Canfield Middle School Summer of Excellence Practice Schedule

Transcription

1 Canfield Middle School Summer of Excellence Practice Schedule End of 6 th Grade This packet is meant to help guide the student and parent during the summer months. As you know, when kids are not in school, they tend to forget things. You all know the old phrase either use it or lose it. Well this is true for reading, math, science, and music. Do you realize just how much progress your child made this year? We spent a great deal of the first 9 week grade period reviewing what we learned in 5 th grade. Since then, we ve been learning new notes, rhythms, articulations, dynamics, and how to play in a band by listening to everyone else. If you follow this plan during the summer, your child will be more likely to return to school in September retaining more of what they learned. If they don t practice over the summer, I guarantee, next year will be an uphill struggle. Remember, it is best to practice more often for a shorter time than less often for a longer time. Your child is learning muscle memory and storing information in their long term memory. Help improve their learning curve by keeping the instrument in their hands over the summer.

2 Helping Students Practice You may say to yourself, I want to help my child be successful in band but I do not know anything about music or band. How can I help? The following is a guide to help parents help their child be successful and also to be accountable for the time and effort spent. One of the most important aspects of playing a musical instrument is the ability to practice correctly. While time and regularity of practice is very important, the quality of the practice is the true determining factor in a musician s rate of improvement. In fact, 20 minutes of focused and correct practice is more effective than an hour of poor practice. Practice Environment In order for our students to get the most out of their practice session, we have a couple of suggestions. The first suggestions will involve the practice environment. Their environment should be: Quiet & Calm Much like studying, practicing an instrument is mostly mental. Their practice area should resemble a library as close as possible with the exception that they are playing their instruments. Chair and Stand It is important that their practice area allow them to sit in the exact same position they do during class time. A solid chair is important to help them use the correct posture. Their music should be in a place that they do not have to bend over to see it. Wire music stands are available for purchase through Motter s Music, Music Gallery or Gordan s Repair Shop. Use a Mirror It is important that students constantly check their embouchures to make sure they are being formed correctly. Small mirrors (locker mirrors) on their music stands are ideal. Bathroom mirrors work as well. Mirrors are also great to check hand position. Most students develop poor hand position if it is not carefully monitored. Practice Sounds As parents, you may not be able to help your child with band homework like you can with math homework. However, there are a couple of things that you should be hearing on a regular basis. Students should be practicing items we play in class and lessons in an effort to make their performance in class and lessons acceptable. When your child practices, you should hear:

3 What you should hear A METRONOME BEEPING Students should be using a metronome 95% of the time when they practice. This helps them keep a steady tempo. Free metronome apps can be downloaded on the computer our any mobile device. We will show the students how to practice with a metronome at school. Clapping and Counting The combination of rhythmic counting and clapping to the beat is key to overall success. Counting out rhythms (often similar to sounding out words when learning to read) and then combining rhythms with self-generated tempo will help with the coordination of motor skills and conceptual learning. Note-naming Students should be reading lines from the music and saying the note names out loud. This should also be done with a metronome, and eventually, while fingering or positioning the notes being said. Fundamental Sounds Students should be working on their sound on just the mouthpiece, mouthpiece and barrel or headjoint. This sound might be a little annoying but it is essential in their development of proper embouchure and tone quality. They should work for a steady sound that doesn t waver at all. Long Tones The first sounds students make on their fully assembled instrument should be long and smooth sounds. Their tone quality is one of the most important aspects of learning their instrument during the beginning year. Week 1 Go to Motter s Music or Music Gallery and purchase Standard of Excellence Book 2. Make sure it is the Enhanced Comprehensive Band Method, the one with the purple banner across the front page. Inside the back cover is an instruction page on HOW TO INSTALL USING WINDOWS

4 OR MAC. Please read carefully and follow all steps to install ipas. We will be using this alot next school year. Begin to play #2, 3, 4. Start all exercises with your metronome at quarter note (qn) = 60. As you get better, increase the speed by 4 to 64, 68, 72, etc. until you reach 100. Use the ipas software to help you practice. Listen to the recording of each line, record yourself and send to a friend or relative. Grade yourself 3 times and see what your best score is. From the supplemental book play Skill Builders Book 1 Unit 7. Always look at key signature and time signature before playing. Clarinet Players Only From your packet that Mr. Colella passed out, play # Take your time and be sure to cover the holes. If you don t keep playing notes with the register key over the summer, you will not be able to play 1 st clarinet parts in 7 th grade. Week 2 Supplemental Book Skill Builders Book 1 Unit 9, Band Sheet #4 / February On each number, use a metronome, start at qn=88 and go up by 4 s until you get to qn=126, Standard Of Excellence (SOE) #2, 3, 4, 5. Keep working to try and get the speed to qn=100 from week 1. Use the ipas software to help you practice. Listen to the recording of each line, record yourself and send to a friend or relative. Grade yourself 3 times and see what your best score is. Clarinet Players Only From your packet # Look at key signatures and watch out for accidentals. Week 3 Supplemental Book Skill Builders Book 1 Unit 10. Read all the text on the page and do this. Pay attention to articulations such as slur, staccato, accent, breath marks. Really pay attention to what the music is telling you to do. Band Sheet #5 / March Even though it is June, you should be able to play the March side of the paper with very few problems. On each number, use a metronome, start at qn=88 and go up by 4 s until you get to qn=126. SOE #6, 7, 8. Start each song at qn=60 and work towards qn=80. Use the ipas software to help you practice. Listen to the recording of each line, record yourself and send to a friend or relative. Grade yourself 3 times and see what your best score is. Clarinet Players Only Packet # Week 4 Supplemental Book Skill Builders Book 1 Unit 10. Band Sheet #6 / April. Always look at the key signature before playing each line. Say the note names, then finger/slide while you say the note names. Then play slowly at first. On each number, use a metronome, start at qn=88 and go up by 4 s until you get to qn=126. SOE #7, 8, 9. Start each song at qn=70 and work towards qn=96. Use the ipas software to help you practice. Listen to the recording of each line, record yourself and send to a friend or relative. Grade yourself 3 times and see what your best score is. Clarinet Players Only Packet # Start each song at qn=100 and go to 144

5 Week 5 Supplemental Book Skill Builders Book 1 Unit 11. Band Sheet #7 / May. Always look at the key signature before playing each line. Say the note names, then finger/slide while you say the note names. Then play slowly at first. On each number, use a metronome, start at qn=88 and go up by 4 s until you get to qn=126. SOE #12, 13, 14. Use the ipas software to help you practice. Listen to the recording of each line, record yourself and send to a friend or relative. Grade yourself 3 times and see what your best score is. Week 6 Supplemental Book Skill Builders Book 1 Unit 12. Band Sheet #8 / June. Read the directions at the top of each page. Start each line at qn=88 and go to qn=104. SOE #12, 13, 14. Use the ipas software to help you practice. Week 7 Supplemental Book Skill Builders BOOK 2 Unit 1. Band Sheet #9 / January. Read the directions at the top of each page carefully. Start each line at qn=88 and go up by 4 s until it gets too fast for you to play correctly. Chart your tempo each day and see how much you re improving. SOE #17, 18, 19. Listen to the recordings using ipas or the CD s. You will need to start at a qn=84 and go up by 4 s each time you play it at 100%. Week 8 Supplemental Book Skill Builders BOOK 2 Unit 2. Band Sheet #10 / February. Read the directions at the top of each page carefully. Start each line at qn=88 and go up by 4 s until it gets too fast for you to play correctly. SOE #17, 18, 19. Listen to the recordings using ipas or the CD s. You will need to start at a qn=84 and go up by 4 s each time you play it at 100%. Congratulations!!! You made it through a fun filled summer with plenty of time to play with family and friends. You also made time to keep that instrument in your hands so you could remember all that you learned in 6th grade. Take a deep breath and relax as you get ready to start 7th grade and eagerly await new things to learn. I ll see you soon in school. Thanks for being a part of the Canfield Village Middle School Band. Musically yours, Mr. Volenik