2 Weeks, 5 Events...

Dear Parents,

All your student's hard work so far this semester is about to pay off. In the next 2 weeks, we will have 5 events throughout the band program.

CHILI BINGO NIGHT PROFIT
Thank you to all parents, friends, relatives, and students for participating in a wonderful fundraiser.  We raised a record $14,153 from the event. This was an increase of almost $4,000 over last year, without choir's participation and after offering the concession table to the high school band. What an event!  A special thank-you to all our sponsors, who will be receiving cards in the mail shortly.  We could not have done it without all of you, and this money has helped students immensely with their spring trip costs and it allows us to purchase new instruments.

UNR DAY OF PERCUSSION A SUCCESS

Percussion Ensemble had a fantastic first ever performance at the Northern Nevada Day of Percussion last Friday.  You can find recordings on our Carson Middle School Bands Facebook page. 

CAPITAL CITY COMMUNITY BAND CONCERT - MARCH 17

On March 17, the Capital City Community Band will be performing a concert at the Community Center at 3 PM. The concert will also be a salute to young musicians. We will feature the CMS Percussion Ensemble, clarinet choirs from CMS and CHS, and 2 chamber ensembles from the CMS and CHS orchestras.  All participating students will also attend the dress rehearsal on the evening of March 14. All students attending the entire concert and checking in with me at the end will receive extra credit!  For more information, see the flyer at the top of this page.

WASHOE COUNTY BAND FESTIVAL - MARCH 19
Advanced Band will travel to UNR on March 19 to perform in front of judges and other bands. They perform at 1:50 PM in Nightingale Concert Hall at UNR. This performance is mandatory for students in this group. Participating students received a handout in class, and we are looking for chaperones to accompany the band to this performance.  Advanced Band will have an after school rehearsal on Tuesday, March 12, from 2:30-4:30 PM. For more information, see the flyer at the top of this page.

JAZZ EXTRAVAGANZA - MARCH 19
Save the date! The 6th annual Jazz Extravaganza performance is on March 19 at 7:00 PM in the Carson City Community Center.  The CMS Jazz Band will be performing a benefit concert along with the CHS Jazz Band and our professional group in town, the Mile High Jazz Band. This performance is mandatory for students in this group. All proceeds will go to support both of our district's jazz bands. Tickets are $10 each (free for performers).

NORTHERN ZONE BAND FESTIVAL - MARCH 26
Intermediate Band and Advanced Band will travel to Yerington on March 26 to perform in front of judges and other bands.  This festival is mandatory for students in these groups. We will leave first thing in the morning, and return by the end of the school day. I encourage students to bring work with them for the bus ride so they keep up with their academics. For specific performance times and other details, see the flyer at the top of this page.

BAND-O-RAMA - MARCH 28
Our annual Band-O-Rama is coming up at the end of the month.  This event is mandatory for all students in all ensembles. We will have a rehearsal at CHS that morning, bus everyone back to CMS around 10:30 AM, and call time in the evening will be 6:30 PM. The concert begins at 7:00 PM in the Carson High School gym. See the flyer at the top of this page for more information.

EVENTS AT-A-GLANCE

March 12: Advanced Band Rehearsal, 2:30-4:30 PM
March 17: Capital City Community Band Concert
March 19: Washoe County Band Festival
March 19: Jazz Extravaganza
March 26: Northern Zone Band Festival
March 28: BAND-O-RAMA
April 3-6: All-State Music Festival
April 26: Reno Jazz Festival
April 30: Northern Zone Beginning Band Festival
May 1: Northern Zone Jazz Night
May 11: Intermediate Band Spring Trip (Music in the Parks Festival)
May 15-18: Advanced Band and Jazz Band Spring Trip
May 21: SPRING CONCERT

GRADE NEWS
Quarter 3 ends Thursday.  Thursday is your student's last chance to retake any tests and leave final impressions on Mr. Jacques and fellow students for citizenship. All students attending the spring trips must be passing all classes and have no scores of "1" in citizenship in all class for the 3rd quarter.

Don't forget that attending the Capital City Community Band concert on March 17 will earn your student extra credit. Remember to stay until the end and check in with Mr. Jacques to receive your extra credit.

Have a great week!

-Mr. Jacques-

A Busy March...

