July 2020

July 2020 Update #1 - 7/2/2020

We're excited to finally get started with "virtual band"! There is a lot of information in this week's update, so please read everything carefully.

• We will have our first online sectional meetings next Thursday, July 9, at 6 PM on Google Meet. These sectionals will last approximately an hour. Please see the link for your individual section:

-Woodwinds: meet.google.com/tst-itmh-yed or join by phone +1 650-933-5897‬ PIN: ‪876 398 017‬#

-Brass: meet.google.com/buq-xdis-sda or join by phone ‪(US) +1 302-316-4699‬ PIN: ‪113 897 275‬#

-Battery (drumline): meet.google.com/ywv-kgab-jxf or join by phone (US) +1 386-361-3013‬ PIN: ‪555 610 662‬#

-Front Ensemble: meet.google.com/gge-rncc-qsk or join by phone (US) +1 316-530-5917‬ PIN: ‪966 425 595‬#

-Color Guard: meet.google.com/vmx-jzvv-jwg or join by phone ‪(US) +1 413-341-4401‬ PIN: ‪416 221 028‬#

• Each section will be given a short practice or listening assignment this week through Google Classroom (if you are not on the Woodstown Google Classroom, you can view the assignments on our new Assignments page). At this point we are not asking you to turn anything in/make videos, but please do your best to complete the assignment to the best of your ability so that we can stay on track with learning (if you have a practice assignment, it is absolutely ok if it's not perfect! We just want to get an idea of what you are doing well with and what you need help with. As Mr. Massaro stressed last year, practice is what you do at home on your own so that we can use our rehearsal/group time efficiently.). Make some time to work on the assignment this week in advance of the meeting, and come prepared for the meeting with at least one question or comment about the assignment. If you have difficulty with the assignment or are unable to complete it, contact the appropriate staff member (emails will be posted with the assignments). 

• Also, if you haven't already done so, please check into Google Classroom and comment on last week's post about  Santa Clara Vanguard's 2012 show, Music of the Starry Night. Only a handful of people have joined the discussion - please watch the video and add your thoughts! We'll be talking about your impressions during our sectional meeting, so it will be great to hear what you think about the performance!

• We will be holding a band membership drive contest as an incentive to bring in new members. The student who refers the most new band members (who stay with the band into the fall) will win a free food pass for the home football concession stand that can be redeemed throughout the entire fall season!  (If COVID-19 prevents us from holding fall football games, there will be an alternative prize; in the case of a tie, there will be a drawing for the winner.) New members, if you haven't already done so, please fill out this New Member Survey form  to let us know if someone else in the band referred you. 

• We have made a few cuts to the show music to bring the total show time down. Please check the show cuts spreadsheet and make note of which measures have been cut out in which pieces (use a pencil to cross them out in case further changes are made). Also, as of right now, we will not be including "Reflections of Earth" in the show (there was just too much music to fit into the time limit!).

• Here is the tentative calendar for the summer and fall season. Again, these dates haven't been approved by administration yet, but please try to be available for the rehearsal dates during the summer months, as we will continue to hold online sectional meetings or plan other activities to make sure we stay on track. Links for sectionals will be shared as we go along.

• If you are able to, please add our Woodstown Band Google calendar to your own electronic calendar. We will be posting all summer meetings/rehearsals on the Google calendar including Google Meet links, and new dates will be added as they are approved. The advantage to doing this is that any changes to the calendar will automatically update, and you won't need to add/change things yourself!  The iCal link to add the calendar to your own electronic calendar is https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/woodstown.org_pmpn9g2lkt5v48p2pqs1vm7sqo%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics If you are not sure how to do that, here are instructions for how to add a calendar on a computer (and then this will sync the calendar to your devices). 

Continue to do some kind of physical activity to stay fit and prepare for the season! Anything is better than nothing. Thanks, and looking forward to seeing you in our sectionals!

July 2020 Update #2 - 7/8/2020

Don't forget about our online "virtual sectional" meetings beginning tomorrow, Thursday, July 9, at 6 PM on Google Meet. These sectionals will last approximately an hour. Please see the link for your individual section:

• Woodwinds: meet.google.com/tst-itmh-yed or join by phone +1 650-933-5897‬ PIN: ‪876 398 017‬#

• Brass: meet.google.com/buq-xdis-sda or join by phone ‪(US) +1 302-316-4699‬ PIN: ‪113 897 275‬#

• Battery (drumline): meet.google.com/ywv-kgab-jxf or join by phone (US) +1 386-361-3013‬ PIN: ‪555 610 662‬#

• Front Ensemble: meet.google.com/gge-rncc-qsk or join by phone (US) +1 316-530-5917‬ PIN: ‪966 425 595‬#

• Color Guard: meet.google.com/vmx-jzvv-jwg or join by phone ‪(US) +1 413-341-4401‬ PIN: ‪416 221 028‬#

We will continue with our online sectionals each Thursday at 6 PM through the end of July until further notice; you may use the same link for your section's Google Meet each week for the time being. We hope to have information about band camp and August rehearsals soon.

