Beethoven Area School District

Mozart Middle School Music Department Student Handbook 2013-201

Music is ... A higher revelation than all Wisdom & Philosophy

Ludwig Van Beethoven

!ontacts
"obert #ames $amb hoir !irector" Music !epartment hair ro#ert$ameslam#%#eethovensd.edu %uiseppe &erdi &rchestra !irector guiseppeverdi%#eethovensd.edu Aaron !opland Band !irector aaroncopland%#eethovensd.edu D'(A")M'*) +, M-S.! Beethoven Area 'chool !istrict ( Poulenc !rive )aydn" PA *+,-. music%#eethovensd.edu Phone/ 01.23 4.45+,+6a7/ 01.23 +*15184.

Please 9eel 9ree to email or call "obert #ames $amb at any time with :uestions regarding the MM' music department.

'nsembles
Music at the middle school level serves to introduce students to the study o9 various music elements including melody" harmony" musical notation" rhythm" and 9orm. A study o9 musical styles" historical periods" and di99erent cultures will #e included in all ensem#les.

+rchestra
!oncert +rchestra
;he orchestra is comprised o9 students who play string instruments and desire to per9orm in an orchestra and improve their instrumental s<ills. =mphasis is placed on the development o9 individual instrumental techni:ue as well as small ensem#le practice and s<ills. ;he orchestra per9orms a variety o9 literature 9rom many styles and periods. ;his ensem#le meets during Period ( on !ays . and - o9 the si7 day cycle. Students must currentl/ be enrolled in this course to audition 0or the S/mphonic +rchestra1

S/mphonic +rchestra
;he 'ymphonic &rchestra is an auditioned ensem#le. ;he audition consists o9 a - minute solo piece in the classical repertoire list and two scales which display the a#ility o9 the student. ;he per9ormance o9 the student will #e evaluated with a ru#ric assessing tone" pitch" e7pression" intonation" etc. ;he students who achieve or surpass the minimum score will #e invited to $oin the 'ymphonic &rchestra which meets a9ter school on ;uesdays and ;hursdays.

Band
!oncert Band
;he course is designed 9or students who desire to continue their musical education or to start on a new musical instrument. 'tudents will learn #eginner to intermediate level technical and ensem#le s<ills necessary 9or per9ormance on a musical instrument. 'tudents will per9orm a wide variety o9 musical literature. =mphasis is placed on the development o9 ensem#le s<ills and individual instrumental techni:ue. ;his ensem#le meets during Period ( on !ays , and + o9 the si7 day cycle. Students must currentl/ be enrolled in this course to audition 0or the #azz 'nsemble1 3

#azz 'nsemble
;he auditioned >a?? =nsem#le is comprised o9 instrumentalists who desire to per9orm $a??" roc<" #lues" swing" pop and various other 9orms o9 contemporary popular music. Besides per9orming in a variety o9 styles" improvisational s<ills are developed@ all mem#ers are encouraged to improvise. ;his group meets a9ter school on ;uesdays and ;hursdays.

!hoir
Men2s !oncert !hoir
MenAs oncert choir is a non5auditioned ensem#le that provides a choral singing e7perience to any male students in grade 15 8. 'tudents are given the opportunity to develop individual singing a#ilities as well as contri#ute to the overall improvement o9 the choir. Music 9rom many historical periods and styles will #e studied. ;his ensem#le meets during Period ( on !ay . and may have rehearsals as5needed during Lunch. Men must currentl/ be enrolled in this course to audition 0or the !horale1

3omen2s !oncert !hoir

WomenAs oncert choir is a non5auditioned ensem#le that provides a choral singing e7perience to any 9emale students in grade 158. 'tudents are given the opportunity to develop individual singing a#ilities as well as contri#ute to the overall improvement o9 the choir. Music 9rom many historical periods and styles will #e studied. ;his ensem#le meets during Period ( on !ay and may have rehearsals as5needed during Lunch. 3omen must currentl/ be enrolled in this course to audition 0or the !horale1

