6th Grade Welcome Letter

August 23, 2022

TO: All Incoming 6th Grade/Beginning Band Members

RE: First Day of School and 6^th Grade/Beginning Band Syllabus

Dear All Incoming 6th Grade Band Members,

Welcome to Spring Branch Middle School and what promises to be a very exciting year for you. The Band Department at Spring Branch Middle School would again, like to welcome you to SBMS. The band program at Spring Branch Middle School is one of the largest, most visible, and most successful student organizations at SBMS. At this point, we realize that you have many questions regarding first day procedures regarding band and what the expectations will be. Below is a brief outline, which will hopefully answer any questions you might have about the first week of school and what can be expected as it pertains to band. Also included is a class syllabus which details expectations, grading, and a list of required performances/important dates for the entire school year.

Instrument Selection – Most students were placed on instruments this past Spring however, if your child is still needing to be placed, we will screen them during the first week of classes. When we place students on instruments there are always several factors to consider. Your children are all unique individuals and our goal in this process is to find the best fit for your child. By week’s end, we want to have every beginner placed on an instrument and communicate to you what supplies they will need for class.

• Band Instruments and Supplies: Once students are fitted for an instrument, they will need to obtain an instrument. All Band Instruments fall into two categories: Non-School Owned Instruments (Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Percussion) and School-Owned Instruments. (Oboe, Bassoon, French Horn, Baritone, Tuba). School Owned Instruments are rented from the school for an annual fee. Students who play school-owned instruments will be responsible for purchasing their instrument’s mouthpiece and needed accessories. Non-School-owned instruments are rented from music stores and are negotiated between you, the parent, and the store. Rest assured, once your child has selected an instrument, we will provide you with a very comprehensive list of all supplies needed including instruments. We understand many times there are financial constraints that make such acquisitions difficult, if not impossible; please know that we do have some limited options available for such circumstances. We don’t want a financial situation to be a reason for someone not to be able to participate in band.

• Below is a list of recommended Music Stores and their address for you to select:

Music and Arts High School Music Service Hillje Music Centers

20821 US-281N 2121 NW Military Hwy 18130 San Pedro Ave

Unit 312 Castle Hills, TX 78213 San Antonio, TX 78232

San Antonio, TX 78258 (210) 349-2775 (210) 545-3131

(210) 494-2350

These Music Stores offer competitive rates and have representatives that come to our campuses weekly to provide supplies and collect instruments for repairs. If your child’s school-owned instrument needed repairs, we can send it with their store’s rep thus saving you a trip.

• Students will not be bringing home instruments for some time. (circa 2 weeks) In the meantime, they will be secured in the band hall.

Other Supplies

· Students will need a black 1-inch binder with page protectors. This binder will be where all their music is kept and organized; it will also need to fit on a music stand. Additionally, this will be used during performances, we request a black binder so that everyone is uniform.

· Students will need to purchase the Tonal Energy Tuner App or a Korg TM-60 Tuner. These can be purchased at the APP store or online through Amazon or at any music store.

• Band Shirt – All students will need a band shirt. This serves as our uniform at concerts and our uniform when we travel.

Band Program Fee (Fair Share) $40 cash or check

Includes:

• Band Shirt

• Pizza Parties

• End-of-Year Trip Transportation

To reiterate, the first week of school will be spent making sure everyone has the right band class, right equipment, and supplies. We will also begin working on basic music theory and rhythmic patterns and plan on beginning instrument instruction during the second week of