It's the third week of school and things are going well! There is much activity this week, so please be aware of all that is going on.
Football Friday- Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band will play at this Friday's pre-season football game at home against Mitty. Students with old band polos and hoodies should wear those. Students without should wear something Pioneer apparel that is blue. Students may wear jeans. The call time is 5:30, kickoff is at 7 and the game usually goes to about 9:45 or so.
First Fundraiser- All students in all ensembles will participate in the first fundraiser of the year selling Entertainment Books starting on Wednesday running through about September 12. The books are loaded with coupons and sell for $30 and the students make $10-$13 per book, depending on our volume of sales. If all of my students sell just 3 books, we would earn over $7,800!! All checks should be made out to "Pioneer Performing Arts." Funds raised by students can go toward polos, jackets and other performing attire, instrument donations, or even money for travel.
Speaking of travel- We have had to reevaluate our travel plans for the spring of 2012. Our revised travel plans are only now being worked out, but are as follows- four days, three nights to Anaheim/ Disneyland where each ensemble will give a performance in the park and participate in a backstage music workshop where the students will work with a Disney musician and record tracks to Disney films. The primary reason for this shift is to allow more time for larger scale fundraising for a big trip- so the cost of this trip will be capped at about $500 per student. Details are still forthcoming, but I will update the Tour 2012 page as the information is available. Also, please not the change in travel dates! For the best opportunities to perform and workshop with Disney, we will travel during the February break from Wednesday morning, February 22 through Saturday, February 25. We will not miss any classes as this is during the break. This is also after the Big Band Dance, so funds raised through then will be able to go toward this trip.
Mark your calendars for Thursday, September 8 and join us for Pioneer's Back-To-School night!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
August 22-26
It's only the second week of class, but we are off to a great year! Here's what's on tap for this week-
All students are reminded to turn in the back page of the handbook form. This was due Friday, but needs to be turned in regardless. Students should turn in both the signature page, as well as the page regarding performance attire. The polos and jackets are new this year for Pep Band, but are also available to the other classes and family members for purchase. All students should turn in their listening journals on Monday. Students using a school instrument rental should return their instrument rental contracts as well.
FYI- Please make all check payable to "Pioneer Performing Arts" unless otherwise noted!
This week, Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble will begin work for the fall football season and will work on pep band music. I provide the music and the flip folders, but each student will need a lyre specific to his or her instrument. These can be purchased at a local music shop like Music Village, Starving Musician or Music-Go-Round. I'll demonstrate these in class this week to clear up any confusion. With our first game on Friday, September 2, we have quite a bit to do and only a few rehearsals to get there. For our first game only, students may wear the old band polos and hoodies as our new items won't be in yet. Students without these may wear other blue PHS attire. Students may also wear jeans. Once we are comfortable with the football music, we will continue to work on our band repertoire.
Concert Band will spend this week focused on fundamentals of mature individual and ensemble performance. We will mix in scales, sight reading and band literature. Concert Band will not play the September 2 game, but will join the games starting October 7.
Beginning Band has been introduced to the basics of notation, rhythm, brass and woodwind instruments. This week we will continue our intro to the instruments with hands on experience and more instruction in notation and rhythm. By next week, students will be getting to select instruments.
Orchestra has also begun rehearsal in earnest. We have several selections for this fall and we may begin our first playing tests next week.
All students are reminded to turn in the back page of the handbook form. This was due Friday, but needs to be turned in regardless. Students should turn in both the signature page, as well as the page regarding performance attire. The polos and jackets are new this year for Pep Band, but are also available to the other classes and family members for purchase. All students should turn in their listening journals on Monday. Students using a school instrument rental should return their instrument rental contracts as well.
FYI- Please make all check payable to "Pioneer Performing Arts" unless otherwise noted!
This week, Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble will begin work for the fall football season and will work on pep band music. I provide the music and the flip folders, but each student will need a lyre specific to his or her instrument. These can be purchased at a local music shop like Music Village, Starving Musician or Music-Go-Round. I'll demonstrate these in class this week to clear up any confusion. With our first game on Friday, September 2, we have quite a bit to do and only a few rehearsals to get there. For our first game only, students may wear the old band polos and hoodies as our new items won't be in yet. Students without these may wear other blue PHS attire. Students may also wear jeans. Once we are comfortable with the football music, we will continue to work on our band repertoire.
Concert Band will spend this week focused on fundamentals of mature individual and ensemble performance. We will mix in scales, sight reading and band literature. Concert Band will not play the September 2 game, but will join the games starting October 7.
Beginning Band has been introduced to the basics of notation, rhythm, brass and woodwind instruments. This week we will continue our intro to the instruments with hands on experience and more instruction in notation and rhythm. By next week, students will be getting to select instruments.
