Crestwood Junior High School
Band Department Handbook
Hello everybody and welcome back to another year of band at Crestwood. This handbook will serve your son/daughter as a guideline for a successful and rewarding musical year. The music department at Crestwood in the past has succeeded in performing excellent concerts. This excellence can only be attained through discipline, hard work, dedication, and pride. Let us continue this school year of to carry out the band tradition here at Crestwood.
Junior High Band: Our school year performances this year may or may not include: Marching Parades, Winter Concert, Spring Concert, Spring Musical (optional), "March with the Tigers" night (optional), Paris Festival Bands Concert, Solo and Ensemble Contest(optional), Pep Band, Lakeland and ILMEA (both optional) and eighth grade graduation for the seventh and six graders.
ILMEA is an audition band and jazz band only. The auditions will take place virtually and the concert will take place at EIU. These bands are considered the best of the best so it is an honor if one is chosen to participate in these ensembles. In the spring the I.E.S.A. Solo and Ensemble Contest will be held.
Marching band season includes Paris HoneyBee Parade and the Christmas in Paris Parade. We may or may not march in the Greenup Parade or Chrisman Christmas Parade depending on the dates.
Pep Band: Everyone is expected to play at all the designated assigned games unless you are playing on the eighth grade basketball team.
All band members have the options to try out for the musical if you wish to participate in it even if you are not in chorus.
Concerts: There are three formal concerts each year where everyone will wear black. The winter concert in December, Paris Festival and spring concert in April.
Eighth grade graduation: All six and seventh graders are required to perform at eighth grade graduation.
A selected few seventh and/or eight graders will be able to participate at the Frances Watts Johnston Honors Concert at Lakeland College in May. Seventh graders will be learning the 12 major scales. Every seventh grader must play the scale for me memorized in order to receive a sticker for completion. These scales are part of your final grade. You have all year to complete this assignment by earning 12 stickers.
Every concert, pep band, musical performances and rehearsals and graduation are not optional.
General Rules:
1. No gum, candy, or food in the band room. Water bottles are acceptable.
2. No homework during rehearsals. If I see it, you will lose it.
3. No throwing objects of any kind to anyone or anything.
4. No destruction of school or personal property. If you are using a school instrument treat it as if it is your own instrument.
5. Keep a pencil in your folder or instrument case at all times.
6. Keep your hands to yourself. No hitting, kicking or pushing anyone at anytime.
7. Masks must be worn inside when you are not playing your instrument and instruments will have bell covers. Outside requires no masks or bell covers.
8. Teacher on podium = QUIET! NO talking!
9. The rules stated in the Crestwood Handbook also apply for all band classes.
10. Mrs. Ripperden’s Eagle Expectations:
Eagles……
Act Responsibly
· No food or gum is allowed at any time
· No destruction of school or personal property
· Do not throw objects of any kind to anyone or anything
· Remain seated until the bell rings
· Electronic equipment should be away and turned off
Give Respect
· Keep hands, feet and instrument to yourself
· Treat others the way you want to be treated
· If it is not yours then leave it alone
Listen Attentively
· Teacher on the podium = NO talking
· Be a good listener by not talking when someone is speaking or playing their instrument
Encourage Others
· Set a good example
· Be polite and use good manners
· Be a model for fellow classmates
Stand Tall, Be Proud
Failure to follow the rules and expectations may result in minor DR!
Grading:
The student’s grade reflects his/her musical literacy, performance and overall effort in the band setting, attendance and behavior, attitude and class participation, playing tests, scales and worksheets.
60% attendance/behavior/attitude at rehearsals and band lessons, and attendance at all performances.
40% playing tests/worksheets/practice cards/scales for seventh graders, and coming to rehearsal prepared (instrument, music, pencil, etc.) with a positive attitude.
What may lower your overall grade:
1. Missing a performance without a legitimate excuse. (All performances are MANDATORY!) Even pep band is considered a performance. It is not optional.
2. Excessive talking that can take away from rehearsal time. Those students disrupting the rehearsal may be asked to stay after the bell rings to make up the lost time or could be last in the lunch line.
3. Forgetting to bring your instrument and/or music.
4. Losing your music. Make sure you keep them in your folder at all times.
5. Receiving poor scores on playing/written tests.
6. Not handing in your practice sheet.
Practicing:
Each month you will receive a practice card where you will write down how many minutes you played on each day per week. The minimum you should practice is 15 minutes per week. There will be rewards for those who practice the minimum each week and who have the top amounts of practicing each month.
