Practice Tips For Band

Practice Guidelines for Success

One of the hardest things to do for a music student is to develop good practice habits and techniques.  Most of the group activities that students are involved in require group practice.  Band requires group practice to develop a good ensemble sound but it also requires good individual practice to help improve personal skills which make the ensemble better.

We are all busy with our jobs and our kids are involved in several things as well.  As a parent of two sons, I know the struggles that go along with finding quality time for them to practice.  My sons were involved in baseball, church groups, private music lessons, and family obligations for other siblings. In order to help you help your child have successful practice sessions, I have put together a few suggestions for you to consider which worked for me and my family as well as other people.

 Band is Academic – Learning to play an instrument should be treated like any other subject.  We do not like to think of band that way because it is music.  It is our goal to teach children how to create and perform music at a high level.  This makes them smarter for it and develops an appreciation for the art.  Instead of paper, pencil, calculator, etc. we have an instrument, musical symbols, and sound.  Make it part of your child’s homework time.  Repetition is the key to a successful player.  Like doing math problems each night to reinforce the concepts, musical skills require repetition for muscle memory, strength, endurance, tone building, and consistency.  If you want them to be successful, make it a priority and don’t leave it until last.  You will see the results!!

Set a goal -  Before starting to practice, your child should set an achievable goal for their practice session.  Depending on the amount of time they are going to practice, they should determine what they can achieve in that amount of time. 

Practice less more often – By making practice time part of homework time, students can divide up their core academic subjects with short sessions of practice time.  This will also help kids use the creative side of their brain which will enhance their learning in all areas.

 Playing twice an evening for 10 - 15 minutes is just as good if not better than a long session.  Students can focus on one or two things rather than too many things.  You do not need to set aside 30 to 40 minutes to practice.  If your child has 10 min. to practice before going off to soccer practice, that will get a few repetitions on something they are working on.  The more times your child plays their instrument (even for a short time) the more they will remember and the better they will get.  Practicing once a week for 60 – 80 minutes is not effective and does not give your child the repetitions they need.

Play something for fun – Practice does not always mean to play an assignment.  Yes, I want them to be prepared with their assignments but they should also find something else to play.  Playing songs for fun helps improve music reading skills.  Smartmusic is a great way to help find something to play for the sake of playing.  Practice with someone else.  Find a friend to play along with.  

Have your child play for you -  Whether your child is playing scales, lesson book assignments, or band music, ask them to play for you a couple of times a week.  Offer some encouragement.  Comment on their posture or sound.  You don’t need to know much about music to know something sounds good or needs more work.  As you might do with your child out on the practice field, offering encouragement will help keep your child interested and motivated.

Use Smartmusic- Smartmusic is the best tool around to help keep students focused.  Smartmusic has thousands of pieces of music to keep your child occupied and reading new things.  Their lesson book assignments can be found in Smartmusic.  Your child can choose from movie music, holiday music, concert band, jazz band, and other selections at all levels.  Students can record themselves practicing and play it back for you if you are not around when your child is practicing.  This is a great way for them to share their work with you.

Closing Thoughts

These are just suggestions that have proven to work.  The most important thing is that you as parents are invested in this part of their education as you are with any other part.  Being part of a musical ensemble takes individual dedication, encouragement and instruction from their coach (director), and support from you as parents. 

Being part of a musical ensemble can offer children an opportunity to do things they cannot do in any classroom or athletic field.  Their musical training is something that they can carry with them for the rest of their life.  This can only happen with personal practice, group practice, and support.  Please try some of the suggestions that I have made.  This will hopefully give you some ideas to help you customize a practice routine that works for your child. 

Keep music a part of your life!  Happy Practicing!!

The New Look at Q and F

This weekend I had the opportunity to finally get to the new Quinlan and Fabish music store in Burr Ridge.  It is located just off of Plainfield Rd. and High Grove avenue.  It is a beautiful new facility that will serve our community and surrounding communities for many years.  There is a fabulous new showroom with instruments out on display for people to see, touch, and play.  The store is sectioned off into 4 separate areas to make locating what you are looking for very easy.

