#1) After applying through the Eugene Symphony we have been selected to receive five lessons from Eugene Symphony Musicians for the Concert Band and Intermediate Band! I will try to select a number that represent our musicians (Flute, Clarinet, Trombone, Tuba) and some that are different (Violin, Viola, Bassoon, etc).

#2) We have been asked to perform two times in November! On SUNDAY November 11th, the Capitol Christmas Tree is being harvested in the Willamette National Forest, and will come through town. I am looking for Choir and Band students to perform Patriotic Music and Holiday Carols.
The next day, MONDAY November 12th is the Annual Veterans Day Luncheon held at the OJSH Cafeteria. I am looking for the Choir and Concert Band to perform here, at this Volunteer performance.

#3) Thanks to the Eugene Symphony Board, and their desire to help rural schools, our Band Members have been invited to watch the Eugene Symphony perform, for FREE!!! Mr. Chapman says we will have a bus available, and dinner is an optional time for us (Sack Dinner or Fast Food). There are two options to watch a performance: November 15th and December 6th. Either one is after school, though I advocate for November 15th. I want to have good weather, and make sure our student-athletes not miss a potential Basketball game in December. If NOONE is able to go that day... which is shaping up to be a busy music week... then I will take a first come first served basis for the December performance.

Today your young ladies and gentlemen made the first decision towards picking their instruments. After trying Flute, Clarinet, and multiple Brass Mouthpieces they are deciding on what they would like to play. Tonight, I will go through the paperwork and put my recommendations as to which instrument may bring the best success for your child.

On Wednesday night I would like them to come to you and talk to you about which instrument they would like to start with. This selection is for the year, as we work toward building a great foundation. Be aware that when selecting Clarinet or Saxophone, your musician will need to purchase reeds for the year. As we enter the holiday season, any student may wish to purchase their own mouthpiece.

If you look under each of the classes: Concert Band, Intermediate Band, and Choir, you will find the syllabi for this school year. Today students should have turned in their Signed Acknowledgement Forms.

Hello everyone, and welcome to 2018! We will not be using Facebook as a main method of communication since we cannot use it at school.

Parents, we did not get to fill out the form together today (seem's someone's classroom clock is five minutes slow.... Sorry Gay and Eileen!!!

Costs for Reeds are, per set of 10 Reeds:
$20 for introductory Clarinet Reeds, $24 for intermediate Clarinet Reeds, and $28 for upper level brand reeds.
$25 for introductory Alto Sax Reeds, $30 for Intermediate Reeds, $38 for upper level.

Here is the instrumentation for this year:
Flutes: Alexis, Christopher, Danica, Kaitlyn
Clarinets: Aaliyah, Evie, Kaylee, Sarah, Shane
Alto Saxes: Eli, Kayden
Horn in F: Katrina
Trumpet/Cornets: Ayden, Emma, John, Jonavin, Josh
Trombones: Miya, Sharahya
Tuba: Kaleb

Letter Home Oct 23, 2017

Good Morning Parents and Students!

As we near the end of the first quarter, remember that we are on our way to proficiency! For those that strive for the A+ and a perfect score, we as Proficiency Musicians are continuing to practice our skills and develop new tools. The better we get, the higher level of proficiency we can demonstrate.

Music Department Updates:

High School Students - our Voces8 field trip is fast approaching. Make sure to dress well, and comfortably, bring money for dinner or a sack meal, and remind your parents that we will arrive home late (10:30pm or later).

This past Friday I got to go to Corvallis for a State Inservice Music Conference. I saw many great things to do with Elementary Music (Movement, Stop-Go Games, Spacial Awareness), Band (Student Led rehearsals, Involvement in Musical Decisions), and Choir (Singing as a Community of People, Warm Ups, Techniques). Unfortunately I have a little-one home sick today, so I look forward to sharing tomorrow!

General Music.... the PVC has arrived! I am in the process of gluing together a rack that we can play our Boomwhackers and Rhythm Sticks on. It is a rough draft, but looks promising! Now, to spray paint it in our School Colors for a concert...

Technology:
With Google Classrooms, our class is doing even more, and transitioning to online documents and feedback. This will not replace paper entirely, but saving on resources and paper can be a great thing. When we have a device resource such as an iPad... we need to use it. As we record ourselves for assessments, students need to be sure to upload those videos so that I may provide feedback. This year our class has a set of 15 iPads! Each student has been issued an iPad for use in the Music Room, and is to be shared with one other student. Mr. Wilson will NOT be emailing, or mass sharing, our video assessments to others. It is a safe, comfortable way to learn and grow. Occasionally in class I will ask students if I may share their solo or group recording to the class... and no means no.

Students will be recording with the iPad's video feature, and the camera may be pointed at the wall, or a copy of their sheet music. What is important is that they play near the microphone and can hear themselves. The next step is to upload the video to Google Classroom when assigned, or to their own Google Drive for practicing and record keeping. Each OJSH student has a Google account for just this purpose. The third step is that they share that video with me (Mr. Wilson) so that I can view, assess, and give feedback. This way students can record during, or after class, and share that with me without it being send over email or being shared with other students. 

This will help speed up the process of assessment, and be an accurate record of: Did I do it? Did I play the correct song? Did I really miss that note? How fast did I play it?

There are many more steps and awesome things that we can do with Videos, and I look forward to implementing this and using it during second semester!

-Musically Yours,
Mr. Wilson

Permission Slips are going home on Friday.
If your child has not shared the itinerary with you, here is our earlier draft.
Mr. Wilson will be driving the white bus, and we have saved money on the bus/hotel costs, which brings the total down! But what do you need money for.....?

Lunch is Thursday at school, and the tour cost covers transportation, Dinner Thursday, Breakfast at the hotel Friday, Lunch and Dinner Friday, and all events. If you want extra treats, items at the gift shop, or general shopping, then bring additional money. Gratuity (no taxes) has already been calculated for the dinner at Mo's.

Do not forget to pack lightly! Clothes for Friday, a few extra things, and weather appropriate gear (Sweatshirts, Hoodies, Sandals, Shoes, Shorts, Sweatpants, etc...) at your own discretion. 

Make sure you have enough film/battery for pictures and video though! We will be spending time on the beach, though not swimming in the cold water much. Prepare to get your feet sandy and wet!

Broadway Banquet - Wed May 24th
Spring Awards Concert - Wed June 7th
Music Department Tour to Florence - Thur June 8-9th
Final Day of School - June 14th

Ladies and Gentlemen, this was a very nice week of rehearsals. I have heard a few young people play and sing passages that have shown so much growth since the beginning of the year!

I am very excited to hear all of your hard work come to fruition on Wednesday. Today we had musicians sign up for jobs at Broadway Banquet. Please make sure to prepare you concert attire (Black and White) for Banquet. If any of you want a tie, let me know in advance. Bruce... I have that same tie for you if you want it.

Setup begins at 5:00pm, and everyone needs to arrive between 6:00-6:10pm. First song is at 6:30, with dinner being served through the evening. The event should last an hour and a half, with cleanup and tear-down afterwards.

Choir: Disney on Stage (Joey - Announcer and 2nd Movement; Renalyn 3rd Movement, 2nd Movement To be Finalized), Rhythm of Life (Satee)
Band: Camptown Races, John Williams (m.22 to the end), Addams Family
Solos: Abby, Amanda, Makaela, Gracie, Ariana - Final Lineup to be determined
Ensembles - Stacy, Amanda, Prestin, Derrick (Hamilton - Check your new lyrics for appropriateness... there are three sections to change for performance)
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