Dear Parents,

The entire school year in our band program tends to build up to festival season and spring trips.  March is the beginning of these events, and students will experience all their hard work paying off in ways they can't yet imagine.  Here are our March events:

CHILI BINGO NIGHT - MARCH 1
Chili Bingo Night is on Friday from 6-8 PM!  How is your student doing with raffle ticket sales? I will accept raffle tickets until the morning of the event, but I'm encouraging students to get them into me ASAP so it makes the collection process easier.

We only have 6 chili entries as of the time of this newsletter.  WE NEED MORE ENTRIES and with this lower number, your chances of winning cash prizes are even higher! To enter and for all other contest rules, click this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6C16P-9If4xig7QHhXqXN6CIw0JKWG_ivVQrNusakGfdgdQ/viewform

We still need volunteers to help run the event. To sign up for a spot, click this link:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c094eaba82ea6f85-2019

UNR DAY OF PERCUSSION - MARCH 8

Our newly created Percussion Ensemble is sounding great and I am excited to have them performing at UNR's Day of Percussion!  We added a rehearsal on Friday, March 1 from 2:30-4:00.  We are also rehearsing on March 5 from 2:30-4:30 in preparation for Day of Percussion. All students received a handout with trip details. If you're free that day, we perform at 10:00 AM in Nightingale Concert Hall on the campus of UNR.

CAPITAL CITY COMMUNITY BAND CONCERT - MARCH 17

On March 17, the Capital City Community Band will be performing a concert at the Community Center at 3 PM. The concert will also be a salute to young musicians. We will feature the CMS Percussion Ensemble, clarinet choirs from CMS and CHS, and 2 chamber ensembles from the CMS and CHS orchestras.  All participating students will also attend the dress rehearsal on the evening of March 14. I will have more information about this performance next week.

WASHOE COUNTY BAND FESTIVAL - MARCH 19
Advanced Band will travel to UNR on March 19 to perform in front of judges and other bands. They perform at 1:50 PM in Nightingale Concert Hall at UNR. This performance is mandatory for students in this group. Participating students received a handout in class, and we are looking for chaperones to accompany the band to this performance.  Advanced Band will have an after school rehearsal on Tuesday, March 12, from 2:30-4:30 PM.

JAZZ EXTRAVAGANZA - MARCH 19
Save the date! The 6th annual Jazz Extravaganza performance is on March 19.  The CMS Jazz Band will be performing a benefit concert along with the CHS Jazz Band and our professional group in town, the Mile High Jazz Band. This performance is mandatory for students in this group. All proceeds will go to support both of our district's jazz bands. Tickets are $10 each (free for performers) and I will have more information next week.

NORTHERN ZONE BAND FESTIVAL - MARCH 26
Intermediate Band and Advanced Band will travel to Yerington on March 26 to perform in front of judges and other bands.  This festival is mandatory for students in these groups. We will leave first thing in the morning, and return by the end of the school day. I encourage students to bring work with them for the bus ride so they keep up with their academics. I'll have a handout with more details next week.

BAND-O-RAMA - MARCH 28
Our annual Band-O-Rama is coming up at the end of the month.  This event is mandatory for all students in all ensembles. We will have a rehearsal at CHS that morning, bus everyone back to CMS around 10:30 AM, and call time in the evening will be 6:30 PM. The concert begins at 7:00 PM in the Carson High School gym. I'll have additional information about this next week. In the meantime, save the date!

EVENTS AT-A-GLANCE

March 1: Chili Bingo Night
March 8: UNR Day of Percussion
March 19: Washoe County Band Festival
March 19: Jazz Extravaganza
March 26: Northern Zone Band Festival
March 28: BAND-O-RAMA
April 3-6: All-State Music Festival
April 26: Reno Jazz Festival
April 30: Northern Zone Beginning Band Festival
May 1: Northern Zone Jazz Night
May 11: Intermediate Band Spring Trip (Music in the Parks Festival)
May 15-18: Advanced Band and Jazz Band Spring Trip
May 21: SPRING CONCERT

GRADE NEWS
Video playing tests are due Thursday night. If students do not complete their video by Thursday night, they will perform their playing test on Friday in class. 

Practice logs are also due on Friday.  I will not assign a practice log or playing test for at least a couple weeks so they can focus on the upcoming performances.

There's our upcoming month. Sounds like a lot, doesn't it?  Let's make it through Friday, have a wonderful evening together in the CMS gym for Chili Bingo Night, and kick off March with some family fun and amazing prizes.  See you then!

-Mr. Jacques-

Fe-brrrr-uary...

