VALENCIA HIGH SCHOOL BAND SYLLABUS
Richard King Room 305
Band Office Phone (714) 528-7594
Email:
I. Tests: Written or Playing (Tape and/or Live)30 Points per Quarter
Each quarter there will be tests given to determine how well you are playing your music and learning the needed skills. For Band students some of the testing will be done during sectionals, and/or by tape. Testing will also be done during class time on certain passages and lines. Music Fundamentals (Theory) worksheets and tests will be given when possible. They will be averaged into the tests portion of the student’s grade.
II.Performances/Concert Participation30 Points per Quarter
Everyone must understand that a band is a complete team effort and performances are in fact our Final Exams and an integral part of the class activities. When someone misses a performance, even though they may feel their part is unimportant, the result is less than the best the band can be and everyone suffers. With this in mind I state the following:
All Performances are Required: This means you Must Attend Every Performance as part of the of your Band Class. Performances are classified as MAJOR or MINOR. A student who fails to attend a major or minor performance without an Approvedexcuse in writingPRIORto the performance (i.e. grave family emergency or severe illness) will have points taken away from this area. All approved excuses must be PUT IN WRITINGand given to the director to keep points from being deducted from your grade. Family emergencies may be cleared after the fact. a Parent Note is still Required to clear the absence.
Minor Performances: Assemblies, club/PTA performances, or other performances designated as minor by the director. A student who fails to attend a minor performance without an accepted prior excuse in writing will lose ten (10) points.
Major Performances: Evening Concerts, Field Competitions, Band Reviews, Home Football Games, Band Festivals, and any performance designated as major by the director. A student who fails to attend a major performance without an accepted excuse in writing will lose at least twenty (20) points per event.
III. Class Participation & Community Service:15 Points per Quarter
It is expected that you will attend class every day. When you are absent it is the students responsibility to check with the teacher to see if any work was missed. The student then has twice as many school days as missed to make up the missed work. If the student has had more than three absences per quarter, one point for each absence will be deducted from this category.
IV. Practice At Home10 Points per Quarter
Practice is vitally important to a student’s musical growth and future ability to continue playing their instrument throughout their lives. The minimum requirement is fifteen (15) minutes a day (1 1/2 Hours Per Week) this receives five (5) points a quarter. One half an hour or more per day (3 Hours Per Week) is required to receive the full ten (10) points per quarter. Private lessons can help students grow much faster and give you much more direction in your practice. Please contact the band director if your student is seriously interested in taking lessons.
V. Class Discipline and Cooperation10 Points per Quarter
A student's attitude and behavior in a music class has an extremely powerful effect on the quality of the learning environment and performance level of the other students around them. Basic Discipline Requirements are as follows: Each student is expected to not Play Their Instrument or Talk while there is a conductor on the podium. Every time a student is asked to stop talking or playing at inappropriate times will have one point subtracted from their band grade. A phone call will be made to their parents informing them of the problem.
Points lost in this area cannot be made up by doing extra credit!
VI. Outside Concert Attendance5 Points per Quarter
You are expected to attend at least ONE concert, recital, play, or any other form of live performance per quarter. This is an attempt to promote cultural awareness and growth in all our music students. Because of this rock concerts are not acceptable. To receive credit for your attendance, you must fill out a Concert Review Form and turn it into the teacher before the last day of each quarter.
POINT SYSTEM BREAKDOWN
90 - 100=A70 - 79=C0 - 59=F
80 - 89 =B60 - 69=DPer Quarter
NOTE: The teacher reserves the right to grade quarter by quarter.
VII. Extra CreditMaximum 20 Points per Quarter
Extra credit points per quarter can be earned in many ways. They are granted for doing one or two extra Concert Reviews, doing various voluntary jobs that need to be done from time to time.
Private Lesson Extra Credit:
Ten (10) Extra credit points may also be earned for taking Private Lessons. A form can be obtained from the teacher that must be filled out by the private instructor once each quarter. The form is due in by the last day of each quarter.
No more than twenty (20) extra credit points may be earned per quarter.
VHS Bands Have P.R.I.D.E
The Expected School wide Learning Results play a vital part of the musical experience in band.
Productive Citizens - Members of the VHS Bands practice, perform and produce band music. The act of participation by every band member instills the importance of each individual citizen playing their part in the creation of something bigger then themselves
Resourceful Producer - Band members learn different vocal and musical techniques to produce an artistic performance.
Independent Lifelong Learner- Band students learn skills which they will take with them their whole lives. Between educational, religious, community and professional bands, band singing is the single largest form of civic involvement in the United States. The skills learned at VHS can payoff in a lifetime of learning.
Decision Maker - Band students constantly make decisions about which skills or techniques must be utilized for an artistic performance.
Effective Communicator - Music is all about communication. VHS Band students learn to go beyond the words or text. It is the invocation of that which cannot be expressed with words alone that is the measure of an artistic performance.