Prairie Spirit East Bands
Beginning Band (Grade 5 music class) 2016/2017
Dear Parents/Guardians,
In the forthcoming school year at Clavet we will be teaching the music portion of Arts Education through the use of instrumental music. This decision has been made for the following reasons:
-To meet mandatory requirements of the music strand of the Core Arts Education curriculum.
-To alleviate the necessity of current pull out band (instrumental) classes and missing regular class time.
-To give all students the opportunity to learn a musical instrument.
-To give students and equal education in music.
The music classes will be taught and delivered collaboratively during class time with the current band teacher and both grade 5 classroom teachers throughout the year.
Instruments
In Band we use a core amount of instruments which all students tested instruments last June and chose their top two choices of instrument.
Brass Instruments: Trumpet, Trombone, Baritone
Wind Instruments: Clarinet, Flute, Alto Saxophone
Percussion: Bell Kit (comes with practice pad)
Students will need an instrument for the first time for Classes on the 26th of September.We fully support the rental of Instruments from music stores in Saskatoon, this can be done on a monthly or yearly rent to own basis. A limited selection of instruments are available from the school if renting or purchasing your own instrument is not possible for you at this time please contact Mr. Martin as soon as possible.As this new program is implemented we are working,over the course of time, to fundraise and build our instrument stock.
If you have any other questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me by email or phone.
Will Martin
Band Director
Prairie Spirit East
About the music programs
- The programs are open to students in grade 5-12 (students may start in any grade from 5-11)
- The music classes are a fully credited subject.
- Instruction is given in-school on a regular 6-day school cycle.
- It is recommended all band students practice on average 15-30 minutes per day to both build and maintain necessary muscle strength and stamina and to facilitate constant improvement.
- Instruments are rented or purchased by individual students from music stores in Saskatoon, but are also available from the division if financial assistance is needed.
The ensembles
Beginning Band Instruction given in each school weekly
Beginning Band is for all students in their first year playing an instrument. All beginning students rehearse separately in their home schools but come together for several events throughout the year. Including concerts, Watrous Music Festival and a Beginner/Concert Band day retreat. Students starting in higher grades can be fast tracked into Concert Band after December if quick progress is made.
Intermediate Winds In School/Division Rehearsal Bi-Weekly
The Concert Band is developing level ensemble for instrumentalists that have graduated from Beginning Band, returning students or members of the Senior Winds that have taken up a second instrument. This is in addition to the regular instruction given during the school day- students are transported by school bus from their homes schools. The concert band regularly participates in music festivals such Watrous, Regina Optimist and Moose Jaw Festivals.
Senior Winds In School/Division Rehearsal Bi-Weekly
The Senior Winds is a higher level band for players that have been playing three years or more and concentrates on a higher standard of repertoire. The Senior Winds takes part in music festivals, retreats and tours across Saskatchewan, Alberta and beyond. This is in addition to the regular instruction given during the school day- students are transported by school bus.
Jazz Band In School/Division Rehearsal Bi-Weekly
The Jazz band is for students that have been playing five years or more. Students in Jazz Band also have the option to take an extra credit class in their home schools every week where they learn a mixture of Jazz History, theory and improvisation skills to supplement learning in the general music/band credit class.
Junior Jazz In School/Division Rehearsal Bi-Weekly The Junior Jazz band is for students that have been playing for 1 year or more and acts as an intro to Jazz, pop and other mediums of music. Students have a chance to play their band instruments or if they already play guitar, bass, piano or drums to utilize and improve upon those skills in this setting.
Prairie Spirit (East) Band Program…
Welcome to the PSSD (East) Band Program! You are now a member of a dynamic, provincial & national award winning music program made up of successful and motivated students from all part’s of our division; Aberdeen, Allan, Clavet, Colonsay, Dundurn, Hanley, South Corman Park Schools.
Our program is constantly growing and is made up of 200 students, who participate in a wide variety of musical areas. Our performance-based program in Concert and Jazz Band are intended as introductions to the skills and concepts needed to experiment and learn in the various musical genres. Students are trained in not only the technical skills needed for music performance but as well receive requisite training in music theory and historical/cultural perspectives as it relates to the repertoire.
Each ensemble faces many challenges at the beginning of each new school year. Most groups are made up of students who come from varying backgrounds musically, and have completely different levels of experience and ability. For many of them, it is their first time in a large ensemble or their first time on a new instrument.
