1

The Tohickon Middle School Band Handbook

Ms. Sarah J. McGahey smcgahey@cbsd.org

267-893-3300 ex. 6358

2

Welcome to Band!

September, 2016 Dear Students and Parents,

Welcome to the 2016 – 2017 year of band at Tohickon! I am looking forward to a year of outstanding music making! At Tohickon, the band is a family. Get ready to work hard, make some amazing friends, develop your musicianship, and have a lot of fun!

Please read through the following information in the handbook carefully. The entire band handbook is posted on the Tohickon Band website here: http://www.cbsd.org/Domain/2550. The band calendar, important announcements, and Remind sign-up information will also be posted there. Please note that the students are not receiving hard copies of this handbook, but they are required to read through the handbook online with a parent/guardian as one of their first band assignments (hard copies of the handbook are available upon request). Remind is the method I will use for communication with parents and students this year. When students and parents sign up, messages that I send through Remind will be sent to you as text messages and to your email if you sign up online! Please find Remind sign-up instructions for both students and parents to sign up on pages 8 – 10 of the handbook, and make sure you are signing up with the correct grade level code. Please read all the information in the handbook and detach and return the form at the bottom of this page with a parent signature to confirm that you have read the handbook and understand what will be expected of you in band this year. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns! Thank you! Ms. Sarah J. McGahey smcgahey@cbsd.org 267-893-3300 ex. 6358 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Detach and return to Ms. McGahey by FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2016

I have read and understand everything contained in the handbook. Student Signature:__________________________________________________________ Parent/Guardian Signature:___________________________________________________ Date:_________________________________ _____ My child already takes private lessons _____ YES, I am interested in my child taking private lessons on his/her instrument. Please send home information (private teacher list).

3

Concert Information

The below concert dates will help you plan ahead to avoid conflicts. Concerts and dress rehearsals are mandatory and the concert is considered your final exam. CONCERT DATES:

Winter Instrumental Concert: Wednesday, December 14th 2016 at 7:00pm

7th Grade Band Dress Rehearsals: o Friday, December 2, 2:00 – 2:30 (Resource) o Friday, December 9, 2:30 – 4:15

8th Grade Band Dress Rehearsals: o Thursday, December 1, 2:00 – 2:30 (Resource) o Thursday, December 8, 2:30 – 4:15

9th Grade Band Dress Rehearsals: o Monday, November 28, 2:00 – 2:30 (Resource) o Monday, December 5, 2:30 – 4:15

Spring Instrumental Concert: Tuesday, May 16, 2017 at 7:00pm

Rehearsal dates TBA CONCERT ATTIRE:

Boys: Black dress pants White button down or polo shirt (NO t-shirts) Black socks Black dress shoes

Black tie Girls: Black dress pants White dressy shirt (no spaghetti straps or tank tops) Black dress shoes All: NO SNEAKERS NO JEANS BLACK CLOTHES ONLY PLEASE (no gray, charcoal, silver, etc.)

4

Grading Policy

I. Class Performance and Preparation: (40%) 1. Weekly class preparation and participation: 10 points per week

Each student will begin the week with 9 points. A point will be added for outstanding participation. Deductions are as follows:

i. Forgetting your instrument (sticks for drummers): 3 points ii. Forgetting your folder/music: 2 points

iii. Chewing gum: 2 points iv. No pencil: 1 point

II. Musical Assignments and Assessments: (30%)

1. Playing tests:

These tests will be either announced or unannounced and the point totals will vary. They can be on anything from scales (rudiments or exercises for drummers), to excerpts of the music. Playing tests may occur in class, or students may be asked to record a playing test as homework and submit it online (students will be given accommodations if they are unable to submit a recording electronically).

2. Music theory assessments (points will vary) 3. Possible practice logs (points will vary) 4. Possible technological assessments (points will vary) 5. Possible written assessments (points will vary)

III. Rehearsal and Concert Etiquette: (30%)

1. Rehearsal attendance and etiquette: 10 points per grade level rehearsal and dress rehearsal

2. Concert attendance and etiquette: 20 points

An unexcused absence will result in a “0” for the rehearsal or concert

An excused absence will not negatively affect your grade providing the proper form has been filled out.

o Sample excused absences: illness, family emergency, unchangeable doctor’s appointment, Tohickon sports, make-up work with a teacher

o Sample unexcused absences: Forgot we had rehearsal, forgot instrument, couldn’t get a ride, sports event not related to Tohickon, simply didn’t come

5

Practicing

Students are required to practice a minimum of 20 minutes a day/4 days a week. Why is practicing required? You cannot progress on your instrument without consistent practice. As a band, we are a team, which means musical success truly depends on every single student. Students also may be asked to fill out practice logs at various points throughout the year. What does practicing look like? Below are my essential, to-be-memorized, all-important, cut-out-the-box-below-and-glue-to-the-inside-of-your-music-folder LAWS OF PRACTICING.

MS. MCGAHEY’S

LAWS OF PRACTICING

1. Start with the most difficult music 2. Chunk practice 3. QUALITY of practice time is more

important than QUANTITY 4. If you don’t practice it, you won’t get it

6

Extracurricular Ensembles

All band students have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular select ensembles: Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble and Honors Band. Students must audition to participate in all groups, and all grades are welcome to audition.

