Handbook

Mr. Marcus L. Lewis, Principal

Dr. Latonya C. Davis, Assistant Principal

Mrs. Karen O’Connor, Assistant Principal

Mr. Chandran J. Daniel, Band Director

Mrs. Julie Kleinmaier, Choir & Band Director

MUSIC DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT

You Cannot Teach an Empty Chair

It is the belief of the Thompson Jr. High Music Department that all students have a right to a rich, well rounded, holistic music education. With this in mind, it is our goal to create opportunities for every student to experience, learn, and understand music regardless of their ability level, age or background. Not only do we strive to develop a student’s passion and technique in music, but we also teach them many important lessons in responsibility, perseverance and empathy. We strive to do this while valuing each and every student that chooses to explore music with us. It is our hope that skills learned in music will not only provide a positive learning experience, but also the start to a life-long appreciation and understanding of the arts.

DEPARTMENTAL GOALS:

Develop students as holistic-musicians through the preparation and performance of quality musical literature.

Provide curricular and extracurricular opportunities for all music students that enhance their musical experience.

Facilitate opportunities for students seeking musical self-enrichment.

Empower students to create their own music through composition, arranging, and improvisation.

Create community on all levels: within our classrooms, our department, our school buildings, and our local population; as well as within the national and global community.

Enrich students’ appreciation of the arts by attending fine cultural events.

Create the best possible learning environment for students to pursue an education in the musical arts.

Inspire students to become life-long learners and intelligent consumers of music.

Students will acquire many skills that will carry into their everyday lives. Some of these ideas include maintaining self-discipline to fulfill individual responsibilities, working in a social situation with other students of varying academic, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds, respecting equipment and facilities that belong to others, and developing persistence, perseverance, and punctuality.  

THOMPSON BAND EXPECTATIONS AND GUIDELINES

Come prepared with all supplies (instrument, music, pencil, valve oil, cork grease, etc).

Be respectful of the instructor, your peers, and all equipment/facilities of the school. 

No food or drink is allowed in the music wing of the building, especially gum!

Be at class on time and be ready to start rehearsal.

Be open to new ideas and ready for challenges. It takes work, responsibility, and resilience to achieve great things!

BAND PROCEDURES

Entering the Classroom - Students are expected to:

Be on time to class – Students will get 2 minutes after the bell rings to get their instruments assembled and be ready in their seats with all supplies (Instrument, Music, Pencil, Valve oil/cork grease/etc.) for a total of 5 minutes (including passing period).

Students will be marked tardy if they are not seated with their equipment assembled after the 2 minute timer rings.

Enter the room quietly and courteously.

All smaller instrument cases (Flutes, Oboes, Clarinets) are allowed to have their cases at their seats.  All other instruments are required to assemble their instrument and leave their case in their assigned area

Rehearsal Etiquette - Students are expected to:

Check the projector screen or whiteboard for the Week at a Glance (WAG) for daily goals/objectives of class.

Do not play other student’s instruments, ESPECIALLY ALL PERCUSSION EQUIPMENT.  We are lucky to be in a school district that provides the highest quality of instruments/equipment.  Please treat it with respect.

Always play with the best posture and hand/instrument position possible.  This is important to our overall look as a band as well as vitally important to our ability to play.

No food, drinks, or GUM in the music wing.  Only water is allowed.

Raise your hand to ask questions.

Practice Room Guidelines - Students are expected to:

• Keep on task

• Only access practice rooms with permission from either Mr. Daniel or Mrs. Kleinmaier.

• Work on Band Music

• New exercises in the workbooks

• Ask Mr. Daniel for new challenges!

• Walk everywhere in the music department.

• Respect all school equipment and property.

• Never take any food or drink into a practice room.

• Only one student per-practice room unless you have specific permission from Mr. Daniel or Mrs. Kleinmaier.

• Only handle/touch your musical instrument.

• Do not touch the percussion equipment unless you are a percussionist or have special permission to do so.

• Remember that the time you spend in the band room is primarily for playing your instrument. Feel free to socialize a bit, but be productive with the majority of your time.

• Be Aware that school appropriate behavior and school rules/guidelines are still in effect.

• Ask for help if you need something! Mr. Daniel or Mrs. Kleinmaier are usually available to assist you if you need something.

USE OF THE FACILITIES

The band room and music facilities of Thompson Jr. High School is a great showcase of how the school district supports the band program.  It is every student’s responsibility to treat all the equipment, instruments, and facilities of the school with respect.  Please help keep our band room looking its best for future Thompson Band members by:

• Keeping your instrument, music, and other supplies in your assigned locker.

• Do not touch the percussion equipment if you are not a percussionist.

• Music stands have 3 purposes, displaying music, our individual tuners, and holding our pencils.  We do not lean, stand, or mistreat music stands. 

• MAKE SURE YOUR INSTRUMENT AND ALL PERSONAL EQUIPMENT IS LABELED CLEARLY WITH A NAME TAG OR WITH A PERMANENT MARKER.

LOCKERS

• Every student will be assigned a locker.  Students with smaller instruments will usually share a locker.  Everyone should use only their assigned locker space.

• Do not store anything in your locker except your instrument, music and instrument maintenance supplies (valve oil, cork grease, extra reeds, etc). NO FOOD!

• Music and Band Method Books need to be stored in a black 3 ring binder with plastic clear sheets.  There should not be any loose sheets of music in your locker.

• If any student is found to have violated the locker policies, the student will lose locker privileges.

MUSIC

The music (sheet music) that is issued to each band member becomes the individual’s responsibility.  All of the original music belongs to the school district.  All music should stay in the student’s band binder in a clear plastic sheet.  Students should always use a PENCIL, not a pen to write in their music. 