…leadership by example…
Our Program Philosophy…
The single biggest emphasis in our program is placed on the development within each student, a mature sense of team, and an awareness of each student’s responsibility to our musical community.
Improving their individual skills obviously requires each student to develop good habits and a strong sense of self-discipline through individual practice. Students are expected to work together at all levels of the learning process.
A musical ensemble relies on the contributions of all the individuals within it, and it is assumed that all members accept the responsibilities which come as being an essential member of a team. Students in our program are expected to display a commitment to the music program and to the “team”, and a desire for striving to attain the highest standards possible on behalf of the ensemble. An ensemble cannot function otherwise.
Our collective goal is to provide a learning environment which is safe, supportive, and which allows our students build the confidence to take the risks necessary to realize their potential.
“It takes a whole community to create a true musician. It takes a whole musician to understand the true meaning of community”
Program Policies and Expectations
The following list of guidelines have been compiled to ensure that every student who is involved with the program benefit, to a maximum degree, from what the program has to offer. While some of these policies may seem strict, they are largely common-sense. They are spelled out here only so that everyone is aware of the expectations, so if a question arises there is a structure to support success for all students.
1)Attendance … Attendance is expected at all scheduled classes and rehearsals.
1.1Rehearsals
Missed rehearsals are not acceptable without a signed note from a parent/guardian or a phone call to the director prior to the absence. We all get sick, and catch the flu or cold. If students are sick, stay home and get better. However, if students are well enough to attend school, they are well enough to attend band classes/rehearsals. You can participate and learn even if you are not performing. Classroom practice can be done using fingers on instruments alone too!
1.2Concerts and Festivals
The main reason for involvement in a performance program is so that our talents can be shared with others. Practising for hours in a classroom has little point unless we have the goal of a concert to work towards. Music is a team effort, and everyone else is counting on you. If you are unable to attend, please provide advanced notice in writing from a parent/guardian explaining the circumstances. Always check your extra-curricular activity calendars throughout the year and plan ahead for band events. Demands from part-time jobs are not an appropriate excuse for absence from concerts.
2)Practice Time …
In every school class, students get homework. Like any other homework, it should be done on a regular, consistent basis so that you are prepared for the next class. It also makes class easier and a lot more enjoyable. Practicing at home is music homework, and everybody is expected to do it. Your music classmates CAN HEAR IT, if you haven’t practiced!
Being prepared for class each day is the largest part of daily assessment.
3)Classroom Materials
- 1 Duo-Tang – with 3 holed rings &/or pocket pouches
- Student Planner – practice schedule & planning
- Division Issued Music Folder & Books
- Band Instrument – with necessary cleaning supplies & a good supply of reeds
- 2 Pencils – 1 in folder & 1 in instrument case
- Pocket sized – Instrument Tuner & Metronome – for home & rehearsal use (ADV & SR)
4)Instruments, Equipment and Music…
4.1 Student Responsibility
Students are the only people responsible for remembering their equipment. You can not make a valuable contribution to the ensemble without being completely prepared to learn. Showing up without your equipment is the same as not attending class and will be treated as an absence.
[NOTE: The definition of “your instrument” includes all those things which you need for you to participate properly. This includes such essentials as your music, theory book/worksheets, a pencil, a mouthpiece, reeds, valve oil, drum sticks/mallets, cork grease & student planner etc.]
4.2 Personal Equipment
Students must mark their instruments carefully with a label which clearlyidentifies it as theirs. Students should not be sharing their instruments for any reason, due to severe health and safety concerns.
Students, who are using a Division issued instrument, have use of the instrument for the time that they are enrolled in the band program. There is no user fee for the usage, although yearly maintenance/repairs and cleaning costs are the responsibility of the issued user.
Student equipment should not be left at the school on a continuous basis, rather be taken home daily and brought back for class/rehearsal days.
5)Concert Dress and Uniform …
The following list outlines the expected concert dress for the concert ensembles.
Beginner Band:White Dress Shirt/Blouse with collar
Black Dress Pants or Skirt (knee length or longer)
Black Socks/Leggings
Black Shoes
6)Assessment/Evaluation …
All students have four reporting dates during the year: Late December, Late March and June.
Beginning Band
Beginning band students are assessed throughout the year on their progress via assignments using their method book (Apro – provided by the school division), through informal assessment, observations, playing and written testing.
7)Correspondence - While notes will be sent home in class, newsletters sent and emails, parent can find all breaking news and assignments on our website and can sign up to receive notifications for updates via email.
