Springing into April...

Dear Parents,

I hope you have all been enjoying some quality time with your kids during spring break. It has been a welcome break for sure!  After returning from spring break, we will have our final round of events beginning in late April.  With a lot of events coming up, I'm trying something new here. I'm listing the required events by ensemble, followed by the description of each event below that.

Beginning Band:

• Beginning Band Festival, May 1
• Spring Concert Part 1, May 22

Concert Band:

• Northern Zone Band Festival, April 25
• Beginning Band Festival, May 1
• Spring Concert Part 1, May 22
• 8th Grade Promotion, June 6

Intermediate Band:

• Music in the Parks, April 21
• Northern Zone Band Festival, April 25
• Spring Concert Part 2, May 23
• 8th Grade Promotion, June 6

Advanced Band:

• Northern Zone Band Festival, April 25
• Spring Trip, May 16-20 
• Spring Concert Part 2, May 23
• 8th Grade Promotion, June 6

Jazz Band:

• Reno Jazz Festival, April 28
• Spring Trip, May 16-20
• Spring Concert Part 2, May 23

CTE Music:

• Beginning Band Festival, May 1
• Spring Concert Part 1, May 22

EVENT DESCRIPTIONS

Music in the Parks: April 21 - Intermediate Band and invited Concert Band members are taking a trip to Vallejo to compete in a judged band festival, followed by an afternoon and evening at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

Northern Zone Band Festival: April 25 - This will be our sixth consecutive year hosting the Northern Zone middle school bands at this festival. In addition to a mandatory performance for Concert, Intermediate, and Advanced Band, select students will spend the day with me and help run the festival.

Reno Jazz Festival: April 28 - The Reno Jazz Festival is what brought me to Northern Nevada many years ago. I have competed in this festival as a student, and now our students will be making their 3rd appearance. This performance is mandatory for Jazz Band.

Beginning Band Festival: May 1 - This festival is for all the young ensembles in our zone, including 3 groups from CMS: Beginning Band, Concert Band, and CTE Music.  The CTE class will perform as a handbell ensemble and a percussion ensemble.

Spring Trip: May 16-20 - Advanced Band will be performing to Disneyland for their 5th annual appearance in the park.  Joining them this year will be Jazz Band in their first appearance.

Spring Concert, Part 1: May 22 - Beginning Band, Concert Band, and CTE Music will be performing in their final concert of the year. The 5th grade bands from Bordewich Bray, Fritsch, and Mark Twain will also be performing.

Spring Concert, Part 2: May 23 - Intermediate Band, Advanced Band, and Jazz Band will be performing in their final concert of the year.

8th Grade Promotion: June 6 - All Concert Band, Intermediate Band, and Advanced Band members will be performing at the 8th grade promotion on the final day of school.  The 8th grade students from Intermediate and Advanced Band will also come back and perform one last song with the band.

I hope this helps everyone plan out the events. Next week, I should have enough information to put together detailed itineraries for the April performances.  Stay tuned!

-Mr. Jacques-

Snow Day...

Dear Parents,

This update will be quick.  I wanted to thank everyone who helped make this year's Band-O-Rama such a success! We had a record number of students participating across the ensembles, and we were so fortunate that the winter storm held off until the end of the event.  Congratulations to your student on a successful performance, and I hope you had a great time listening to them bring musical joy to everyone.

Congratulations to the Advanced Band, who, on the same day as Band-O-Rama, went to Sparks to perform in the Washoe County Band Festival. They earned straight "superior" ratings in their performance, as well as a "superior" rating for sight reading!  Just a few quick notes:

• I'm extending the due date for practice logs to Monday, March 19. Students will be able to complete them in class.
• I'll be assigning a video playing test in all classes that will be due at the end of spring break. 
• Jazz Band's Northern Zone Jazz Festival is scheduled for Wednesday, March 21, beginning with a 2:30 PM call time after school for a rehearsal, followed by the concert at 6:50 PM. 
• Looking ahead, we have a bit of a break in the performances, with our next round of band festivals on April 25, April 28, and May 1. I will have more information about these performances once the schedules are finalized. 

