The oldest professional music organization in the United States of America is the US Marine Band, also known as "The President's Own." This concert band has a long and rich history of excellence and has been conducted by some of the most famous names in music history including John Philip Sousa. To be in The President's Own is to be the best of the best, and everyone that has ever played in it has worked their way up through other smaller bands until finally being called up to serve in the band that performs for almost every presidential function at the White House and abroad. We are going to learn more about this band over the course of the year but we will also look up to them as a role model of sorts. Based on the traditions of this ensemble we are starting our own special set of achievements for each member of our band.
Band members in are asked to learn and play music from a lesson book each week. Specific lines from these books as well as scales, etudes, and other music will be used as benchmark achievements that will allow each student to move up in "rank," throughout the year. These ranks are not just a badge of personal achievement, they are also a sign of leadership within the organization.
Public Recognition of Achievements:
Each student will have a name plate on the wall of the band room. When a student reaches a new rank their name plate will be marked accordingly. When a student achieves one of the top ranks the name plate will moved up to the next step on the classroom leadership chart and the next chevron of the insignia colored in to signify the new rank.
In order for a student to move to the next ranking, they must have achieved a 90% or higher in the SmartMusic assessment for that piece.
Refer to the News and Announcements section for rank challenges.