Make sure to check into Google Classroom or our Assignments page for your listening or practice assignment if you haven't already done so - please make sure you've looked at it/worked on it ahead of time and be prepared with a comment or question about the assignment for your sectional meeting. This will be updated each week with a new assignment. 

Hornline students (brass and woodwinds), we have some updated warmups for you that have been uploaded to the Members folder. This is basically an abridged version of the warmups we used last year (plus a couple extra to address skills we need for our show music this year), but it is condensed onto just 2 pages. Please find your instrument part and print it out if possible, and use a few of the exercises as warmups before you practice each time.

Don't forget about our band membership drive contest! The student who refers the most new band members will win a prize (see last week's update for details). We still have a handful of new members who haven't completed the New Member Survey form  so please do that ASAP if you haven't done so.

Parents, we will be holding our July online Band Parent Meeting through Google Meet on Sunday, July 26 at 7 PM. The link to join the meeting is https://meet.google.com/fkd-uset-dhz (or join by phone (‪US‬)‪+1 435-562-1339‬ PIN: ‪416 724 766#‬).

Thanks, and looking forward to seeing you in our sectionals!

July 2020 Update #3 - 7/15/2020

Our next online sectional meeting is tomorrow, Thursday, July 16, at 6 PM on Google Meet. Please see the link for your individual section (same link as last time):

• Woodwinds: meet.google.com/tst-itmh-yed or join by phone +1 650-933-5897‬ PIN: ‪876 398 017‬#

• Brass: meet.google.com/buq-xdis-sda or join by phone ‪(US) +1 302-316-4699‬ PIN: ‪113 897 275‬#

• Battery (drumline): meet.google.com/ywv-kgab-jxf or join by phone (US) +1 386-361-3013‬ PIN: ‪555 610 662‬#

• Front Ensemble: meet.google.com/gge-rncc-qsk or join by phone (US) +1 316-530-5917‬ PIN: ‪966 425 595‬#

• Color Guard: meet.google.com/vmx-jzvv-jwg or join by phone ‪(US) +1 413-341-4401‬ PIN: ‪416 221 028‬#

Our July Attendance Conflicts form has been posted on the Documents and Forms page. If you will need to miss an online sectional this month (or will be late/need to leave early), please complete the form ahead of time letting us know the dates you will be out and the reason; if you need to miss due to illness, please try to complete the form prior to the meeting start time. Please complete the form instead of telling a staff member or another student you will be absent. If you are missing from rehearsal without informing us ahead of time, a student leader or staff person will follow up with you. 

Please continue to check into Google Classroom or our Assignments page for your listening or practice assignment if you haven't already done so - make sure you've looked at it/worked on it ahead of time and be prepared with a comment or question about the assignment for your sectional meeting. 

Don't forget about our band membership drive contest!  It is not too late to recruit new members! We especially need trumpets (and another bass drum player would be great!). The student who refers the most new band members will win a prize.

Thanks, and looking forward to seeing you in our sectionals!

July 2020 Update #4 - 7/21/2020

Here's the news you've all been waiting for... our in-person rehearsal schedule for August/September! We have 2 versions of the calendar (print whichever works better for you): a month view and a list view. You can also add the electronic version to your own calendar with the iCal link or visit our Calendar page to view the calendar. Right now we do not have any dates (either rehearsals or performances) approved after the start of school, but these will be added when we have more information. We will continue with online meetings the next 2 Thursdays at 6 PM (July 23 and 30).

Note that Band Camp has been moved to August 24-27, 9 AM-1 PM each day. We will have in-person, outdoor rehearsals for the weeks prior to Band Camp (exact location TBD). We will have specific information on safety precautions soon regarding masks and social distancing.

We have added a Aug./Sept. Attendance Conflicts form; if you know of any vacations or other obligations, etc. please enter them in the form as soon as you are aware of the dates. You can submit the form multiple times. Please complete the form rather than just telling a staff member/student you will be absent. Both the Aug./Sept. form and the July form are posted on our Documents and Forms page so you can find them easily.

Our next online sectional meeting is this Thursday, July 23, at 6 PM on Google Meet. Please see the link for your individual section (same link as last time):

• Woodwinds: meet.google.com/tst-itmh-yed or join by phone +1 650-933-5897‬ PIN: ‪876 398 017‬#

• Brass: meet.google.com/buq-xdis-sda or join by phone ‪(US) +1 302-316-4699‬ PIN: ‪113 897 275‬#

• Battery (drumline): meet.google.com/ywv-kgab-jxf or join by phone (US) +1 386-361-3013‬ PIN: ‪555 610 662‬#

• Front Ensemble: meet.google.com/gge-rncc-qsk or join by phone (US) +1 316-530-5917‬ PIN: ‪966 425 595‬#

• Color Guard: meet.google.com/vmx-jzvv-jwg or join by phone ‪(US) +1 413-341-4401‬ PIN: ‪416 221 028‬#

Please continue to check into Google Classroom or our Assignments page for your listening or practice assignment - make sure you've looked at it/worked on it ahead of time and be prepared with a comment or question about the assignment for your sectional meeting. 

