Welcome to the Stapleton Music Program!

Stapleton Public Schools

Band

Handbook

2016-2017

~ Introduction ~

Welcome to the Stapleton Music Program!

You and your child, or children, are about to become members of some of the largest organizations at the school. This handbook is designed to be a resource for the students and their families as they become familiar with the Stapleton Music Program. Please read through this together and save it for future reference. This Handbook will provide general information about the classes such as class expectations, necessary gear (i.e. pencils, music, stands, mutes, etc.), performance dates, and concert attire. Class specific information will be in the class syllabi that are handed out the first day of classes.

~ Section 1 ~

Your Director…

Hello! My name is Daniel Gibbs. This is my second year of teaching music at Stapleton Public Schools. I am excited to be your music teacher for the 2016-2017 school year. I graduated from Kearney High School in 2010 and received my Undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska Kearney in Music Education K-12 and Performance in Composition. While in college, I played the flute as my primary instrument. It is my friend...most days. I have been involved with multiple music and education organizations such as Delta Omicron, Tau Beta Sigma, the Nebraska Educators Association, Student Education Association of Nebraska, and the National Association for Music Education, and more.

I have been involved with music my entire life! Music opens up the soul to a higher level of emotion and sensitivity. I am looking forward to this year and working with your student. Stapleton offers a variety of music classes including Marching Band, 7th-12th Grade Concert Band, 9th-12th Grade Choir, 5th-6th Grade Band, a 7th-8th Grade Mini-Course, and Elementary Music for Kindergarten through 6th Grade. We are excited to announce that we will be performing at the Nebraska State Fair on September 2nd in Grand Island. There will be more details to come! I cannot wait to meet all of you! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Email:

School Phone Number:

308-636-2252

~ Section 2 ~

Philosophy

Excellence in Music

At Stapleton, we are committed to excellence in education. We are here to help guide students to achieve a higher level of understanding and appreciation for the musical arts as well as applying this to everyday life.

Our Goals are aligned to classroom activities to not only enhance the overall experience while in a music class, but to also help students work together and learn from each other as well. We believe that music is an integral part of any education, therefore, you will find the nine national standards for music listed below. These serve as guidelines on how we teach music to your student(s).

Goals

●Improving musicianship

●Exploring styles of music not found in other ensembles

●Gain experience and confidence in playing independently

●An introduction to music history, theory, and composition

●Connection between the arts and other disciplines

●Make new friends who share a similar interest as you

The Nine National Standards for Music:

1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines
5. Reading and notating music
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
7. Evaluating music and music performances
8. Understanding relationships between music, other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture

~ Section 3 ~

Offered Courses

Stapleton offers the following courses in music:

●Marching Band

●7th-12th Grade Band

●5th-6th Grade Band

●9th-12 Grade Choir

●7th-8th Grade Mini Courses

●K-6th Grade General Music

Marching Band - The Stapleton marching band serves two purposes for students. It helps students improve their basic instrumental technique with the challenge of marching. It also represents the school through competitions, parades, and sporting events. Summer band camp in August is mandatory. The students in marching band will also be required to participate in Pep Band.

7th-12th Grade Band - This ensemble is open to all students so they have a chance to work in a concert setting. They will develop their musicality individually and as a group. The selected repertoire will explore different styles of music at varying difficulties. Students are required to participate in Marching Band and Pep Band.

5th-6th Grade Band - This ensemble is where the 5th grade students are introduced to an instrument that they will continue to practice throughout their career at Stapleton Public Schools. The 6th grade students will continue developing their fundamentals in this ensemble. The selected repertoire will explore different styles of music at varying difficulties. Students in the 5th-6th Grade Band will be switching between general music and band every time they meet. There will NOT be a band concert for the fall semester. The band concert is scheduled forMay 8th!

9th-12 Grade Choir - The Stapleton choir is a mixed chorus that will help strengthen past learning from Kindergarten through 8th grade. The students will develop their musicality individually and as a group. The ensemble will explore different warm-up techniques and styles of music at varying difficulties. Students will represent the school through competitions and other performances.