For more information about the East Music Programs, please visit
Music is Science
It is exact, specific; and it demands exact acoustics. A conductor's full score is a graph which indicates frequencies, intensities, volume changes, melody and harmony all at once and with the most exact control of time. It embodies many levels of physics from acoustics to architecture.
Music is Mathematical
It is rhythmically based on the subdivisions of time into fractions which must be done instantaneously, not worked out on paper, in a highly specific form with regard to exact placement and symmetry.
Music is a World Language
Most of the terms are in Italian, German or French; and the notation is certainly not English. It is a highly developed kind of shorthand that uses symbols to represent ideas. The semantics of music is the most complete and universal language.
Music is History
Music usually reflects the environment and times of its creation, taking on the emotion of a nation, region or a people. It is the only Art form we can hear as people hundreds of years ago had. Unlike paint, whose image is always there once created, Music is perpetually "Repainted" each time it is performed. The feelings and thoughts of countless generations are forever cast in Sound.
Music is Physical Education
It requires fantastic coordination of the fingers, hands, arms, lips and facial muscles, and control of diaphragmatic, back, stomach and chest muscles, which respond instantly to the sound the ear hears and the mind interprets. There are as many calories burned by a symphony trumpet player in one performance as there are by a quarter-back in a professional football game. Music is also a team activity that helps promote cooperation, social harmony and teaches students discipline while working together toward a common goal.
Music is Art
It allows a human being to take technical and sometimes difficult areas of learning and translate them into human emotion. It helps every person to recognize and understand beauty, and to understand love, compassion and how to live more fully within this world. Music is the only subject that uses, combines and engages both sides of the brain.
This is Why We Study Music…
Not because we expect you to major in music. Not because we expect people to play an instrument all their lives. Not just so you can relax. Not just so you can have fun and make lifelong friends.
BUT:
So you will be human and share and enjoy a lifelong appreciation of music, seeing what it brings to the world and how it brings us together.
Beginner Band Registration For
INSTRUMENT RENTALS
For those who are choosing to rent an instrument I strongly advise going with St. Johns Music. Their service is great and they know their stuff when it comes to band and music education. If the rental cost is causing an issue, please email me so we can come to some type or arrangement. I want your child in band! Also, if you choose to purchase privately or use an instrument belonging to another family member, friend, etc. I would highly recommend letting me take a look. Many of these old instruments may work be worse shape than originally thought. However, I know some great repair technicians in the city who can get your instrument playing beautifully! I have posted the St. Johns rental prices below. Other good retailers to rent from include Long & McQuade and Kevin Junk’s Musicraft.
Prairie Spirit East Bands
Band ScheduleDay B / Day D / Day F
Beginner (Mrs. Werner) / Senior
Intermediate (Mrs. Shabatoski) / Beginner (Mr. Stewart)
Senior / Intermediate (Mrs Priel)
Intermediate Sectionals
Beginner Sectional
Beginner Concerts/Events Dates - 2016/2017
Attendance at all performance events is essential for success of the groups and part of on-going student assessment.
Monday, December 12th- WINTER CONCERT
Lakeview Church 7-9pm
Beginner, Intermediate, Senior & Jazz Band
Wednesday 12th April– Watrous Music Festival
Beginner Band Performance. Intermediate/Senior solos/duets/small ensembles
Saturday, May 13th- DIVISION BAND RETREAT (BEGINNER & INTERMEDIATE) Clavet School 9am – 6:00pm
This is a full day camp that students participate in clinics, rehearsals & social/recreation activities.
Special Guest teachers & musicians are invited from Saskatoon to work with our musicians.
Monday, May 29th - DIVISION BAND 19TH ANNUAL SPRING FLING CONCERT
Lakeview Church 7 – 9pm
Beginner, Intermediate, Senior & Jazz Band
Mr. Martin’s Schedule
DAY 1 / DAY 2 / DAY 3 / DAY 4 / DAY 5 / DAY 6AM / Allan / Clavet / Allan / Aberdeen / Colonsay / Clavet
PM / Colonsay / Aberdeen / SCP / Clavet / SCP / Aberdeen
Mr. Ward’s Schedule
DAY 1 / DAY 2 / DAY 3 / DAY 4 / DAY 5 / DAY 6AM / Hanley / Dalmeny
Dundurn / Hanley
PM / Dundurn / Dundurn / Dalmeny