2015-16 OAKRIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND HANDBOOK
Dear Students and Parents, Welcome to the 2015-16 school year! For those of you that do not know me, my name is John Rosbottom and I am the band director at Oakridge Middle School! I am very excited to start the school year! Last year was my first year at OMS. We accomplished many impressive goals and started several new traditions. I look forward to continuing those traditions and building on last year s success. This handbook contains a great deal of information that you will need to know about the operation of the OMS Band program. Being a large organization, it is important that everyone involved is aware of the policies and procedures in effect. Communication is a vital component of any successful organization. By familiarizing yourself with the policies and procedures in this handbook, most conflicts can be avoided. The most effective means of communicating with me is e-mail. My e-mail address is: rosbotjo@collierschools.com. I am also available at 377-3867. The band also has an information page on the OMS website under the Student section. The final page of this handbook is a link to an information form. Please fill out this form at your earliest convenience (check with your student first to see if they submitted the information already). I look forward to meeting each of you and having a very successful 2014-15 school year! John Rosbottom Band Director Oakridge Middle School
PHILOSOPHY The goal of the OMS Band program is to give students an outstanding experience as a member of a performing ensemble. It is my hope that students will develop music performing skills and appreciation that will lead to a lifetime of musical enjoyment. Beyond the musical concepts that are taught, there are many skills that are developed that transcend music. Leadership skills, teamwork, perseverance, and self-expression will all serve students well beyond their days in band. Band is a co-curricular class. Most band events take place during the day. However, some events, primarily concerts and extra rehearsals, will take place outside of the school day. The number of additional commitments is very low in beginning band and increases as students move into the more advanced groups. All concerts and rehearsals are required events. If a conflict arises, please notify the director well in advance so that a solution can be achieved. Sporting events and transportation issues are not reasons for an excused absence from a concert or rehearsal. Please see the calendar at the end of this handbook and plan ahead. POLICIES AND PROCEDURES The band student s primary responsibility is to communicate with the band director and with their parents. By far, the best way to communicate with the director is via e-mail to: rosbotjo@collierschools.com. Communication with parents will be made through various methods, such as, e-mail, OMS website, and letters sent home. It is the student s responsibility to inform parents about their commitments to the OMS Band. It is also important that the student communicates with the director regarding any conflicts that may arise. Please check the band calendar for more information! BANDROOM EXPECTATIONS: Be on time with all necessary materials. Always bring a good attitude. Treat everyone and everything with respect. Always do your best!!! Failure to meet these expectations may result in any of the following: Warning Phone call / letter to parents Change of seat Loss of privilege Referral ***Students are expected to represent the Oakridge Middle School Band in a positive manner AT ALL TIMES! This is especially important when traveling off-campus, when there are guests in our classroom, and any time we are in public. This not only includes how we perform, but how we interact with other students and adults. Any behavior that negatively reflects on the OMS Band will not be tolerated!!! GRADES: Band grades will be an average of the following: Participation includes having all necessary materials Test Grades written and performance tests Concert Attendance Students are required to attend ALL concerts!
Additional assignments as needed *Extra credit will occasionally be given for students that participate in non-mandatory events. Homework for band is practicing your instrument. The more a student practices, the more successful they will become. Students should practice the music we are working on in class and should practice on a daily basis. Each practice session should last from 20-45 minutes, depending upon the level of the student. The band room is often open before or after school for students that cannot take their instruments home. The band director is also available for students that need additional help with their instrument. It is the student s responsibility to communicate this need. COURSE DESCRIPTIONS Beginning Band Beginning Band is designed for students who have never played a band instrument. Basic concepts include: Instrument selection Tone production Music reading Ensemble performance skills This band will have three concerts throughout the year. Intermediate Band This ensemble is designed for students with one year of prior experience. This class will expand on the concepts learned in beginning band and apply these concepts to more challenging music. Additional opportunities will include: Collier County Honor Band All-State Band Solo and ensemble performance assessment This band will also have three concerts throughout the year. Advanced Band This is the top concert band at OMS. Students in this ensemble have demonstrated mastery of all basic concepts and are ready to work on more complex music and performance skills. This group will take part in the FBA Music Performance Assessment, where they will be graded by a panel of expert adjudicators. This is the most important performance of the year. This group will perform at least four concerts per year and may be called upon for additional performances. Several after-school rehearsals will be necessary to accomplish these goals. Most will occur second semester. Jazz Band Jazz Band is a supplemental class for advanced and intermediate band students. Students must audition to be selected for this class. Students must be enrolled in another OMS music class as well as jazz band. Under certain circumstances, Jazz Band may be open to advanced and intermediate chorus and orchestra students. This group will perform extensively throughout the year and many of these performances will take place off-campus.
