June 2016
Greetings Bayside Band Families,
As we wind down for the school year, I want to take a moment to thank you for a wonderful year of music making with the Bayside Band Program! It was a year of firsts for our music department! Earning not one, but two gold medals for our performances at festivals with the Grade 7 and 8 Bands in Port Alberni and Whistler. Such a highlight for our Band Department! One that will be a legacy to live up to for years to come!
With this letter, I wish to invite you to subscribe to the band web page forums that are applicable for your child’s grade. /course/view.php?id=150
I regularly post updates to let families know what we’ve been working on in class and what students should be practising at home. I will also provide information about concerts, fund raising, field trips, music festivals, and sound files (recordings of pieces we are playing so students can practice with the band and hear how their part fits in to the big picture). There is some wonderful resources on the Band Web page to help with finding private lessons, how to care for your child’s instrument, performance requirements, evaluation, and other band policies. Please take some time to read through that information and don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Email is the quickest way to ensure a prompt reply.
Please note, the summer months are a perfect time to take your child's instrument in for yearly maintenance. Just like a car, it works best when maintained regularly and checked over by a professional who can clean it, make any adjustments to springs, rods, valves, and repair any damage that may keep it from playing beautifully. If you have a Bayside instrument, you must take the instrument to Long and McQuade and the school will be billed for the cleaning (please note this at the time of drop off). Repairs due to damage or negligence are the responsibility of the band student as per the rental contract.
In September your child will be using the next band book for class use and home practice. Grade 7: Traditions of Excellence Book 2. Grade 8: Bach and Before for Band Book 1. I have ordered these band books and they will be available for purchase from Bayside in September. As well, all Grade 7 and 8 percussionists require a glockenspiel (for home practice), practice pad, and the following sticks/mallets (wool mallets for cymbals, felt mallets for timpani, nylon-tipped snare sticks, and medium glockenspiel mallets).
Lastly, if your family has any music items that are no longer being used we always welcome donations including: music method books, valve oil, new reeds, cleaning kits, sticks, mallets, music stands, instruments, etc.
Have a wonderful summer and thank you once again Bayside Band students for a wonderful year of music making!
Sincerely,
Amber Aitchison
Band and PE teacher, Bayside Middle School
aaitchison@sd63.bc.ca