Marshall Middle School Instrumental Music

6th/7th graders and parents can ignore this email/post, as well as any 8th graders or parents who are not attending 8th Grade Marching Band Night tonight.

For the students attending this evening’s marching rehearsal and performance, please note the following details and recommendations:

• We will gather at the cul de sac at the front of the SRHS campus at 6:00 PM
  • Please be punctual. We will be visiting different areas of the campus throughout the evening, so if you’re not on time, you may never find us.
• Bring warm layers (jacket, sweatshirt, etc.). It can get quite chilly at night.
• Dinner won’t be served until 8:00 PM, so eat a small snack beforehand.
• Parents: Please return at 8:30 PM when the SRHS Falcon Corps and Colorguard will put on a full-dress performance of this year’s field show, “City of Lights.”
  • The performance will take place at the football stadium.

NO INSTRUMENTS NEEDED ON MONDAY: Students do not need to bring instruments to school on Monday, November 15th. After receiving my booster shot late last week, I am still experiencing side effects and will be taking Monday off. I plan to be back in class on Tuesday, November 16th.

THANKSGIVING BREAK: This week is the last week of school before Thanksgiving Break (November 22nd – 26th). Intermediate and advanced classes have already received their weekly playing assignments that are due Friday, November 19th. Beginning classes will not have any work assigned on Friday, therefore, their last assignments will be posted on Wednesday, November 17th and due by the start of class on Friday the 19th. No work will be assigned to be completed during the break, however, the 14 calendar day late submission/retake window still applies during this time for students who are behind on recent assignments.

8th GRADE MARCHING BAND NIGHT: This event is taking place this Thursday night. 8th graders that wish to attend must RSVP no later than 6:00 PM on Tuesday, November 16th. See the post below for details and the link to the RSVP form.

PLAYING MASKS: If you are a wind instrumentalist, or the parent of one, check out the post below to see if you might be interested in purchasing a more durable and permanent playing mask.

8th GRADE MARCHING BAND NIGHT: 8th graders are invited to spend an evening with the Scripps Ranch High School Falcon Corps and Colorguard! On Thursday, November 18th at the SRHS football field from 6:00 to 9:00 PM, 8th graders will observe a rehearsal as well as be invited onto the field to meet the marchers, try instruments, try colorguard equipment, and learn some basic marching technique. Students in attendance will also be fed dinner. Parents are invited to return at 8:30 PM for a full-dress performance of the SRHS Falcon Corps and Colorguard’s 2021 show, “City of Lights.” Students planning to attend must RSVP through this web form no later than 6:00 PM on Tuesday, November 16th. This event is not open to 6th and 7th graders.

MIDDLE SCHOOL HONOR ENSEMBLES: This school year’s Middle School Honor Concert will take place on Saturday, February 5th, 2022 at Point Loma Nazarene University’s Brown Chapel. Auditions are taking place December 2nd, 2021 at Wilson Middle School. You can access the audition materials and reserve your audition time for the 2022 SDUSD Middle School Honor Band or Honor Orchestra through the district’s VAPA Virtual Resources web page.

IF YOU OR YOUR CHILD DO NOT PLAY A WIND INSTRUMENT, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO IGNORE THIS POST/DELETE THIS EMAIL.

Recently I’ve gotten many questions about the disposable playing masks used by wind instrumentalists and whether there are any better options for this purpose. If you or your child play a wind instrument and you or they would like to explore a more permanent solution for a playing mask that can be worn during classes, I have shared some links below to various online vendors that make playing masks. These masks are obviously much sturdier than the disposable masks wind players currently use, and I have several colleagues that strongly recommend masks such as these for better protection and increased ease of use by students. The links below are not the only playing masks available on the market, but just a list of some recommended products. Feel free to search the web for one that suits you or your child best. This is an entirely optional purchase, and free disposable playing masks will still be made available to students.

American Band Accessories (flutes should be sure to purchase the flute version)

National Educational Music Company

J.W. Pepper & Son

McCormick’s Group (Minimum order of 12 masks in case any families would like to “band” together on an order. Sorry, for the bad pun. I couldn’t help myself!)

LanaDsBees shop on Etsy

Flute masks by SkyeGraphics84 on Etsy

MagicalMarketCrafts shop on Etsy

Conn-Selmer musician face mask on Amazon

 

If you find yourself bored and needing a good article or two to pass the time, here are a few from my good friend, Dr. Noa Kageyama, a.k.a. “The Bulletproof Musician.”

What to Ask Yourself After a Failure or Setback

8 Things Top Practicers Do Differently

“Perfect” Practice May Be Preventing You from Learning that Tricky Passage

Why Listening to Reference Recordings is an Important Part of Practicing

The Importance of Writing Notes in Your Music (one of my favorites!)

For more delightfully thought-provoking articles about music and becoming a better musician, feel free to browse Dr. Kageyama’s blog, and feel free to email me with any articles you don’t see above that you found to be applicable to middle school musicians.