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.
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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