Resolution

Happy New Year! We had a wild time getting our December concert performance in, but we did it!  Thank you everyone for your flexibility.  Now we are on to a new year, with new music.  One of my resolutions is to keep the blog more up to date!  Please help me keep this resolution by making a comment if I don't update regularly. 

Stay warm, start practicing the new music, and look forward to an exciting 2011!

One Quarter (1/4)

It seems hard to believe, but today is the last day of the first quarter.  It also means the school year is 1/4 done.  There have been days that have flown by and days that have crawled, but that is the way it always is.  It seems like most students have finally figured out the ways that band in junior high is different from band in elementary, and a bunch of students have been completing make up practice logs and lessons.  Hopefully, now that they understand the system they will stay on task and not get behind in quarter two!

Our first performance of the year is next Tuesday, November 16th.  This 7:30 p.m. performance will feature all the bands in grades 7-12 and the junior high jazz ensemble.  It should be a great way to showcase the work the students have done so far.  I hope you can make it! 

Off and running

We have successfully gotten the 2010-2011 school year off and running.  We are doing a lot of procedural stuff in rehearsals right now as it takes a while for the students (and instructors) to adjust to the schedule and each other.  It is a learning process for sure.  The students have great enthusiasm and the 7th grade band sounds pretty good as we sightread music for our November concert.  We will have our first jazz rehearsal next Friday morning and had over 40 interested students sign up!  It will be interesting to see how many show up next Friday at 7:30! 

Parents and students are invited to scroll though this blog and answer the poll question, check out the weekly schedule, and take advantage of the listening/practice links for each ensemble.  There is a lot of info on this blog! 

Have a great weekend and thank you for some super first days of the school year!

Waiting for music to happen

That title phrase "waiting for music to happen" describes me right now!  I am super excited to see everyone at school on Thursday and start a year of wonderful education and music making with you.  We have a lot in store for you this year - this will be our first full year with the benefit of having a Smartboard in the rehearsal room.  Over the summer the music commons was painted and it looks great!  We are expecting new music stands to be delivered soon.  All of you will have instrument storage cubbies waiting for you on Thursday.  Inside each cubbie will be your new folder with color-coded fingering charts, warm ups and various other sheets.  Also in the folder will be the junior high band handbook and goal form that will need to be taken home, read, filled out, signed, and returned. 

It was great seeing so many of you at our orientation/open house night!  I have never had so many parents ask about jazz band before school starts - that makes me think we are going to have another outstanding jazz band this year.  I hope you will be involved!

I have wonder music selected for us.  It will challenge you, teach you, move you, and hopefully inspire you.  I will give you my very best, and I hope that you will give your very best back to me in all aspects of your playing, rehearsing, and actions as a member of our music performance groups!

Check us out and sign up to be a member of our groups through Facebook and Twitter:  You can find us on Facebook by searching for "Mankato East Jr. High Jazz" and "Mankato East Junior High Bands."  On Twitter we can be found at "KatoEastJHBands"  In any case, we want you to stay informed!

Time to close this post out - it is getting too long.  I look forward to an awesome year - see you next week!

Middle Level Bands in Concert

The bands from East Junior High School and Franklin Elementary School will come together for a concert on Tuesday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the East Auditorium.  The concert will feature performances from the Franklin Sixth Grade Concert Band under the direction of Edwin Stock, the Seventh Grade Concert Band and Junior High Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Jay Eichhorst, and the Eighth Grade Concert Band under the direction of Craig Kopetzki.  The concert is free and open to the public! 

"Playing it Forward"

Our KEYC-TV story on the "Playing it Forward" campaign sponsored by Minnesota Public Radio!
http://keyc.tv/node/36180

Trying to get "Smart"

Recently the band rehearsal room received a significant technology update.  In early February we received a SMARTboard! The board was mounted in the front of the room and has been in use daily since it was hooked up.  Most people have heard of SMARTboards by now.  But it is much more than the "interactive whiteboard" that it is often described as.  In a large room with classes our size it is a wonderful tool to be able to project images, video clips, large copies of documents, etc. on a board large enough for all students to see.  It would have been invaluable during general music classes as we would have used the board for many purposes.  Currently I use the board at the beginning to each rehearsal to scroll a powerpoint of that day's rehearsal activities for the students to see as they assemble their instruments.

Perhaps the most exciting application we have so far is the addition of SMARTMusic.  SMARTMusic is an incredible program that allows students to "see" their progress as they work on music.  In our application, by using the SMARTboard with the SMARTMusic, students can play right from the board and this allows a number of students to use the system at a time.  We will be using it for lessons as well as the students will be working on solos.