Dear Parents,

Our cold and snowy February continues, and I have a lot to share. We have a special guest visiting on Wednesday, Chili Bingo Night is less than 2 weeks away, we have a newly created Percussion Ensemble, band festival season is just around the corner, Jazz Extravaganza is just 1 month away, and students will be preparing for their first ever video playing test. And now to break down each of these events.

SPECIAL GUEST and FREE CONCERT
Carson City Symphony is hosting saxophone professor Rhett Bender from Southern Oregon University on February 24 at their next concert. Although admission is $15, parents will receive free tickets if they come with their students (who are always free). Just click the link at the top of this page to download and print the tickets.

Rhett Bender is also visiting CMS on Wednesday to work with the Intermediate and Advanced Band classes! 

CHILI BINGO NIGHT - MARCH 1
Chili Bingo Night is already less than 2 weeks away!  How is your student doing with raffle ticket sales? Students will be selling raffle tickets for fabulous prizes. These tickets are due back to me, filled out with all information, by February 28.

Are you interested in entering your chili in our chili cook-off? To enter and for all other contest rules, click this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6C16P-9If4xig7QHhXqXN6CIw0JKWG_ivVQrNusakGfdgdQ/viewform

We still need volunteers to help run the event. To sign up for a spot, click this link:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c094eaba82ea6f85-2019


PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE

This year, we have a new ensemble! Percussion Ensemble is a small group comprised of just percussionists that meets after school to put together a couple of songs that will be performed at 2 events next month. With most of the honor band comprised of CMS students this year, it's the right time to give them another musical outlet. Here is a little more information about this group:

• Percussion Ensemble will rehearse from 2:30-4:30 PM on the following Tuesdays:
• February 19
• February 26
• March 5
• Our percussion ensemble has been selected to attend UNR's Day of Percussion on Friday, March 8! As the only middle school performing, they will play on stage among other HIGH SCHOOL groups, and receive a 30 minute on-stage clinic from University of Northern Colorado's percussion professor, Gray Barrier. Students will depart CMS at 8:30 AM and return to CMS at 1:30. 
• The Percussion Ensemble is also invited to perform at the Capital City Community Band concert on March 17 at 3:00 PM.  This concert will take place in the Carson City Community Center.

FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES
The months of March and April are also known as "Festival Season," where bands perform for other bands and receive ratings from judges for their performances. This is essentially our version of standardized tests. Students will receive a rating for how well they performed together, and have time to listen to other school bands that are in the same age group and experience level. Here are the dates for the upcoming festivals:

March 19 - Washoe County Band Festival (Advanced Band)
March 26 - Northern Zone Band Festival (Advanced Band, Intermediate Band)
April 26 - Reno Jazz Festival (Jazz Band)
April 30 - Northern Zone Beginning Band Festival (Beginning Band, Concert Band)
May 11 - Music in the Parks festival (Intermediate Band)

JAZZ EXTRAVAGANZA - March 19
Save the date! The 6th annual Jazz Extravaganza performance is on March 19.  The CMS Jazz Band will be performing a benefit concert along with the CHS Jazz Band and our professional group in town, the Mile High Jazz Band. All proceeds will go to support both of our district's jazz bands. Tickets are $10 each (free for performers) and I will have more information in the coming weeks. 

ALL EVENTS

March 1: Chili Bingo Night
March 8: UNR Day of Percussion
March 19: Washoe County Band Festival
March 19: Jazz Extravaganza
March 26: Northern Zone Band Festival
March 28: BAND-O-RAMA
April 3-6: All-State Music Festival
April 26: Reno Jazz Festival
April 30: Northern Zone Beginning Band Festival
May 1: Northern Zone Jazz Night
May 11: Intermediate Band Spring Trip (Music in the Parks Festival)
May 15-18: Advanced Band and Jazz Band Spring Trip
May 21: SPRING CONCERT

GRADE NEWS
This week, I will assign a practice chart that will be due on March 1. This practice chart will be the goal-based practice chart that students are used to, and it will outline their band festival and Band-O-Rama music.

We will also have a video playing test.  Video playing tests allow students to record their performance when they are ready. They can also attempt as many takes as they want until they feel like they are ready to turn in their best product for a grade.  These will be assigned On Friday, and they will be due by February 28. Students who do not create a video playing test will have the same test in class on March 1.

If you've read this far, you've made it to the end. Thank you for supporting your student as we prepare for the busiest time of the year!

