Musical Offerings in the Program of Studies

Last week, students in grades nine, ten and eleven attended grade level assemblies to discuss the scheduling process and course offerings for the 2015/2016 school year.  I wanted to take a moment to share some information about an exciting new course option for our students, Enriched Band.

Enriched Band is being offered as an option for students interested in pursuing additional music activities outside of the daily class time.  It will be offered as an option at all levels of band;  therefore, there will be Freshmen Concert Band, Enriched Freshmen Concert Band, Gold Concert Band, Enriched Gold Concert Band, Black Concert Band, Enriched Black Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Enriched Symphonic Band.  All students will perform an audition in the spring (as we have always done) and meet in the same way we have always rehearsed.

Students who opt to take the enriched version of their concert band assignment will be required to complete a worksheet each quarter documenting their plan for earning the enriched grades.   Students will have a "menu" of activities to choose from and various point values associated with those activities.  Students will be expected to complete their activities during the quarter, obtaining the necessary evidence to document completion (i.e. private lesson teacher's signature, programs from concert attendance, etc).  Materials will be submitted at the end of the quarter and students will receive a weighted grade for their work.

This is a great opportunity for students who are independent learners and are motivated to learn more about music.  When deciding whether or not Enriched Band is for you, please keep in mind that all activities will take place outside of the regular school day with limited direction by the band directors.  While students are encouraged to explore this option, the directors realize this is not for everyone. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact Mrs. Culver.

Have a great week! :-)

 

Successful Saturday!

Congratulations to all the members of the Gold Concert Band who participated in the Ohio Music Education Association Solo & Ensemble event this past Saturday at Firestone High School in Akron.  We are pleased to share with you the results of the event:

• Woodwind Choir - Excellent Rating
• Brass Choir - Excellent Rating
• Percussion Ensemble - Superior Rating

Our students achieved these ratings through hard work and a dedication to success.  We are very proud of the students and their accomplishments!

For those students who were not able to be with us on Saturday, a make-up assignment was distributed in class on Monday, 1/26/15.  (The assignment is also posted at the top of this page.)  Students need to complete the assignment and return it to Mr. Harris or Mrs. Culver no later than Friday, February 6 in order to earn credit.

For the next several weeks, the students will continue preparations for our contest event.  The Gold Concert Band has been invited to perform at Revere High School as part of their annual Band Invitational concert.  Students in Gold Band and Symphonic Band will perform at this event on Thursday, March 5, 2015.  (Specific details will be announced closer to this performance.)  Students will also perform at the OMEA Large Group Adjudicated Event here at Cuyahoga Falls High School on Friday, March 13.  Please make sure both of these dates are on your calendar.

In order to best prepare students for these upcoming performances, Mr. Harris, Mrs. Culver and Miss Lambert will be hearing the students play each of the pieces for these concerts.  Students were informed of their assessment and the timeline for completion.  (A copy of the assessment is also located at the top of this page.)  We are excited to hear each of the students and encourage them to work towards their best individual performance for not only the assessment, but all of these upcoming events.  We are excited to see how far we can go as we continue to pursue excellence!

Have a great week!

Solo & Ensemble Information

I have just uploaded the information for Solo & Ensemble Contest.  All performances are this Saturday, January 24, 2015 at Firestone High School.  I apologize for the delay in getting ths information out to you, as we were trying to accommodate swim meets and basketball games.

Please let Mr. Harris or Mrs. Culver know if you have any questions or concerns.  We are looking forward to a very positive experience for all the students at this important event!