Because we will start rehearsing in person in just a couple weeks, make sure that you are ready with the materials you need. Before our first in-person rehearsal on Aug. 6, please obtain a 1/2- or 1-gallon water jug (to stay safely hydrated during outdoor activities, as we won't have access to a water fountain) and a 3-ring binder with clear plastic sheet protectors (to keep music, drill, and other important papers clean, dry, and organized).** All music including warmup exercises should be printed and put into the binder by the first rehearsal (if not earlier). If you do not have access to a printer, please contact Mrs. Nowmos at nowmos.c@woodstown.org. You might also want to review the 2020 Members Handbook to see which items you'll need for Band Camp.

(**Links to Amazon.com product pages are provided just so you can see examples of the items you'll need; you don't need to purchase them through Amazon!)

Don't forget about our band membership drive contest!  It is not too late to recruit new members! We especially need trumpets. The student who refers the most new band members will win a prize.

For parents: our next Band Parent Meeting will be held through Google Meet this Sunday, July 26, at 7 PM. All parents are encouraged to attend; we hope to have more information about the schedule and safety precautions by then and will be introducing info about our coupon book fundraiser which will begin in August. The link to join is meet.google.com/fkd-uset-dhz (or join by phone (‪US‬)‪+1 435-562-1339‬   PIN: ‪416 724 766#‬).

Thanks, and looking forward to seeing you in our sectionals!

July 2020 Update #5 - 7/29/2020

We only have 1 more online sectional meeting left before we start in-person rehearsals! Our final online sectional is Thursday, July 30, at 6:00 PM. Please see the link for your individual section (same link as last time):

• Woodwinds: meet.google.com/tst-itmh-yed or join by phone +1 650-933-5897‬ PIN: ‪876 398 017‬#

• Brass: meet.google.com/buq-xdis-sda or join by phone ‪(US) +1 302-316-4699‬ PIN: ‪113 897 275‬#

• Battery (drumline): meet.google.com/ywv-kgab-jxf or join by phone (US) +1 386-361-3013‬ PIN: ‪555 610 662‬# (BATTERY PLEASE NOTE: join the Front Ensemble meeting at 6 PM to meet with Mrs. Sheridan, and then you will join the Battery sectional meeting when you're finished. If you can set up near a piano/keyboard that would be ideal.)

• Front Ensemble: meet.google.com/gge-rncc-qsk or join by phone (US) +1 316-530-5917‬ PIN: ‪966 425 595‬#

• Color Guard: meet.google.com/vmx-jzvv-jwg or join by phone ‪(US) +1 413-341-4401‬ PIN: ‪416 221 028‬#

Please don't forget to complete the Attendance Conflicts form if you will be absent. Both the July form and the Aug./Sept. form are posted on our Documents and Forms page so you can find them easily.

Because our first in-person rehearsal is coming up soon, please read this important health/safety guidelines document. Important points:

• All students/staff will be required to wear masks except while playing a wind instrument (we are looking into special masks that will allow you to wear while playing).

• Bell covers are being made for brass/reed instruments. Please email Mrs. Sheridan at sheridan.s@woodstown.org with the diameter of your bell if you haven't done so already.

• 6-foot spacing at all times except for students living in the same household.

• No shared equipment/instruments 

Please review the latest update to the member handbook which includes these guidelines. You will also need to print out and bring in your signed (by both you and your parents) WHSMB Agreement on the last page of the handbook for our first in-person rehearsal on Aug. 6. Don't forget to also have your music printed/in a binder and your 1-gallon water jug ready to go for our first rehearsal!

We will be starting our band incentive program this week! This will run through September 30, and each member of the winning section will receive a free WHSMB hoodie! You can earn points for your section in the following ways:

• Attending/reporting to rehearsals on time (and/or completing the attendance conflicts form prior to the start of rehearsal time if you will be absent/late).

• Turning in weekly assignments in Google classroom or from the Assignments page on time

• Having materials ready for rehearsal (printed music in binder, water jug, pencil, dot book completed, etc.)

• Turning in paperwork and fundraiser materials on time

• Participating in band camp spirit week activities (info to come) and other events

Please continue to check into Google Classroom or our Assignments page for your listening or practice assignment - make sure you've looked at it/worked on it ahead of time and be prepared with a comment or question about the assignment for your sectional meeting. This week's assignment is due by 6 PM tomorrow.

Also, just a heads up that we will be starting our first fundraiser of the season, the SaveAround coupon book sale, on Aug. 6. Materials will be distributed at rehearsal that evening, and Mrs. Nowmos will send out instructions for how to set up your own online fundraising page to earn funds for your trip account!

For parents: our next Band Parent Meeting will be held through Google Meet on Sunday, August 23, at 7 PM. We will send out the Google Meet link closer to the meeting date. Also, if anyone has a skill for sewing, we are in need of parents to help make special masks for the wind instruments players. A pattern and reimbursement for materials will be provided. Contact woodstownbandboosters@gmail.com if interested.

Thanks, and looking forward to seeing you in our sectionals!