Everyone’s practice card is due at the beginning of each month and will be graded by handing in the practice card, not with how many minutes you practiced.
Rehearsals:
Junior High Band members rehearse eighth period on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Lessons are once a week out of p.e.
You need to attend every rehearsal with your instrument in good working condition and with all the necessary accessories (reeds, mutes, sticks, valve oil, mouthpiece, etc.) No unnecessary talking will be tolerated.
I.E.S.A. Solo and Ensemble Contest:
Sixth graders will be given a solo based on their playing ability. Seventh/Eighth graders may choose to play another solo or perform and ensemble with their classmates. Most solo and ensemble music requires piano players. If you know a piano player in the family or from anywhere else, you may ask them if they would be willing to accompany you with your solo or ensemble piece for Contest. If you do not know anyone who plays the piano or cannot find anyone, we can provide one for you.
Uniforms:
Concert attire:
Everyone will be wearing ALL BLACK for our concerts. ALL black pants, shoes, socks and shirt. Ladies may wear an all-black dress if the prefer. Absolutely no color except black on all clothing and shoes.
Marching band:
Everyone will be wearing the blue Crestwood shirt the school will provide for you to wear in the parades.. After the parades are finished you are required to return them. Please wash them before you hand them back in. You also need black pants, black socks and black shoes.
Pep band:
This is the shirt you will be purchasing. Eighth and seventh graders may where the same ones from last year. Sixth graders will have to buy the t-shirt except for the cheerleaders. The shirts cost 10 dollars last year. You can wear jeans and gym shoes with these t-shirts.
Concerts:
Everyone is REQUIRED to perform at every concert. Every band member plays an important and vital role to every performance. If someone is absent the rest of the band suffers. I need to have a written note, phone call, or e-mail from a parent or legal guardian explaining why you are not able to attend in order for me to excuse you. If a notice does not reach me within a week after the concert, your band grade will experience a drop in letter grade.
Please mark your calendars right away. That way there will not be any difficulty attending every one of these required concerts.
I am looking forward to this year. With hard work, dedication and determination we can have a rewarding and successful band year.
Mrs. Aimee Ripperden
Director of Bands
Crestwood School
[email protected]
Band Department Handbook
Hello everybody and welcome back to another year of band at Crestwood. This handbook will serve your son/daughter as a guideline for a successful and rewarding musical year. The music department at Crestwood in the past has succeeded in performing excellent concerts. This excellence can only be attained through discipline, hard work, dedication, and pride. Let us continue this school year of to carry out the band tradition here at Crestwood.
Junior High Band: Our school year performances this year may or may not include: Marching Parades, Winter Concert, Spring Concert, Spring Musical (optional), "March with the Tigers" night (optional), Paris Festival Bands Concert, Solo and Ensemble Contest(optional), Pep Band, Lakeland and ILMEA (both optional) and eighth grade graduation for the seventh and six graders.
ILMEA is an audition band and jazz band only. The auditions will take place virtually and the concert will take place at EIU. These bands are considered the best of the best so it is an honor if one is chosen to participate in these ensembles. In the spring the I.E.S.A. Solo and Ensemble Contest will be held.
Marching band season includes Paris HoneyBee Parade and the Christmas in Paris Parade. We may or may not march in the Greenup Parade or Chrisman Christmas Parade depending on the dates.
Pep Band: Everyone is expected to play at all the designated assigned games unless you are playing on the eighth grade basketball team.
All band members have the options to try out for the musical if you wish to participate in it even if you are not in chorus.
Concerts: There are three formal concerts each year where everyone will wear black. The winter concert in December, Paris Festival and spring concert in April.
Eighth grade graduation: All six and seventh graders are required to perform at eighth grade graduation.
A selected few seventh and/or eight graders will be able to participate at the Frances Watts Johnston Honors Concert at Lakeland College in May. Seventh graders will be learning the 12 major scales. Every seventh grader must play the scale for me memorized in order to receive a sticker for completion. These scales are part of your final grade. You have all year to complete this assignment by earning 12 stickers.
Every concert, pep band, musical performances and rehearsals and graduation are not optional.
General Rules:
1. No gum, candy, or food in the band room. Water bottles are acceptable.
2. No homework during rehearsals. If I see it, you will lose it.
3. No throwing objects of any kind to anyone or anything.
4. No destruction of school or personal property. If you are using a school instrument treat it as if it is your own instrument.
