The title of the post, unfortunately, refers to how I felt after each of my full-band rehearsals this week. I had to come down on the bands a teensy bit about behavior during full band rehearsals. I don't know if it was Halloween looming in the air? The change in the barometric readings? Actually, it's been adding up for the last couple of weeks and this week, finally came to a head.
I know, I know, there are 44 and 55 students in each of my groups and they ALL have noisemakers, it's not going to be like a library in rehearsal! I don't expect it to be. Every teacher has his or her own comfortable level of "background noise" if you will. With music and, more specifically instrumental music classes, there will be more than "traditional" classrooms. Here are my rules: If I'm NOT on the podium, students may talk, chit chat, but not play their instruments. If I AM on the podium, there should be no talking or playing unless we are discussing something together. Depending on the group, that first rule changes. If I can depend on members of the group to not blast their instruments, make silly noises on purpose, etc, then I will allow a little practicing inbetween songs. My groups this year aren't ready for that, at least not yet. I just wanted to give you a head's up in case you heard any mentionings sort of like, "Man, Mrs. Storer let us have it today," etc...
One exciting happening this week was that we are going to be getting Band t-shirts! One of the band parents this year has a great business and will be printing off t-shirts for us! I think it will be a great way to foster pride within our groups! Look for order forms to be going home, hopefully, next week!
One more very important thing to mention is concerning the PB works website I'm constructing called The Band Connection. Hopefully you all received the note I sent home with the bandlings this week about this. In review, I've make a website that will share pictures, videos and audio recordings with the members of that site. It is a password-protected, invitation-only type of deal. The pictures, etc. will not be on the internet for everyone to see. Only people invited by me (you parents, teachers and administration of NSD2) will be able to access it and everyone will need their own username and password. My hope is to include you as parents into what we do in the classroom and rehearsal room through the pictures and recordings, so you can really be an active participant in your child's progression this year. Here's a link to that note I sent home with a permission slip that should be turned in ASAP. I'd love to get it up and running in the next two weeks! Please send the permssion slip back on Monday, if you haven't already.
Have a great weekend!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Countdown to the First Band Concert!!
The past week was a good one! Most of the band has moved up in rank to "Private First Class," we had a really fun extra rehearsal last Tuesday (thanks to all of the great parents who came and watched!) and we've started to work on some of the music for our first concerts in December! Can you believe our first concerts are less than 2 months away? Be sure to have the concert dates marked on your calendars so there are no conflicts! December is SUCH a busy month! The SGS 3rd grade musical, 5th grade program and the first band concert is Tuesday, December 7 at 7pm in the gym. The RGS 5th grade musical and band concert is Thursday, December 16 at 7pm in the gym.
Has your bandling tried any of the music reading games I blogged about last week? Let me know how and if they liked them!
Here's the link to a blog I like to read regularly called, Music is Not for Insects. It's for band teachers, but this particular post is by a band parent who has three children in the area band programs, from elementary, middle and high school. He writes about how his children practice and should be of interest to you as a parent with a child in the band program
I'm really excited because I'm working with another parent to create band t-shirts! I think it will be a great way to foster unity and pride each of the groups within their schools! I'll be sending home order forms for the shirts in the next couple of weeks!
Have a great week! As always, feel free to comment (anyone out there? there? there???) or send me an email or voice message whenever you have a question or concern!
Has your bandling tried any of the music reading games I blogged about last week? Let me know how and if they liked them!
Here's the link to a blog I like to read regularly called, Music is Not for Insects. It's for band teachers, but this particular post is by a band parent who has three children in the area band programs, from elementary, middle and high school. He writes about how his children practice and should be of interest to you as a parent with a child in the band program
I'm really excited because I'm working with another parent to create band t-shirts! I think it will be a great way to foster unity and pride each of the groups within their schools! I'll be sending home order forms for the shirts in the next couple of weeks!
Have a great week! As always, feel free to comment (anyone out there? there? there???) or send me an email or voice message whenever you have a question or concern!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Does Your Child Know Their A, B, C's?
Like I stated in my last post, many of the band students are struggling with note-reading. Some of these same students can play their music just fine because when they look at the notes on the page, they know what fingering goes with the note they are looking at, but when asked what the name of that note is, they are lost. Some other students can tell me what the fingering for "D"
(or any other note name) is, but when I point to a note on the page, they are not sure of the name of it. It's important to know fingerings AND be able to read the notes.
Last week and this week I handed out something to help the kids make flash cards. One paper had 12 boxes with the notes in the staff. The other page looked exactly the same, but the note names were included. To make the flashcards, cut the twelve boxes out from each of the pages. On one side of an index card, glue the box with the notes AND note names, on the other side, glue the matching note that doesn't include the note name. IMPORTANT!!! Make sure each side of the index card matches! There were a couple of students that brought in the flash cards they made and one side had an E and the other side the note was NOT an E! This does not help them!