Enjoy your snow day, and congratulations once again to your amazing students!

-Mr. Jacques

Band-O-Rama!

Dear Parents,

This week, all eyes are focused on Band-O-Rama, our largest event of the year! Advanced Band and Jazz Band have a couple additional events this week, as well.

March 15 - Band-O-Rama!
This event is MANDATORY for all CMS band members. This is our annual event that showcases all of the Carson City School District bands under one roof!  Here's what your student needs to do this week to ensure that everything goes smoothly:

• Monday night-Tuesday night: Practice any remaining rough spots with a metronome.
• Wednesday afternoon: Take home instrument and music and have a final look at all music.
• Thursday morning: Call time is 7:30 AM in the Carson High School gym for a mandatory rehearsal. Students will be bussed from CHS to CMS at 10:30 AM for the rest of their classes.
• Thursday afternoon (except for Advanced Band): Take home instrument and music and make sure your uniform is clean/ready to wear.
• Thursday evening: Call time is 6:30 PM in the CHS gym in full concert uniform for the concert.  The concert begins at 7 PM. 
• Showcase your best musicianship and audience etiquette, and have fun!
• Click here for the handout sent home to students.

March 15 - Washoe County Band Festival
This is Advanced Band's 3rd appearance at this festival, which includes a rated performance followed by a rated sight reading clinic. Yes, the date is correct!  We will leave CMS at 2:45 PM, perform at 4:00 PM at the Nugget Casino in Sparks, and return around 6:00 PM for Band-O-Rama. Thanks to Julye Neel for making this schedule work for us this year!

March 21 - NZNMEA Jazz Night
This event is for the Jazz Band, who will travel to Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School for a non-rated festival performance with all the other jazz bands in the Northern Zone.  The event begins at 6:30 PM and the Jazz Band performs at 6:50 PM. Click here for the handout sent home with students.

Upcoming After School Rehearsals

• March 13: Advanced Band, 2:30-4:30 PM
• March 21: Jazz Band, 2:30-4:30 PM

Grade Update

• Progress reports are coming out this week and my grade cut-off was on Monday. I replaced any missing tests/quizzes with a "0" and students can come make these up any time at lunch.
• Teachers are not allowed to input grades this week, so I was asked to enter the Band-O-Rama grade early. If your student arrives on time in full uniform and does their best on Thursday, that full score will remain. 
• Practice logs are due on Friday (I'll grade them the following Monday) and I'll have another playing test assigned for next week, due the day before spring break.
• CTE: The composer/musical artist project is due on Tuesday, March 20 with presentations taking place in class that day.

That is all for this week!

-Mr. Jacques-

The Ingredients Are There...

Dear Parents,

It's time for an update!  This week, I'm realizing how smoothly everything is running.  All the extra hours of work to run the band program is even more rewarding with the incredible parent support, our most successful fundraiser ever, and wonderful students who continue to make progress on their music. All the ingredients are there for a fantastic spring semester of concerts, contests, festivals, trips, and more.

Chili Bingo Night Wrap-Up
Wow! What a great event!  Our students pulled together to achieve an ambitious goal: $10,000 for the CMS music programs, and guess what?  We did it!  Chili Bingo Night raised a total of $10,435 from presale raffle tickets, bingo games, chili tasting, and the snack bar!  I am so proud of everyone, from the students who continue to put their heart and soul into the program, to everyone who supported their students by purchasing tickets, donating items, cooking chili, and attending the event. I'll also be posting a special mention to all our generous business sponsors, who gave us our best prizes ever!

March 2 - UNR Day of Percussion
This is the first time Carson Middle School students are participating in this event, and for the first time ever, Carson Middle School and Eagle Valley Middle School are performing as a combined percussion ensemble!  Click here for the handout sent home to all participating students.

March 15 - Band-O-Rama!
This event is MANDATORY for all CMS band members. This is our annual event that showcases all of the Carson City School District bands under one roof!

• Call time is 7:30 AM in the CHS gym for a mandatory rehearsal. Students will be bussed from CHS to CMS at 10:30 AM for the rest of their classes.
• Call time is 6:30 PM in the CHS gym in full concert uniform for the concert.  The concert begins at 7 PM. 
• Click here for the handout sent home to students.

March 15 - Washoe County Band Festival
This is Advanced Band's 3rd appearance at this festival, which includes a rated performance followed by a rated sight reading clinic. Yes, the date is correct!  We will leave CMS at 2:45 PM, perform at 4:00 PM at the Nugget Casino in Sparks, and return around 6:15 PM for Band-O-Rama. Thanks to Julye Neel for making this schedule work for us this year!  Click here for the handout sent home to students.

March 21 - NZNMEA Jazz Night
This event is for the Jazz Band, who will travel to Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School for a non-rated festival performance with all the other jazz bands in the Northern Zone.  We do not have a performance time yet, but the event will start at 6:30 PM. We will have an after school rehearsal that day, and arrange for dinner together before we head down to Minden.  I'll have more information as soon as the schedule is published.

Upcoming After School Rehearsals

• March 13: Advanced Band, 2:30-4:30 PM
• March 21: Jazz Band, 2:30-4:30 PM

Grade Update

• Students have new practice assignments that will be due on March 16. 
• Students can make up any playing test at lunch for a better score.
• Students can make up any MasteryConnect quiz for a better score. 
• There will be new playing tests assigned for the week after Bandorama. 

That is all for this week!

-Mr. Jacques-

Chili Bingo Night: It Begins...

Dear Families,

The 10th Annual Family Chili Bingo Night is on Friday, February 23, at CMS. This is the biggest and most profitable fundraiser at CMS, and all proceeds go directly back to the music programs at our school.  A huge thanks goes out to some incredible parents, as well as businesses, who have donated time, goods, and services to make this event a huge hit each year.  This event consists of several parts:

CHILI COOKOFF

The chili cook-off is the tastiest part of the event. If you'd like to enter a chili, it's absolutely free, and you will have a chance of winning cash prizes for your creations. We ask that you make at least a crock-pot full so everyone can get a taste and have one person serve for at least the first hour of the event.  

At the event, the cost to taste is only $5 and you will get to vote on your favorite.  Winners are announced during the event.  Last year's winner was a CMS teacher.  Will you be our next winner? If you want to enter a chili, SIGN UP HERE!

BINGO GAMES

At the event, we will have bingo games for additional prizes. Bingo will take place at the event, and there are 12-15 rounds. Bingo cards are 1 dollar each. The Bingo winners will receive such prizes as restaurant gift certificates, a scenic flight over Lake Tahoe, free pizza for a year, and Disneyland park hoppers!

RAFFLE DRAWING

On Thursday-Friday, February 8-9, each student will receive an envelope with a prize list and 10 tickets, which students will be selling over the next 2 weeks.  This year, choir and orchestra students are also selling tickets.  With almost 400 participating students this year, we have the potential to raise more than ever.  Students may also come back for as many additional tickets as they like!  Here are the important facts that students must remember about selling these tickets:

• They MUST collect the money at the time of sale.
• They need to include the following information on each ticket:
• Buyer's name
• Buyer's phone number
• Item number (if the buyer wants their tickets to go towards a specific item)
• They must bring the tickets AND the money back to Mr. Jacques.  (buyer does not keep the tickets)

This raffle is unique because you can choose which item you want to win.  This means that you only have a chance of winning items that you would want, and it increases your odds of winning. 

There are top prizes for students, and they were very excited to know what they might be able to win:

• Sell 10 tickets: Receive 1 free ticket for the item of your choice.
• Sell 50 tickets: Receive a gift certificate to Carson Lanes.
• Sell the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th most tickets overall: Receive a gift certificate to a local restaurant.
• Sell the most tickets overall: Receive a $50 Disney gift card.
• If each student in a class sells at least 10 tickets, they will all receive an in-class root beer float party!

Tickets will be drawn at the event on February 23. Winners do not need to be present to win (but it's more fun when they are present).

SNACK BAR

Along with delicious chili tasting, we will have a snack bar with hot dogs, chips, candy, and sodas.  Bring the whole family and have dinner with us on February 23.

Our total fundraising goal is $10,000 and with a record number of participating students, we can easily reach that goal. 

I'll be updating the newsletter again with the usual news and updates later next week.  Enjoy the beginning of an amazingly fun and profitable fundraiser!

-Mr. Jacques-

1 month down, 4 to go...

Dear Families,

That's right--one month of the spring semester is already behind us!  Read below to see photos from last week's events, class updates, grade news, and upcoming events.

JAZZ EXTRAVAGANZA

Thank you to everyone who made the 15th annual Jazz Extravaganza a success! We raised $950 for the CMS Jazz Band program, much of it going right back to students to help cover their spring trip participation. 

HONOR BAND

Honor Band took place on February 1-2 in Fallon.  The CMS students were well-prepared and showcased outstanding musicianship.  The percussion section also left quite an impression on the guest conductor, who ended up inviting them to Day of Percussion at UNR! Well played, Honor Band students!

Here are the 19 students from CMS who showcased the very best in middle school music.

Nichole Heglund, guest conductor, was thrilled to work with the students!

CLASS UPDATES

Jazz Band is working hard to make the 3 songs they'll be performing at Saturday's Jazz in the Schools event even cleaner. They have a video playing test on Big Band Theory due by Thursday night.  Those who do not complete the video will play it in class on Friday.

Advanced Band is plugging away at their Bandorama music, which is virtually ready to perform.  That means one thing: an early start on festival music!  They have a video playing test on When Summer Takes Flight due by Sunday night.  Those who do not complete the video will play it in class on Monday.

Concert Band is working on playing confidently and practicing smart.  Are they using a metronome at home? They've received positive sub notes and I'm happy to see them making the most out of band.  They have a video playing test on Saturn, the Sixth Planet due by Sunday night.  Those who do not complete the video will play it in class on Monday.

Intermediate Band received negative sub notes, so I'll work with them on making correct choices, team work, etc. I am confident that they will make it right next time.  They have a video playing test on Kilauea due by Sunday night.  Those who do not complete the video will play it in class on Monday.

Beginning Band A is working on quicker recall with note names, rhythms, and other basics. We are also working hard to help them practice smarter.  Are they using a metronome at home?  They have a video playing test on Battle Command due by Thursday night.  Those who do not complete the video will play it in class on Friday.

Beginning Band B is working on the same practice, note name, and rhythm strategies as Beginning Band A.  This class is struggling with consistent practicing. Are you hearing your students practice every day? Are they using a metronome?  If not, I'm open at lunch every day and I'm happy to work with them at any time. They have a video playing test on Battle Command due by Thursday night.  Those who do not complete the video will play it in class on Friday.

5th Period Music is working on their percussion unit. I'm looking forward to giving them their first song next week. In the meantime, they've been tested on note names, rhythms, and basic drum stick grip.

GRADE NEWS!

Practice logs are due this Friday, February 9. Those who do not turn them in on time will receive a "0." Since this is a cumulative report of 2 weeks worth of practicing, it's impossible to make up the time if students miss it. There's no secret to success in the band world. "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard."

Video playing tests are due on Thursday night or Sunday night, depending on the class.  Students will record from their Chromebooks and submit it on Google Classroom. Students may record it as many times as they want before the due date, submitting their best take whenever they're ready. They may also submit at lunch.  If they do not complete this, they will play in person on Friday or Monday. 