-Mr. Jacques-

Chili Bingo Night

Dear Families,

The 10th Annual Family Chili Bingo Night is on Friday, March 1, 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:

RAFFLE DRAWING

On Monday, February 11, each student received an envelope with a prize list and 10-20 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. Tickets are $1 each.
• 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 the 2nd-10th most tickets overall: Receive a gift certificate to one of these places: Papa John's, Pizza Factory, Chili's, In N Out. 
• Sell the most tickets overall: Receive a $30 gift card to an area business of your choice!
• 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 March 1. Winners do not need to be present to win (but it's more fun when they are present).

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 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!

SNACK BAR

Along with delicious chili tasting, parents from Carson High School's band will have a snack bar with hot dogs, chips, candy, and sodas.  Bring the whole family and have dinner with us on March 1.

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 in the week week.  Enjoy the beginning of an amazingly fun and profitable fundraiser!

-Mr. Jacques-

Calm before the storm...

Dear Parents,

With our first wave of after school rehearsals and performances coming up, along with preparations for our biggest fundraiser of the year kicking into high gear, we are truly in the calm before the storm. Coincidentally, our current weather pattern looks to be pretty similar. Talk about timing! We are also just a few weeks away from Chili Bingo Night, with the raffle portion of the fundraiser beginning on Tuesday.

GRADES

All classes will have their weekly rehearsal, practice log, and citizenship grades posted by Friday afternoon. There are playing tests on Friday for students in Jazz Band, Beginning Band, and Concert Band. Good luck to all students as they prepare for next week's student-led conferences!

NEXT WEEK
After school activities really begin to pick up next week for certain students. On Thursday and Friday, all non-honor band students will have a substitute teacher. They will be playing both days. There will be no practice logs next week.

Feb. 5: Jazz Band rehearsal, 2:30-4:30 PM
Feb. 6: Chili Bingo Night planning meeting, 7:00-8:00 PM
Feb. 7: Honor Band rehearsals, day 1, 7:15 AM-4:30 PM
Feb. 8: Honor Band rehearsals, day 2, 7:15 AM-10:00 PM
Feb. 9: Jazz in the Schools Performance, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM

CHILI BINGO NIGHT - Date changed to March 1
If you thought the popcorn fundraiser was big, just wait! Chili Bingo Night is our largest fundraiser of the year. In fact, we raised $10,000 last year that went towards the storage we have today, along with helping many students pay for their spring band trips. Throughout the last month, many parents were hard at work securing donations from area businesses. On Tuesday, students will receive a list of donated items, along with raffle tickets to sell.  I will have more directions in a few days once we officially launch the event. Any parent interested in helping with this event is invited to our Chili Bingo Night planning meeting on Feb. 6 at 7:00 PM.  Without parent help, this event simply would not be possible. We appreciate all that you do!

Have a "super" weekend (get it?) and I'm looking forward to our "kickoff" of Chili Bingo Night fundraising next week!

-Mr. Jacques-

New Events, New Music

Dear Parents,

This short week of classes is already about to end!  All students in all classes have all their Bandorama music. Jazz Band has all of their Jazz in the Schools music, and we added a couple events to the calendar.  I also included a special upcoming concert and an update on grades.

SPECIAL CONCERT
On Sunday, January 27, my band, the Capital City Community Band, is performing at First Presbyterian Church at 3:00 PM.  The songs are all requests from the band members and it is also our big fundraising concert. If your student attends the entire concert and checks in with me at the end of the performance, they will earn extra credit! There is a suggested donation of $10, but nobody will be turned away if they can't pay. We want to fill the seats and expose our students to quality band literature. We hope to see you there.

GRADE UPDATES

PLAYING TESTS
Students had a playing test on Friday and also turned in their practice logs. I allowed redo's of playing tests last Tuesday if they received 50% or forgot their instruments. Those still with a score of "50" and lower either couldn't play their music or were without their instrument. Any student may retake a playing test by emailing me a recording of themselves. If this is not possible, they can see me at lunch.

PRACTICE LOGS
Practice logs were due on Friday and students had time to submit them in class. Just a reminder: their score is based on the number of goals they completed over the whole week, not the number of days they practiced. I encourage students to practice a little bit each day, rather than practicing a lot on just a couple days. The consistency is crucial at this early point in their musical learning.  I tell the students, "If you're persistent, you'll get it. If you're consistent, you'll keep it."

WEEKLY REHEARSAL GRADE
Each week, just like last year, students are receiving a daily grade for coming to class with everything they need to participate in rehearsals.  Those items are their instrument with all accessories, all music, and a pencil. Each day, students will receive 10 points, with a total of 40 points possible each week. If a student loses/forgets some music but not all music for that day's rehearsal, they will still receive half credit for the day.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Here is the most up-to-date schedule for the rest of the school year. Please mark these events in your calendars and plan to enjoy some fabulous music making. New events added this week are marked with an asterisk:

February 7-8: Honor Band rehearsals in Fallon (concert on Feb. 8)
February 9: Jazz in the Schools (Jazz Band)
February 22: Chili Bingo Night
March 8: Northern Nevada Day of Percussion (Percussion Ensemble)*
March 19: Washoe County Band Festival  (Advanced Band)
March 19: Jazz Extravaganza Performance (Jazz Band)*
March 26: Northern Zone Band Festival (Advanced and Intermediate Band)
March 28: Band-O-Rama
April 4-6: All-State Music Festival in Las Vegas (concert on April 8)
April 26: Reno Jazz Festival (Jazz Band)*
April 30: Northern Zone Beginning Band Festival (Beginning and Concert Band)
May 1: Northern Zone Jazz Night (Jazz Band)*
May 11: Intermediate Band spring trip
May 15-19: Advanced Band and Jazz Band Spring Trip
May 21: Spring Concerts

Have a great rest of your week, and see some of you on Sunday afternoon!

-Mr. Jacques-

The Halfway Point...

Dear Parents,

The first week is through, and what a first week it was! We had the band directors from DePoali Middle School and Damonte Ranch High School come work with the kids on Wednesday and Friday. Students received a solid review session, clinics and sectionals from our guests, and all their Band-O-Rama music. We've defined "Hit the ground running" this week, and the students have a solid foundation going into our second semester.

Damonte Ranch High School band director Christi Blahnik's visit on Wednesday.










DePoali Middle School band director Dan Barthel's visit on Friday.





GRADES

PRACTICE LOGS
Students received their first practice log of the new year through Google Classroom on Friday.  Each box is worth 1 point, with 5 possible per day. Students will need 30 for full credit, and can receive extra credit by completing 35 total boxes. These will be turned in online on Friday. Students who are absent on Friday need to turn it in by 3 PM that day to receive credit.

PLAYING TESTS
Students will have weekly playing tests based on the material they've been practicing throughout the week. Playing tests will occur on block says (Wednesday and Thursday) or Friday, depending on that week's schedule. Students may always retest as needed for a higher score.

WEEKLY REHEARSAL GRADE
Each week, just like last year, students are receiving a daily grade for coming to class with everything they need to participate in rehearsals.  Those items are their instrument with all accessories, all music, and a pencil. Each day, students will receive 10 points, with a total of 40 points possible each week. If a student loses/forgets some music but not all music for that day's rehearsal, they will still receive half credit for the day.

EVENTS

HONOR BAND
Our record 26 Honor Band students received their folders, a schedule, and all but one of their songs last week. They will receive the 5th song on Tuesday at their first rehearsal, which is after school from 2:30-4:30 PM.

ALL-STATE AUDITIONS
All honor band students are eligible to audition for all-state. Students will receive the audition information at Tuesday's after school rehearsal.

JAZZ IN THE SCHOOLS
On February 9, Jazz Band will be participating in the Jazz in the Schools festival at UNR. This event is absolutely free for students. The band will perform in front of other students and educators, followed by a feedback clinic/workshop with Dean Sorenson, who composed one of the pieces we're performing. Call time will be approximately 9 AM, and students will return by approximately 4:00 PM.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Here is the most up-to-date schedule for the rest of the school year. Please mark these events in your calendars and plan to enjoy some fabulous music making.

February 7-8: Honor Band rehearsals in Fallon (concert on Feb. 8)
February 9: Jazz in the Schools (Jazz Band)
February 22: Chili Bingo Night
March 19: Washoe County Band Festival  (Advanced Band)
March 26: Northern Zone Band Festival (Advanced and Intermediate Band)
March 28: Band-O-Rama
April 4-6: All-State Music Festival in Las Vegas (concert on April 8)
April 30: Northern Zone Beginning Band Festival (Beginning and Concert Band)
May 11: Intermediate Band spring trip
May 15-19: Advanced Band and Jazz Band Spring Trip
May 21: Spring Concerts

(items in bold are mandatory for all students in all ensembles)

It's great to be back.  Have a great week!

-Mr. Jacques-