Progress Reports/Holiday Music/Holiday Concert!

All of the 5th grade band students will be receiving their progress reports along with their report cards today!  Many of the students have done exceptional work this first quarter and have made much progress in mastering the basics on their instruments!  I am very happy with their hard work and dedication to developing their talents!

However, there are a few students who are still working on getting into a regular practice routine.  The practice time at home each week is so necessary in order for the students to make any progress.  Please help you child develop this regular routine at home in order to insure success on their chosen instrument!  This is especially important as the band students have all received their sheet music packets for our upcoming Holiday Concert which will be held on Monday, Dec. 17 at 7:00pm in the Performing Arts Center.  We have started reading through it and will begin to work really hard on it over the coming weeks as we prepare for the first performance with our 5th grade beginners!

Until next week, keep practicing....
Mr. Hubers

End of 1st Quarter!

Believe it or not, the end of the 1st quarter is already next Friday, Oct. 19.  The band students will be receiving progress reports for 5th grade band.  The report will reflect their progress on the development of tone production, music reading skills, rhythm skills, lesson preparation and rehearsal/lesson participation. 

Students will also be receiving a fingering quiz based on their knowledge of the first five notes that we have learned.  They will be asked to label the note names and accurately fill out a fingering chart for each note. 

Within the next two weeks, the band students will also be receiving their Holiday Concert Music packets!  This is always exciting as the band members get to play 'real' sheet music, rather than just the technical exercises in their band books.  Hopefully, you will be able to recognize some of the tunes that your child is practicing as we prepare for our first concert of their playing careers!

Just on a side note, I was reading in the 'Teaching Music' Journal this past week about how students involved in the arts:

• showed overall GPA's higher than those that did not,
• enrolled in four-year colleges at higher rates than those that did not,
• were more likely to vote and/or participate in a political campaign,
• engaged in more regular civic and/or community volunteering than did the general population.

Until next week, keep practicing....
Mr. Hubers