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Dear parents,
Tonight’s the big night! The bands are eager to share the work we’ve been doing in class this trimester, and I know you’ll be proud of all their hard work. Please see the details below about this evening’s event. What Skyridge Band concert (with Odyssey’s 6th Grade Beginning Band) Where Skyridge Middle School Wood Gym When Students arrive at 6:30 p.m. 6th Grade Bands meet and warm up in the Rubber Gym. They will also store their cases there. 7th Grade Band meets and warms up in the Band Room. They will also store their cases there. 8th Grade Band meets and warms up in the Choir Room. They will also store their cases there. Concert begins at 7 p.m. What to bring Instrument and music. Bass guitar players should bring a patch cord. Percussionists should bring their sticks and mallets. Concert dress Standard concert dress. Please see band website for details. Checking in There will be an attendance sheet in each group’s case storage area. In order to receive credit, students will need to check themselves off once they get there. Students are required to stay for the entirety of the concert. Seating in the Wood Gym Students will have a clearly marked off section to sit in while they’re not performing. We ask that students sit there for the entirety of the concert. Students are expected to be quiet, attentive audience members when they are not playing. Concert credit will be reduced if students are being a distraction to other audience members and/or other band members. After the concert 6th Graders are asked to help move chairs back to the Band Room. 7th Graders are asked to help move music stands back to the Band Room. 8th Graders are asked to help move all percussion and any other equipment back to the Band Room. We will have two student helpers (Kevin K. and Ryen H.) to help direct all students where to put chairs and stands in the Band Room after the concert. 8th Grade percussionists will help direct where percussion equipment should go. This will only take a few short minutes with everyone’s help. I hope parents will take a few moments to come say hello after the concert. I always enjoy visiting with families! Dear Parents,
Welcome to Friday! Please see below for this edition of Band Notes: All grades Skyward grading is current as of this writing. If students have questions regarding their grade, please have them come see me before or after school ASAP! Our next concert is March 21st at 7 p.m. here at Skyridge in the Wood Gym. More information will be sent out as we get closer to the concert. 6th Grade Lots of great progress this week, 6th graders! Keep up the good work. Please make sure to practice with a metronome so we can continue to work on keeping a steady beat. You can download a variety of metronome apps on your smartphone for free. You can also use www.metronomeonline.com for free. 7th Grade Please practice spots that are giving you trouble. We’re really close to making some fantastic music—do your part to ensure we all reach our goal together! There are still opportunities to sign up for our Step-Up Night on March 14th. If you’d like to come and ask the folks at Beacock Music some questions about buying a new instrument in a no-pressure setting, this is a great event to come to. They offer a variety of payment options, and they’ll match internet pricing from any reputable music store. 8th Grade Permission slips are late as of today! Please turn in your permission slip for the upcoming middle school band festival ASAP. You can even scan them in and send it to me via E-Mail. Be sure to also turn in $5 to Mrs. Williams to help cover the costs of this trip. We also need parent chaperones! Please get in touch if you’d be willing to help out on this trip. There are still opportunities to sign up for our Step-Up Night on March 14th. If you’d like to come and ask the folks at Beacock Music some questions about buying a new instrument in a no-pressure setting, this is a great event to come to. They offer a variety of payment options, and they’ll match internet pricing from any reputable music store. Closing That’s it for this time. If you’re looking for something to do this weekend or next weekend, consider coming to Franklin High School’s production of Anything Goes in SE Portland. The show opens tonight. I’m playing trumpet in the pit orchestra, and it’s going to be a lot of fun! I would put this show as a PG-13 show, so please take that into consideration as you consider taking younger members of the family. You can see show dates and ticket info at this website. Have a great weekend! Michael Sanchez Happy New Year! We had a great first (short!) week playing, and I'm looking forward to a full week of classes next week.
