CAES BAND NOTES

Greetings and welcome back to the CAESInstrumental Music Program! It isexciting to be beginning my fourteenth year as your Director. Please refer to the bold typeheadings to find the information you need.

Theband will resume practicing on Wednesday, September 1st. I am happy that band has been scheduled back into the schoolday this year: 1:50-2:30 on Monday and Wednesday. I have ordered a number ofnew arrangements. We will look at them, listen to them, play through them asbest we can and make a group decision as to which pieces we will be investingourselves and our budget into.

Most 5th graders are ready to begin bandthis year even if they do not know as many notes as they will eventuallyneed. Much fundamental teachingoccurs in the early weeks of school, and I encourage all students playing wind instruments to come to band thatfirst day. Percussion players will be added gradually this year since it willbe a totally new section. Playerswill be added as they demonstrate the ability to read and follow music unaided.Percussion students need to play standing up while refraining from takingadvantage of that mobility by moving around the room.

We have not yet set the concert dates,but expect to follow our established pattern of one in mid-December and anotherin early spring. We do expect toperform in the Chester Memorial Day parade, always occurring on May 30th. I am unsure if there are plans for anAlumni parade in June this year, but we would expect to be involved in this aswell, should the event occur.

CommunicationsHome: To insure, as much as possible, thatnotices regarding the activities of the CAES Band reach parents on a timelybasis, paper copies are given to students at school. Extra copies are placed inenvelopes on the music room door and are posted on the my classroom page on theschool website.

PracticeExpectations: Even though practicing at home isessential to a developing musician, it is often difficult for students to workin regular daily practice due to the increase of after school activities andhomework demands. Therefore, Isuggest two 20-minute sessions each week, if a student expects to makerewarding progress.

Supplies: Students may order reeds, valveoil, cork grease, method books, music stands, and other supplies as neededthrough me. These items need to be paid for upon receipt and are delivered toCAES on Wednesdays.

Lessons: Students receive a weekly 20 minute lesson in pairs on likeinstruments. Because of theirspecific challenges, oboe, bassoon, horn, tuba, and sometimes trombone lessonsare often individual.

InstrumentDemonstrations: To help prospective band students decidewhich instrument to learn, there will be a demonstration during the firstgeneral music class for all 4th grade students. Students in 5th/6th grade who wish to begin playing can stopby my office. At thedemonstration, students will be given a packet of information regarding thedifferent options for buying or renting an instrument.

InstrumentRental Night: As of this writing (8/3/10) we do nothave an official date for Rental Night with Ellis Music Company due to itneeding to be coordinated with Bellows Falls Middle School. It is usually in mid-September ona Friday evening around 5:00 p.m.

AlternativeWays of Obtaining an Instrument: Although renting instruments continues tobe a popular and cost-effective option for students, using a family instrumentor purchasing a used one has its place. I do caution against buying aninstrument online or from a department chain store or general merchandisecatalog. Our experience with them has been poor and repair parts are rarelystandard. Some repair shops simply refuse to work on them.

Should you run across a used instrument,I will be happy to assess the instrument’s condition if it can be brought inbefore purchase. Cheshire Music inKeene, New Hampshire has a repair technician on site and offers an assortmentof used instruments for sale. Forthose who frequent the Bennington area, Bruce Faller of Faller Music Companyhas a full service shop as well. He can be found online or reached by phone at 802-442-4977. Furtherinformation on these options will be in the survey packet given to your studentat the demonstration.

MethodBook: All students must purchase or borrow acopy of Standard of Excellence Book Ifor their chosen instrument. These are available on Rental Night and can beordered as needed through the CAES Band Fund. It is very importantthat students bring their own method books with them to lessons each week. To save valuable teaching time,stickers are placed on completed lines, and goals and suggestions are writtendirectly on the pages of the book.

EarlyBand Inclusion: Beginning students are not necessarilyexpected to become ready for band during their first year, but many of themreach that point. In those cases,they are invited to join at the discretion of their classroom teacher as bandmeets during their class time.

I look forward to seeing my studentsbehind their music stands again this year and thank the CAES administration,staff, parents, students and community for their continued and constantsupport. As always, I am availablefor your questions and concerns at CAES on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, andFriday, extension #134. Please donot hesitate to e-mail me at pwestcott@wswsu.org or call me at home875-3534 if you cannot reach me at school.