Let's face it, though, flash cards can be a little boring. I know! So here are some links to some note-reading games on the web...
Classics for Kids Overall, a great website!!! Look for the GAMES option on the toolbar
Music Racer This is a cool website, you can play games for note-reading specific for each instrument and you can play games where you see a fingering for each specific instrument and then choose what note it is. There are some notes that the students might not know yet, but still a cool game
The Music Interactive SUCH A GREAT WEBSITE!!!! This website has VERY cool music games, they all must be downloaded onto your computer and some cost money, but many are free. The best free games for note reading are "Krank and Lucy" and "Staff Wars." The boys, especially seem to like Staff Wars! Make sure when it asks you to Select Your Mission you choose the right clef. Trombones and Baritones read Bass Clef and everyone else reads Treble Clef.
There are more, of course. Do a Google Search for Note Reading Games for Beginning band you can find more. Be sure to let me know if you find any other games your children like. You can even leave a comment here to share it with other parents!
Have a great week! I look forward to seeing many of you next Tuesday at RGS for the extra rehearsal at 6:30pm!
(or any other note name) is, but when I point to a note on the page, they are not sure of the name of it. It's important to know fingerings AND be able to read the notes.
Last week and this week I handed out something to help the kids make flash cards. One paper had 12 boxes with the notes in the staff. The other page looked exactly the same, but the note names were included. To make the flashcards, cut the twelve boxes out from each of the pages. On one side of an index card, glue the box with the notes AND note names, on the other side, glue the matching note that doesn't include the note name. IMPORTANT!!! Make sure each side of the index card matches! There were a couple of students that brought in the flash cards they made and one side had an E and the other side the note was NOT an E! This does not help them!
Let's face it, though, flash cards can be a little boring. I know! So here are some links to some note-reading games on the web...
Classics for Kids Overall, a great website!!! Look for the GAMES option on the toolbar
Music Racer This is a cool website, you can play games for note-reading specific for each instrument and you can play games where you see a fingering for each specific instrument and then choose what note it is. There are some notes that the students might not know yet, but still a cool game
The Music Interactive SUCH A GREAT WEBSITE!!!! This website has VERY cool music games, they all must be downloaded onto your computer and some cost money, but many are free. The best free games for note reading are "Krank and Lucy" and "Staff Wars." The boys, especially seem to like Staff Wars! Make sure when it asks you to Select Your Mission you choose the right clef. Trombones and Baritones read Bass Clef and everyone else reads Treble Clef.
There are more, of course. Do a Google Search for Note Reading Games for Beginning band you can find more. Be sure to let me know if you find any other games your children like. You can even leave a comment here to share it with other parents!
Have a great week! I look forward to seeing many of you next Tuesday at RGS for the extra rehearsal at 6:30pm!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Mrs. Storer is slacking!
I didn't post anything last week, so I'll post twice this week!
Last week many of the band students at each grade school took a playing test. The clarinets, oboes, trumpets and most of the low brass prepared #23 in their book and while they played it for me by themselves, I audio recorded them. I sent a copy of this recording to the parent's email address so that you can hear their progress. I will do this at least once a quarter. If you did not receive a recording of your child performing the playing test this week, perhaps one of the following is a reason: 1) Your child did not take the test yet because their group is not at that spot in the book, 2)Your child did was not ready to take the test and I gave him/her one more week to prepare, or 3) I do not have your correct email address. If you believe you should have gotten an email with a recording, feel free to send me an emai, or leave me a message at school and we can get it cleared up.
Last week I sent home a note about an OPTIONAL full-band rehearsal that will take place on Tuesday, October 19 from 6:30-7:15pm at Richmond Grade School. Please note that this rehearsal is completely optional and members of both RGS and SGS are invited. Parents are invited to stick around and listen to rehearsal or you may drop off. I think it will be great fun to get my students together and let them make music together early. Otherwise they won't meet each other until the Spring Concert in May, or in Band Camp this summer or maybe not even until band next year in 6th grade. If everyone comes, there could be 100 students at rehearsal! No sweat if you can't make it on the 19th. I'm going to schedule one rehearsal like this each quarter. We will switch locations and times to make it more accessible for families.
Tomorrow I will blog about note-reading and how to make the flashcards I sent home with students last week and today. I will also include links to cool websites and games that promote note-reading. Many students are having a hard time reading and knowing the names of the notes on their music. I'm allowing some to write in the note letters, but I don't want that habit to become a crutch and to be used all year long. Being pro-active now will help in the long run. We only know 5 or 6 notes now. Helping your child with their note-reading now will be much easier than in a few months when the number of notes we know will have more than doubled.
