~The do's and don'ts of Band~
Band is fun!... well, as long as everyone is following our rules and procedures. Here is what to expect in lessons and rehearsals with Mr. Pruitt:
As a band student, you should:
-Come to class each week on time, with your instrument, book, and folder.
Mr. Pruitt's motto in band is "Preparation is Teamwork!" Making sure that we are on time and prepared every week will make the difference between a decent concert, and a fantastic concert!
-Practice what we go over in lessons for homework, 10 minutes a day, six days a week.
An hour of practice a week is ideal for beginner players, but not all practice routines are equally effective. 60 minutes all at once, or two 30 minute sessions technically amounts to an hour of practice a week, but isn't a great idea for a few reasons:
1. Endurance: 10 minutes of practice a day will reduce the risk of fatigue, and build strength gradually. Learning a new instrument activates a lot of muscles that may not normally be used in a working manner. This will inevitably become tiring, and if overdone, can strain muscles.
2. "Cramming:" Just like when studying for a big math or social studies test, a little work each day --routine-- is better than trying to learn a huge amount of material all at once.
3. If you plan all of your practice in a week for Saturday only, and you happen to be sick that day, have plans, something unexpected, etc, then you will easily lose a whole week of practice. By practicing close to every day, losing a day occasionally won't be a big issue at all.
-Write down and remember your weekly schedule for lessons.
This is your responsibility, not your homeroom teacher's!! Your teacher may remind you when your lesson is happening, but it is your responsibility to know your schedule and make sure that you are in class on time each week.
-Let Mr. Pruitt know if you will need to miss class for any reason.
Missing a lesson is no big deal, as long as you let Mr. Pruitt know, and check in with either Mr. Pruitt or a bandmate to see what was missed.
As a band student, you should NOT:
-Assume that band will be cancelled without first seeing Mr. Pruitt.
Far too often, students will assume that an assembly, field trip, etc. means that band will be cancelled, and they'll decide to leave their instrument at home. That may be the case, but Mr. Pruitt works closely with the office and homeroom teachers, and very often the schedule can be adjusted so that we will still have our lesson.
-Skip class because you forgot your instrument.
If you are in school on a band day, you need to be at your lesson. Mr. Pruitt may have an instrument you can borrow if you forget yours. Also, much of what we learn in class is through discussion and reading our books together. There are many things good musicians need to know that don't involve playing your instrument.
-Leave your instrument at home on band days, because Mr. Pruitt "has extra instruments I can borrow."
The school district does have some instruments that students can use, but they are limited in number, and need to be available for all students who have an instrument out for repair, or accidentally forgot theirs at home.
-Ask to switch instruments because yours is difficult to play.
Every instrument is tough at first! If you try and switch around until you find an easy instrument, then you'll miss out on what actually makes an instrument easier: Practice and patience!!! Sometimes switching instruments can be a good and beneficial decision, but Mr. Pruitt will advise in lessons if that is the case.
-Skip a week of practice because you missed a class.
Our time is very limited, and our curriculum will have to move forward no matter what. If a class is missed, that's even more of a reason to practice at home!
A Few final, important points:
-Students who "no call, no show" (skip class without letting Mr. Pruitt know) three times will be recommended for removal from the band program.
This is not to be harsh, but the reality is that if students fall behind by a month, then there will be far too much of a gap in ability for a class to run successfully. Mr. Pruitt will always work with students and families if circumstances become challenging. But simply not taking the time to remember your materials and schedule causes unfair setbacks for the students who are prepared every week.
-The way we rehearse is the way we perform...
If we rehearse well, we perform well; if we rehearse lazily, we perform lazily.... so on, and so forth. We must make sure that every class is a prepared, hardworking, and fun experience! The habits we form each day and week are what ultimately will matter most.
-The band program will be running on a "Karate" system this year!
This will be an exciting new way to motivate practice, and set achievable, meaningful goals that students can work towards at their own pace. Students will earn belt rankings as they complete increasingly difficult tasks. See the next page for more details!