Elementary band & orchestra performance video coming soon

Elementary band students have been very busy practicing “Star Wars” and making progress in their lesson books. Mrs. Hauber and Mrs. Todey have helped students with learning and recording their individual or small group lesson groups playing "Star Wars." The individual student videos will be edited together into a virtual concert. The orchestra students (led by Mrs. Park and Mrs. Dishman) will do the same for a performance of “First Scale March”. Watch for an email at the end of the school year with a link to watch the virtual concert. You will be able to share this link with family and friends! It will be a great opportunity to experience all that the students have learned this year and be a way to remember our pandemic school year in the future. Don’t forget to celebrate your student’s success! They have learned a LOT this year!

Why should your student continue in band?

Excerpts from “Why Band Matters” Band Directors Talk Shop

Belonging

Band gives kids a place to belong. Band is a family. Band provides community and a place where kids can feel confident and safe. Kids, especially middle school kids, need to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

Creativity & Expression

Band enhances creative thinking and is an enriching creative outlet. Band gives us the chance to create beauty, elicit emotion, create that work of art through music. It allows us to teach love, joy, and humanity to the next generation.

Life Skills

Band teaches excellence in all things by achieving excellence in small things. In a world of instant gratification, it teaches students how to handle failure and keep on going. Students get to learn skills needed in today’s workplace: critical thinking, teamwork, leadership, social skills, self discipline, team skills, goal setting and work ethic.

Balance

Band matters to balance our education. It incorporates science, math, language and physical activity. Not every student experiences success in the academic classroom. Band is a great way for students to experience success at school. Band is an activity that involves all students at all levels of interest and ability.

Team Work

Band teaches students to work together in an environment where everyone is important all the time. Kids need positive role models in an atmosphere where kids learn how to respectfully work together towards a goal that is bigger than themselves. It’s team building, problem-solving, skill building hard work that is immensely rewarding.

The Whole Child

Band addresses the social, emotional, and musical needs of students. It increases cognitive reasoning, enhances collaborative works, gives emotional outlet and offers creative thinking. It is a comprehensive education that improves the IQ, creativity, leadership and problem solving in multiple areas of study.

AMS: Finishing up an unusual (but successful) year

It’s been a year of masks, bell covers, Google Meets, audio tracks, recordings, and no concerts, but the AMS band year has also been marked by a lot of learning and fun as well.

The videos below show some different ways we have stayed engaged with band, stayed safe, and made the most of our opportunities, including fun music, marching outside and in the halls, and creating performance videos with in-person and remote students.

“See ya real soon!”

AHS Jazz Bands, Concerts, and Recording Sessions

This season, Jazz 1, Jazz 2, and Jazz 3 were able to perform at the Jazz Encounters Concert, which was held on February 18 and was the first indoor, in-person performance from any band group this year. Selections by Mike Tomaro, Sammy Nestico, Benny Parker, Mike Kamuf, and many more were performed at the concert.

On February 27, Rick Chitty came to AHS to help create a professional recording of all 3 Jazz Bands. The jazz band students came in on a Saturday morning to record the tunes from the Jazz Encounters Concert. The professional recordings are in the process of being edited and will be distributed to the students as USB thumb drives.

2021 Pep Band personnel

Ames Band Staff

Andrew Buttermore, Ames High School

Chris Ewan, Ames High School

Ron Ferneau, Ames Middle School

Nick Gardner, Ames High School

Tascha Hauber, Ames Elementary

Paul Tallman, Ames Middle School

Peter Thompson, Ames Middle School

Cheryl Todey, Ames Elementary