While I was there picking up some supplies for our students, I was given a tour of the complex that many people do not get to see.  Q and F now has a huge storage wharehouse that can hold thousands of instruments for distribution throughout all of their locations.  The Yamaha Corp. is renting a portion of the space to store their inventory that they distribute throughout the United States.  Yamaha also has professional technicians on site to test and evaluate all of their instruments.  

The repair department is also housed in a spacious area to make repair and replacement of instruments more efficient.  The new facility also features a conference room that is used to hold meetings for band directors, Q & F staff, and other business related to the music industry.  A new feature at Quinlan and Fabish will be the addition of private lesson studios.  They will soon house private instructors on all instruments right out of the store.  This will be a great service to our community for those looking to have their child study privately.

This new facility is a far cry from the small store that George Quinlan Sr. and Tom Fabish opened in Chicago many years ago.  It was a family run business which served a small community of people and schools.  It is still a family run business but is now considered one of the primary band and orchestra dealers in the mid-west if not one of the largest in the country.  If you have not had a chance to stop in, please do so and see what they have to offer.  They have been serving our community for thirty years.  We are fortunate to have a company like this who supports instrumental music education in our community.  Congratulations to George Quinlan Jr., George Quinlan Sr. and all of the people who had a part in this vision. 

Concert Season Begins

After spending much of the first three weeks of school preparing the marching band for their first performance, assisting Mr. Ohlsen with the recruitment of new band students in 4th grade, fitting students with uniforms, and countless hours of administrative work, we are now ready to add the final groups to the mix.

Beginning next week, the Concert Band at Lakeview and the Cadet Band at Prairieview will begin their first rehearsals of the year.  These two groups have a lot of talented students and are going to impress us with their skills in the near future.  Although the Wind Ensemble has already prepared a concert for the Prairieview students, we really have not had much quality rehearsal time at all.  This too is a very talented group that has the ability to perform at a very high level.

When we refer to Concert Band music we are not referring to our 6th grade group of band students.  We are referring to any group of students performing band music in a more formal setting.  We will be focusing on playing with good posture, good air and body support, proper technique, critical listening, balance and blend, tone quality, and emotion.  If we practice these elements every day, then I can assure you that the presentations that we prepare for you will be excellent.  Be sure to ask your child to play and practice in front of you some time.  YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT goes a long way into keeping your child motivated to play.

IMEA Auditions

Each year the Illinois Music Educators Association, IMEA, holds auditions for talented students in jr. high school and high school to have an opportunity to participate in an all district ensemble. The state is divided into 7 districts. Ourschool is part of district 1 which has the largest number of schools participating in the state. Over 1500 middle school students will audition to be a part of either the all district Honors Concert Band, Orchestra, Jazz Band, or Choir. Of the students auditioning, about one third will be selected to participate in one or more of the groups. The students who are selected will have the opportunity to work with other talented students and prominent guest conductors. It is an honor to be selected to participate. It is also a great opportunity to have the chance to audition. Lakeview students have always had very good participation in the auditions and excellent representation in the selected ensembles.


WHAT IS IMEA: With more than 5,000 members, IMEA is one of the largest of the 52 affiliates of MENC(Music Educators National Conference): The National Association for Music Education, over 100,000 members strong. IMEA is, by far, the largest Fine Arts education organization in Illinois and among the largest in the Nation. IMEA is a nonprofit association, representing every level of music education, in every discipline. IMEA is dedicated to the advancement of the music profession individual music educators.


WHO WILL PARTICIPATE? More than 1500 student auditions and over 400 selected performers, more than 60 different middle schools from the surrounding areas.

WHY DO THIS EVENT?
To facilitate musical excellence for student musicians. To provide a forum for area directors to collaborate and to showcase some of the finest jr. high school performers in Illinois.

HOW CAN MY CHILD PARTICIPATE?
If your child is interested in participating in the audition process, please let me know and I will provide them with the necessary audition materials. Students who wish to audition should make sure they are available for the performance date if they are selected. Here are the important dates:


Audition Information
Saturday, October 1, 2011 District I Junior Festival Auditions BryanMiddle School

Performance Information
Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 District I Junior Division Festival RiversideBrookfield High School, Riverside, IL


Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011 District I Junior/Senior Division Jazz Festival Location,TBA

Please contact me if your child is interested in participating in the audition process. I will put together a packet of audition music for your child. Please note that your child must be available to participate in the performance if they are selected. I would like to encourage all motivated and talented students looking for a challenge and a chance to be a part of a terrific musical experience. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Students wishing to participate need to let me know by Friday, Sept. 9 in order to get on the audition list.


