Happy Turkey Day!

Not much news to report since this is such a short week, but I HAD to post this picture! How cute is this turkey marching band??!

A BIG thank you to all of the RGS bandlings (and their parents who drove them!) who came to the optional before-school full band rehearsal today! I was able to work with about half of the band and we got great work done! The SGE bandlings did a great job in lessons and full band today as well and I feel GREAT about our concerts coming up! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving this week and I look forward to seeing everyone back in school next week!


Amanda Storer
815-678-6726
www.mrsstorersbands.weebly.com
astorer@nsd2.com

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

By now your bandling is in full-fledged concert season mode! You should be hearing “Jingle Bells” and “Dreydl, Dreydl” among other songs when your child is practicing…is your child practicing? This week’s lessons and full band rehearsals have left me feeling very good about where we are in our preparation for the concerts (12-13-12 for SGE and 12-17-12 for RGS!), well, if we didn’t have Thanksgiving next week, I’d feel really good! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Thanksgiving, it’s actually my favorite holiday because cooking is a passion of mine, second to music, of course! But RGS will lose lessons and full band because of the Wednesday off next week. Hopefully most of the RGS bandlings can come to the before school rehearsal on Tuesday at 8:00am!! Thankfully, SGE will have lessons and full band as per usual on Tuesday, so nothing is missed there!

Did everyone get the note about the Band Buddies event we will be having on Thursday, November 29?  We are teaming up with the RBCHS band members for an optional after-school lesson and rehearsal. I really hope your child can make it! For this event, you are responsible for transportation to and from the high school. Permission slips are due on Tuesday, 11-20. HERE is another copy of the slip if you need it.

Last order of business for this week: Here are some recordings of all of the songs we will be performing on the Winter concert (both schools are playing the same songs) Please have your child practice along with the recordings. It will really help!

Aura Lee

Ode to Joy

Ode to Joy (this version has the Trombone/Baritone part emphasized since it is much different from the rest of the band!)

Holiday for Basses

Hard Rock Blues

When you click on the links for the mp3 files, click "Download" and then "Open" to hear the songs.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and let me know if you ever have any questions or concerns!

 
Amanda Storer
678-6726
astorer@nsd2.com
www.mrsstorersband.weebly.com

Jingle Bells already?!?

Have you heard the familiar strains of holiday music coming from your child's practice sessions? If you haven't, just wait, it's coming within the week! We have started to prepare for our first concert and the bandlings are so pumped up! Things are really starting to get into a groove in the band room (groove, get it?) The students are coming on time, most of them have their practice records filled out and signed and some of the issues we were having with note-reading or embouchures are improving! Time is all it takes. Some of the students were getting so frustrated with themselves after the first few weeks when things started to get harder. As with any new skill, there are periods of rapid improvement and times where things seem to plateau for a while. It's OK!  I've been telling them all that next year, full band is every day and the amount of material that we cover in one quarter of the school year is easily covered in less than 2 weeks when they are in middle school. This equals RAPID improvement. Please just continue your child to keep practicing.

CHANGE TO SCHEDULE NEXT WEEK:
Schedules for November and December came home this week. PLEASE NOTE!!! I will be at RGS on TUESDAY next week (11-6-12) and I will be at SGE on WEDNESDAY next week (11-7-12) The SGE 5th graders are going on a field trip on Tuesday, 11-6-12, so I'm switching days so that I don't miss them for lessons and full band.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES:
Please come by my room and visit during Parent-Teacher conferences next week! The band room at each school is in the cafeteria. I will probably have music playing, so follow the music! I would be happy to discuss your child's progress in band and show you a demonstration of the program we've been using called Smart Music. The bandlings really like playing with the program and the instant feedback and support is gives is hard to replicate. It would be so great if Santa brought subscriptions to this wonderful program to as many bandlings as possible! I will be at SGE on Wednesday night from 4-8pm and at RGS on Thursday from 12:30-8pm. If you will not be at your child's school during those same times, please call or email and we can work something out.

Have a great weekend! Remember to change your clocks on Sunday. How many bandlings will have an extra hour of practicing in their practice records this week? HA HA, I'll keep dreaming!

Mrs. Storer
815-678-6726
www.mrsstorersbands.weebly.com
astorer@nsd2.com