September 13th, 2024

Week 5 - Binders have arrived!

Week 5 Newsletter

Week 5 has been a great week for our students! We got to showcase our 9th graders with the Bell Band and beginners got to finally fully assemble their instruments! Students also received their new band binder on Friday. This is one of the first items paid for through band fees, soon students will receive their band shirt which is also paid for through the band fee. Binders should stay organized and well cared for, we will use them all year! Use the quick links below to jump to the section relevant to your student!

Band fees are past due! Payments can be made on School Cash online or by Cash or Check. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns about fees.

Action Items - Urgent, please complete!

Action Items - Urgent, please complete!

Band Fees past due. Fees can still be paid by cash, check (to Bedford JH Band) or through School Cash Online. Reach out with any concerns or payment scheduling.
Join Remind for your student's class!

Beginner Band

Beginner Woodwinds have put their full instruments together and begun to add and wiggle their fingers! Students should still practice with just their mouthpiece or headjoint but can also be practicing moving their fingers or even crack open their Essential Elements book!

Beginner Brass have learned our first five notes! We are praciticing a new skill called articulation - this helps us turn long sounds into short sounds. You should hear both mouthpiece buzzing and full instrument sounds at home. Our goal next week is to be able to play Hot Cross Buns!

Questions to ask your beginner:

How do you assemble your full instrument?
How many different notes can you play?

Upcoming Dates:

9/16/24 - Rhythm Counting Performances
9/20/24 - Band Hall Practice and Pizza - $5 Beginners first practice party!!
Date change: Beginner Band Concert has moved from October 16th to October 15th. Please mark your calendars!

6th period and their brand new organized binders!

Concert Band

This week Concert Band started work on their chromatic scale and their first piece of fall concert music! We will not have any new assignments next week, we will just be getting caught up on anything that is behind. We will introduce one new scale per day and review 2 pep tunes per day. This will be an intense music-filled week in rehearsal but it will set us up for success in the 2nd six weeks. You should hear pep tunes, Heroes Triumphant (fall music) and scales at home! Students with MISSING assignments will have mandatory tutorial sign ups next week,.There will be times available everyday after school and on Wednesday morning.

Questions to ask your band student:

Do you have any assignments to resubmit or get caught up on?
Can you play all the way through Heroes Triumphant yet?
Are your pep tunes ready for next week's pep rally?

Upcoming Dates:

9/18/24 - Pep Rally - parents welcome! Pep rallies are now following 1st period, not at the end of the day! Students wear 24-25 band shirts.
9/20/24 - Practice and Pizza $5, end of 6 weeks
9/25/24 - Band Bash - district-wide band performance! Click here for info!

Symphonic Band

This week Symphonic band received two new pieces of music for our fall concert! Our daily rhythms focused on counting in 6/8 time, students did a great job with this and were able to succesfully apply it to one of our new peices of music. In sectionals, students are chair testing weekly and learning more of their HEB Honor Band music. Remember that sectionals happen every week and are a graded event.

Questions to ask your band student:

What is your average in band? Just one week left in the six weeks!
How many scales have you passed off? Students must have 4 scales passed off by the end of the six weeks.
Can you play all the way through your new fall concert music?

Upcoming Dates:

9/18/24 - Pep Rally - parents welcome! Pep rallies are now following 1st period, not at the end of the day! Students wear 24-25 band shirts.
9/20/24 - Practice and Pizza $5, end of 6 weeks
9/21/24 - HEB Honor Band District Masterclass (required) - all five JH's will meet together at BJH to work on their Honor Band music with a professional on their instrument. Click here for more info!
9/25/24 - Band Bash - district-wide band performance! Click here for info!

Jazz Band

Our third rehearsal is in the books and we have started our second tune, Night Train! It's not too late to join if you are interested. Ask for music before/after school and show up for Friday morning rehearsals to be part of our Jazz Band! Students should be coming home with a copy of their jazz calendar (mostly rehearsal dates) and their membership guidelines.

One of our first events for Jazz Band is a field trip to the Denton Jazz and Arts Festival! This is a FREE field trip for all jazz band students who have paid their jazz band fee. Click here for details and RSVP.

Jazz Band Resources: