The Final Steps

Dear Parents,

A great week of performances is upon us!  This is just a reminder that all performances are mandatory and they contribute to a major portion of your student's grade.  I'm really excited to see them show off all that they have learned these last two months.

Fall Concert
Here are just a few reminders for all groups.

• 5:30 PM: Dinner service begins.  
• 6:00 PM: Call time for all groups.  Young bands will grab instruments and music, then sit in their spots on stage.  Intermediate and Advanced Band will stay in the band room to change.
• 6:30 PM: Concert Begins; Intermediate and Advanced Band students will sit next to their families with their instruments and music. 
• 7:15 PM: Concert Band, Beginning Band, Advanced Strings, and Beginning Strings students may sit/stand with parents.  Intermediate and Advanced Bands perform.
• 7:30 PM: Approximate end of concert.  Students will put away instruments, change, and help with clean-up.
• By 8:00 PM: Students dismissed.

          Please note the following based on your student's ensemble:

o   Beginning Band & Advanced Strings: We still need a little more spaghetti.

o   Concert Band & Beginning Strings: We still need a little more sauce.

o   Intermediate Band: We still need a lot of salad and garlic bread!

o   Advanced Band: Please bring dessert items with your students during the day or during the                  evening before 5:00 PM.

Concert Dress: Band/Strings polo shirts, black dress pants, black socks and black dress shoes.  Intermediate and Advanced Band: Full marching uniforms.

*If you have not yet paid your $20 lab fee, your student will need to arrive with a plain navy blue polo in order to perform.  They will receive their polo shirts once they have paid their fee.

Sign Up To Help  - Thank you to all volunteers!

Nevada Day Parade

I have some news about the Nevada Day Parade.  We are entry #31! This means that we will play earlier and to a bigger crowd.

• 8:00 AM: Call time in the Band Room to change into uniforms, take a photo, and load the bus
• 9:00 AM: Arrive at staging area (Adaline Street) for warm-ups.
• 10:00 AM: Parade begins.  We are entry #31.
• 12:00 PM: Return to CMS to change and eat lunch.
• Approx. 1:00 PM: Dismissal.

Make sure your student has shown you their handout with all details about this event.  

Sign Up To Help - Thank you to all volunteers!

Thank you again! Let's have a great concert week.

-Mr. Jacques-

Detail Oriented...

Dear Parents,

Mr. Jacques here!  It's time for the weekly update. I have new details about the Fall Concert, the Nevada Day Parade, and the Spring Trip, as well as a quick "progress report" on each class.

Fall Concert
I have some details about the fall concert on October 28.  This event is mandatory for all ensembles except for Jazz Band.  There will also be a spaghetti feed, as well as root beer floats and other baked goods.  Here's what I'm thinking for logistics and times for the night:

• 5:30 PM: Dinner service begins.  
• 6:00 PM: Call time for all groups.
• 6:30 PM: Concert Begins; Intermediate and Advanced Band in band room to change into uniforms.
• 7:15 PM: Concert Band, Beginning Band, Advanced Strings, and Beginning Strings students may sit/stand with parents.  Intermediate and Advanced Bands perform.
• 7:30 PM: Approximate end of concert.  Students will put away instruments, change, and help with clean-up.
• 8:00 PM: Students dismissed.

            We are asking all members to bring one item for the spaghetti feed:

o   Beginning Band & Advanced Strings: A box of spaghetti

o   Concert Band & Beginning Strings: A jar/can of sauce

o   Intermediate Band: Bag of salad or loaf of garlic bread

o   Advanced Band: Dessert Item

Concert Dress: Band/Strings polo shirts, black dress pants, black socks and black dress shoes.  Intermediate and Advanced Band: Full marching uniforms.

Sign Up To Help

Nevada Day Parade

Here is what I know about the Nevada Day Parade on October 31:

• 8:00 AM: Call time in the Band Room to change into uniforms, take a photo, and load the bus
• 9:00 AM: Arrive at staging area for warm-ups.
• 10:00 AM: Parade begins.  We are entry #31.
• 12:00 PM: Return to CMS to change and eat lunch.
• Approx. 1:00 PM: Dismissal.

Students will receive handouts with further details in class on Wednesday.

Sign Up To Help

Advanced Band Spring Trip

Congratulations!  Disneyland has accepted our audition and invited us to come back in May!  I will now begin planning the trip, and I will have details, including trip cost, at next week's meeting.

