September 20th, 2024

Week 6 - End of the Six Weeks

Week 6 Newsletter

Week 6 marks the end of the grading period and the first six weeks is complete! Our Concert and Symphonic bands got to show up and show off for our pep rally on Wednesday! Beginners got to join friends from other classes and practice together after school on Friday! It has been a fun and exciting week. We are looking forward to more opportunities to perform coming up soon. 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

In beginner band classes this week every class was finally able to open their Essential Elements book and play through the first two pages of songs! These introductory songs add one new note at a time so we can focus on reading music while holding our instruments correctly, making correct sounds, articulating, and putting down the correct fingers! It's a lot for these young musicians to do all at once! Next week we will get into learning some more songs they recognize like Mary had a Little Lamb. Encourage your students to play for you from their Essential Elements book this week!

Beginners also gained access to Make Music (formally Smart Music) where they can play their Essential Elements songs to earn their Band Olympian Medals! Please check your email next week for some tips and information on how to use Make Music.

Questions to ask your beginner:

What are the first 5 notes you've learned? Have you learned more than 5?
How do you count and pat quarter note and half note rhythms?
Have you tried playing Mary Had a Little Lamb on your own?

Upcoming Dates:

9/27/24 - Mini Scale Performance Grade
9/27/24 - Whole Note Rhythm Sheet Due
Date change: Beginner Band Concert has moved from October 16th to October 15th. Please mark your calendars!

2nd period clarinets did Play Your Face Off Friday! Goooo Clarinets!!

Concert Band

This week Concert Band got all the way through a second piece of fall concert music called Dark Star and continued working on Heroes Triumphant. You should hear students preparing these pieces at home so they will be ready to contribute during our rehearsals! We also reviewed 4 new scales to give us a head start on next six week's scale project. Students will be responsible for 6 Major scales and a 1 octave chromatic, these can be completed as fast as they are ready or paced out at one scale per week. We will continue working on note, rhythm, and music symbol recognition through our daily bell work each day.

Questions to ask your band student:

How many of the 6 scales are you ready to pass off?
Can you play all of Dark Star yet?
How many minutes of practice do you need to be ready for rehearsal on your fall concert music?

Upcoming Dates:

9/25/24 - Band Bash - district-wide band performance! Click here for info!
11/1/24 - Our first BJH football performance of the year, handout coming soon.
11/8/24 - Dave and Busters date change, please mark in your calendar! Info coming soon!

Symphonic Band

This week Symphonic band received their third piece of music for our fall concert! All of our pieces for the fall concert have new rhythms that the students are working to master. Students are encouraged to use their pencil in class to write in rhythms and mark their music with helpful information! In sectionals, students are chair testing weekly and learning more of their HEB Honor Band music, most sections have been taught about 2/3 of their music. Remember that sectionals happen every week and are a graded event.

Questions to ask your band student:

How did your performance at the Pep Rally go?
Are you using your pencil in class to write information in your music?
Did you attend all 5 sectionals in the first six weeks?

Upcoming Dates:

9/25/24 - Band Bash - district-wide band performance! Click here for info!
11/1/24 - Our first BJH football performance of the year, handout coming soon.
11/8/24 - Dave and Busters date change, please mark in your calendar! Info coming soon!

Jazz Band

Rehearsals are continuing this week as we work on refining style and ensemble skills in jazz band! Solos for our winter performances are available, please email me with your solo selection from this folder and I will get you your music! Several of the more "popular" songs are taken so send me multiple options. Christmas solos can be performed at the Bedford Tree Lighting and our Christmas Cafe event.

Upcoming Dates and Performances: