G.C. Hawley Middle School Band: January 2018

Sunday, January 28, 2018

This Week In Band - Jan. 28, 2018

Registration for the UNC-Greensboro Summer Music Camp will be open soon, possibly this week depending on the age of your child. Here is the website: https://www.smcamp.org/

Last year, we had several of our students attend this camp and they had an incredible experience. I went when I was a kid, too, and I got so much out of it that I later decided to go to UNCG to get my music education degree. I highly, highly recommend it. And no, the dates do not conflict with SGHS marching band. See that website for more details.

This is the most popular summer music camp in the entire country. Kids come from all over the country just to be a part of it, and we are fortunate enough to have it one hour away. Spots do fill up quickly, so jump on the registration on the day it is available.

8th GRADE PERFORMANCE AT THE CAROWINDS FESTIVAL OF MUSIC!
8th grade band only. In case anyone needs it again, here is the paper with all of the information about the Carowinds Festival of Music event:  http://www.justindickson.com/band/stuff/carowinds-letter.pdf

And here is the Medical release & permission form in case your child still has not turned it in:  http://www.justindickson.com/band/stuff/carowinds-permission.pdf

IN THE BAND ROOM THIS WEEK
Hey, we are going to get two whole weeks without snow! How about that?

6th grade is working through Chapter 6, in which we have learned a new note and how to play dotted-half notes. Our test on this material will be #6.05, "Jurassic Park." This melody is pretty difficult, so please encourage your child to practice every day. I made an instructional video to help them practice on www.Youtube.com/HawleyBandRoom

7th grade is learning how to play new high notes and building their strength / endurance to play those notes consistently. We are using our Fundamentals routine, and learning melodies that use these high notes in Chapter 15. Our test this week will be #15.01, which is "Twinkle Twinkle" but in a higher key so students have to use their new high notes. Students who are struggling with these high notes should repeat Fundamentals #9 ten times, and then rest for at least five minutes. This will help build their strength.

8th grade will start on a new piece of concert music this week, a march written by our friend James Swearingen. We will perform this piece at our next concert (March 8) and at Carowinds. We will also continue working on As Twilight Falls, the piece we began learning last week. We will test on this material, so please make sure your child is practicing at home and knows their part. The more everyone practices and does their part, the more music we will be able to learn, and time is a factor because we lost two weeks to the snow.

===========================
OLD BUT STILL RELEVANT INFO
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PLEASE SIGN UP FOR TEXT ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you have not already done so, please sign up to receive text message announcements from me via the Remind app. You do not have to download the app. Just sent a text message to phone number 81010 , and the text message should say...
... @HawleyBa17 for sixth grade
... @HawleyBa16 for seventh grade
... @HawleyBa15 for eighth grade

TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE LEARNING EASIER
By now, most of you know that I designed a free mobile app for my students called Bandmate Chromatic Tuner (www.bandmatetuner.com). I highly recommend that you download it, or that your child downloads it on their phone / tablet if they have one, because it makes it so much easier for kids to learn their notes while they are practicing at home.
Students are allowed to use it in band class, too. In fact, I highly encourage it. If you would like your child to use it in class, I recommend you purchase the Peterson PitchGrabber pickup: https://www.amazon.com/Peterson-PitchGrabber-Mobile-Tuner/dp/B014L9CCHO/
This is like a microphone that will only "hear" your instrument, so you can use the Bandmate app in class while other people are playing their instruments beside you.
The Bandmate Tuner app is a big deal because it gives personal feedback to students while they learn. It lets students see what note they are playing, so that they can check for themselves if they are playing the right note or not. It has made it so much easier for my students to learn, and people all around the world have discovered it and are using it in their own music programs. In fact I expect it will hit 1 million downloads by October.

FLUTES, CLARINETS, AND SAXOPHONES NEED A SWAB
If your child plays a woodwind instrument (flute, clarinet, or saxophone), they need a swab so they can clean out their instrument every day before putting it back in the case. You can order one from Hills Music Shop if you do not have one.
If woodwinds are stored in the case without swabbing, moisture causes the pads under the keys to wrinkle and be ruined. This costs $100-200 to fix, depending on the extent of the damage. A swab costs $5. Please make sure your child has a swab.

