New Week, New Lesson...

Dear CMS Band Families,

Back to it again! This week features a different kind of lesson and a change to the Zoom schedule.  I am also working on audition information and a schedule for when students can return to campus to return instruments, music, uniforms, etc.

WEEKLY LESSON
This week's lesson is a complete re-design of what we've done in past weeks. All students will have 1 assignment: a slideshow that helps them review all music fundamentals and guides them through how to compose their own melody. All of the information is in a self-contained and interactive slideshow that automatically saves their work.  Since some of us are left with extra free time these days, I invite any parents to also check it out. Here's the link: https://app.peardeck.com/student/tlhhvpcfh

This assignment will be due on Thursday night, May 7. I will grade it on Friday morning. This will also double as their weekly attendance.

ZOOM FRIDAYS
I will no longer be holding Zoom sessions on Monday-Thursday.  Instead, I will have an optional weekly Zoom meet-and-greet on Friday at 10:00 AM.  This session will be a fun place for us to all gather at the end of the week to share how we are doing.  I might also surprise students by playing games, reading to them, or who knows what else!

ADVANCED/JAZZ BAND AUDITIONS
Auditions are right around the corner! I will post the audition information on Friday.  In the meantime, students should review their Band-O-Rama music and study all the scales they worked on in class through March. Audition will take place through Flipgrid, where students will video record themselves playing through the audition. For students who prefer to audition in person, we are tentatively planning to offer live auditions on the week of May 18 at CMS.

HIGH SCHOOL BAND INFO (8th grade parents only)
Here is what I'm currently planning for the high school band classes:
Jazz Band: No audition necessary this year.  This class is also during "0" period and is open to any student with prior jazz band experience at CMS.
Marching Band: No audition necessary. In high school, this is its own class. It meets on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from August-November. There will also be a mandatory band camp from August 3-7 and 10-14. We may also add a freshman-only orientation to band camp on Friday, July 31.  I will have much more information about this class in June.
Cadet Band: No audition necessary. Open to any student who just completed Beginning Band or any experienced student who wants to learn a secondary instrument.
Concert Band: No audition necessary. Open to any student currently in Intermediate Band or Advanced Band.
Wind Ensemble: An audition is required. This is the top-performing group at Carson HS, much like our Advanced Band at CMS.  I will post audition information shortly.

If reading this gave you more questions than answers, please feel free to email me and I will help guide your student to the correct class.  I will also know more once we finish the end of the school year and I've completed the transition over to the high school.

RETURNING ITEMS TO SCHOOL
As of now, we are expecting to begin the process of returning instruments, music folders, and uniforms beginning on May 18. This will also be the time your student may visit their locker, return any library books, and pick up medicine from the nurse's office.  Once I have specific times, I will share that with you.

As always, thanks for reading, and have a great week!

-Mr. Jacques-