Good morning!

I hope that this email finds you enjoying a fun and relaxing (and much deserved) summer!  My name is Matt Whitney, and I teach 6th Grade Band at JTL, and 4th grade band at JM Hill.  This summer, your child will have the opportunity to get some free summer instruction on their band instruments before school starts!  Each child will have two lessons each week for about two weeks, along with full band rehearsals for all 5th and 6th grade band students.  The summer band program will culminate in a performance on August 18th for all band students in grades 5-12 at the High School South Campus.

For 6th grade band students, summer band can be a great way to start meeting some of your new teachers (and future classmates) and get used to parts of the new building well before school officially starts later in August.  

For 5th and 6th graders, summer band can be a great chance to start getting back into the musical groove and remembering how to play, since most kids are often too busy having fun throughout the summer having fun to practice consistently (as they should be).  :-)

I'll provide more information about the performance in August, but here's what you need to know.

- The schedule for summer band can be found here, or also on our JTL Band Website.  Please make sure to note the dates of your child's lesson (it's two weeks in a row, with lessons either being M/W, or T/Th), with the combined band practice being every day from M-Th, and open to everyone.

- Summer Band will be held at the JTL school.  Signs will likely be posted to help guide you, but if you enter through the main lobby, all of the instructional classrooms for summer band will be on the right.  

- Students should plan on bringing their instruments, their Sound Innovations book, and a pencil.  If your child plays french horn, baritone, or bass clarinet, I'll have them ready for you at JTL for their first lesson.

- Students are encouraged to come to as much of summer band as possible.  Please know that I completely understand that many families have commitments throughout the summer, between camps, vacations, and other types of activities.  Summer band is definitely a low-key way to start getting back into things, so even if your child can only make one lesson or rehearsal, or is gone one week but available the next, I'd love to have the opportunity to meet them and work with them!

Those are the main things for now.  As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to let me know.  I look forward to hopefully working with you soon!