FACEBOOK
Our band program has a Facebook page. You can "like" it here:  www.facebook.com/HawleyBandRoom

CONCERT CALENDAR
October 26, 6:30, 8th grade only, at Hawley
December 12, 7:00, 6th grade only, at Hawley
December 15, 7:00, 7th and 8th grade, at SGHS audition
March 8, 7:00, 8th grade only, at SGHS auditorium
May 17, 7:00, 6th grade only, at SGHS auditorium
May 18, 7:00, 7th and 8th grade, at SGHS auditorium

Friday, January 19, 2018

UNCG Summer Camp, and our Fundraiser

Dear band parents,

I hope everyone is safe and enjoying their third winter break from school. I wanted to bring two important things to your attention:

1. Registration for the UNC-Greensboro Summer Music Camp will be open in two weeks. Here is the website: https://www.smcamp.org/

2. As I mentioned in my weekly email, we have begun our Donations Drive Fundraiser. Thank you for contributing whatever you can. Just to give you an idea of where this money will go, I found these shelving units that will solve our current instrument storage problem: HDX Shelves

Right now, we have plenty of storage units for smaller instruments like flutes, clarinets, and trumpets. But we do not have enough for larger instruments like saxophones, trombones, bass clarinets, and baritones. It's a great problem to have: we have so many kids in band that we don't have shelves for everyone's instrument! But, it means we have piles of large instruments just on the floor. This looks bad, and really it's also a safety hazard.

This is just one of the things we can do with a little financial support. Our most expensive need is a new set of timpani drums. Ours are decades old and no longer function mechanically. These drums are up to $2149, depending on the size, and we need two of them.

That's all to say, thank you for doing whatever you can with this fundraiser. You are making our band program even better. JD

Monday, January 15, 2018

Band! Fundraiser! Carowinds! Snow! 1-15-2018

Dear band parents,

This is Justin Dickson, band director at Hawley Middle School. Every week I will send out a message like this to communicate what is happening this week in band class, upcoming events, and other announcements.

FUNDRAISER!
We are starting our annual Donations Drive fundraiser this week. It will be due by February 14. Students will receive papers in class with all the details, and you can also see/print the papers here:
www.justindickson.com/justindickson/band/stuff/band-fundraiser-2018.pdf

As I explained in that letter, band programs are expensive, and we did not even receive enough funding from the county to buy all of our concert music. If we all contribute what we can, we can do something incredible. Thank you so much for your support!

8th GRADE PERFORMANCE AT THE CAROWINDS FESTIVAL OF MUSIC!
8th graders will also two receive papers this week for our Carowinds performance:
1. Information about the event and the $$ cost:  http://www.justindickson.com/band/stuff/carowinds-letter.pdf
2. Medical release & permission form that I need returned to me this week:  http://www.justindickson.com/band/stuff/carowinds-permission.pdf

IN THE BAND ROOM THIS WEEK
I don't know how many rehearsal days we will get this week, given the impending bad weather. But here are our best-laid plans for the week.

6th grade will work on Chapter 6 this week, in which we learn a new note and learn about dotted-half notes. We will also continue learning new parts of our Fundamentals For Band. Students should practice all of this material at home, especially over the snow days.

7th grade will continue "working out" our new high notes, building the physical strength and stamina required to play these notes. Clarinets should be practicing Chapter 14 material every day, as this unit is all about them learning to "cross the break" between their lower and upper notes. It's not hard... unless you don't practice. We will also get into Chapter 15, which is about a dozen progressively-difficult songs that use our new high notes. This stuff is very much like lifting weights, and "if you don't use it, you will lose it." Please encourage your child to practice and build their strength every day.

8th grade will start working on our concert music this week, for our March concert. Please encourage them to practice at home, especially over the snow days, so we don't fall too far behind due to the snow days. We also need to test on Fundamentals #6.04 with the metronome set to 90 b.p.m.