!horale
horale is 9or the truly dedicated choral singer in grades 4 and 8. Auditions are re:uired and will #e held in the spring o9 each school year. ;his group will per9orm in regularly scheduled concerts. hallenging choral literature 9rom many historical periods and styles will #e studied. =mphasis is placed on the development o9 individual and ensem#le musicianship s<ills. ;his ensem#le meets a9ter school on Mondays as well as during Period 1 lunch. horale rehearses 9or the last ,2 minutes o9 the period@ there9ore singers are encouraged to eat their lunch in the choir room within the 9irst .* minutes o9 the period.

(er0ormance 'li4ibilit/
Bn order to #e eligi#le to #e a part o9 any auditioned ensem#le per9ormance" the student must #e in good academic standing with not grade lower than a C C. ;he student cannot have more than three une7cused a#sences in a semester. A9ter the three a#sences" the student will have three points ta<en o99 their 9inal grade 9or every additional a#sence. 'tudents who are not a#le to per9orm in any scheduled per9ormance are re:uired to write a two to three page paper on a musical idea determined #y the director o9 the ensem#le.

)ravellin4
;he Mo?art Middle 'chool Music !epartment o9ten sends groups o995campus" to 9estivals" per9ormance opportunities" clinics and more. Whenever students or ensem#les travel o99 campus" they represent their department" their school" and their school district. ;here9ore the utmost in pro9essionalism and responsi#ility is e7pected 9rom students at all times. &#viously" all state and 9ederal laws are to #e 9ollowed while on or o99 campus. Bn addition" all MM' guidelines and policies are to #e 9ollowed. 6ailure to 9ollow any o9 these guidelines" policies or laws may result in revo<ing o9 travel privileges or additional disciplinary action. !etails o9 each trip vary so itineraries and other in9ormation will #e distri#uted #oth in class and made availa#le on the we#site as necessary.

(ractice at Home
'tudents in auditioned ensem#les are e7pected to practice their music outside o9 rehearsal. 6or the orchestral and #and ensem#les" it is e7pected that the students practice 9or at least 9i9teen minutes per day at home. 6or the choral ensem#les" it is re:uired that they loo< over their music and practice it 9or at least 9i9teen minutes per day. B9 the student does not have a piano at home" then the student may use recordings provided #y the director to sing along with.

5(ull-out6 lessons
Pull out lessons are only availa#le 9or students in good academic standing. ;hose who are part o9 a scheduled music ensem#le #ut need e7tra practice on their instrument" have the opportunity to miss one classDdetermined #y the schoolDa wee< to practice repertoire with the teacher. ;o parta<e in this" you must have a signature o9 the teacher o9 the class you are missing" the signature o9 the teacher o9 the ensem#le" and the signature o9 your guidance counselor.

!oncert Dress
%irls must wear a white dress shirt or #louse@ #lac< slac<s or s<irt@ and #lac< 9lat closed toed shoes. All s<irts must 9all #elow the <nee. Bo/s must wear a white dress shirt" #lac< dress pants" and #lac< dress shoes with long #lac< soc<s. 'hirts must #e tuc<ed in.

%radin4 S/stem7
Erades 9or curricular ensem#les range 9rom A56 as in all other classes and are determined #y several 9actors/ +2F/ Attendance A#sences 9rom 9ull ensem#le rehearsals or per9ormances are e7cused only with prior noti9ication o9 the director and are at the directorGs discretion. An une7cused a#sence 9rom a per9ormance will result in a lowered grade. +2F/ Participation Attitude" #ehavior" and e99ort during class. -2F/ !emonstration o9 progress in individual musical and personal s<ills. ;he music 9aculty recogni?es that students in the music program #egin at varying levels o9 musical training" e7perience" and con9idence. 'tudents are not compared to one another #ut rather graded on how much they progress.