Band 2010-2011

Mrs. Sharon Ohler

Sharon.ohler@woodford.kyschools.us

859-873-4721 ext 2959

 

 

The philosophy of the Woodford County Middle School Band is to give those WCMS students who so desire, the opportunity to cultivate their musical talents through group instruction in Woodwind, Brass, and Percussion instruments.

As a result of participation in the Woodford County Middle School Band Program, the student should:

           

Develop an interest in, and an appreciation for, instrumental music through performing a

variety of music literature.

 

Develop an understanding of the elements of music and their relationships to the art of music.

 

Develop skills in music reading and in utilizing a musical vocabulary.

 

Develop correct performance habits in posture, breathing, tone production, and instrument/equipment care.

 

Develop interpersonal and team skills through responsible group membership.

 

Develop an appreciation and understanding of their own and other's cultural diversity.

 

Core Content Statements

 

Arts and Humanities

Goal 1: Students are able to use basic communication and mathematics skills for purposes and situations they will encounter throughout their lives.

 

1.14      Students make sense of ideas and communicate ideas with music.

    

 

 

Arts and Humanities-Music

Goal 2: Students shall develop their abilities to apply core concepts and principles from mathematics, the sciences, the arts, the humanities, social studies, practical living studies, and vocational studies to what they will encounter throughout their lives.

2.24     Students have knowledge of major works of art, music, and literature and appreciate   creativity and the contributions of the arts and humanities.

2.25      In the products they make and the performances they present, students show that they understand how time, place, and society influence the arts and humanities such as languages, literature, and history.

2.26      Through the arts and humanities, students recognize that although people are different, they share some common experiences and attitudes.

 

The four sub domains to be addressed in this course are:

·         Structures in the Arts

·         Humanity in the Arts

·         Purposes for Creating the Arts

·        Processes in the Arts

Text:

6th Grade Standard of Excellence Book 1

7th Grade Standard of Excellence Book 2

8th Grade Standard of Excellence Book 3

 

Supplemental sheet music for concert repertoire that supports core content for each grade level

Eligibility

 

All incoming 6th grade students will attend an orientation session on the band program followed by an individual interview to assess the student's instrument and abilities.  Students must successfully complete two semesters of 6th grade band to be eligible for membership in the 7th grade band.   Any student who has completed four semesters of instruction is eligible to participate in the Eighth Grade Band.  Individuals who do not meet these requirements may be accepted into the band program upon the director's recommendation.

 

Grading Policies

Band is a Co-Curricular subject--activities within and outside of the regular school day make up the student's band grade.  Students are expected to attend after school rehearsals and concerts--usually no more than one rehearsal and concert per nine week's grading period. Concerts can be scheduled for evenings and Saturdays.

 

The Nine Week's Grade is composed of activities that fall into the following categories, Participation, Preparation, Practice, and Concert Performances.  The weight of each category can vary each nine weeks (as it is dependent upon the number of categories represented in the grade).  For grading periods in which there are no concert performances, the following scale will apply:

 

Preparation                              45%

Participation                             45%

Practice                                    10%

For grading periods where there are concert performances, the following scale will apply:

 

Preparation                              40%

Participation                             40%

Practice                                    10%

Concert(s)                               10%

Participation Activities include:  Daily participation in the classroom--playing the instrument, following directions, attentiveness, participation in classroom discussions and attending after school rehearsals.

Students may loose points from their daily grade by not having their instrument or reeds (loss of all points for the day unless the instrument is in the repair shop), eating/drinking/chewing gum in the classroom (after the first warning), failing to participate in the classroom activities or failing to participate in an appropriate manner (correct posture, instrument position, tone production).

 

Preparation Activities include:  having all necessary supplies for each class (this is assessed through periodic "Book, Pencil, Music" checks).   Occasional written and/or playing quizzes will assess the student's knowledge of Core Content and preparation of music. 

Practice sheets are turned in every four weeks.  6th Grade students are assigned 60 minutes of practice time per week, while 7th/8th Grade students must practice 90 minutes per week.  Additional information and blank practice sheets are available at http://wcms.woodfordschools.org/sohler/downloadable_practice_record.htm