Band Week 3: Still going strong!

Happy RB Homecoming! I'm sure many of you will have older children participating this weekend. Be sure to cheer extra loud for the RB Marching Rockets! They are doing a FANTASTIC job this year and have made huge strides in the last few years!

This week was another good one for the beginning bandlings! Note reading is going very well and we are progressing nicely. I use a program in my lessons called SMART MUSIC and the students have really enjoyed using it! My simplest explanation of what it's like is imagine Guitar Hero for band! Like the CD's, this program has background music that we play along with. It makes a recording each time we use it and I can save it as an mp3 file. I can then even email it to you! We'll be using more and doing recordings that I'll email more in the coming weeks. I have a teacher's subscription to the service (it's a web-based program), but there are students subscriptions you could purchase if you feel like your child would really like using it. Click HERE for more information.

There are still a handful or more of students who need to purchase a book. The book is called "Measures of Success" and your child would need Book 1 for whatever instrument they are playing. If you call Quinlan & Fabish (847-253-5592) they can deliver it to the school next week when my rep comes for her weekly visit. Let me know if you have any questions.

One more thing! Since we've all started note reading this week, I've customized some games to help the kids practice. These games actually go over the first 5 notes. This is two more notes than most of the students have learned, but the extra two are going to be learned at next weeks lesson anyways, so it will give the students a little jumpstart.

Click HERE for Flutes and Percussion

Click HERE for Clarinets and Trumpets

Click HERE for Trombones and Baritones

There's also a really cool website with other games called The Music Interactive. All of these games, however must be downloaded onto your computer. There are some that cost money, but other really cool games that are free! I really like Staff Wars and Krank and Lucy. There are others, though, that let the kids make recordings and loop and do some electronic composing. So cool!!!

That's all from me. Have a great week and as always, please let me know if you need anything!

Mrs. Storer

678-6726

astorer@nsd2.com

www.mrsstorersbands.weebly.com

Band Lessons: Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of band lessons! I have to say, I was VERY impressed with how well the band students were prepared for their lessons this week! I sure hope we can continue this! Most of the students (everyone except for the flutes, because the flute is a MUCH harder instrument at the beginning) are practicing pages 5 & 6 in their books this week. We've begun to work on reading music. At this point in the book, there is a CD that goes along with the music and the students can play along with it. I think it's a great way to practice. It seems to be more fun than just playing by yourself AND it's a great way to make sure they are playing with a steady beat.

Good job with practice records this week! Many of my students had their practice records filled out and signed by a parent when they came to their lesson this week. Practice records are looked at and recorded in my grade book at the beginning of each lesson. Unsigned weeks are not recorded until they get signed, so if you child didn't have one this week, please make sure you sign the one from the week of 9-13, or 14 or 15 (depending on what day your child had their first lesson) AND the one from this week (9-20, 21 or 22)

I have a You Tube page where I've created playlists for each instrument. You can access that page HERE. If your child is not allowed to surf on You Tube (totally understandable) it would be great if you watched these videos together. It's so great for the bandlings to watch excellent musicians to become inspired and to get to know what good tone sounds like on their instruments.

Lastly, I handed out a sheet about the incentive program I do with the bandlings called, "The Principal's Own Band." HERE is a link to the same information on my website. Almost all of the band members have already moved up the rank of PRIVATE!

Have a great week! Please let me know if you ever have any questions, comments or concerns.

 

Mrs. Storer

678-6726

astorer@nsd2.com

www.mrsstorersbands.weebly.com

Welcome to BAND!

Hello Band Parents! Welcome to my blog where I try and keep you updated on what we are doing in our band lessons. This week was a fun one! Everyone has their instruments (almost everyone, if your child doesn't and you need my help with anything, let me know) Most students have their books as well. If your child doesn't have their book yet, it is called Measures of Success and we are using Book 1. This is the first year we're using this book. I'm really excited about it! All of the composers who have contributed are my favorites and the layout is really great. The book is split into 4 section, each are called "Opus" 1 or 2, etc. At the end of each "Opus" there is a review of all of the concepts and a few longer, more challenging, but fun songs that encapsulate what they learned in that unit.

Almost all of the instrumentalists (except for the percussion) are working on page 4 in their books this week. You'll notice that there is no "music" on this page. This week I want the students to really focus on getting a great tone (sound) and learning the fingerings of the first three notes. Next week we'll start on pages 5 and 6 and note reading.

I'm sure your children will tell you that the first lesson FLEW BY! In case they are having troubles remembering everything we went over, there are videos of me playing and demonstrating most of the concepts we learned this week on my website. Feel free to watch them together and play along! Click HERE to find the page with the videos on them.

If you ever have any questions, comments or concerns, please email or call (815-678-6726. I'd be happy to answer questions, or help figure out something that's troubling you about the schedule, lessons, etc. The kids were SO incredibly excited when they came and left me this week! I look forward to seeing them next week. Please make sure their practice records are filled out and signed before they leave the house on their lesson day next week. I told the kids they should aim for 80 minutes throughout the week. That's only practicing for 20 minutes 4 times a week. Hopefully that is doable.

Have a great week!