As always, please leave comments here or send me an email or voice message if you have any thoughts, questions or concerns. BTW...It's National Hug-a-Musician day!! Hug your bandlings an extra time tonight!
Last week many of the band students at each grade school took a playing test. The clarinets, oboes, trumpets and most of the low brass prepared #23 in their book and while they played it for me by themselves, I audio recorded them. I sent a copy of this recording to the parent's email address so that you can hear their progress. I will do this at least once a quarter. If you did not receive a recording of your child performing the playing test this week, perhaps one of the following is a reason: 1) Your child did not take the test yet because their group is not at that spot in the book, 2)Your child did was not ready to take the test and I gave him/her one more week to prepare, or 3) I do not have your correct email address. If you believe you should have gotten an email with a recording, feel free to send me an emai, or leave me a message at school and we can get it cleared up.
Last week I sent home a note about an OPTIONAL full-band rehearsal that will take place on Tuesday, October 19 from 6:30-7:15pm at Richmond Grade School. Please note that this rehearsal is completely optional and members of both RGS and SGS are invited. Parents are invited to stick around and listen to rehearsal or you may drop off. I think it will be great fun to get my students together and let them make music together early. Otherwise they won't meet each other until the Spring Concert in May, or in Band Camp this summer or maybe not even until band next year in 6th grade. If everyone comes, there could be 100 students at rehearsal! No sweat if you can't make it on the 19th. I'm going to schedule one rehearsal like this each quarter. We will switch locations and times to make it more accessible for families.
Tomorrow I will blog about note-reading and how to make the flashcards I sent home with students last week and today. I will also include links to cool websites and games that promote note-reading. Many students are having a hard time reading and knowing the names of the notes on their music. I'm allowing some to write in the note letters, but I don't want that habit to become a crutch and to be used all year long. Being pro-active now will help in the long run. We only know 5 or 6 notes now. Helping your child with their note-reading now will be much easier than in a few months when the number of notes we know will have more than doubled.
As always, please leave comments here or send me an email or voice message if you have any thoughts, questions or concerns. BTW...It's National Hug-a-Musician day!! Hug your bandlings an extra time tonight!
Friday, October 1, 2010
The Band Connection
Things are finally settling in for us in the SGS and RGS band rooms. For the most part, the bandlings seem to know where and when to go and the routines seem more, well, routine (: Does this seem to be the case at home? I hope so. By the way, feel free to comment on these post with any questions or concerns. I believe you have to be a member of BLOGGER in order to do that. If you do become a member, add this blog to your favorites and then you'll be notified every time there is a new post!
While we're on the subject of staying connected and informed...A goal of mine for this school year is to be more inclusive to the parents of my students. By now, you've become a real fixture in your child's traditional education. You check assignment books, have continual communication with the classroom teacher, help with homework, etc...But I think many parents feel at a loss in their child's music education, specifically my class. My goal isn't to teach the parents how to play the instruments with their children (although, wouldn't that be so great!!!) But I want to eliminate the experience that most families have in that they really only think about or feel informed about the band experience at concert time.
Some of you tech-savvy parents and students have already happened upon the page on my wikispace titled, "Pictures and Recordings of my Students." There are no pictures or recordings of my students on this page for privacy reasons. My intention was to set up a community on Teacher Tube that was an invitation only and password required type of thing so that I can post video and audio recordings and pictures of my students. I've decided not to use the Teacher Tube format because it is not very user-friendly and it's SO slow! I've created another, private PBworks site. I'm still getting approval from the administration, but I am optimistic that I will be ready to get it going in the next week! (fingers crossed!) Look for a note to come home about this soon!
As always, let me know if you ever have any questions or concerns! Have a great week!
While we're on the subject of staying connected and informed...A goal of mine for this school year is to be more inclusive to the parents of my students. By now, you've become a real fixture in your child's traditional education. You check assignment books, have continual communication with the classroom teacher, help with homework, etc...But I think many parents feel at a loss in their child's music education, specifically my class. My goal isn't to teach the parents how to play the instruments with their children (although, wouldn't that be so great!!!) But I want to eliminate the experience that most families have in that they really only think about or feel informed about the band experience at concert time.
Some of you tech-savvy parents and students have already happened upon the page on my wikispace titled, "Pictures and Recordings of my Students." There are no pictures or recordings of my students on this page for privacy reasons. My intention was to set up a community on Teacher Tube that was an invitation only and password required type of thing so that I can post video and audio recordings and pictures of my students. I've decided not to use the Teacher Tube format because it is not very user-friendly and it's SO slow! I've created another, private PBworks site. I'm still getting approval from the administration, but I am optimistic that I will be ready to get it going in the next week! (fingers crossed!) Look for a note to come home about this soon!
As always, let me know if you ever have any questions or concerns! Have a great week!
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