I am also in the process of teaching students how to use the board and the SMARTMusic program without our supervision.  When they can work alone, then we have truly used the tool for its intended purpose.  Students can even purchase the system at home for $30 a year.  A great investment!

Time flies

Wow!  Time flies and then you don't realize how long it has been since the band blog was updated!  There has been and is  lot of stuff going on and I will fill you in very soon on some of the happenings of the band world at Mankato East.  First though I have to concentrate my efforts as this Saturday is the South Central Minnesota Band Directors Association regional honor bands at Mankato West High School.  And I am in charge of making it all come off without a hitch.  So I have a lot to do - I will take the time to say this first: Congratulations to Katilyn H., Collin M., Carlee S., and Chandra B., for being named to the 6-8 honor band!  

Have a great week everyone and I will update you more next week! 

CONCERT TIME!

Hey everyone, the concert is tomorrow!  Quick reminders:  jazz run-through tomorrow on stage during home room. Arrive quickly - we don't have a lot of time!  7th will rehearse on stage for the first portion of rehearsal, then back to the band room.  Ensembles start tomorrow night at 5:50 - be early to run through your ensemble first - remind your members to get there on time.  Concert order for the 6:30 show is 7th Grade Concert Band, choir - set #1, orchestra, choir  - set #2, jazz band.  Order for 8:00 show is jazz band, 8th Grade Concert Band, choir, orchestra. 

Get a good night's sleep and be at your full concentration and effort level tomorrow! Let's make good music!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It was nice to talk to so many parents and students at parent / teacher conferences.  It is always nice to touch base and talk about the progress of the students and the bands.  Once we come back next week will forge ahead with the music for the December concert.  The magic number for 7th Grade Concert Band is "7" rehearsals left! Come prepared to make some great music.  Jazz will be back to our regular day of Wednesday morning and we all have to come with with ways to practice our holiday ensembles...any thoughts?  The secret word is gobble. Have a great Thanksgiving holiday weekend! Don't eat too much pie!

Job well done!

Congratulations to the junior high band members on a job well done!  We had our first concert on Tuesday and all of the groups did an excellent job.  It is always difficult for students at the junior high age level to start a new year, in a new school, and with a new director.  Even though our concert was early on the schedule the groups really worked hard and performed well.  I would also like to congratulate the students on the exemplary behavior they displayed at the concert.  I teach that the performance "begins when you walk on stage and continues until the concert is over."  This can be a difficult concept for young minds, especially when the "musical" portion of the concert is over them and they are now sitting in a large group watching.  But, they did great!  

Now we are on to new music for our next concert in December! 

New month, busy month

We say goodbye to October and with it the rain (HOPEFULLY!) As I look ahead to November I see many things listed on my calendar.  First and foremost, I see how quickly the end of the quarter will approach and I hope that I have explained the make-up log and lesson procedures carefully enough to the band students.  I have gone over things repeatedly, but one never knows if they have been "heard" by everyone in the room!  Experience has taught me that there are students with questions out there.

The quarter ends on Thursday, November 12th.  All make-up lessons and practice logs must be completed and turned in by the end of the day. We will have 4 days of make-up lessons the last week of the quarter, but there are more students who need lessons than there are slots available!  Make sure you schedule with me this week if you can to make sure you get a time.  Make up practice logs can be done before or after school, or during homeroom or prime-time.  Make sure you have your log signed by Mr, Kopetzki or me  when you finish practicing each time in order for the log to be valid.  A reminder that any student that has been participating in jazz band will automatically receive a free practice log in the grade book at the end of the quarter!

This week in lessons the seventh graders are being tested on the band music.  Remember to prepare carefully ahead of time.  Also, remember your lesson!  We don't want to add any additional make-up lessons to the calendar!

On Wednesday, November 11th the 8th Grade Concert Band will perform in the annual Veteran's Day Program.  You will need your black and white for this performance.  Parents and other family members are invited to attend this program which will be held in the auditorium.

The following Tuesday (November 17) our first formal performance of the year will be held.  The Fall Instrumental Concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will feature the 7th and 8th Grade Concert Bands, the Junior High Jazz Ensemble, and an "informance" from the band instruction students.  All students will be in black bottoms and white tops.  Please refer to your handbook for specifics. 

As soon as that performance is over we will begin preparing for our December concert in earnest.  It will be the shortest amount of time we have ever had between concerts!

As I close this post, I want to share that we had an exceptional week of rehearsals!  I hope this continues!  Students and parents, as we move forward, please contact me with any questions you may have.  The word that will pay this week is "busy."

"Water Music?"

The Water Music is a collection of orchestral movements composed by George Frideric Handel.  It premiered on July 17,1717 when King George I requested a concert on the River Thames.  The concert was performed by 50 musicians playing on a barge close to the royal barge where King George I was listening.  It was said that the king loved it so much he ordered the exhausted musicians to play the suite three times on the trip.

