Monday, December 16, 2013

Concert Wrap-Up

Dear Parents,

Thank you to everybody who attended the winter concert on December 12.  Our students are truly talented and they showed amazing effort.  For those of you who want to see any videos of the performance, I have uploaded some recordings from the concert to YouTube.  The following links will get you to some of your band's songs.

Beginning Band: http://www.cmsbands.org/#!beginning-band/c17o
Concert Band: http://www.cmsbands.org/#!concert-band/c1lr2
Strings: http://www.cmsbands.org/#!string-orchestra/cwiz
Intermediate Band: http://www.cmsbands.org/#!intermediate-band/c1qq8
Advanced Bandhttp://www.cmsbands.org/#!advanced-band/cozj
Jazz Band: http://www.cmsbands.org/#!jazz-band/c1mgv
Marching Band, from Sparks Hometowne Christmas Parade: http://www.cmsbands.org/#!marching-band/cdhn

Also, thank you to all the parents who helped in any capacity, especially with set changes, supervising kids, and running the bake sale.  Please email me if you would like me to excuse your student from leaving the concert early so that I can adjust their grade. I completely understand that the concert went long and some of you or your students had other things to do.  For our spring concert, I am considering doing two concerts on separate days: one at the Governor's Mansion and another in the CMS cafeteria.  Our program is growing, and this will allow us to better feature all the students.  They will be held sometime in May.

Spring Trip Payment
Although the first spring trip payment was originally due Monday, December 16, I am extending the deadline to Monday, January 20.  If you wish to still pay early, feel free!

Calendar of Events

January 7: Spring Trip Meeting, CMS Band Room, 6:30 PM
January 27: Honor Band Pre-Rehearsal, Carson HS, 4:30 PM
January 28: Jazz Extravaganza, Community Center, 7:00 PM (jazz band only)
February 1: Jazz in the Schools, UNR, All Day (jazz band only)
February 20-21: Honor Band in Fallon, All Day
March 8: Solo and Ensemble, Carson HS, All Day
March 17: Jazz Band Concert, Community Center, Times TBA
March 20: NZNMEA Band Festival (all groups except strings)


One final reminder: Practice sheets are due on Tuesday!  After this week, I will be reworking practice sheet procedures.  Although I still ask students to start practicing their new festival music, no practice sheets will be required during winter break.

Finally, I'd like to with everybody a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  Enjoy the valuable time off with your students, and I look forward to hitting the ground running in January after a restful break.  Festival and honor band season is right around the corner!

Monday, December 9, 2013

Concert - December 12

Dear Parents,

Just a few more days before the long anticipated winter concert, set to begin on Thursday at 6:30 PM in the Community Center!  Before I say anything else, let me remind everybody that there is no longer a dress rehearsal on the morning of 12/12.  Students should go to school on Thursday morning like it's any other day. 

Everything else will go ahead as planned at the following times:

5:00 PM: Earliest time to drop off bake sale items.
5:30 PM: Bake sale and setup volunteers (including any students who want to help) report.
6:00 PM: Call time for Beginning Band, Concert Band, and Strings, in concert dress.
6:30 PM: Call time for Intermediate Band and Advanced Band, in concert dress.
6:30 PM: Concert begins with performances from Beginning Band, Concert Band, and Strings.
7:30 PM: INTERMISSION
7:40 PM: Concert continues with performances from Intermediate Band, Advanced Band, and Jazz Band.
8:30 PM: Concert ends.

ALL STUDENTS: attendance for entire concert is mandatory.  You need to stay for the entire concert and support all your fellow performers.

Concert Dress
Advanced Band and Intermediate Band: Same thing as what they wear at the parade.
Concert Band and Strings: White tuxedo shirt, cummerbund, bow tie, BLACK pants, shoes, and socks. 
Beginning Band: Blue SSA polo plus BLACK pants, shoes, and socks.
*Santa, reindeer, or elf hats are optional.

Parent Volunteers - I have the following parents helping with the following:

Sitting with/watching/escorting bands (I could use 4 more; you won't miss any performances and you get to sit with your kid)
Heather T.
Heather G.

Setup, set changes, tear down (I have plenty! Please come around 5:30 PM)
Hope C.
Joanna K.
Adam S.
Janet L.

