Silver Jazz Band (Stage Band)
Course Syllabus
Hume Fogg Academic High School
Dr. Richard Ripani-Instructor
http://richardripani.com/hfabands.html (band website)
“Hume-Fogg Academic High School Band Update” (HFA band Facebook CLOSED group)
School Phone (615) 291-6300 Cell (615) 604-0612
Course Description
Silver Jazz Band is an advanced level course that will guide the student as they learn to play jazz, rock, R&B, and Latin American music in a large band setting. The course will primarily consist of on-campus concert performances, community performances, daily class performance, basic music theory, and home practice by the student.
Required Materials
1. An instrument and all accessories necessary to play. Hume-Fogg owns a few instruments that can be loaned to you, but it is highly recommended that the student rent or purchase their own instrument. This will be discussed in class during the first week.
2. Text: This will be supplied to you by the director
General Class Rules
In addition to school-wide rules, the following band room specific rules also apply.
1. Students will not talk while the director is working in rehearsal.
2. Students will stop playing immediately when the director cuts off the music in rehearsal and will not play except when so directed.
3. No food or drink (except water) is allowed in the band area.
Grading
For every nine weeks, students will receive a grade that is a combination of a variety of assessments based on music education standards.
70% Rehearsal Technique: earned by prompt attendance, adherence to rehearsal behavioral expectations, rehearsal cooperation, and musical preparation. The student grade for this each week is 0-100 points. In a typical school week, there are five 45-50 minute-long rehearsal blocks during the school day. On weeks with a required after-school band rehearsal (which are 140 minutes in length), there are 8 rehearsal blocks. Each of these rehearsal blocks receive equal weight in the weekly tally for the Rehearsal Technique grade.
20% Performance Evaluation: grades for each nine-week period for performance will be calculated on individual and group evaluations by the instructor.
1st nine weeks: 1-3 individual or small group performances
2nd nine weeks: fall concert performance
3rd nine weeks: 1-3 individual or small group performances
4th nine weeks: spring concert performance
10% Individual Practice/Music Theory assignments/Music listening analysis: written assignments will consist of take-home music theory assignments and in-class music listening projects
Homework:
The homework for this class will be primarily practicing your instrument and written music theory assignments. A reasonable amount of practice time is an average of 30-45 minutes per day. This does not include the time you spend in band class.
Final Exam: Students are required to attend the school Concert Band and Wind Ensemble Concert in fall and spring, which counts as the final exam for each semester.
Other requirements:
1. Each member of the Silver Jazz Band must sign and return the Silver Jazz Band Student Agreement in order to be part of the group.
2. Each Silver Jazz Band member must also be a performing member of either the Hume-Fogg Concert Band or Wind Ensemble, at the director’s discretion.
3. Each Silver Jazz Band member must attend all after-school, graded rehearsals that are held for the group to which they are assigned. There are five after-school rehearsals spread through the year, and they are strictly required. The times of these rehearsals are 3:10-5:30 pm. See the HFA Band Calendar for exact dates. There are no excused absences from these required rehearsals for any reason except severe illness (doctor note required), extreme family emergency, or death in the family.
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