Weekly Update

Summary
Jazz Band will have a very busy week with the Jazz Extravaganza on Tuesday and Jazz in the Schools on Saturday.  The honor band pre-rehearsal is Monday evening at EVMS.  There is a new event for orchestra, intermediate band, and advanced band.  Playing tests will be held weekly until all songs have been tested.  I will also be holding after school sectionals and small group rehearsals on various days throughout the coming weeks.

Jazz Band Details

On Tuesday, Jan. 28, our jazz band will be performing with the Carson High School Jazz Band and the Mile High Jazz Band.  I encourage you all to support jazz in our area.  Since this is a fundraiser, parents will need to pay for tickets.  Anyone who is directly working as a chaperone with students will be admitted at no cost.  Participating students will also be included in the event at no cost.  You may purchase tickets here:  http://tahoe.activitytickets.com/activity/206  Call time for jazz band members will be 6:30 PM at the community center.  The concert begins at 7 PM and should be done around 9:15 PM.  Students will bring home a handout on Monday.

On Saturday, February 1, we will also be performing at UNR with the Jazz in the Schools Festival.  The festival features a performance in Nightingale Concert Hall, a feedback clinic, lunch, and an opportunity to listen to other area jazz bands. This event is free to all, and any jazz band parent is welcome to chaperone on the bus. Call time will be 8:00 AM in full concert dress and students will need to bring $5 for a pizza lunch provided by UNR.  Here are the trip details:

Call time: 8:00 AM in the CMS band room.

Depart CMS at 8:15 AM

Arrive at UNR at 9:00 AM

9:30 Warm up time in CFA #134

9:50 Performance time in Nightingale Concert Hall

10:15 Feedback clinic in CFA #14

10:45 Put instruments on bus and listen to other bands

11:55 Lunch (Bring $5 for pizza meal provided by UNR)

12:45 Reno Jazz Orchestra performance

1:30 Load bus and depart UNR

2:15 Arrival at CMS

Honor Band

Important change: Honor band students will be meeting at the Eagle Valley Middle School band room (no longer Carson High School) on Monday, January 27, from 4:30-6:30 PM to rehearse with the entire northern zone honor band and their guest conductor.  This performance is mandatory.  Let me know if you have any questions and please have your students contact me to arrange for rides if needed.

NEW EVENT: Washoe County Band and Orchestra Festival

I am excited to announce that the String Orchestra will perform at the Washoe County Orchestra Festival on Friday, March 14.  Students will miss school and must be in good standing with all classes in order to be eligible to attend.

The Intermediate and Advanced Band will now perform at the Washoe County Band Festival on Wednesday, March 26.  Students will miss school and must be in good standing with all classes in order to be eligible to attend.

These will be great opportunities for students to listen to other area groups and receive feedback from other professional musicians!

Playing Tests

Each week, students will be assessed on each piece of music that they're playing for festival season.  I will be looking for rhythmic and melodic accuracy.  I will test them on a section of music to be determined the day of the test.  The songs to be tested this week are as follows:

Beginning Band: No test this week
Concert Band: Imperium
Intermediate Band: Chester Variations
Advanced Band: Abracadabra
Strings: Storm Chaser

After School Sectionals

This is a heads up to all parents that I am beginning to hold regular sectionals to various members of the bands as needed over the coming weeks. This week, I will be working with the jazz band on Monday afternoon from 2:30-4:00 PM.

Calendar of Events

January 27: Honor Band Pre-Rehearsal, Eagle Valley Middle School, 4:30-6:30 PM
January 28: Jazz Extravaganza, Community Center, 6:30 PM (jazz band only)
February 1: Jazz in the Schools, UNR, 8 AM-2:30 PM (jazz band only)
February 20-21: Honor Band in Fallon, All Day
March 8: Solo and Ensemble, Carson HS, All Day (optional event for those wanting to perform solos)
March 14: Washoe County Orchestra Festival, North Valleys High School, Times TBA
March 17: Jazz Band Concert, Community Center, Times TBA
March 26: Washoe County Band Festival, Damonte Ranch High School, Times TBA
March 27: NZNMEA Band Festival


Practice Logs
Students will continue to turn in practice logs by submitting them online through a Google form.  I will only accept practice sheets submitted between 3:00 PM Monday and 3:30 PM Tuesday. The link can be found on the front page of http://www.cmsbands.org, your student's Edmodo account, or right here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_bEsPWAafghbYSXQlFUD6wtN6wko88YuxcDsTMe8Lxs/viewform

Students are also free to come in at lunch on non-block days to practice, seek additional help, or make up playing tests.   Here's what your students need to practice this week:

Beginning Band: Crater Lake Overture, Essential Elements #100-121 and page 40, #1-4.
Concert Band: Imperium, Crater Lake Overture, Essential Elements, 122-end (working at your own pace).
Intermediate Band: Chester Variations, Bryce Canyon Overture.
Advanced Band: Chorale and Shaker Dance, Improvement March, Abracadabra,
Strings: "Bach" Country Fiddles, Storm Chaser, Lackawanna Locomotive
Jazz Band: Oye Como Va, Blues Machine, Easy Money, Blues in Hoss Flat

Have another great week!

-Mr. Jacques-