This weather makes me think Handel's Water Music!  This morning when I drove to Franklin Elementary to begin my day it was raining.  When I left Franklin to go to East it was sleeting.  After my 3rd period class some of the biggest snow flakes I have ever seen were coming down.  The drive home found the wipers once again pushing the rain off the windshield.  Enough already!

Regardless of the weather it has been a great week!  General Music finished the 1950's decade and will move into the 60's on Monday.  The 7th Grade Concert Band made HUGE progress this week on their selections for the November concert - WAY TO GO!  We had an awesome jazz rehearsal Wednesday morning and will start working on our 3rd song next Wednesday.  More 7th grade students remembered their lesson than the first lesson cycle and I have more 7th and 8th grade practice logs in the drawers this week than last!  After school I looked at mostly empty instrument cubbies which means that a lot of horns went home this weekend to practice!  I think most students are finally establishing a routine (an none too soon as the end of quarter one is rapidly approaching.) If you have questions on practice logs, lessons, music, etc. please ask! I want to make sure everyone understands what is expected of them - and these expectations are designed to make you and the bands successful!

I wish the 8th graders a good weekend of preparation as we head into 8th grade lessons and testing!  I hope everyone finds a little time in their weekend to improve their individual playing - which in turn makes the groups better.  We are changing the game this week - instead of a secret word, tell me the story of Handel's Water Music.  Hopefully the rain will stop long before we need to start building barges to play from!

What we've learned this week:

It has been a short, yet beneficial week for all.  My post will be about what we've learned (or I hope we've learned) during school these three days. 

1.  Learning is so much easier when everyone is there!  It appears that students must be starting to recover from the flu - I've had pretty good attendance this week.  Good attendance means we don't have to back up to make sure everyone has the information we covered in their absence.  It also means students aren't stressed about what they have missed.  That being said:
2.  Students always seem to recover in time to be gone on a field trip!  Today was a field trip for half of the 7th grade class.  It was the first time I have had full attendance in one of my classes for weeks.  Of course half of those students were actually not in class; they were on the trip...Hmmm...
3.  Students can tolerate (enjoy?!?) music from the "olden days."  Music 7 spent the week learning about music from the 1940's.  Today when they wrote essays about the period I had the 1940's playlist going in the background - it was super cool to see them enjoy the music as they created. Can't wait until we discuss the 1950's next week.
4.  I love it when students put themselves out there and try new things.  We had an additional 9 people for JH Jazz this morning.  AWESOME!
5.  Students will believe anything really early in the morning.  To "reward" the jazz students for being "on time" (early) for rehearsal this morning I told them I had received permission from the school to allow them to sleep in the next two mornings.  It took awhile (too long) for the majority of them to get that. 
6.  With responsibility comes rewards.  It is amazing to observe what a make-up lesson can do for your grade.  We had many students make up lessons this week.
7.  It is difficult to successfully pull off a lock down drill when half of the students are coughing uncontrollably when we are trying to be "quiet."
8.  I am completely "OK" with students taking their instruments to practice. (note: It's kind of expected/required...see "practice logs" in the handbook!)
9.  We have a concert rapidly approaching and we have major work to do on our selections. (see #8 for a special message on how to help us deal with #9.
10.  After this week, I am looking forward to Monday!  The secret word this week is "learning."  You know what to do with it.  HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND (but find time to practice!)

If it's not one thing...

There is a saying that goes "If it's not one thing, it's another."  Sometimes it almost feels like we live that on a daily basis!  Just when I thought that most people were getting healthy enough to be at school we had new issues to work around.  It was 8th grade lesson week.  On Wednesday all the 8th graders were gone for a scientific field exploration.  The back-up that caused for students trying to cram lessons in before the mid-quarter reports were due was amazing.  Luckily this first lesson was more a lesson to evaluate where students were at and for me to give them their initial playing assignments for the next lesson, so I was able to accommodate some rather bizarre instrument combinations during lessons Thursday and Friday!

Thursday is  the only day each week where all of the 7th grade band members are in rehearsal.  On Tuesday we have students that go to orchestra and choir, and on Fridays we split the period, so Thursdays are "our day" to really make progress.  This Thursday we had a fire drill scheduled 15 minutes into rehearsal!  Now a fire drill in a "regular classroom" is bad enough, but in a band room with 65 students, chairs, stands, cases and instruments it is another thing entirely.  The good news is that it gave me time to inform the students where we go during drills and the expectation of how they are to get there.  The best part - they totally exceeded my expectations!  AWESOME JOB, BAND!!!  The worst part - that left us with about 10 minutes of our "full rehearsal."  Next week is a three-day week with a scheduled late start on Tuesday, so that will shorten our only rehearsal of the week - I hope everyone practices individually!  Yikes.

