Class: Middle School Sixth Grade Concert Band
Instructor: Mr. Alex Gittelman
Overview: The Sixth Grade Concert Band class is designed to further develop each child’s ability to perform on their chosen instrument. Music will be rehearsed and performed representing a wide variety of styles.
Students are scheduled for Band two times every week during school. Rehearsals
are held on Monday and Wednesday during third period. Students should bring their instrument to school on these days.
Communication via the HMSWebsite
• Please use the HMS website for information and postings. On the HMS website, click on eFaculty and then Gittelman, Alexander. Choose 6th Grade Band.
•Sign up for eAlerts at the bottom of the HMS main page
Grades:
1. Performance Hearings or “Pass-Offs” will be held at the end of each quarter. Please see the attached sheets for a description of Pass-Off procedures.
2. Grades will be based upon each child’s musical progress throughout the school year. Things that can negatively affect a child’s grade include (but are not limited to) inappropriate behavior in rehearsal and an unexcused absence from a performance. See “Performances” below for more details.
3. Music for Practice: Band folders must remain in the instrumental room. Students will be given practice copies of selected exercises and pieces to be taken home. Please encourage your child to practice at home. Minimum recommended practice time is 5 daysper week for 20 minutes per day. It will be difficult for most students to earn the grade of B or higher unless they practice at home.
4. Performances: All performances are MANDATORY events. Because band is a graded class in Middle School, unexcused absences from concerts will impact a student’s grade.
The only legal excusesfor absence from a concert are student illness, danger to health from serious exposure, quarantine, death in family, recovery from accident, and required court appearance.
Concert Attendance is a part of a student’s quarter grade for the quarter in which the
concert takes place.
In case of a conflict, please contact the instructor as soon as possible.
School Instruments: If your child’s main instrument is a school-owned instrument, a
$50.00 fee will be assessed to defer the cost of maintenance and replacement. You will receive a letter and an invoice from the School District in 2-4 weeks.
Method Book: The 6thGrade Band uses the method book “Accent on Achievement, Book 2”. This is not the same book that was used in 5thgrade. This book is required for all students; your child will be given a book in the next two weeks with a payment form.
Instrument Storage: Instruments should be brought to school the day of rehearsals and performances. Students should place them in the instrumental music storage room area before going to homeroom. The school district does notcover instruments that are
student-owned. Please be sure your child’s instrument is covered by your home-owner’s insurance in the unlikely event that it is stolen from school. A good idea is to copy down the make and serial number of the instrument. Also, please be sure that your child labels the outside of the instrument so it can be identified.
Concert Attire: shirt and long tie, slacks and shoes (dark colored sneakers are acceptable) or dress/skirt and blouse.
Extra Help: I am available after school or during student lunches to assist students who need help learning to play the band music. Monday-Friday afternoons are reserved for extra help from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Students should contact me if they need extra help.
Chorus Rehearsals: If your child auditioned for chorus and was accepted into the group, you will receive a rehearsal schedule for chorus. Please be aware that students in chorus and band MUST attend a mandatory rehearsal on Thursdays after school from 2:35-3:15. Please contact Mr. Gittelman or Mrs. Langley with conflicts.
Private Instruction: I strongly recommend that you consider private music instruction for your child. The list of teachers is on the Band Forms webpage.
Music Electives: There are five groups that are open to middle school students by audition only. These include the JazzEnsemble, the JazzFords, the Woodwind Ensemble, the Percussion Ensemble, and the Brass Ensemble.
JazzEnsembleis open to 6, 7 &8 grade students who play trumpet, trombone, saxophone, piano, bass, and drums and rehearses before school on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:10 a.m.
JazzFordsis open to 6, 7 &8 grade students - trumpet, trombone, saxophone, piano, bass, and drums are preferred, but this ensemble will also accept other instruments if students are interested and have a successful audition – please speak to Mr. Gittelman for details. The Fords rehearse after school on Wednesdays from 2:45-4:00 PM.
Woodwind Ensembleis open to 6, 7 &8 grade students who play Clarinet, French
Horn, Flute, Oboe, and Bassoon and rehearses before school on Thursday at 7:10 a.m.
Percussion Ensembleis open to 6, 7 &8 grade students who play percussion and rehearses after school on Tuesday at 2:45 p.m.
Brass Ensembleis open to 6, 7 &8 grade students who play Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Baritone, and Tuba and rehearses before school on Monday at 7:10 a.m.