When I was out last week for honor band, students took quizzes on note names, rhythms, and other music basics. Students will have a chance to retake these quizzes next week if they're unhappy with their scores.

UPCOMING EVENTS

February 10: Jazz in the Schools at UNR (Jazz Band)
March 2: Day of Percussion at UNR (optional event)
March 15: Band-O-Rama (ALL GROUPS)
March 15: Washoe County Band Festival (Advanced Band)

Stay tuned for information on our Chili Bingo Night fundraiser.  The fun begins this Thursday!

-Mr. Jacques-

Something Jazzy This Way Comes...

Dear Families,

The beginning of the new year is definitely Jazz Band's time in the spotlight, with their concert on Tuesday night. I also have class updates and more.

Jazz Extravaganza: January 30
The Jazz Band has learned 6...yes, 6 songs for this concert! 4 of them are brand new and we can't wait to perform for you. Even if you are not involved with the jazz band, we encourage you to attend.  Tickets are just $10 for adults and free for all students. Best of all, a majority of the admission cost comes right back to the CMS band program. I cannot thank the Mile High Jazz Band enough for their support of our jazz band year after year. Jazz Band parents: For more information, please see the handout sent home with your student.

Honor Band: February 1-2 
One perk of attending honor band: missing some school for 2 full days of music making with the best band students around. That's exactly what our 19 CMS students will be doing on these days.  If you're interested in attending the free concert, it's on February 2 at 7 PM in the Churchill County High School theater in Fallon. Honor Band parents: For more information, please see the handout sent home with your student.

UNR Jazz in the Schools: February 10
On Saturday, February 10, the Reno Jazz Orchestra is hosting a non-competitive jazz festival for area jazz bands. This festival is completely free of charge and it includes a clinic hosted by a professional jazz musician.  Students will also listen to other middle school jazz bands on this fun-filled Saturday.

CLASS UPDATES

Jazz Band is ready for their first of many 2nd semester concerts.  I always promote "quality over quantity" but with a group like this, you'll hear both quality AND quantity with what they've prepared for the Jazz Extravaganza.  I highly recommend this concert to all our families, friends, neighbors, etc.
Advanced Band is working on sight reading skills, along with their Band-o-Rama music. Most of the notes and rhythms are already learned and sections of this music are already sounding musical...in January. No surprises here, of course!
Concert Band is a pleasure to work with. I appreciate their enthusiasm and willingness to try  new things. We've been working on pitch matching by singing our parts and they never complain. They're learning harder music than ever before, and those who practice regularly are experiencing the most success.
Intermediate Band is being pushed by working on the same exact music as Advanced Band, all the way down to what they're doing in the method book. They're rising to the challenge, which will help them be the very best at festivals and beyond. They're getting there!
Beginning Band is also being challenged by working on the exact same Band-O-Rama music as Concert Band, and they're getting the hang of the first of 3 songs they'll be preparing by March 15. Rather than relying on the strongest players, I am challenging each student in this class to BE the strongest player. I think it's working...
CTE Music has been having a great time learning basic percussion skills on the practice pads. They also received their first handbell song for the new year, which will be performed in May.

PRACTICE LOGS and GRADES
Practice logs are due on Friday. Since this is your student's only grade so far, their overall grade during student led conferences will be based entirely upon how well they've been practicing and what work they show me. We will have our first playing tests during the 2nd week of February.

CHILI BINGO UPDATE
Chili Bingo Night, our biggest fundraiser of the year, is February 23. The race is on to follow up with as many area businesses as possible so that we can secure wonderful prizes for our raffles and bingo games. We will be making follow-up phone calls during the week of January 29, and any help would be greatly appreciated.  We will have a meeting on Wednesday, January 31, at 7 PM in the CMS Band Room to coordinate all the other logistics.

Have a great rest of your week!

-Mr. Jacques-