5. Keep a pencil in your folder or instrument case at all times.
6. Keep your hands to yourself. No hitting, kicking or pushing anyone at anytime.
7. Masks must be worn inside when you are not playing your instrument and instruments will have bell covers. Outside requires no masks or bell covers.
8. Teacher on podium = QUIET! NO talking!
9. The rules stated in the Crestwood Handbook also apply for all band classes.
10. Mrs. Ripperden’s Eagle Expectations:
Eagles……
Act Responsibly
· No food or gum is allowed at any time
· No destruction of school or personal property
· Do not throw objects of any kind to anyone or anything
· Remain seated until the bell rings
· Electronic equipment should be away and turned off
Give Respect
· Keep hands, feet and instrument to yourself
· Treat others the way you want to be treated
· If it is not yours then leave it alone
Listen Attentively
· Teacher on the podium = NO talking
· Be a good listener by not talking when someone is speaking or playing their instrument
Encourage Others
· Set a good example
· Be polite and use good manners
· Be a model for fellow classmates
Stand Tall, Be Proud
Failure to follow the rules and expectations may result in minor DR!
Grading:
The student’s grade reflects his/her musical literacy, performance and overall effort in the band setting, attendance and behavior, attitude and class participation, playing tests, scales and worksheets.
60% attendance/behavior/attitude at rehearsals and band lessons, and attendance at all performances.
40% playing tests/worksheets/practice cards/scales for seventh graders, and coming to rehearsal prepared (instrument, music, pencil, etc.) with a positive attitude.
What may lower your overall grade:
1. Missing a performance without a legitimate excuse. (All performances are MANDATORY!) Even pep band is considered a performance. It is not optional.
2. Excessive talking that can take away from rehearsal time. Those students disrupting the rehearsal may be asked to stay after the bell rings to make up the lost time or could be last in the lunch line.
3. Forgetting to bring your instrument and/or music.
4. Losing your music. Make sure you keep them in your folder at all times.
5. Receiving poor scores on playing/written tests.
6. Not handing in your practice sheet.
Practicing:
Each month you will receive a practice card where you will write down how many minutes you played on each day per week. The minimum you should practice is 15 minutes per week. There will be rewards for those who practice the minimum each week and who have the top amounts of practicing each month.
Everyone’s practice card is due at the beginning of each month and will be graded by handing in the practice card, not with how many minutes you practiced.
Rehearsals:
Junior High Band members rehearse eighth period on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Lessons are once a week out of p.e.
You need to attend every rehearsal with your instrument in good working condition and with all the necessary accessories (reeds, mutes, sticks, valve oil, mouthpiece, etc.) No unnecessary talking will be tolerated.
I.E.S.A. Solo and Ensemble Contest:
Sixth graders will be given a solo based on their playing ability. Seventh/Eighth graders may choose to play another solo or perform and ensemble with their classmates. Most solo and ensemble music requires piano players. If you know a piano player in the family or from anywhere else, you may ask them if they would be willing to accompany you with your solo or ensemble piece for Contest. If you do not know anyone who plays the piano or cannot find anyone, we can provide one for you.
Uniforms:
Concert attire:
Everyone will be wearing ALL BLACK for our concerts. ALL black pants, shoes, socks and shirt. Ladies may wear an all-black dress if the prefer. Absolutely no color except black on all clothing and shoes.
Marching band:
Everyone will be wearing the blue Crestwood shirt the school will provide for you to wear in the parades.. After the parades are finished you are required to return them. Please wash them before you hand them back in. You also need black pants, black socks and black shoes.
Pep band:
This is the shirt you will be purchasing. Eighth and seventh graders may where the same ones from last year. Sixth graders will have to buy the t-shirt except for the cheerleaders. The shirts cost 10 dollars last year. You can wear jeans and gym shoes with these t-shirts.
Concerts:
Everyone is REQUIRED to perform at every concert. Every band member plays an important and vital role to every performance. If someone is absent the rest of the band suffers. I need to have a written note, phone call, or e-mail from a parent or legal guardian explaining why you are not able to attend in order for me to excuse you. If a notice does not reach me within a week after the concert, your band grade will experience a drop in letter grade.
Please mark your calendars right away. That way there will not be any difficulty attending every one of these required concerts.
I am looking forward to this year. With hard work, dedication and determination we can have a rewarding and successful band year.
Mrs. Aimee Ripperden
Director of Bands
Crestwood School
[email protected]