Orchestra has also begun rehearsal in earnest. We have several selections for this fall and we may begin our first playing tests next week.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Student Leaders
Congratulations to the 2011-12 student leadership-
Concert Band
President- Roger
Vice President- Brandon
Librarian- Ilse
Historian- Taran
Rep- Derek
Wind Ensemble
President- Kartik
Vice President- Greg
Librarian- Steven
Historian- Megan & Natalie
Rep- Analuna & Matt
Jazz Band
President- Erica
Vice President- Natalie
Librarian- Meghan
Historian- Maria
Rep- Ale
Orchestra
President- Ilea
Vice President- Kyle
Librarian- Tiffany
Historian- Bethannie & Christian
Rep- Javier & Kai
Friday Reminder
Don't forget that the signature page of the 2011-12 Instrumental Music Handbook (our syllabus) is due tomorrow! Don't have a copy? Download a copy and return that last 2 pages. One side is for contact information while the other is regarding performance attire. We do have polos and jackets in the classroom to check sizing.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Pep Band Attire
This year, Pep Band students will wear new embroidered polo shirts and
windbreaker jackets! The jacket
is royal blue with white trim and has the embroidered Pioneer Music logo on the left chest. Students may also choose to have their name embroidered on the right front.
The polo shirts are the following style- but the color is royal blue and the logo will be our own. Also, the polo shirts are male/ female size specific.
The logo for both the polo and jacket will look like this- with white thread for the text and red thread for the mustang.
All music students and their parents are welcome to purchase these items. Every student has ordering information as a part of their Music Handbook. Forms are due back this Friday, August 19! I ask that students not order these items for siblings who are high school age or younger and not in the program.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Welcome Back!
Welcome to the 2011-2012 school year! I'm excited to be back at Pioneer working with many new and returning young musicians. With the new year comes new challenges, circumstances and opportunities for success.
Items of note- I know that the beginning of the year presents lots of new information, which is one reason I keep this blog all year long with information useful both to parents and students. Please make a point to subscribe to or follow my blog, or check in every week. I will post information at least weekly usually on Sunday evening before the week begins.
This week- All students will receive the Instrumental Music Handbook (my syllabus) on the first or second day of classes. The back page (signature form and performing attire info) must be signed by student and parent and returned by this Friday, August 19.
On Monday, I will ask students who needs school instruments so that by Tuesday I can begin to get instruments into their hands. I will also pass out a short survey. Students may complete this in class, or may complete it at home and return it on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, students with summer instruments or their own instruments should bring them to school.
By Wednesday, all ensembles except Beginning Band will be playing in class. Students who use a school instrument must return a signed contract for the instrument before I am able to allow a student to use the equipment.
On Wednesday or Thursday, we will hold elections for student leadership.
On Friday, the signature page of the handbook is due! We will have our first in class listening assignment today as well. Students must have a composition book (like they use for math, but without the grids) in class today.
Football kicks off early this year with our first game on Friday, September 2. For this game, I will use Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble. As our new polos and jackets will not be in yet, students may wear last year's polos and hoodies. Students without those may wear other blue Pioneer attire. Our next home game isn't until October, when Concert Band will join us and our new attire will be in. For complete schedule info, click the 2011-2012 Calendar link here or above.
Need another class? If you would like to TA, there are several periods where I could use your help. If you would like to learn a new instrument, I can put you into an additional ensemble. Let me know ASAP so that we can get your schedule set.
Parents- we need you, too! The Pioneer Performing Arts cannot survive without active parent involvement. We need parents of all kinds, some to be leaders, some with great ideas, some to lead events and many to work with those events. Keep watching my blog for information about opportunities to connect with and support this program.
Items of note- I know that the beginning of the year presents lots of new information, which is one reason I keep this blog all year long with information useful both to parents and students. Please make a point to subscribe to or follow my blog, or check in every week. I will post information at least weekly usually on Sunday evening before the week begins.
This week- All students will receive the Instrumental Music Handbook (my syllabus) on the first or second day of classes. The back page (signature form and performing attire info) must be signed by student and parent and returned by this Friday, August 19.
On Monday, I will ask students who needs school instruments so that by Tuesday I can begin to get instruments into their hands. I will also pass out a short survey. Students may complete this in class, or may complete it at home and return it on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, students with summer instruments or their own instruments should bring them to school.
By Wednesday, all ensembles except Beginning Band will be playing in class. Students who use a school instrument must return a signed contract for the instrument before I am able to allow a student to use the equipment.
On Wednesday or Thursday, we will hold elections for student leadership.
On Friday, the signature page of the handbook is due! We will have our first in class listening assignment today as well. Students must have a composition book (like they use for math, but without the grids) in class today.
Football kicks off early this year with our first game on Friday, September 2. For this game, I will use Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble. As our new polos and jackets will not be in yet, students may wear last year's polos and hoodies. Students without those may wear other blue Pioneer attire. Our next home game isn't until October, when Concert Band will join us and our new attire will be in. For complete schedule info, click the 2011-2012 Calendar link here or above.
Need another class? If you would like to TA, there are several periods where I could use your help. If you would like to learn a new instrument, I can put you into an additional ensemble. Let me know ASAP so that we can get your schedule set.
Parents- we need you, too! The Pioneer Performing Arts cannot survive without active parent involvement. We need parents of all kinds, some to be leaders, some with great ideas, some to lead events and many to work with those events. Keep watching my blog for information about opportunities to connect with and support this program.
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