7th-8th Grade Mini Courses - In this course, we will delve into the history and basic theory of music. The students will have projects that will reinforce listening, music history, and music theory. Throughout the course, students will also continue to develop their voices through singing. This goal of this class is to help students develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for music while developing vocal technique.

K-6th Grade Elementary Music - Students in these classes will be learning the basics of music theory, history, rhythm, melody, harmony, steady beat, etc.

●K-1st grade students will focus on steady beats, counting rhythms, and identifying high and low sounds.

●2nd grade students will reinforce the previous fundamentals as well as begin to learn to play the xylophone and bells. Music history and the instrument families will be incorporated into the 2nd grade curriculum.

●3rd-4th grade students will learn how to play recorders. This will reinforce all of their previous knowledge as well as start them on the track for playing an instrument.

●5th-6th grade students will switch between band and general music. The students are taught more advanced theory, how to sing, and learn to play an instrument. I will be testing the students out on different instruments in their 5th grade year.

~ Chapter 1 ~

Performances - 2016/2017 Schedule

(The schedule may change! Please check for more details as the events get closer.)

* These are audition only events for high school students

* Events are subject to change

Pep Band Schedule

(The schedule may change! Please check for more details as the events get closer.)

* All events are subject to change

~ Section 1 ~

Attendance

A schedule of performances and other events has been provided in this handbook for the 2016-2017 school year. Every student is important to these events and performances. Attendance at each of these is mandatory. Parents, if there are any conflicts with the schedule, please mark those dates on the calendar provided with the acknowledgement sheet that must be signed and brought back to the director by the end of the first week of classes. Should an emergency or something else come up, please contact the director immediately. I frequently check my email, so that is the preferred method of communication, but you may also call the school. All required performances and events are part of the final grade in the class.

Here is my contact information again:

Email:

School Phone Number:

308-636-2252

Ultimately, the director will make the final decision. Here is a list of some excusable and inexcusable absences:

Excused:

●Sick from school

●Death in the family

●Important family event (e.g. wedding)

●School activities (Must have a written notice about the activity two weeks in advance and a conversation with the director or coach about make up work)

Unexcused:

●Homework

●Birthday

●Work

●Did not have a ride

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Should a student have to miss a performance or event for one of the excusable reasons listed above, students will be given a chance to make up some of the missing points to receive credit. The make-up work will be either a concert critique of a concert (not at the school), or a one-page paper on a musical topic chosen by the director.

~ Section 2 ~

Concert Attire

The Stapleton performing ensembles pride themselves in looking professional at all performances and events. In order to achieve this appearance, students are asked to wear the following:

Concert Band:

Ladies: A modest black top that covers the shoulders and is not revealing, black slacks/skirt (skirt must be below the knees when sitting), black socks or stockings, black, closed-toed shoes, and no large/distracting jewelry.

Gentlemen: Black dress shirt, black slacks, black socks, black, closed-toed shoes, and no big distracting watches or jewelry.

Please avoid any black and white patterned clothing or sequins. If you have any visible tattoos, please cover them up with make-up or a flesh colored band-aid. Depending on the venue we perform at, our attire may change. We may wear colored items such as ties or sunglasses for special occasions. At the request of the administration, we may also wear the band uniforms for concerts.

Marching Band:

The uniforms will be worn for most of the marching performances, and at the request of the administration, concerts too. All students will be measured for a band uniform that will include bibbers, a jacket, gloves, and a shako. The students will be expected to buy their own marching shoes and long black socks. Marching shoes should be solid black with black laces. Students are responsible for these items for the entire semester. They will be washed at the end of the marching season.

If there are any damages, parents, please bring the uniform to me or to a parent who has worked with the uniforms before. These uniforms are expensive! The total cost for one is $210 if the damages are beyond repair. Make sure they are hung up to dry after use or they will be moldy and smelly.

This is the second year the Stapleton band will be wearing polos for their informal uniforms. We will be using these for pep bands and really hot marching performances. If they are damaged beyond repair, they are $30 per polo.

Ladies: Please remove any nail polish or make-up before putting on your uniform. No jewelry is allowed. Your hair must be pulled back to fit inside the shako.

