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.
MORE 5th GRADER INSTRUMENT TRYOUT NIGHTS
We have scheduled more "Band Parent Meeting and Instrument Tryout Nights" for incoming 5th graders for May 14 and May 21 at 6:00pm. Our original dates got snowed out. Please help me spread the word to any 5th graders who may be coming to Hawley next year. Thank you!
7th GRADERS CAN DO MARCHING BAND AT S.G.H.S. NEXT YEAR!
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.
MORE 5th GRADER INSTRUMENT TRYOUT NIGHTS
We have scheduled more "Band Parent Meeting and Instrument Tryout Nights" for incoming 5th graders for May 14 and May 21 at 6:00pm. Our original dates got snowed out. Please help me spread the word to any 5th graders who may be coming to Hawley next year. Thank you!
7th GRADERS CAN DO MARCHING BAND AT S.G.H.S. NEXT YEAR!
Dear 7th grade band parents, next year, your child is eligible to be a member of the South Granville High School Marching Band as an 8th grader. This is something that Mr. Maston (the band director at SGHS) has allowed for several years, and it is a great opportunity for our talented students.
Your child will need a ride from Hawley to SGHS after school, because they will be expected to attend all after school practices, as well as the home football games, parades, and Saturday band competitions. This year, several of our 8th graders arranged a car pool with each other, so that is an option too.
If you are interested, your child should attend the "Rookie Band Camp" at SGHS May 21-24 from 4:00-6:30. This is not a commitment, this is not you signing up for marching band. Think of it like how our athletic teams have "open practices" before tryouts. Your child will get to know Mr. Maston and the student leaders in the band, they will be taught the basic skills of marching, and then they can decide if this is something they want to do next year.
The 8th graders who take advantage of this opportunity quickly become the best musicians in our band program every year. They learn so much and develop their skills on their instrument from playing next to the high school students, and the high school students go out of their way to help and teach the "rookies" everything they can. The SGHS marching band has an incredibly positive, nurturing student culture that way. I hope you will consider allowing your child to be a part of this award-winning band of dedicated, fun, caring, hard-working student musicians.
CALENDAR FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR
I sent this out last week, but here it is again: http://hawleyband.blogspot.com/2018/04/20180426.html
E.O.G. PROCTORS NEEDED
Speaking of the end-of-grade exams, our school needs many volunteers to proctor the exams. If you are willing to help, even for just one day, please call the school at 919-528-0091. Thank you!
IN THE BAND ROOM THIS WEEK
6th grade will have a test this week on the "Shaker Hymn" piece that we have been learning for their upcoming concert. Our concert is three weeks away, so we will spend the rest of our class time getting ready for that. We also have a special fourth piece for our concert in the works, but I don't want to say too much about it yet.
7th grade will focus mainly on music for our upcoming concert this week. We will do a lot of recording and evaluating in class, so we can see what issues we need to address in order to make these pieces "performance ready". Students who have not passed off their previous playing tests can do it in class, they just need to tell me when they are ready. Please encourage them to practice at home so they are prepared.
8th grade has two weeks before the Carowinds Festival of Music, so of course we will focus heavily on that music this week. We will also have a playing test on the new version of "Fundamentals For 8th Grade Band" exercise #3, which is a basic scale study in three different keys. Please make sure your child has practiced and is prepared to take this test in class, as taking it before school is no longer possible due to my morning duty.
Jazz Band will keep working on "These Foolish Things" and "Autumn Leaves" this week. We will mainly focus on AL. I wrote a few new solos for it, so we need to see who wants to play them.
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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.
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.
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.
Our band program has a Facebook page. You can "like" it here: www.facebook.com/HawleyBandRoom
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".
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 12, 8th grade only, Carowinds Festival of MusicMay 17, 7:00, 6th grade only, at SGHS auditorium
May 18, 7:00, 7th and 8th grade, at SGHS auditorium