JAZZ BAND The Jazz Band is a competing jazz band that performs at the band concerts, 4 to 6 jazz festivals

throughout the winter/spring, and attends the Dorney Park musical festival at the end of the year. Jazz band rehearsals will be held Tuesday afternoons from 2:30 – 4:30, and one Tuesday evening a month from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. I will be sending home audition packets with the students, and they will sign up for an audition day in the band room. Auditions are open to flute, clarinet, saxophones, trumpet, french horn, trombone, tuba, drum set, piano, guitar, and bass. (The student’s Jazz Band audition will also be their Wind Ensemble audition). Jazz Band Audition Dates: Tuesday – Friday, Sept. 27 – 30, 2016, 2:30 – 4:00 each day Tohickon Jazz Festival – “Toh Jam:” Friday, March 17, 2017 Dorney Park Music Festival: Friday, May 19, 2017

WIND ENSEMBLE The Wind Ensemble is an advanced level Concert Band, performing music on a higher level than the regular grade-level concert bands. The Wind Ensemble performs at the band concerts, a PMEA sponsored concert band adjudication, and attends the Dorney Park musical festival at the end of the year. Wind Ensemble rehearsals will be held Wednesdays after school from 2:45 – 4:00. I will be sending home audition packets with the students, and they will sign up for an audition time slot in the band room. Auditions are open to all band instruments. (The student’s Wind Ensemble audition will also be their Jazz Band audition). Wind Ensemble Audition Dates: Tuesday – Friday, Sept. 27 – 30, 2016, 2:30 – 4:00 each day PMEA Concert Band Adjudication: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 Dorney Park Music Festival: Friday, May 19, 2017

HONORS BAND The Central Bucks Middle School Honors band was established in 2003 and is made up of the best middle school musicians from the 5 Central Bucks middle schools. Each director selects students through an audition process and those musicians form the district-wide honors band. The group has two condensed days of rehearsals and a concert. Due to the condensed nature of the ensemble, attendance at each rehearsal is mandatory. Honors Band Audition Date: TBA Honors Band Rehearsal and Concert Dates: Wed, Feb 8 2017, Fri, Feb 10 2017, Concert: Sat, Feb 11 2017

7

Housekeeping

Storage There are instrument storage lockers in the band room available to all band students.

1. ALL instruments must have a nametag with your name attached to the case. If an instrument is found without a nametag, that student may lose the privilege of storing their instrument in the band room.

2. Students will be assigned band lockers at the beginning of the year and must provide their own COMBINATION locks, (no key locks) for their band locker.

3. You may only store your instrument in the band room on the day you have band class. Instruments should never be left at school overnight, unless instructed to by me or for special circumstances (like sports, etc). Students are expected to take instruments home each day to practice. If an instrument consistently stays in the band room, that student may lose the right to store their instrument in the band room during the day.

4. You may not store your instrument in any of the band practice/storage rooms UNLESS given permission from Ms. McGahey. Those rooms are for Tohickon instrument storage only.

PLEASE NOTE: Students are responsible for their instruments at all times at Tohickon. Students are responsible for any lost instruments or damages to their instruments while at Tohickon. The Band room will be locked after school each day, but may occasionally be used by outside groups throughout the year in the afternoons/evenings. Students are never permitted to leave instruments out unsecured and it is their responsibility to keep their instrument secured. Students therefore assume liability for their instruments in the band room at all times. Instrument Repair

All students are expected to keep their instruments in good playing condition. If you notice something is wrong with your instrument, bring it to me so I can look at it. If there is a larger problem that I cannot fix, I will recommend that you send it to Russo’s Music. A representative will come to Tohickon each Tuesday to pick up/drop off instruments for repairs. Call Russo’s prior to Tuesday to ask them to pick up your instrument and bring a loaner at 800-847-8776.

8

7th GRADE BAND: Sign up for important updates from Ms. McGahey.

Get information for Tohickon Middle School right on your phone—not on handouts.

Pick a way to receive messages for 7th Grade Band:

If you don’t have a smartphone, get text notifications.

Text the message @74hkh to the number 81010.

If you’re having trouble with 81010, try texting @74hkh to (215) 346-7273.

Don’t have a mobile phone? Go to rmd.at/74hkh on a desktop computer to sign up for email notifications.

9

8th GRADE BAND: Sign up for important updates from Ms. McGahey.

Get information for Tohickon Middle School right on your phone—not on handouts.

Pick a way to receive messages for 8th Grade Band:

If you don’t have a smartphone, get text notifications.

Text the message @e9888f to the number 81010.

If you’re having trouble with 81010, try texting @e9888f to (215) 346-7273.

Don’t have a mobile phone? Go to rmd.at/e9888f on a desktop computer to sign up for email notifications.

10

9th GRADE BAND: Sign up for important updates from Ms. McGahey.

Get information for Tohickon Middle School right on your phone—not on handouts.

Pick a way to receive messages for 9th Grade Band:

If you don’t have a smartphone, get text notifications.

Text the message @ea284 to the number 81010.

If you’re having trouble with 81010, try texting @ea284 to (215) 346-7273.

Don’t have a mobile phone? Go to rmd.at/ea284 on a desktop computer to sign up for email notifications.