Gentlemen: Please be clean-shaven or you will be given a razor and shaving cream to go shave. Your hair must also be pulled back so it is inside your shako. If it is touching the collar of your uniform, you will be asked to have this fixed. Beware…

~ Chapter 2 ~

Instruments and Rental

Instruments are expensive, but they are an investment into your student’s future and education. Stapleton has limited numbers of rental instruments (flute, saxophone, trumpet, etc.) that students may use for the year. If a student needs to rent an instrument from Stapleton Public Schools for the year, they will be asked to pay a $15 per month rental fee to help us maintain the instruments in working condition and to purchase more instruments in the future. Percussionists will be asked to pay a $10 per month rental fee to play the school instruments and to purchase new ones as well.Percussionist will also have to purchase their own sticks. If your student is in more than one ensemble, they only have to pay the fee once. This fee is only applicable to students in the performing ensembles. This excludes the mini-courses, music appreciation, and elementary classes (unless the student is in band for 5th and 6th grade). If the instrument is damaged beyond normal wear and tear, a higher fee will be charged according to the repairperson.

Any student that needs to rent an instrument, or is a percussionist, must fill out the rental agreement form attached at the back of each handbook for each ensemble and return the form and the rental fee 30 days after the beginning of each semester. If there is a problem with payment of the rental fee, please contact me and we can arrange a payment plan. All students should have the same opportunity as the next to participate in these wonderful ensembles.

~ Section 1 ~

Maintenance and Repairs

Like anything else, instruments need regular maintenance and repair. Students are responsible for their instruments whether it is their own or a rented one from the school. Please review the instrument check out policy for all guidelines. If there is an instrument that needs repaired or a regular maintenance check, they must first bring it to the director so he can check it out. The student must then take it to a professional instrument repairperson if the director deems the instruments is in need of repair. Parents, please don’t help with the upkeep of instruments. We will help to make sure they are kept in working condition and get to the best repair people in the district. Here is a list of some of the instrumental repair shops nearby:

* Rob Kittle

Kittles - 106 E. 5th St. North Platte, NE

308-532-2911

* Lou Kraus

Lou Kraus Music - 119 No Spruce St. Ogallala, NE

308-284-8384

* Jeff Stelling

Stelling Brass and Winds - 3119 Antelope Ave. Kearney, NE

308-237-0276

* Steve Main

Yandas Music & Pro Audio - 2301 Central Ave. Kearney, NE

800-338-6939

Students are responsible for buying cork grease, valve oil, slide grease, etc. to help with regular maintenance of their individual instruments. If you have any question or concerns, please contact me.

~ Chapter 3 ~

Classroom Expectations

The classroom is where learning takes place. Stapleton takes pride in itself for providing safe learning environments for the students. Every student can help continue this behavior in the classroom by following the expectations. Each class period is only a short amount of time. In that time, we are learning new things as well as reviewing previous material. It is important to the learning environment to have a quiet room so every student can hear what is said in class. It will be expected that students will respect this and the other rules of the classroom to maintain a positive and effective learning atmosphere.

We encourage our students to reach for the next level in learning. No one is left behind in band. We are here to build each other up and reach our highest potential as a group in rehearsals, performances, and as individuals. Every member of the Stapleton music ensembles are expected to be positive and encouraging members of the band program as well as in the school.

Some General Rules:

●NO food (especially gum) or drinks (except water) are allowed in the band room during any rehearsal or performance

●Be SAFE, RESPECTFUL, and RESPONSIBLE

●Be in your seat, warmed-up, and ready to go BEFORE the class period begins (this includes bathroom breaks)

●The band room is home to many students. RESPECT other people’s property and the school’s

○This includes all instruments owned by SPS

○If you break it, you pay for it

●Students are expected to PRACTICE at least 15-20 minutes a day

○They will be receiving a grade for practicing, and will have to have to turn in a signed practice sheet, worth points, every Friday

■If no practice sheet is handed in, they will receive a zero

●You will show RESPECT to all directors, administrators, teachers, staff, your peers, and parents at ALL TIMES

●Always conduct yourselves as classy ladies and gentlemen. You are representing Stapleton and the music program

●You are required to be at all performances

~ Section 1 ~

Schedule, Expectations, and Logistics

Mr. Gibbs’ Class Schedule

Schedule - Marching Band: