Welcome to the 2017 –2018 edition of the Mount Horeb High School Bands!
This brief handbook is designed to inform students and parents about the MountHorebHigh School band program. Included is information about responsibilities, leadership, equipment and uniforms, lockers, grades, and opportunities for students involved in the Viking Bands. With more than 230 members, this year’s band program includes nearly a thirdof the student body, making it one of the largest and most active programs on campus.
Students and parents should take time to read through the material so you are familiar with the expectations and opportunities for each member of the bands.
Most of the members of the high school bands are involved in at least one sport, many have a job off campus, nearly every person belongs to at least one club or activity, and many are top academic students. We have worked to make it possible for band members to be involved in as many different aspects of the school as we can to make your time at MHHS truly worthwhile.
The Mount Horeb Bands have a long tradition of excellence going back to the initial bands of the 1920's. The bands have been recognized by the Wisconsin School Music Association as one of the leading programs in Wisconsin. This success has been due to the talent and dedication of MountHorebHigh School's music students. You are now part of that group. The continued success of the Mount Horeb Bands will rely on what you put into it.
In this handbook you’ll find that there are many opportunities for you to be involved in the bands from concert groups to jazz, marching, pep band, and solo/ensemble festivals. There is almost no limit to what you can do during your years at MHHS if you have the interest.
I hope that you will find this year to be exciting, fun and that you experience significant growth as a musician and as a person through your membership in the band program. If you have any questions pertaining to this handbook or the program in general, please ask!
Sincerely,
Mr. Janssen
Core Performing Ensembles
CONCERT BAND
Concert Band is primarily made up of freshmen and sophomores. It meets daily both semesters. Students who are in Concert Band all year earn a full credit. Members will have a band lesson about once every two weeks. Your lesson time will be spent working on: music the band is preparing, improving your tone, increasing your range, and improving those areas of your playing that you feel need help.
All band students who want to be concurrently enrolled in Orchestra are placed in this group as rehearsals are held twice a week during this class period.
Chair placement and part assignments in each section are determined by auditions. These auditions will be held in October. The audition includes: 1. playing a chromatic scale from the lowest best note to the highest best note and back down (to demonstrate range and speed); 2. playing an excerpt from something the student already knows, such as a solo/ensemble piece from last year (to demonstrate musicianship); and 3. sightreading (to demonstrate the ability to understand new material).
Seat and part assignments are used for the duration of the year. Students are encouraged to do a chair challenge if they are interested in playing a more challenging part.
SYMPHONIC BAND
Symphonic Band is primarily made up of juniors and seniors. Freshmen and sophomores who would like to be in the Symphonic Band may audition for this group. Symphonic Band meets daily both semesters. Seating and part assignments are done on a rotation in each section. Players are expected to play a variety of parts during the year. Parts are assigned on a voluntary basis as determined by the members of each section. Students in Symphonic Band have sectionals once every couple of weeks. They meet during lunch as a full section with Mr. Janssen to work on music the band is preparing, and to cover topics specific to each instrument.
WIND ENSEMBLE
Wind Ensemble is comprised of the most accomplished performers in the band program. Membership is chosen by the Director for those years in which there is sufficient enrollment in the band program to support three groups. The Wind Ensemble meets daily during second semester and students earn .5 credit. Seating and part assignments are done on a rotation in each section. Players are expected to play a variety of parts during the semester. Parts are assigned on a voluntary basis as determined by the members of each section. The Wind Ensemble concept is to have one person on each part so students are expected to prepare materials outside of class since each person is fully responsible for their part. All members of the Wind Ensemble are required to perform at the solo/ensemble festival on a solo or as a member of a small ensemble. All members will also be placed in the Woodwind Choir, Brass Choir, or Percussion Ensemble.
Marching Band
The Marching Band includes all members of the high school band program. While the band is very active in performing throughout the year, every effort is made to be sure there are no conflicts between band performances and other school activities. Most of the band members are involved in one or more sports - something we want to see continue. No one needs to choose between band and a sport, you should do both!