Recording and Pictures (I could use 1-2 here)

Bake Sale (I need more food items, and I now have about a 5 year supply of napkins!  Please have all items except for cheesecake individually wrapped or packaged)
Corrina: Napkins, plates, forks, cups, cookies
Annette: Cupcakes; also willing to help run bake sale - Coordinate with Kris.
Rachel B: Napkins
Socorro C: Drinks
Melissa E: Cookies
Jenna: Soda
Yuritsi M: Napkins
Carmen: Napkins
Mindy: Food item, forks
Emma D: Cheesecakes
Shordale: Napkins, chocolate chip cookies
Kris B: Cookies; also willing to help run bake sale - Coordinate with Annette.
Hope: Cookies
Heather T: Napkins, cookies
Joanna: cookies
Crystal T: Sprite

All you parents are incredible!  What would we do without you???

Practice sheets are due Tuesday!  Please have all students in all classes review and go over all music for the concert so they are as prepared as possible. 

I am excited for the concert!  A lot of hard work is about to pay off.  See you all Thursday evening at the Community Center!

Monday, December 2, 2013

Weekly Update

UPDATES

We have a very busy 2 weeks coming up, with two exciting events.  


Parent Meeting Tuesday, 12/3, 6:30 PM:
We will discuss areas where I need help for the parade and the winter concert. Sparks Christmas Parade - Saturday, December 7.
I have official information regarding the parade, available HERE.  I still need a few more people to chaperone.  Please let me know if you'd like to ride the bus with us.  Call time for all participants (intermediate and advanced band) will be 9:00 AM.  The parade starts at 1:00 PM, and our entry number is 38.  Following the parade, we will reward the group with a stop at Meadowood Mall so they can eat and shop.  Please let me know if you'd like to tag along as a chaperone.


Winter Concert - Thursday, December 12.

 Due to a schedule conflict with Eagle Valley Middle School, I am changing our winter concert start time to 6:30 PM, still on December 12.  I am asking all parents to bring a baked good to help generate funds to support all operating expenses.  Here are the details:

Thursday, December 12

7:45-10:45 AM: Dress rehearsal at the community center.  Please drop off your students at the community center first thing in the morning.  Students in periods 1, 2, and 6 will return to CMS by 10 AM.  Students in periods 3, 5, and jazz band will return by 10:55 AM.  We will do run throughs of the music and go over how to get on and off stage.

6:00 PM: Call time for Beginning Band, Concert Band, and Strings, in concert dress.

6:30 PM: Call time for Intermediate Band and Advanced Band, in concert dress.
6:30 PM: CONCERT BEGINS with performances from Beginning Band, Concert Band, and Strings.
7:20 PM: Intermission
7:30 PM: Concert continues with performances from Intermediate Band, Advanced Band, and Jazz Band.
8:30 PM: Concert ends.

A flyer that will be distributed to all students is available HERE.


Updated Advanced Band News:  As of  now, the spring trip is still on hold, but students are making progress in their efforts to earn back the trip. The class is only three letters away from spelling "D-I-S-N-E-Y-L-A-N-D"  If the class spells it out with at least 3 more well behaved and productive rehearsals between now and December 12, they will earn back the trip.  We will discuss the trip and payment options at the meeting on Dec. 3.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS


December 3: Parent Meeting, CMS Band Room, 6:30 PM.  We will be discussing areas where we need parent help for the parade and winter concert.
December 4: Marching Rehearsal, 2:30-3:30 PM.  DRESS WARM
December 7: Sparks Hometowne Christmas Parade (mandatory for marching members): 9:00 AM-4:00 PM  DRESS WARM for morning rehearsal.
December 12: Winter Concert (mandatory for all bands and strings): 5:30-8:30 PM. Community Center.

PRACTICING

Practice sheets are due Tuesday.  The next class with 100% turned in on time will earn the reward of no longer needing to fill them out.

Starting this week, instead of lunch detentions, students will have writing assignments during class on their block schedule days.  They will be required to complete a paper on responsibility in order to reinforce their need to turn in work.  Lunch detentions are taking a lot of time away from my students who need help on Fridays at lunch.

Please practice the following this week:

Beginning Band: First Concert March, Name That Christmas Carol, Holiday Fanfare.
Concert Band: Sounds of the Season, Irish Tune from County Derry, Linus and Lucy.
Intermediate Band: Merry Bells, In The Bleak Midwinter, Ding Dong Merrily on High, Holiday Classics, and Cartoon Christmas (Measures 11-37 and 79-end ONLY).
Advanced Band: It's The Holiday Season, Cartoon Christmas, Russian Christmas Music.
Strings: Experienced students should work on any Strazz music and Diggy Liggy.
Beginners, violas, and low strings should work on Lackawanna Locomotive and Countdown to Christmas.  Everybody should work on all Christmas carols that we rehearsed this week.

That's the news for this week. I'm looking forward to our upcoming performances!

-Mr. Jacques