CLEAN YOUR MOUTHPIECE
In honor of flu season, a quick reminder about how to not be gross. Students should clean the mouthpiece of their instrument once a week. Soap, a toothbrush, and warm water are all you need. You may also buy special brushes from Hills Music to clean the inside of the mouthpiece (flutes don't do this), where gunk builds up. These brushes are only about $4 and they are worth it. Order one from Hills and it will be delivered to the school.

===========================
OLD BUT STILL RELEVANT INFO
===========================

PLEASE SIGN UP FOR TEXT ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you have not already done so, please sign up to receive text message announcements from me via the Remind app. You do not have to download the app. Just sent a text message to phone number 81010 , and the text message should say...
... @HawleyBa17 for sixth grade
... @HawleyBa16 for seventh grade
... @HawleyBa15 for eighth grade

TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE LEARNING EASIER
By now, most of you know that I designed a free mobile app for my students called Bandmate Chromatic Tuner (www.bandmatetuner.com). I highly recommend that you download it, or that your child downloads it on their phone / tablet if they have one, because it makes it so much easier for kids to learn their notes while they are practicing at home.
Students are allowed to use it in band class, too. In fact, I highly encourage it. If you would like your child to use it in class, I recommend you purchase the Peterson PitchGrabber pickup: https://www.amazon.com/Peterson-PitchGrabber-Mobile-Tuner/dp/B014L9CCHO/
This is like a microphone that will only "hear" your instrument, so you can use the Bandmate app in class while other people are playing their instruments beside you.
The Bandmate Tuner app is a big deal because it gives personal feedback to students while they learn. It lets students see what note they are playing, so that they can check for themselves if they are playing the right note or not. It has made it so much easier for my students to learn, and people all around the world have discovered it and are using it in their own music programs. In fact I expect it will hit 1 million downloads by October.

FLUTES, CLARINETS, AND SAXOPHONES NEED A SWAB
If your child plays a woodwind instrument (flute, clarinet, or saxophone), they need a swab so they can clean out their instrument every day before putting it back in the case. You can order one from Hills Music Shop if you do not have one.
If woodwinds are stored in the case without swabbing, moisture causes the pads under the keys to wrinkle and be ruined. This costs $100-200 to fix, depending on the extent of the damage. A swab costs $5. Please make sure your child has a swab.

FACEBOOK
Our band program has a Facebook page. You can "like" it here:  www.facebook.com/HawleyBandRoom

CONCERT CALENDAR
October 26, 6:30, 8th grade only, at Hawley
December 12, 7:00, 6th grade only, at Hawley
December 15, 7:00, 7th and 8th grade, at SGHS audition
March 8, 7:00, 8th grade only, at SGHS auditorium
May 17, 7:00, 6th grade only, at SGHS auditorium
May 18, 7:00, 7th and 8th grade, at SGHS auditorium

Monday, January 1, 2018

Remember Your Band Instrument Tomorrow!

Dear band parents,

This is Justin Dickson, band director at Hawley Middle School. Every week I will send out a message like this to communicate what is happening this week in band class, upcoming events, and other announcements.

PLEASE DON'T FORGET YOUR INSTRUMENT TOMORROW
Welcome back! Please make sure your child remembers to bring their instrument to school tomorrow. And please encourage them to practice for half an hour today so they are not too "out of shape" tomorrow.

IN THE BAND ROOM THIS WEEK
6th Grade will pick up where we left off in Chapter 5. We will learn two new songs this week, "This Old Man" and "Cafeteria Food Blues." Our final playing test of the quarter will be "This Old Man." Students may make up any incomplete tests before the end of the quarter. Please encourage them to practice and study every night at home to prepare for these tests, cramming the night before does not work with learning to play a musical instrument. Refer to the "How To Practice Smarter" document and video I made for help: http://justindickson.com/justindickson/band/documents.htm
I also made an instructional video to help your child study "This Old Man": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsnH0pZbGv4

7th Grade is getting into Chapter 13-14, in which we will work on learning new high notes. Percussion will learn new 16th note rhythm patterns. This is where things get "hard" in 7th grade band, if students do not practice at home, because they do not develop the physical endurance to play these high notes. Please encourage your child to get in 20-30 minutes of practice every night. There is plenty of material to practice in Chapters 12, 13, and 14. Like lifting weights, they need "reps". They literally need to build physical strength, and the only way to do that is to play A LOT, over and over. Again, this is where things get "hard" in band, and it is where I lose students who do not practice because they can't keep up physically. I don't want that to happen. Please encourage your child to put in the time. Getting stronger, getting better, is fun. Go have fun.
7th grade final playing test of the quarter will be #14.06, which is an exercise of these new high notes.