The marching season starts with a four-session introduction for freshmen and transfer students when marching fundamentals are taught and the band program is explained. The full band reports for a two night summer camp to learn the Pre-Game Show that will be performed at each home game.
Once classes begin, all band rehearsals are during the school day. The Marching Band performs at all home football games, plus a couple pep rallies and several local parades. At football games, the band does a Pre-Game Show about fifteen minutes before kick-off, plays from the stands during the first half, then performs a full Half-Time Show. The shows are new for each home game and are focused around music that student performers and the audience will enjoy hearing and watching. Recent show themes are typical for each season's performances: music from the Broadway hit Phantom of the Opera, the rock group Queen; Lion King; Pirates of the Caribbean; music from Les Miserables; Beach Boys hits and others.
A quick tour of our school year
Our school year starts with the marching season. Many of the students love this part of the year because they get to interact with students from other grades, play fun music, and get outside to move around. This part of the year runs from late August to late October.
The next part of the year is concert season. This year, we'll have two performances during second quarter - our Veterans' Day performance that includes patriotic music; and a Holiday Concert that includes standard concert literature and holiday classics.
The third part of our year is the solo/ensemble season. We'll start working on this music in early December, aiming for the District Festival on the last Saturday of February (held at Mount Horeb High School this year). Students choose the music they want to study and work on it in class and during lesson times. All students perform at the local festival in preparation for the District Festival.
Our high school is a member of the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) and one of the activities we participate in annually is an evaluation of the program by an expert from outside our district. We use the literature and guidelines offered by the WSMA for this and complete the evaluation in March or April.
We move from solo/ensemble and our evaluation into the Band Show season. The Band Show is a combination variety show/rock concert/music party event that includes music from all sorts of backgrounds. We usually include rock, Broadway, jazz, Dixieland, standards, section features, plus an assortment of student acts that the Band Board chooses for an evening of fun entertainment. We work on this music from January until the concerts in mid-April.
We close the year with a second series of concerts. Every band in the school district performs at the Spring Band Concert. We follow that with the annual Memorial Day Program and Parade, and close the year by performing at Graduation and the annual Frolic Parade.
Our jazz groups run from mid-November through May. More information on these is at the end of this handbook. Our musical starts in August and completes the run the first weekend of November. Pep band events go from November through March.
Travel
The Mount Horeb Band has done a lot of traveling during the past thirty years. We've been to Washington, D. C., New York, Disneyworld, Toronto, London, and New Orleans. Some trips involve performing and some are just sightseeing and fun. We usually travel every other school year.
Our next trip will likely happen in June, 2019. The location will be chosen by those students interested in going.
Practicing
The single most important factor in improving on an instrument is practice. While each band rehearses daily, the only way each student can improve their own skills is through individual practice. As a high school band member, you will be expected to set-up your own practice time. You will not be asked to submit minutes practiced each week or to have a parent sign a practice log.
Band students are often involved in a variety of activities and have limited time to spend practicing so plan your time wisely. Practice those things that you need to and don’t spend time playing through music you can already do. Have a plan for what you want to accomplish and stick to it until you reach your goals.
Ultimately, as a high school band member, making time to practice is your job. Your band ‘class’ is unusual in that the only way our ‘class’ will be successful is if each individual is successful. Each member of the band determines the success everyone else will achieve. Part of your involvement in this program requires you to be a contributor to the good of the whole. So, all of us need each of us to do the very best we can. That way, we can all be successful!
If you have thoughts about ending your participation in the band program . . .
This is not the favorite topic of band directors but it needs to be addressed. The MountHoreb band program is very active and requires a commitment from each member, both in time and effort.
Some students may find that after trying high school band, they do not wish to continue. If you find yourself thinking about quitting, please do one thing - talk to one of the directors or someone on the Band Board about your concerns.
If you don't want to be in band anymore, that's o.k. - but we will want to know why. Hopefully, there will something we can do to make the situation better for you. The sooner you talk with us, the sooner we can make adjustments. We will give it every effort!