Class Progress:

Jazz Band has learned their first winter concert piece, received their second winter concert piece, worked extensively on solos, and continues to make progress on Woodchopper's Ball and Louie Louie.
Concert Band is well on their way towards preparing a great fall concert. Those who have paid their fees in full received their polo shirt on Monday. They received new music last week.  Practice makes perfect!
Intermediate Band should now be able to play Tribute to America from memory.  This, coupled with new music they received last week, will be their primary goals for the next couple weeks as they prepare for the fall concert and the Nevada Day Parade.
Beginning Band is working on the following for the concert: Merrily We Roll Along, Go Tell Aunt Rhody, Hot Cross Buns, Au Claire de la Lune, and Lightly Row.  Those who have paid their fees in full received their polo shirt on Monday. Practice makes perfect!
Advanced Strings sight read their last piece of music for the fall concert: Cimmaron.  They're very excited and having an extraordinarily fun time with sight reading.  Those who have paid their fees in full will receive their polo shirts Wednesday.
Advanced Band sight read their hardest song of the year today. It's very encouraging to hear that they can already navigate their way through it.  With their other pieces concert ready (and parade ready), they'll be receiving winter concert music this week!
Beginning Strings is working on the following for the concert: Hot Cross Buns, Mary Had a Little Lamb, D Major Scale, Can-Can, and possibly a few others!  Those who have paid their fees in full received their polo shirt on Monday.  Practice makes perfect!

That all I can think of right now.  In the meantime, go out and enjoy the Indian Summer!

-Mr. Jacques-

A word from Amber Vedova

Dear Parents/Guardians,

My name is Amber Vedova and I will be the student intern from the University of Nevada, Reno working in your child's classroom this semester.

I will be working with Nicolas Jacques to provide an enriched educational and musical experience for your child.  This internship is the culmination of my music education degree and I am excited to have the opportunity to put my learning into practice.  During this semester I will be observing, team teaching, and lead teaching under the supervision of Georgia Tachoires from the University of Nevada, Reno.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at ambervedova@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Amber Vedova

Fall Concert News

Dear Parents,

Welcome to October!  Can you believe we are already approaching the end of the first quarter in school?  It's amazing how fast time flies.  In this newsletter, I will include class updates and a word on our fall concert, scheduled for October 28.  Before that, however, is an important word on grades.

Grades

I have posted grade printouts in my room for all students and they can make up any playing tests by Friday. If they are doing their best, ALL students have the potential of earning a "B" or higher by the end of this week.  All practice logs marked "INC" have not been turned in and cannot be made up; however, students can let me know through a note by Friday if any of these have been made in error.

Jazz Band received their first winter concert piece, and had a chance to listen to and vote for two others, which I just purchased today!
Concert Band continues to improve upon their fundamentals, and received "Freaky Fantasy," their second piece of sheet music for their fall concert.  Keep listening for good tone, which requires a lot of air and a bit of volume.  This may sound a little loud for your young children and pets. :-)
Intermediate Band is on the cusp of being able to play all of "Tribute to America" from memory.  On Tuesday after school, we plan to march at least 1 mile in preparation for the Nevada Day Parade, and they will receive new music this week.  They will now be participating in the Fall Concert on October 28!
Beginning Band learned their fourth and fifth notes, and they'll be learning their first folk songs in the upcoming weeks.  Keep listening for good tone, which requires a lot of air and a bit of volume.  This may sound a little loud for your young children and pets. :-)
Advanced Strings is learning the classic: "William Tell Overture" and has made it through most of the song. They will be presenting this as part of their fall concert.
Advanced Band is sight reading new music each day and deciding what to perform for the upcoming concerts this year.  They are great readers and they are helping me choose music for the school year.  They will now be participating in the Fall Concert on October 28!
Beginning Strings is learning their D Major Scale, which contains the building blocks for many, many songs that they will be learning starting next week.

Fall Football Game Wrap-Up

The football game was a lot of fun.  Approximately 20 students from Carson Middle School and 10 students from Eagle Valley Middle School joined the high school band for the evening. They performed the National Anthem and the School Song in front of the home crowd with the high school band, played along in the stands, and saw their award-winning halftime show.

Fall Concert Update - October 28

Our fall concert will now include Intermediate and Advanced Bands, as well as Beginning Strings, Beginning Band, Concert Band, and Advanced Strings.  This concert will also include a dinner fundraiser.  Amber Vedova, my student intern, will be putting on this concert. We will have more details as soon as she and I work everything out.  Stay tuned!!

-Mr. Jacques-