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.
8th GRADE CONCERT NEXT WEEK
Our 8th grade band will perform a concert at the South Granville High School auditorium next Thursday, March 8, at 7:00pm. The SGHS concert band and our jazz band will also perform. It's going to be great, please invite your friends and family!
9th GRADE BAND REGISTRATION
Yes, it's already time for our 8th graders to start thinking about their 9th grade class registration! Mr. Maston and I put together a document to help you understand which band classes are available to you at SGHS next year. Just go to the "SGHS" page on my website (click here), and click on "Information about 9th grade band registration".
5th GRADER RECRUITING
If you know any 5th grade students who might be interested in playing in the band at Hawley next year, please invite them to our Band Parent Meeting / Instrument Selection Night on March 12 and 16. Here is a paper about it that they can show to their parents: http://www.justindickson.com/band/stuff/band-invitation.pdf
SYMPHONY CONCERT, CHAPERONES NEEDED
Students who donated at least $100 in the band fundraiser will attend a concert by The North Carolina Symphony concert is March 23, during school hours. If you are available to serve as a chaperone, please email me at DicksonJ@gcs.k12.nc.us
CONGRATULATIONS, S.G.H.S. PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE
The South Granville High School winter percussion ensemble performed in their regional competition yesterday. They were one of only 6 ensembles in their class to advance to regional finals, and they were the only one from North Carolina to do so. This ensemble includes many of our former and current Hawley band students, and I am just so proud of them.
8th graders, you need to stick with band in high school. SGHS is becoming one of the premier music programs in the state. Be a part of it!
CONGRATULATIONS REBECCA, JESSICA, AND AYDEN
8th graders Rebecca Snyder, Jessica Beltran, and Ayden Ammons were selected to perform in the UNC-Pembroke Honors Band on March 17. They will represent Hawley MS at a one-day clinic in which they will spend the day learning music to be performed in concert that night, under the baton of Neil Underwood (North Lincoln High School) and Jerry Lowe (Northwest School of the Arts), two of the premiere band directors and music educators in North Carolina. The concert is at 7:00pm on March 17.
IN THE BAND ROOM THIS WEEK
6th grade will continue working through chapters 7 and 8. We are learning songs in 3/4 meter, and how to play melodies with tied notes. For their next playing test, they can choose their favorite song between 8.05 or 8.06.
7th grade will continue working on "We Know The Way" from the Moana movie. This song has been stuck in my head all weekend, so I think you are going to enjoy it in our concert. We will test on this material, but probably not until next week or the following week. It is pretty challenging.
8th grade will be preparing for our March 8 concert. Students should be practicing this music at home, making sure they know their part. Remember that recordings of all of our concert pieces are available online, and students can listen to these recordings to help them practice. Just Google the title and composer, e.g. "Scenes from an ocean voyage Brian Balmages".
Jazz Band will keep working on "Summertime" and "Mercy Mercy Mercy". Students who wanted solos in these pieces have received that sheet music to practice. Last week we added some of our old pep band music so that we can play it for the 5th graders when they tour the school. This week I would like to add a new song, maybe "The Preacher". We will listen to a few songs in class and decide what we want to do.
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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...
... @HawleyBa18 for fifth grade, next year's sixth grade
... @HawleyBa17 for sixth grade
... @HawleyBa16 for seventh grade
... @HawleyBa15 for eighth grade
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
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