8th Grade has a concert coming up in March. But before we start working on our new concert music (I have some really cool stuff planned!), we need to take two weeks to focus on fundamentals. This is a conclusion we came to as a class after listening to our concert recording. We particularly need to work on intonation, which means all of us playing in tune with each other. We also need to work on scales, and playing our high notes with good tone.

In the past few weeks, I witnessed a few of our students realize the need for more practice at home. I was working with one student who said something to me like, "In 6th grade I practiced almost every day, in 7th grade I practiced some, and in 8th grade I just stopped practicing. And I think that's my problem. But since I started practicing every day last week, I have gotten a lot better." And he did -- his tone, endurance, and technical ability just exploded, and he went from failing band to having an A and being the strongest player in his section.
It is my hope that, in our final semester together, more students get there. Music is more fun and rewarding when you are good at it. You get good at it, like any other subject in school, by studying. Start with a small goal: three days a week for 30 minutes (that means 30 minutes of sound coming out of your instrument, not time spent finding things on the laptop or reading or getting distracted).
Don't know what to practice? Start with the Fundamentals pages on my website, or the songs in Chapter 15-16 of the Method, or the songs on my Fun Songs page. I can also provide additional material from etude books, per your request.
To wit, a cartoon I saw online:

===========================
OLD BUT STILL RELEVANT INFO
===========================

PLEASE SIGN UP FOR TEXT ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you have not already done so, please sign up to receive text message announcements from me via the Remind app. You do not have to download the app. Just sent a text message to phone number 81010 , and the text message should say...
... @HawleyBa17 for sixth grade
... @HawleyBa16 for seventh grade
... @HawleyBa15 for eighth grade

TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE LEARNING EASIER
By now, most of you know that I designed a free mobile app for my students called Bandmate Chromatic Tuner (www.bandmatetuner.com). I highly recommend that you download it, or that your child downloads it on their phone / tablet if they have one, because it makes it so much easier for kids to learn their notes while they are practicing at home.
Students are allowed to use it in band class, too. In fact, I highly encourage it. If you would like your child to use it in class, I recommend you purchase the Peterson PitchGrabber pickup: https://www.amazon.com/Peterson-PitchGrabber-Mobile-Tuner/dp/B014L9CCHO/
This is like a microphone that will only "hear" your instrument, so you can use the Bandmate app in class while other people are playing their instruments beside you.
The Bandmate Tuner app is a big deal because it gives personal feedback to students while they learn. It lets students see what note they are playing, so that they can check for themselves if they are playing the right note or not. It has made it so much easier for my students to learn, and people all around the world have discovered it and are using it in their own music programs. In fact I expect it will hit 1 million downloads by October.

FLUTES, CLARINETS, AND SAXOPHONES NEED A SWAB
If your child plays a woodwind instrument (flute, clarinet, or saxophone), they need a swab so they can clean out their instrument every day before putting it back in the case. You can order one from Hills Music Shop if you do not have one.
If woodwinds are stored in the case without swabbing, moisture causes the pads under the keys to wrinkle and be ruined. This costs $100-200 to fix, depending on the extent of the damage. A swab costs $5. Please make sure your child has a swab.

FACEBOOK
Our band program has a Facebook page. You can "like" it here: www.facebook.com/HawleyBandRoom

CONCERT CALENDAR
October 26, 6:30, 8th grade only, at Hawley
December 12, 7:00, 6th grade only, at Hawley
December 15, 7:00, 7th and 8th grade, at SGHS audition
March 8, 7:00, 8th grade only, at SGHS auditorium
May 17, 7:00, 6th grade only, at SGHS auditorium
May 18, 7:00, 7th and 8th grade, at SGHS auditorium