6th Grade Beginning Band - Performance and Practice Assignment

6th Grade Students and Parents:

1. Quick reminder - Lavaca Band Night is THIS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, at the football stadium. Call time is 4:30 p.m., which means students need to be seated at the stadium at 4:30 p.m. We will perform during the pregame portion of the football game (around 6:45 or 7:00 p.m.). Students will be free to leave after they are done performing. This is a REQUIRED performance, as listed on the band calendar and noted in the band handbook. Students will need to wear the LMS band t-shirt, blue jeans, and tennis shoes.

2. Weekly Practice Log Assignment -

Beginning today (Monday, 10/23), students will be required to complete a practice log (which is located in the back of the band book) every week. Students will need to practice AT LEAST 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week. This does not mean 75 minutes in one sitting--students need to practice daily to get any benefit from practicing. Students will fill out the practice log daily; parents will sign the log at the end of the week. Logs will be graded every Monday.


Mr. Coats

***IMPORTANT UPDATE***

THE MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND WILL NOT PERFORM AT THE JR. HIGH FOOTBALL GAME TONIGHT, DUE TO FIELD CONDITIONS AND WEATHER CONDITIONS.

Thanks,
Mr. Coats

Cookie Dough Pickup Day - Monday, October 16

Parents of 6th, 7th, and 8th Graders:

Cookie Dough will be delivered to the bandroom on Monday, October 16. Beginning at 2:00 p.m., parents can pick up cookie dough orders.

All cookie dough MUST be picked up by no later than 5:30 p.m. Please make arrangements to pick up all cookie dough by this time, as we do not have freezer space to store it for you.

All Cookie Dough money must be collected and turned in by MONDAY, OCTOBER 24.

Thanks,
Mr. Coats

SCALE MASTER - BRIANNA SOSEBEE***UPDATE***

On Monday, October 9, Ms. Brianna Sosebee was declared the first SCALE MASTER of the Lavaca Middle School Band. Brianna passed off 14 major, minor, and chromatic scales, FROM MEMORY. For her accomplishment, she has won an iPod nano, in the color of her choice.

CONGRATS BRIANNA!!!

***UPDATE--PLEASE READ!!!***

***For those who have not passed off all of the scales, do not worry...you will still have a chance to earn something nice.

A new challenge for middle school band, in two parts:

Part One:

• The first person to pass off ALL SCALES (from memory) and ALL OF THE ALL-REGION MUSIC (NOT from memory) will also win an iPod Nano music player. Drummers--this includes the snare and timpani rudiments.

• The deadline for the iPod is Tuesday, November 21 (the Tuesday before Thanksgiving).

• If Brianna, the current winner of the iPod Nano, can pass off all of her all-region music before the deadline, she will be able to upgrade to an iPod VIDEO!

Part Two:

• All LMS band students who can pass off the scales and all-region music before All-Region auditions (Saturday, December 9) will go on a reward trip...we don't know where just yet, but it will be something nice.

Keep on working on it guys!

Coats

Jazz Band - Great Job!!!

Hey guys--

EXCELLENT job at the Ft. Smith Jazz Festival!!! We recieved a lot of compliments from people at the show, including the folks running the event. Check the festival's website; they are supposed to be getting some pictures up soon:

www.fortsmithjazz.com

NO JAZZ BAND THIS WEDNESDAY (October 11)--take the week off!

Coats

7th and 8th Grade - Scale Passoffs

As the 7th and 8th grade students already know, we are in the middle of learning all of the All-Region major, minor, and chromatic scales.

All instruments have 14 scales to learn, all of which must be played:

1. From memory;
2. Without any errors, and;
3. At the correct speed.

When a student can play a scale like this, it is considered "passed off."

Learning scales is one of the best ways to improve as a musician--students learn new notes, increase their physical range on their instrument, and also gain music reading skills.

Since all 8th graders will try out for the All-Region Band in December, and scales are 20% of the tryout score, this is a great way to start preparing for the tryout.

As an incentive to encourage students to learn these scales, the first student to pass off all 14 scales from memory will be awarded an iPod music player.

***IF YOU NEED THE SCALE SHEET, PLEASE CLICK HERE. THEN, CLICK ON YOUR INSTRUMENT, AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS.***

Coats

Jazz Band Concert This Saturday

The Lavaca Jazz Band is performing this Saturday, October 7, at the 2nd Annual Fort Smith Jazz Festival, at Creekmore Park (on Rogers Avenue).

The festival has a link; click here, and then click on the "Artists" tab to see who else is performing.

The band will perform at 1:00 p.m.; please feel free to come out and support the Jazz Band!

Jazz Band members--you will meet at the FAB at 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning (donuts and juice are on me), and you will be back by 2:45 p.m.

Coats