Dear Band Parents,
Here is the plan for this week in band at Hawley Middle School.
8th Grade Concert - March 10
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Don't forget, our next concert is Friday, March 10. Students should arrive at 6:45 to get seated and tune, and we will start playing promptly at 7:00. This concert will feature only our 8th grade band and the SGHS concert band. It will be held at SGHS, students wear formal black & white.
6th and 7th graders are invited to attend, of course, but it is not required.
A word about cell phones and laptops
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Parents, we use smartphones and laptops in band. However, lately we have had some students abusing the privilege. I can't blame them, I probably would have done the same thing when I was their age. But texting is not part of band rehearsal. Neither are online games or Youtube or ESPN.com. Students are welcome to use their phones for Bandmate, and we use the laptops for JustinDickson.com/Band. That's it. Please take a moment to remind your child about your expectations for the appropriate use of technology in school.
Like I say to the kids in class, "I am a really good teacher, but I can't teach you if you are not paying attention."
In the Band Room
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6th Grade: This week we will finish up Chapter 8. We will review the songs we learned last week, and get into 8.09 which is an exercise in polyphony. This will prepare us for our concert music. I also plan to hand out our first piece of concert music this week.
7th Grade: Our 7th graders have done an excellent job with our first concert piece, "Baywood Overture", and I want to hand out a second piece of music this week. I have a few in mind, so we may take a few days to try a few different pieces to see which one fits best. I am leaning towards "Korean Folk Song Medley" arranged by James Ployhar, which is a classic in the band repertoire and is on the state Grade II list.
8th Grade: Our concert is two weeks away, so we will spend the next ten days perfecting our 3 pieces as much as we can. We have some very challenging music and I am really looking forward to performing it on March 10 for you!
Jazz Band: This week we will probably not get into any new songs. We need to take the time to clean up the songs we have and get them ready to perform. I want the jazz band to play on the March 10 concert.
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Old Stuff
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Sign Up To Receive Class Announcements By Text Message
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On your cell phone, send a text message to the phone number 81010
Send the message @HawleyBa16 to sign up for 6th grade messages
.............................. @HawleyBa15 to sign up for 7th grade messages
............................... @HawleyBa14 to sign up for 8th grade messages
Band Facebook page
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If you are an active Facebook user, please go here and "like" / "follow" our band page: www.Facebook.com/HawleyBandRoom
Download This App, Please
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Students should download the free app Bandmate Chromatic Tuner on their Apple or Android phone, tablet, iPod, etc. This is an app I designed. We will use it regularly in class, and students should use it regularly at home while they practice to check if they are playing the correct notes.
Calendar
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Friday, March 10: 8th grade band Concert. Location is the South Granville High School auditorium. Students arrive at 6:45, concert starts at 7:00.
Tuesday, April 4: 8th grade only, $95 for the Carowinds Festival of Music is due. Checks payable to "Hawley Middle School."
Thursday, May 11: 6th, 7th, and 8th grade band Concert. Location is the South Granville High School auditorium. Students arrive at 6:30, concert starts at 7:00.
Saturday, May 13: Carowinds Festival of Music, 8th grade only. Students meet in the band room at 8:00am, will return around 10:30pm.