That is a must for a good tone and a good range. You and your instrument need to work together every day so that the muscles are in good condition. You can not expect to play high/low notes if you don't practice. Percussionists can not expect to play smooth sounding rolls and fast patterns if you don't practice.

D - Dynamics

Exaggerate. Play the louds really loud and the softs really soft. Yes, you will miss & splat notes, the tone will be gross, and you may not be able to get the notes to come out, but it's OK - you are strengthening muscles by pushing them beyond what they can do.

Basketball analogy: If you want to get to where you can shoot free throws well, do you always practice at the foul line if you can't get the ball in? No, you'll miss most of the time. Do you find the place from which you can sink it and always practice there? No, you'll never get better. What do you do? You start where you can sink the ball and then back up. Whoops, missed again. Darn, missed. GOT IT! Missed again... And gradually you can get it most of the time. So you back up again. Etc. When in a game, do you go to the place you know you usually miss? No, of course not! Hot shotting never wins a game. You move in to where you know you can sink the ball and score the points. How does this relate to dynamics?? If you always play in the levels where you know you can play well and get the note to speak and have a good tone, you never get better. When you practice, "back up" a bit. Let the note splat because you are playing too loudly, let the sound not come out because you are trying to play too softly. Those are missed baskets. Your muscles will learn how to hit it every time and then you back up a little more! Exaggerate the louds & softs in your practice. When you get to rehearsal or concert time, stay within the range you know you can do well!

Performance Groups:

Optional Activities Pep Band/Marching Band: This group performs in the stands at our home football games. After-school rehearsals will be required in September and October. Students will be required to wear their pep band shirt to school on performance days. Any PAMS band members are eligible to participate. I hope that every student will take the opportunity to participate in this group to learn and enjoy a very important style of musical performance, literature and history.

Band Festival: This event is not optional for 8th Grade Concert Band Members and is sponsored by the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association (VBODA). The event is held the second weekend in March on a Friday and Saturday, at a school in either Virginia Beach or Norfolk. Parents and students will be informed of the performance day and time in early February. All eighth grade students are required to attend.

Jazz Band: This group performs jazz, swing, Latin and pop styles at various activities during the year. The group will practice one day per week after school, starting in either October or November. Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, trumpet, trombone, percussion, piano, guitar and bass players are eligible to participate. If large numbers of students are interested in participating, auditions may be held. An information and sign-up sheet will be posted before auditions and rehearsals begin.

Sixth and Seventh Grade All-City Bands: This activity is sponsored by the Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Participants are selected by the band director. Each middle school is granted a quota of students for participation. Selection for the band will be based on class participation, dependability, grades and playing tests, and a test on audition material. Selected seventh grade students will audition for chair positions at one of the city's middle schools in January; however, sixth grade students do not audition for chair positions. Students participate in two days of rehearsals in March, which include a Friday evening and Saturday morning. A concert is presented on Saturday afternoon.

District Band Auditions: This event is sponsored by the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association (VBODA), and is held in early December at a school in either Virginia Beach or Norfolk. All seventh and eighth grade students are eligible to audition. The audition consists of major scales, chromatic scale, a prepared piece, and sight-reading. Students receive audition materials in November. There is a small fee to audition.

All-District Band: This event is sponsored by the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association (VBODA)Those students who audition and are selected for the band participate in two days of rehearsals with a guest conductor the first Friday and Saturday in February at a local school. This weekend provides students the opportunity to perform some excellent music literature with the area's finest players. There is a fee of around $15 for participation. Princess Anne Middle students who perform with this group will receive a certificate and a State medal. According to school board policy, students must maintain a 2.0 grade point average in order to participate in this event.

Solo and Ensemble Festival: This event is sponsored by VBODA and is held in April or May at a school in the PAMS, Landstown, or Corporate Landing area. Students prepare solos, duets, trios, quartets, etc. to perform for a judge. The students receive a rating from I (Superior) to V (Poor) for their performance. Students receiving either a I or II will receive a medal. Music for the performance must be listed in the VBODA Graded Manual. Most area music stores will have selections sorted by grade level. If a student needs assistance in finding material, please check with the director. I highly recommend all students participate, in this event. There is a small fee to participate.

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Created by Amy Jo Harrell/Dec2005