Thank You,
Mr. Tedeschi

Marching Spartans Perform in Von Steuben Day Parade

Happy Friday Everyone

 

The first performance of the year for the Marching Spartans is on Saturday, Sept. 10th and it is rapidly approaching.  The Marching Band Students are doing a great job with the limited time we have.  The extremely hot weather has not helped.  They sound great and their marching technique is coming along.  We are looking forward to performing for you and the City of Chicago.  This is a great parade located on the North Side of the city.  We have always been well received and our participation is greatly appreciated.  Below you will find all the information you need to have your child prepared for the event.  Please use the music website for additional information regarding maps, driving directions, and other links related to the German Day Festivities.

 

Chicago’s General Von Steuben Parade

When:       Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011

Students will meet at Lakeview No later than 11:30a.m. – We will do a final uniform check.  Make sure your pants are the appropriate length (not too long). Pants that need to be hemmed should be tacked up with a few stitches in a couple of spots so it can be removed easily.  Press the hem if needed by covering the hem with a damp cloth and placing the iron on it for a couple seconds.  Do not use tape, glue, or staples to hem the pants.

Marching Band instrumentalist will need BLACK SHOES AND BLACK SOCKS FOR THEIR PERFORMANCES.  Socks should be at least crew length or higher.  The shoes should be comfortable casual dress shoes that they can wear for the concerts as well.  There should be no other colors visible on the shoes.  Color Guard will need plain white gym shoes. Everyone needs to wear a T-Shirt with short sleeves under their uniform coat.

11:55 a.m. – Depart by bus for the North side of Chicago.

1:00 p.m.- Arrive at assembly area and unload busses.

2:00p.m.- The Parade steps off at 2:00.  We should be done marching around 3:00.

At the conclusion of the parade we will board the busses and return to Lakeview.  If you are planning on picking up your child from this event you should follow the band to the end of the parade so you know where to find us.  Parents who are taking their children with them must sign them out with Mr. Tedeschi or one of the chaperones assigned to that  duty at the end of the route before students can be dismissed.  Parents cannot take other children home from the parade unless it has been cleared in writing prior to this event.  No child will be allowed to leave until we see you and your child together.  No child will be allowed to meet their parents at an alternate location after the performance.

4:00 – Depending on traffic we should arrive at Lakeview around 4:00.  Students should be picked up in the back of the building. If you have any questions please call @ 783-5124 or e-mail at ttedeschi@ccsd66.org.

Thank You,

Mr. Tedeschi and Mr. Ohlsen

Von Steuben Day Parade Info

The Lakeview Marching Spartans have been participating in this event for more than 20 years.  Below I have included all of the information that I have regarding the Parade.  Please understand, the timing of everything may vary slightly with the exception of our arrival time at Lakeview.  For those who wish to see your children in their first performance of the year, I have included the parade information so you will be able to enjoy the parade with your families.  If you find a spot to watch the parade along Lincoln Ave. you will be able to follow the band to the end of the parade route.  For more information about the parade and events that go along with it, go to www.germanday.com

All performances are required events for the students in the band program and are a part of their participation grade.

Students should make sure they eat something before they come to school because they will not have an opportunity to do so until we return.  I recommend that students bring a water bottle and a snack to leave on the bus for after the parade.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call me or Mr. Ohlsen at 783-5124.  You can also e-mail us at ttedeschi@ccsd66.org or bohlsen@ccsd66.org. 

Parade Route:

Groups will assemble on Lincoln Ave. North of Irving Park Rd.  The Parade will continue North on Lincoln Ave. to Eastwood.  Left on Eastwood.  We will proceed to Western Ave. and go East on Western to Lawrence.  The Busses will be waiting for us on Lawrence Ave.   If you are driving to this event, there are probably some parking restrictions in the area so please leave yourself plenty of time.  The best place to view the parade would be somewhere along Lincoln Ave. and then walk along with us to the end of the parade.  There is a reviewing stand on Western Ave. for the parade dignitaries and usually the Mayor. 