We had our first junior high jazz rehearsal on Wednesday and it went really well.  Thanks to all the parents who got their children there on time - impressive!  I look forward to this Wednesday when we will hopefully be joined by the students who were sick last week.  We also welcome other students - just let me know you are planning on being there so I have music for you. 

Wow this has become a long post - time for the "secret word."  If  you are visiting the blog for the first time, read last week's post to learn about the secret word.  The word this week is drill.   Good luck.  Have a great weekend - squeeze in a little time for individual practice!

Sniffles, coughs, and lessons

So it was quite the week.  Throughout the week we had various music teachers go down to the flu.  It was a guessing game each day when I arrived at East after teaching at Franklin as to which cars I would see parked by the music rooms.  Luckily, I had only had some of the mild symptoms and was able to keep going.  I didn't want to miss this week - too much happening!  Many, many students were gone though, and I'm afraid that has set our progress back a bit.  I hope everyone is healthy soon.

It was finally time to begin 7th grade lessons.  The best part for me was an that it was an opportunity to "meet" everyone and to hear them play individually.  I believe we have some talented kids in this group!  I'm excited about that.  It is taking longer than I would like for them to adjust to the new routines and protocals of a junior high rehearsal.  I hope that improves soon.

We had the jazz meeting on Wednesday and had many students show up.  We will begin rehearsals this week.

Due to Mr. Kopetzki being sick I even had the opportunity to spend a little more time with the 8th grade.  It has been a difficult adjust to make this year for all of us, and I hope that they will continue to work with us as we (and they) adjust.  I am looking forward to 8th grade lessons this week!  This is the part where I "reward" people who read the blog.  If you are a student reading this, come up to me and tell me the secret word of the week...that word is "tempo."  Extra credit goes to those who use it correctly in a musical sentence.  Don't tell your friends - this is your extra-credit reward for following our blog! I hope to hear from  you.

Time to begin

Today I passed out the lesson passes for the quarter to the 7th grade - FINALLY!  It feels like I have been spinning my wheels with the students as this week has been so fractured due to testing and homecoming schedules.  Next week we should have rehearsals as well! 

We are also going to have an informational meeting next Wednesday during homeroom for students interested in being in jazz ensemble.  I have the posters finished, information sheets printed and even passes ready for that!  I hope we have a lot of interest - it would be great to have a large group!

"Ready, Set, WAIT!"

I feel like that is what I hear at school the past few days.  It is always difficult to start a new school year, but just when I was starting to get into a routine we have the "tri-fecta" this week:  NWEA testing (which alters every schedule), our first scheduled late-start for PLC work, and Homecoming activities.  So, the lesson schedule that was ready to kick off this week has been delayed.  We even lose a day of 7th grade rehearsal on Tuesday because we don't have "7th period" on that day!!!

I have been looking forward to starting lessons; it will help me to hear each new 7th grader and start to know them as individual people.  I will also be able to reconnect with the 8th graders.  Until then, if anyone would like a lesson or needs some help with anything please stop in an schedule time with me.  There are new people in the bands that would really like to work with and get to know.

I look forward to next week when the phrase will change to "Ready, Set, GO!"

What?

What was that? Where are we supposed to go? Do I need my instrument now?  Am I in the correct classroom? Why are we sitting in the dark?  If you are a member of the junior high bands at Mankato East Junior High School you are probably familiar with the questions above and most likely a few more.  The first few days of a new school year are often confusing and rushed as students struggle to learn locker combos, where the classrooms are, etc.  To make matters worse this year we are struggling with shifted schedules and classes which strain the music suite more than ever.  The logistics of teaching four classes 8th period when we only have three rehearsal rooms seems a little mind boggling.  Students, you need to know that Fridays are goofy.  When all music students are there and "share" a period (band/choir for example) it will take a few weeks to get used to that.  I can assure you of the following:  1.  It will start to make more sense next week 2. Everyone will be calmer when routines start to set in 3.  The power DOES NOT go out in the building on a regular basis!  HANG IN THERE - trust me, your musical experience will be worth it!!!!!!

Ready or not...

Ready or not...the first day is here!  The excitement of a new year - I am ready to get started.  It was great seeing a bunch of last years 8th graders as they have been in school the past two days now that they are in high school.  It was also nice to meet so many parents and incoming students during conferences.  I think it will be an awesome year! 

Remember to bring your instrument and a pencil to rehearsal tomorrow.  When you arrive in the music suite you can go into the junior high storage area and search for your cubbie.  Let me know if you have any problems or questions!  See you 7th and 8th hour....