GRADING POLICY

Every student’s grade will be determined by the same factors:

Playing assignments:

• Students will be given playing assignments appropriate to the level of their band class.

• Playing assignments will be assigned ahead of time so students have time to practice.

• Students will be given the opportunity to retest any playing test (within that quarter/concert cycle) that they would like to gain more points on.  

• Playing tests and quizzes are typically worth between 5 and 25 points depending on the length and difficulty of the passage.

Music Checks and other projects:

• At the beginning of each concert cycle (quarter), students will be submitting their music to Mr. Daniel to confirm that they have completed our basic checklist of “Music Markings.”

• Students will receive a rubric for this assignment ahead of time and will receive feedback.

• This assignment will be worth between 10-25 points. 

• Group and Individual projects will occasionally be assigned in band. 

• This can include work in the computer labs and at home. 

• Most, if not all of the assignment components will be available on the Google Classroom page for students to access at all times.

• All projects will have a direct connection to a band piece or theme that we are performing and discussing in class.

• Project point values will range from 25 to 100 points depending on the length and content.

Online Assignments and Reflections: 

• Part of a student’s homework grade will be based on their responses using online Google forms

• Students will receive up to 1 week to complete the online forms. Specific due dates will be communicated to students at the beginning of the assignment.

• Online assignments and reflections will consist of questions regarding performances, activities involving music literacy, and other non-performance based projects.

• These assignments are typically worth between 25 and 100 points depending on the length and content of expected responses.

Concerts/Performances:

• Concerts and other performances of the bands have the greatest point value of any single assignment or grade in band. 

• Concerts and other Performances are worth 50  points and have a significant impact on a student’s final grade. 

• ALL PERFORMANCES OF THE BAND ARE REQUIRED – Any excused absences except school day excused absences will need to be communicated and discussed with the director ahead of time (minimum of 2 weeks). 

• For students who have an excused absence and have also let the director know ahead of time, an alternate assignment will be worked out to take the place of the missed concert.

• All members of the bands are important and our success as an ensemble depends on the positive contributions and attendance of every single student.

COMMUNICATION

There are many ways that you can communicate with Mr. Daniel and the Thompson Bands Program. 

Email: cdaniel@sd308.org
Phone: (630) 636-2623
Website: https://sites.google.com/sd308.org/thompsonband
Facebook: facebook.com/ThompsonTigerBand/
Check your emails for our Monthly Newsletter for additional updates!

CONCERT ATTIRE

Specific attire is required of all band members.  When we all wear the same uniform, we become a true ensemble and a representative of our school.  

All Band members will wear the following at all performances:

• Black dress pants/skirt

• Black socks

• Black shoes (ALL BLACK – No other colors on the shoes)

• Music Department Polo Shirt (Purchase this at the beginning of the school year from the music department)

SCHOOL OWNED INSTRUMENTS

All school owned instruments will need a contract signed by their parents in order for their use.   This contract is available from Mr. Daniel. Students are still responsible for the purchase of their own mouthpieces and other necessary instrument care products (reeds, valve oil, cork grease, etc).  There is no set monthly or yearly fee for school instrument usage. Instead, we ask that if you use the instrument, you pay for its yearly cleaning at the end of the school year. This cost varies per instrument.

PRIVATE LESSONS

Why should we offer our children private lessons if they are already in a band class at school? 

Learning to play a musical instrument can be more of a daunting task than a child (or parent) may expect. Fingers, tongue, breathing, posture, note reading, and counting all come into play with this foreign object put into a child’s hands! 

1. Working with a private teacher can help a student keep up with peers in the group setting. Every child learns at a different pace. Because of the many aspects of performing an instrument, children will progress differently. For instance, a child may have no trouble at all properly placing his/her hands on the instrument and quickly becoming dexterous, but may find it impossible to form the proper embouchure (position of the mouth on the instrument’s mouthpiece). There are many subtleties to embouchure formation, and if a student doesn’t get help from a private instructor, the wrong embouchure could become a road block to other facets of playing (such as note range) in the near future. 

2. Private lessons help to minimize frustration. I believe the less frustration the better when it comes to learning; who doesn’t? Though frustration can create determination in some people, it can discourage others. It’s sad to see a child give up learning an instrument in the early stages when all was needed was a little personal attention. Every child deserves the opportunity to enjoy and not be frustrated with making music.

3. Private lessons set up the child for success. With a private instructor, a child refines more quickly the fundamentals of playing. A solid foundation is built, and the child can keep learning, playing and succeeding. Succeeding is fun! The young musician builds confidence, and doesn’t give up. 

4. The child learns how to practice. A young musician needs to learn HOW to practice. I often spend more time with a student on practice skills than anything else in a lesson; and not only with beginners, but advanced students as well. A student spends more time weekly alone in a practice room (or at home) with the instrument than he/she does with a private instructor each week, so that time needs to be well spent. By sending the student home weekly with the proper practice skills, the private instructor can help the student get the most out of practice time alone. Also, the student will not dread practice time, because he/she will have control over it and confidently expect results.

5. It is easier to stay motivated with the help of a private instructor. I find this benefit most applicable to students who have been performing more than a few years. Once out of the beginner stage of playing, a music student may not know what to do next. A private instructor is knowledgeable about different music literature and styles and can help the student discover what new music to learn, what goal to pursue next. The instructor can direct a student to certain recordings, because listening is so vital to becoming a good and motivated performer. Sometimes all a student need in order to remain stimulated is someone to report to on a regular basis. It is always easier to work for something when you know someone is counting on you and that you’re accountable to someone – your teacher. 

Private lessons are for anyone, not just music-career bound musicians. A private instructor can maximize a young musician’s opportunity for musical success and fun

Click here to see our list of approved private teachers.