A map of the area and driving directions will be available on the band website @ www.ccsd66music.com

Cadet Band Set To Begin

Hello Everyone,

 

I hope the first week of school has gone well for your children and that they are getting used to their 5th grade schedule.  It was really great to work with many of the students this summer.  I'm sure it's going to be a great year.   Thanks for being patient with the first couple weeks of school.  Most of my morning time, afternoons, and some evenings right now are spent with the Marching Band, getting the advanced bands going, and assisting Mr. Ohlsen with the beginning band students. 

 

So here is the Cadet Band info you need to know.

 

Cadet Band's First Rehearsal

Our first rehearsal will be on Tuesday, September 20th from 7:15 to 7:50.  We will rehearse every Tuesday and Thursday morning unless you hear from me.  Please do not drop your child off before 7:00am because the doors to the school do not open until 7:00.  This is not a problem now while the weather is warm however when it gets colder we do not want to have them standing outside for a long period of time.  If they arrive by 7:05 they will have plenty of time to put their things away and be in their seats ready for rehearsal. 

 

Morning Drop off

For the safety of your child, please drop them off in either the East parking lot by Prairieview or the West Parking lot by Lakeview.  Do not drop them off in the inner circle to cross the bus lane.  Although no traffic is supposed to travel through the bus lane, not everyone follows the rules.

 

When they arrive

When students arrive they will put their backpacks, coats, hats, and other items on the coat rack in the BACC hallway.  Large cases will be stored in the instrument room and small cases will be kept with the student. 

 

I will begin promptly at 7:15 with our warm ups.  This is a very important time of the rehearsal.  The warm up time prepares us to play with good sound and posture.  Just like an athlete, we need to warm up our minds and bodies before we rehearse as a group.  When dismissed from band they will have time to gather their materials and head to their home room.

 

Arriving Late

The mornings can be a hectic time on some days with siblings, weather, line at Starbucks, etc....  Hopefully everyone will be in a routine by our first rehearsal where late arrival will not occur.  If your child arrives to school late and I have already begun rehearsal, they should come in late and get themselves involved right away.  Some rehearsal is better than no rehearsal as long as it is not a habit. 

 

Band Lessons

I am currently working on the lesson schedule.  It will work the same as it did last year by moving through the day on a rotating schedule. Lesson Schedules will be published by the end of next week on the music web page www.ccsd66music.com .  Cadet Band students will have their lessons on either Tuesday or Thursdays.  Students will receive a copy of their lesson schedule during band rehearsal.

 

Band as a Class

Learning a musical instrument and the art of music is an academic class.  Beginning in 5th grade, Cadet Band is a graded class like all other academic classes.  Students will be evaluated on their weekly progress through their small group lessons.  Grades are determined by their weekly practice log, individual performance on assignments, attendance at rehearsals and performances, and most of all attitude and effort. 

 

What should they bring to rehearsal?

Of course their instrument.  They should also bring their binder from last year (We will replace any binders that are in poor condition), lesson books, a pencil, and any other equipment like valve oil, slide oil, reeds, etc.. 

 

If your child needs any supplies, please let me know and I can get it to them before our first rehearsal and lesson.  Let me know what your child needs and you can send cash or check at your convenience. 

 

Please make sure your child has played their instrument a few times before the first rehearsal.  It is always disappointing for a student to start on the first day and the instrument is not working.  If your child's instrument is not working properly, please take it in to be repaired.  If you need assistance with it please let me know.  I know that the summer can promote a lack of routine and practicing may have fallen off a bit, however we will jump back on the horse and get moving again.

 

First Performance

The first performance for the Cadet Band  is Saturday, December 3rd at the District 66 Winter Invitational Band Festival in the Lakeview Gym.  We have been hosting this festival for 11 years now where area bands come to perform and are adjudicated.  It is a great little festival for this age level.  Our performance time is yet to be determined. 

 

Performance Uniform

Our performance uniform this year is  Black Shoes, Black Crew Length Socks, Black Pants, and a Green Music Polo.  We will fit the students for shirt sizes in early October so that we have them in time for our first performance.  Black shoes should be conservative in style.  No open backs or open toes on the shoes.  We want to look as good as we will sound.

 

That should be more than enough information to get us started.   If you have any questions before band gets going or at any time, please feel free to contact me at your convenience.

 

Have a great day!

Mr. T