6th Grade Band

Students enrolled in 6th grade band are assigned to attend large group rehearsals on A days or B days.  Each group rehearses every other day with Mr. Tipping during 3rd period.

Each 6th grade band student is assigned to a lesson group that meets one day per week during 5th period WIN.  Lesson attendance is required for all band students. Lesson groups are divided by instrument and may be taught by Mr. Tallman, Mr. Tipping, or Mr. Thompson. 

Attendance and full participation in small group lessons accounts for a large percentage of each band student’s grading percentage. Additionally, students are rewarded and recognized for 90% lesson attendance in each quarter. The procedures for lesson attendance and grading are as follows: 

• 3 points (full credit) for attendance and full participation

• 2 points possible for being present with No Instrument, eligible for full credit by submitting a makeup recording

• 0 points for an excused absence (“absent excused” from school), eligible for full credit by submitting a makeup recording - an "M" for missing will be entered on Infinite Campus

• 0 points for an unexcused absence, eligible to receive up to 1 point by submitting a makeup recording - an "M" for missing will be entered on Infinite Campus

To complete a makeup recording, a student must record two lines of their current lesson book assignment and email the link to their grade level instructor. Recordings may be in either video or audio format. 

Due to the change in access to Chromebooks, a 6th grade student who does not have a device to record their makeup assignment on at home may submit a signed note from a parent attesting to their student practicing a minimum of 30 minutes to make up for their missed lesson time.

The 6th grade bands give three public performances during the school year:

• Fall concert in December.  This concert is shared with the 6th grade chorus and orchestra.

• Ensemble Festival in March.  Each lesson group performs a selection before a small audience and a judge.

• Spring concert in May.  This concert is shared with the 7th and 8th grade concert bands.

*Please click the Calendar link in the top menu for current year performance dates. 

All brass and woodwind players are required to have their own instrument. Options include purchasing your own or renting through a music store.

If your student has their own instrument, make sure you have record of the brand, model, and serial number. We strongly encourage you to have a nametag on the instrument case. With more than 370 students in the AMS Bands, there are a lot of instruments in our room each day.

In some cases, students may rent a school-owned instrument. Large and/or expensive instruments including French horn, baritone, tuba, oboe, bassoon, bass clarinet, tenor sax, and bari sax are typically rented through the school. *A limited number of smaller instruments are available for rental from the school. 

Percussionists need to supply their own drum sticks. All other percussion equipment is provided by AMS. A small percussion rental fee is collected each year.

Each student is expected to bring their own supplies, which may include reeds, valve oil, and cleaning brushes or swabs.

For more information on instruments and supplies, click here.

6th grade band students will continue to work from Tradition of Excellence Book 1.  Students who used Tradition of Excellence Book 1 (and for percussionists, The Performing Percussionist) in 5th grade band should retain their copy for use in 6th grade. We will provide copies for students who do not have the required book(s). 

As a class, 6th grade band is graded on a Pass/Fail basis. To earn a passing grade, each student must achieve a minimum score of 60% in the following: 

1. Preparation of assigned material

2. Participation in rehearsals and lessons

3. Performance in 6th grade band concerts and Ensemble Festival

Grade updates will be posted regularly on Infinite Campus. As always, please contact Mr. Tipping with any questions you might have!

Conner Tipping is in his fourth year of teaching in the Ames Community School District, and twelfth year of teaching overall. In his current role, he teaches the sixth grade bands at Ames Middle School; assists with the seventh and eighth grade bands; teaches the ninth grade concert band at Ames High School; assists with the marching band and other aspects of the high school program; and teaches individual and small group lessons to students in grades 6-12. Before coming to Ames, he most recently served as Director of Bands at Benton Community High School in Van Horne, Iowa. At Benton, he oversaw all aspects of a comprehensive band program, including concert, marching, and jazz ensembles, and individual lessons for all students.

From 2016-2019, he spent three years at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. During the first two years, he served as a graduate assistant with the UCM Bands while completing his master's degree in Instrumental Conducting. He then served a year as Interim Assistant Director of Bands at UCM. In that role, he directed the Symphonic Band; co-directed and wrote drill for the Marching Mules; taught courses in band administration, marching band techniques, and conducting; supervised student teachers; and was responsible for organizing the Festival of Champions marching band contest.

Prior to UCM, he taught for five years in Iowa at Carlisle High School and Newman Catholic Schools in Mason City. Throughout his career, his ensembles have consistently received Superior ratings at state festivals and have placed at or near the top of their class at numerous concert, marching, and jazz festivals. In 2015, his Newman Catholic High School Concert Band was selected to perform at the Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference. He has had students selected for the Iowa All-State Band and the All-Iowa Eighth Grade Honor Band, and has also received an Iowa Governor’s Scholar Favorite Teacher Award.

A native of Des Moines, he received his Bachelor of Music degree in Instrumental Music Education from Iowa State University. He holds memberships in numerous organizations, including the Iowa Bandmasters Association, South Central Iowa Bandmasters Association (current Research and Development committee chair), Iowa Alliance for Arts Education, Jazz Educators of Iowa, National Band Association, Ames Education Association, Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honorary, and Phi Beta Kappa. He remains active as a trumpet player in performing with the Ames Municipal Band during the summers. Conner currently lives in Altoona with his wife Meredith (who teaches band at Summit Middle School in Johnston) and their son Benjamin, and is grateful for the support of his entire family - which includes four additional music educators!