Auditions for all music elective ensembles are held in October. Audition pieces for all ensembles will be distributed in late September/early October. An announcement will be made when the pieces are available.
How to contact me: School 610-853-5900, extension 5141; or email
Haverford Middle School
Sixth Grade Band Performance Schedule, 2017-2018
(alsoavailableontheHMSwebsite–clickonCalendar)
DATE WHAT DESCRIPTION TIME PLACE
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M.S.WinterConcert MS6,7,8Bands 7:00p.m. HSAud
Band Night 5th-12th grade bands 7:00p.m. HSAud
6BandSpringConcert 6 BandJazzFords 7:00p.m. MSAud
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Please familiarize yourself with the Haverford Band and Orchestra Parents website. They offer fund raising opportunities and other helpful services to all HMS band members.
Performance Testing/Pass-Off Procedures
Because band is a class during the school day, students will receive a grade for band.
The high school and middle school band programs use the same system of testing, called “Pass-Offs”, to generate quarter grades for students. Every quarter, students will be assigned one or more excerpts of music to perform for their “pass-off” requirement. Students should video-record themselves at home and submit their best performance of the pass-offs to Mr. Gittelman. Students may email the videos, use Google Drive to share them, or can use a website like YouTube or SchoolTubeand send the link to Mr. Gittelman. Students may also perform their Pass-Offs live for Mr. Gittelman outside of class time.
To use SchoolTube (one way to submit Pass-Offs), visit click “Sign Up”. Search “Haverford Middle School” as the school name and click the school name when it appears. Create a “Student” account on the following page by following the directions. SchoolTube will send you a confirmation email with your account password once you have registered, and you can change this password once you log in.
Once you have created an account, log into SchoolTube by clicking “Log In” at the top of the page. Enter your username and the password that SchoolTube sent you. Click “Upload” at the top of the page and title the video with your Last Name and the Quarter # (example: Gittelman Quarter 1). Select “Just My School” as the privacy setting. Your description, tags, category, and sub-category are up to you, but remember…I’ll get to see them when I watch your video. Select “Alex Gittelman” as the moderator. If you have any problems, you can view the “Help” page on SchoolTube or email me with questions.
The grading rubric for pass-offs is on the next page. Please see Mr. Gittelman with any questions.
Haverford Middle School Band
Pass-Off Rubric
Revised 2013-2014
Mr. Alex Gittelman
Notes – 5 Points
Most notes played are incorrect(1 point)
Many note errors(2 points)
Occasionalnote errors(3 points)
Fewnote errors (4 points)
Very Few or no note errors (5 points)
Rhythm – 5 Points
Most rhythms played are incorrect(1 point)
Many rhythm errors (2 points)
Some rhythm errors (3 points)
Few rhythm errors (4 points)
Very Few or No rhythm errors(5 points)
Tempo – 5 Points
Consistent tempo is not evident(1point)
Consistent tempo is evident with major fluctuations(2 points)
Consistent tempo is evident with some fluctuations(3 points)
Consistent tempo is evident with very few fluctuations (4 points)
Tempo is consistentand/or manipulated musically(5 points)
Tone Quality - 5 Points
Uncharacteristic tone(1point)
Tone is weak, inconsistent, and unsupported by air(2 points)
Tone is weak and unsupported but consistent(3 points)
Tone is consistent and supported but weak(4 points)
Tone is consistent, supported, and confident(5 points)
Phrasing – 5 Points
Phrasing is not evident(1 point)
Few breath marks are observed(2 points)
Some breath marks are observed(3 points)
Many breath marks are observed (4 points)
Most breath marks are observed and performed with musicality(5 points)
Articulation and Dynamics – 5 Points
Articulation and dynamic marks are not observed (1 point)
Fewarticulation and dynamic marks are observed(2 points)
Somearticulation and dynamic marks are observed(3 points)
Many articulation and dynamic marks observed (4 points)
Most articulation and dynamic marks are observed and performed with musicality(5 points)
Total:
______
A+ (29-30) A (28) A- (27) B+ (26)B (25) B- (24)C+ (23)C (22)C- (21) D+ (20) D (19) D- (18) F (17 or below
Please read, sign, and return this sheet to
Mr. Gittelman by September 22nd.
By returning this sheet, I acknowledge that I have read and understood all materials enclosed in this packet. If I have any questions regarding the contents of this packet, I will contact Mr. Gittelman for clarification.
Student Name:
Student Signature:
Parent Signature:
Parent Primary
Email(s):
Parent Phone
Number(s):