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Dear BVMS BAND Students and Families,
We wish that we were writing to you under different circumstances. This past week has been a whirlwind unlike anything we have ever witnessed.
We know that uncertainty tends to breed fear and panic. However, we also know that music can combat these emotions and bring peace and familiarity. In these uncertain times, we hope you will turn to music throughout your day.
For the next several days/weeks, we encourage you to take your instruments out and practice them AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. Learn your music, work ahead in your method books, and practice your Levels of Musician Scales found in our Google Classroom.
Below we have listed out several music-related activities that you can do and then write your response. Some of them would be appropriate for use with your entire family. Some of them require instruments, technology or internet access. Others do not. Please remember to keep your instruments clean, have some fun, wash your hands, and above all BE SAFE!
We want to see you continue to grow as a musician. Join the Google Classroom for your band only.
6th Grade Band Code: rfrypg3
7th Grade Band Code: 3mfsooo
8th Grade Band Code: lcgb64h
If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to send recordings to get feedback, please email them to us at:
cameron.jenkins@gulfportschools.org or susan.schuman@gulfportschools.org
We will respond via email during the hours of 8:00 am-3:00pm Monday-Friday. If you are without internet, we encourage you to write out your responses and bring them with you when school is back in session. we return.
We are looking forward to seeing all of you back when we return!
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Written responses must:
- Describe the experience in great detail
- Be a minimum of five (5) sentences.
- Be related to the topic/experience
- Be constructed using compete sentences
You may write about the following experiences. Please, document at least one experience per week. You may a.) email your written report to one of your band directors, b.) submit it in our Google Classroom, or c.) keep a hard copy to turn in when we return to school.
Twenty-one (21) Different Experiences to enjoy, write about, and share.
1. Practice with a Metronome. Pick a musical selection (line from your book or section of your sheet music). Set your metronome to a particular tempo. Play it through. Turn the metronome up 1-2 notches and play it again. Be sure to observe all articulation markings. Remember to aim for accuracy. Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response.
2. Record for Feedback. Record yourself playing a musical selection and email it to Mr. Jenkins or Mrs. Schuman. Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response.
3. Swap Recordings with a Friend. You and a friend each record a musical selection. Send them to each other. They grade yours and you grade theirs. Give constructive feedback - What was something they did well? What is something to continue working on to make it sound better? How can they fix it? Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response.
4. Virtual Ensemble Practice. You and a friend each record a musical selection. Send them to each other. Play along with the other person’s recording and fit your part to it. Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response.
5. Send a Recording to a Friend or Loved-One. Record yourself playing a song - Happy Birthday, If You’re Happy and You Know It, a favorite movie theme, etc. Send it to someone with a short message to brighten their day. Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response.
6. Learn a New Song by Ear. Listen to a favorite song and learn it by ear. Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response.
7. Throwback Thursday. This doesn’t have to just be on Thursdays. Play one of your favorite songs from way back in September or last year, or last week. Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response.
8. Review Fingerings. Turn to your fingering chart. Try playing every note in your fingering chart. Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response.
9. Watch a YouTube Video about your instrument. With your parent’s permission, Search YouTube for your instrument. Interesting videos might include solo artists, informational videos about the history of your instrument, how to videos, or instruments of people playing the instrument in a certain fun type of way. Try to recreate what you can. Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response.
10. Research a Country, Composer, Artist, Musical Era, Instrument or Folk Song. Use websites like YouTube, Biography.com, or just Google the music from various places in the world, from various time periods, from various artists and composers. Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response.
11. Learn a Folk Song. Choose a country or culture - maybe someplace from your ancestry. Find a folk song from that place and learn how to sing or play it. Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response.
12. Teach a Family Member. Teach a family member something you’ve learned on your instrument. If you choose to share your instrument, be sure to sanitize it. SAFETY ABOVE ALL! Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response.
13. Write Your Own Music. Use Google to find staff paper to print out. Write your own piece of music and learn how to play it. Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response.
14. Drum Circle. Use items from around your home (bowls, sticks, buckets, pots, pans, etc.). Sit with a group of household members (SAFETY ABOVE ALL!). Someone starts and creates a beat. The next person improvises a rhythm and adds it to the beat. Each person starts adding their own sound. Play for as long as you like. See how many types of songs you can come up with. This activity can be especially fun with younger children. Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response.
15. Create a Soundtrack. Make a video and create a soundtrack to play along with it. Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response.
16. Create a Playlist. Make a list of songs that relate to your day, your life, the school year, or any other thing you can think of. Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response.
17. Draw Your Instrument. Draw a picture of your instrument. Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response. Be sure to send a picture of your drawing.
18. Color Your Instrument. NOT YOUR REAL INSTRUMENT!!! Find and print a coloring page of your instrument from online. Print it and color it. Once you have completed this experience, create and submit your written response. Be sure to send a picture of your painting
19. Write a Story About Your Instrument. Imagine that your instrument was a character in a story. Maybe it’s the superhero. Maybe it need to be saved. Be creative and write a story. You could even make a video of your instrument acting out the story. Once you have completed this experience, please submit your story and your written response.
20. Write letters to incoming students. Write a letter to a 5th grader who will be coming to our school next year. What should they know about band? Why should they join band? What has been your favorite thing about being in Band? Once you have completed this experience, please submit your letter and your written response.
21. Be Creative. Have you thought of another idea? Do it! Send the idea to Mr. Jenkins or Mrs. Schuman and we can send it out to other students in Band.
HAVE FUN! BE SAFE! SEE YOU SOON!
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Week: 3/16/2020 - 3/20/2020
6th Grade Band (Class Code: rfrypg3)
Monday - Go to Google Classroom to Check, Complete and Upload Assignaments
Tuesday - Go to Google Classroom to Check, Complete and Upload Assignaments
Wednesday - Go to Google Classroom to Check, Complete and Upload Assignaments
Thursday - Go to Google Classroom to Check, Complete and Upload Assignaments
Friday - Go to Google Classroom to Check, Complete and Upload Assignaments
Beginner Band News:
Practice Daily at least 30 minutes each day (Monday-Friday).
7th Grade Band (Class Code: 3mfsooo)
Monday - Go to Google Classroom to Check, Complete and Upload Assignaments
Tuesday -Go to Google Classroom to Check, Complete and Upload Assignaments
Wednesday - Go to Google Classroom to Check, Complete and Upload Assignaments
Thursday - Go to Google Classroom to Check, Complete and Upload Assignaments
Friday - Go to Google Classroom to Check, Complete and Upload Assignaments
7th Grade Band News:
Practice Daily at least 30 minutes each day (Monday-Friday).
8th Grade Band (Class Code: lcgb64h)
Monday - Go to Google Classroom to Check, Complete and Upload Assignaments
Tuesday -Go to Google Classroom to Check, Complete and Upload Assignaments
Wednesday - Go to Google Classroom to Check, Complete and Upload Assignaments
Thursday - Go to Google Classroom to Check, Complete and Upload Assignaments
Friday - Go to Google Classroom to Check, Complete and Upload Assignaments
8th Grade Band News:
Practice Daily at least 30 minutes each day (Monday-Friday).
