Morning Band Announcements

March 14-29, 2008

Band Schedule

Remaining Seats for Grease?

12 seats  remain and will be given to the first members of Bands 6 through High School, Poms, Flags, or Bandfront.  Return your slips and checks to Mr. Boltz ASAP.

Results of Recent District Band Performances

The HS Symphonic Band received an “EXCELLENT” rating at the HS District Band Festival Wednesday held at WiHi.  The Middle School Festival Band did not fair so well at Thursday’s MS District Band Festival held at St. Decatur, but they came back with a lot of advice by which to improve.  Both groups represented Mardela with courtesy and control. 

* * * * * * *Attention 6^thGrade Band Parents* * * * * * *

Please make sure that arrangements are made so that your children can stay Monday, March 17 for their first of 6 practices to prepare for their April 21 Spring Concert.  It is absolutely essential that all performers make everyone of their afterschool rehearsals.

* * * * * * *Attention MS Parents* * * * * * *

PRACTICE CALENDARS:  Be sure your budding musicians complete their 2 hours of practice for this week; sign and return practice calendars on Monday/Tuesday (when they first have class).  This week’s numbers:   

                                      Band 8 (ACE)   3 of 10,  30%   (last week 10%)  

                                       Perc 8 (BDF)    3 of 9,   33-%   (last week 44%)              

                                       Band 7 (ACE)   6 of 16,  38%   (last week 31%)      

                                       Perc 7 (BDF)     1 of 6,   17%   (last week 17%)              

                                       Band 6 (ACE)    4 of 20, 20%   (last week 35%)              

                                       Band 6 (BDF)    2 of 8,   25%   (last week 38%)

The above number is 19 of 69, 28% (last week  30%), completing this responsibility.  

Parents and students, please realize that not practicing is like a courageous boy joining a soccer team having just been fitted with a prosthetic leg on which he's just learned to stand and with which he is in the process of learning to walk.   Does he have the right to be part of the team. . . YES.  Will alot of work be needed on his part to be fully effective. . . YES.  All sensitivities aside, how many players would remain on the team if that courageous youth was be made sole, permanent goalie.

For most, the ability to play the instrument is not a natural, innate talent—it needs to be developed through concentrated, mindful, goal-oriented practice.  Those who play really well (whether professional or in our own school) have already put hours and hours of time, dedication, vision, heart and soul into their craft. 

Unlike a sports team where another player could make up for the deficiencies of another, each student instrumentalist in a band is a master of his/her own domain [especially so in our smaller Mardela Bands].  You can’t cover for a single player.  During a performance, a star clarinet player will not be able to cover up a French horn player who plays with wrong notes, unpleasant tone, and without sensitivity to the other players’ parts around him/her.  A proficient trombone player will not be able to cover up for a trombonist in his/her section who plays as that French hornist.  Every player in a band is exposed and front-stage.  Every player has great power to influence the product of a band, whether they are 1^st chair or 20^th chair.  Will the product reflect those who practice or those who don’t. . . it reflects BOTH.

To those students who find music boring, it’s probably because their preparation has not given them the knowledge and skills to experience or even appreciate the act of making music and working successfully with other budding musicians.  It may be boring because it’s much easier to label an experience “boring” and not do it, rather than say “this isn’t as easy as it once was and I really can’t do this without putting more time into it. . . but that time would show me that I’m struggling with something.”  Practice is the great equalizer of skills. . . no matter when it is started. . . if it is performed.

Those who are practicing are normal children. . . they are not sadder because of the time and development they are accomplishing; in fact, they are the students who smile during class and are proud of their activity.  Those who are not practicing tend to be those who avoid eye contact with me, hide behind their stands, slouch in their chairs, talk through class, and play really soft to avoid detection and instructive correction. I am concerned that there is a student environment discouraging practice, in the same way that one class exerted great pressure against anyone joining flags because of the shoes the girls wear for their uniform.

Thank you to the approx. 30% of my parents who are requiring or encouraging regular weekly practice on their children’s instruments; you are setting up the habits that will make music a beautiful, meaningful, fulfilling experience that could last the rest of their lives.  To the 70% who are not doing so, what is your child really bringing to the team. . .  the MS Festival Judges were unimpressed.  Whether practicing or not, you are all judged as 1 band. . .

* * * * * * *Mark Your Calendars* * * * * * *

Mon, March 31               6^th Grade Band Practice, 3-4:15p

       Eve Marching Percussion Practice, 6:30-8:30p

Tues, April 1                   Eve Marching Flags Practice, 6-8:00p

                                       (?TBA)Eve Poms Squad Practice, 6-7:30p

Wed, April 2                   Festival Band Practice, 3-4:15p

                                       Eve Marching Flags Practice, 6-8:00p

Thurs, April 3                 6^th Grade Band Practice, 3-4:15p

                                       Eve Marching Percussion Practice, 6:30-8:30p

Sat, April 5                      Band Bingo (Nancy’s Team)

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