Thanks, Mr. Janssen and Mr. Dorner
Lessons for band members
Band members have a lesson once every two weeks. The lessons last about twenty minutes. Students pick a time that works for their schedule and sign-up for the lesson on Mr. Janssen’s office door. Lessons are done during study halls, before school, during lunch, or after school. Students may not miss another academic subject to complete the lessons. Students can sign-up alone, or in small groups as long as everyone in the group is from the same band and plays the same instrument. When time permits, one of the band directors can offer lessons during rehearsals for students who don’t have a study hall.
These lessons offer students an opportunity to get individual assistance, ask questions, find out what they are doing correctly, and learn what needs improvement. Areas of playing that need improvement can be worked on so students are more accurate in their playing. This will help them be more confident as they participate in class and performances.
Students can delve into those areas of music that they would like to study more intensely during the lesson times. Examples of things students have asked to work on include: learning how to perform more complex rhythms, how to write their own compositions using computer-based programs,how to play using vibrato, how to play well in high registers, how to do multiple tonguing, how to play with multiple mallets, and so on.
The lessons provide teachers a chance to hear students individually or in small groups as compared to the large group that plays each day during rehearsal time. The teachers can answer questions, offer suggestions for improvement, and reinforce those aspects that are going well.
While coming to lessons can be somewhat intimidating for students (many feel nervous about playing their music by themselves for a teacher), this is the best way to get help and to get questions answered since the full band rehearsals involve nearly a hundred students.
Lessons are usually based on the music currently being studied in class. Students will often be given suggested exercises to work on to help them improve on those areas of their playing that need help.
When appropriate, Symphonic Band members may have sectionals instead of lessons to work on technically demanding music being studied for an upcoming event.
Students in Wind Ensemble are expected to learn the material on their own time. They are encouraged to sign-up for lessons whenever they think it would be helpful. They are strongly encouraged to study privately with someone who is an expert on their instrument (see next page!).
Private Lessons
If you have the desire to become an outstanding musician, please give strong consideration to studying privately with someone who is a specialist on your instrument. Mr. Janssen, Mr. Dorner, and Ms. Schlafer know of many professional musicians who have private studios where they offer one-on-one instruction. This is the best way to become the best musician you are capable of.
These professionals can help with:
- improving tone
- expanding your playing range
- increasing technique
- choosing the correct instrument, mouthpiece, or making your own reeds
- preparing for college auditions
- preparing for honors auditions
- finding scholarships, and more.
While Mr. Janssen and Mr. Dorner will give lessons at the high school, there are more than 230 students to teach. A private instructor can give specialized, individual instruction. Talk with one of the band directors to find a teacher who would work well with you.
Private lessons are usually scheduled once a week or once every two weeks. They last forty-five to sixty minutes. Most private teachers expect you to come to their studio for the lessons but a few are willing to come to your home.
Since private lessons are one-to-one with you and a specialist on your instrument, the time spent in the lesson is really focused on those areas of your playing that need help with specific aid given in those areas that are weaknesses and need improvement. The lessons will be tailored to your particular needs.
Private lessons are available for every instrument in the band, drum set, bass guitar, electric and/or acoustic guitar, and others. Lessons can be focused on classical music, jazz music, or both.
A list of local private studio teachers is available on the band web page.
Organization and Leadership
Director of Bands – Mr. Janssen
Band Director – Mr. Dorner
Band Board
President – Eric Albrecht
Vice President – Paige Ramos
Band Board – Jacob Busher, Josh Busher, Scott Hall, Noah Laabs, Kaleb McMillan
The Band Boardis chosen by the members of the bands each May for the following school year. The group meets throughout the year to advise the Directors about concerns and needs of the members of the bands. They have a direct impact on the decisions that affect the band program. They bring forward concerns shared by members of the program and help to develop solutions. The Board chooses rank leaders for the Marching Band, helps develop show themes for the marching season and the Band Show. The Band Board auditions all student acts for the Band Show. The Band Board also advises the Director on decisions regarding performances by the bands beyond the "typical" yearly calendar.