BAND UNIFORMS All Band classes have the same uniform and will consist of the following items: 1. Gray OMS Band polo shirts (I will place an order for these during the month of September) - $22 2. Black full length pants No denim material dress pants or chino material. 3. Black shoes no tennis/athletic shoes. 4. Black belt shirts will be tucked in at all times. 5. If socks are worn, they should be black. SUPPLIES FOR BAND Accent on Achievement, book 1 or 2 for your instrument the school provides you with a book Mechanical Pencils, NOT PENS, with erasers A wire music stand for practice at home Additional REQUIRED supplies for each instrument: Flute players: A silk flute swab Clarinet and sax players: A plastic reed holder for 4 reeds Reeds Van Doren # 2 ½ reeds (#3 for intermediate/advanced). You should ALWAYS have 4 playable reeds on hand. A silk swab Cork grease Oboe and bassoon players: Reeds, at least medium soft you should have 2, at a minimum, at all times Trumpet players: Blessing, Bach, or Yamaha mouthpiece (should be supplied with the instrument) Valve oil keep one bottle at home, and always have one in school F horn players: Mouthpiece supplied by Cadence Music Valve oil keep one bottle at home, and always have one in school Trombone players: Blessing or Bach 6 ½ AL mouthpieces (should be supplied with the instrument) Slide cream keep one container at home, and always have one in school Small spray bottle for water Baritone players: Blessing or Bach 6 ½ AL mouthpiece Valve oil keep one container at home, and always have one in school
Tuba: Conn Helleberg tuba mouthpiece Valve oil keep one container at home, and always have one in school Percussion: Beginners - a bell kit & one extra pair of wood tipped, 5a drum sticks *Intermediate and advanced percussionists should have a stick/mallet bag with an assortment of sticks and mallets for xylophone, marimba, bells and timpani. Please note that Cadence Music delivers to school every Wednesday, so you can order supplies and pay for your order by credit card and telephone. They will deliver your order on Wednesday to me at Oakridge very convenient. Alternatively, they are located in Fort Myers and are open for a portion of the day on Saturday as well as the usual weekday hours. Cadence Music s number is: 275-6262 / email: www.cadencemusic.com *** There is a new repair and supply shop open in Naples. Christman Music is located at: 2081 J&C Blvd Naples, FL 34109 239-254-8863 www.christmanmusic.com
BAND CALENDAR 2015-16 This is a list of currently scheduled events for the Oakridge Middle School Band this year. Most events do not involve all music students, so check with your child to find out which events affect them. Additional events will be added as necessary. All concerts and MPAs are REQUIRED performances. September 1 Band Instrument Rental Night 5:00 PM OMS Cafeteria September 19 All-State Band Auditions TBA PL Dunbar MS October 9 Fall Fundraiser Kick-off In Class OMS October?? 8 th Grade Band Night w/ GCHS Marching Band 5:30 PM GCHS October 21 Fall Band Concert (Beginning/Intermediate) 6:00 PM OMS October 21 Fall Band Concert (Advanced/Jazz) 7:00 PM OMS November 2 All-County Band Auditions 4-7 PM PRMS November 7 HS Marching MPA 3-9 PM BCHS December 10 Winter Band Concert (Beginning/Intermediate) 6:00 PM OMS December 10 Winter Band Concert (Advanced/Jazz) 7:00 PM OMS January 12 All-County Band Rehearsal (sectional) 6:00 8:30 PRMS January 13-16 Florida Music Educators Conference all day Tampa January 21 All-County Band Rehearsal 6-9 PM GGHS January 22 All County Band Rehearsal 9AM 4PM GGHS January 23 All County Band Rehearsal 10 AM GGHS January 23 All-County Band Concert 3PM GGHS February 2 Jazz Band MPA TBA PRHS February 5-6 Solo and Ensemble MPA TBA Lehigh Sr. HS March 10 Middle School Concert Band MPA TBA PRHS May 12 Spring Band Concert (Beginning/Intermediate) 6:00 PM OMS May 17 Spring Band Concert (Advanced/Jazz) 6:00 PM GCHS* May 20 Music USA Universal Performance (Advanced) 5:00 AM Universal Studios *Pending approval
Student/Parent Information Please follow the link below to access the student information page. By submitting the requested information you are indicating that you have read this handbook. http://goo.gl/forms/my5cz9hm6x Thank you!!! Let s have a great year!