Please see below for this week's edition of Band Notes. 6th Grade As many of you have probably heard, we are going to have auditions for instrument switches next week. There will be a sign-up sheet in the Band Room on Monday where students can select their audition time. Students may come in before or after school. We've had a few talks about this in class, so students should have a pretty good grasp of what's going on, but if there are any lingering questions, please have them come talk to me. Students are not required to switch instruments. Instrument switches are a way to help enhance the sound of the band with different sounds that we currently don't have: oboe, bassoon, bass clarinet, horn, baritone/euphonium, tuba, and additional percussion. Some students enjoy playing two instruments, and some others prefer just to concentrate on one. Both options are just fine if a student is selected for an instrument switch. The audition process is very simple, and the audition takes place on the student's current instrument. For the audition, students will need to: *Play Line 47 and Line 54 from their band book *Identify notes by name and tell me how to finger them *Sightread a piece The audition will last about 5 minutes. Once I've heard everyone audition, I'll post the results a few days afterward. Once the results have posted, families will have ample opportunity to do an instrument exchange at the music store they're currently renting from (for example: a flute player will have time to go to the music store to get an alto sax). If a student or their family decides that an instrument switch isn't for them, please let me know ASAP so I can give another student a chance. 7th and 8th Grade New music has hit the folders! I'm still planning for our Spring concert, but students should have plenty to practice on over the weekend. Also, playing tests will be given via Google Classroom next week. Details will show up in Skyward. Closing That's it for this week. I hope everyone had a beautiful holiday season. I look forward to the exciting opportunities the new year will bring us! Dear Parents,
I hope you’re as excited as I am about our evening of music on Monday, December 11th. The kids are eager to show you what they’ve worked on, and I know you’ll be proud of their hard work. Please see below for a few concert reminders: What Skyridge MS Band concert Where Camas High School Theatre When Students arrive at 6:30 p.m. 6th Grade Band meets in the CHS Band Room. They will also store their cases there. 7th Grade Band meets in the CHS Choir Room. They will also store their cases there. 8th Grade Band meets in the Green Room (just behind the CHS Theatre Stage). They will also store their cases there. Concert begins at 7 p.m. What to bring Instrument and music. Students who are using a school instrument are responsible for transporting it to and from the concert. Bass guitar players should bring a patch cord. Percussionists should bring their sticks and mallets. Concert dress Please see band website for details. Checking in There will be an attendance sheet in each group’s case storage area. In order to receive credit, students will need to check themselves off once they get there. Remember, students are asked to stay for the entirety of the concert. Seating in the CHS Theatre Students will have a clearly marked off section to sit in. We ask that students sit there for the entirety of the concert. Students are expected to be quiet, attentive audience members when they are not playing. Concert credit will be reduced if students are being a distraction to other audience members and/or other band members. After the concert 7th Graders are asked to help move chairs and stands back to the Band Room. 8th Graders are asked to help move percussion equipment back to the Band Room. This will only take a few short minutes with everyone’s help! I hope parents will take a few moments to come say hello after the concert. I always enjoy visiting with families! I hope you have a great rest of the weekend. Stay warm, and we’ll see you Monday! Happy Saturday!
Here are a few updates as to what’s going on with Skyridge Bands: All grades Our Winter Concert is December 11th at 7 p.m. at CHS. More information will be sent out as we get closer to the event. For those who are new to Skyridge, please take a few moments to look at the band website section regarding concert attire. Congratulations to 8th graders Minjae D., Renae Y., and Kevin K.! They recently were accepted into the North County Honor Band. They will rehearse in January and then have a one-night-only concert. Pencil in the evening of January 20th for this event at Hockinson HS. I’ll be sending out more info in January. 6th Grade We’re making some really great progress! Be sure that you’re practicing a little bit each day instead of doing it in big chunks on the weekends: you’ll improve much more quickly that way. Use the online resources that come with your band books, too. Reminder: bring a pencil every day to class. If you find yourself struggling with some concepts in Band, please come see Mr. Sanchez to make an appointment. Beginning Band can be challenging for some students, and there’s no shame in asking for a little help: it’s how we all grow! Our next playing test will come out next week. You should all have received feedback in your school E-Mail account about the last playing test. If you haven’t, please contact Mr. Sanchez. 7th and 8th Grade Playing tests come out next week (I promise!). We’ll talk more about that in class on Monday. Come see some live theatre today! Mr. Sanchez will be playing trumpet in the pit orchestra today in the Lakeridge HS production of Mary Poppins in Lake Oswego. There is a 2 p.m. matinee and a 7 p.m. evening performance. You can find more information about purchasing tickets here. Hopefully there’ll be some friendly faces in the audience from Camas! That’s it for this time. Have a wonderful weekend! Grades in Skyward are updated. Please note that the Beginning of Year Letter is past due. It needs to be signed by a parent/guardian and the student. You can find a PDF of the letter below. 
 I hope you've been enjoying your summer so far! We have one month until we start the new school year, and I couldn't be more excited. There are always questions regarding beginning of year logistics, and I hope the following helps answer your questions. Q: Do we need our instruments the first day of class? A: 7th and 8th graders do! They also need everything found on our Band supply list page. Q: What about 6th graders? What do we need? A: 6th graders will need to bring themselves and a pencil to the first day of class. That's it! We'll be going over instrument demonstrations, instrument tryouts, and placing students on instruments. This process takes a few days. We have a drop-in Instrument Rental Night on September 14th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Skyridge cafeteria. There, you'll be able to rent an instrument and get all the needed supplies to get started. It's not a required event: families are welcome to rent an instrument where ever they wish, but I hope you find this convenient for your busy schedule! It's a drop-in event, so you won't need to stay there the entire time. Q: What if I rented an instrument from the school last year? A: Easy! We'll take care of all that paperwork when we get to school, just come see Mr. Sanchez. For newcomers to Skyridge: we rent large instruments from the school (tuba, baritone/euphonium, tenor sax, bari sax, bass clarinet, etc.) as these tend to be a bit more difficult to rent from local music stores due to limited stock. That about does it! This is going to be a great year at Skyridge, and I'm glad you're going to be a part of it.
Thanks to all our Skyridge kids for sending us in to the summer break in style last night with their inspired performances! Best wishes to the 8th graders as they make their new home at CHS—you will be missed. I’m looking forward to having our current 6th and 7th graders next year as we continue our work of making music and having a whole lot of fun while doing it.
Here are just a few reminders about our end-of-year procedures: Students who are renting instruments from Beacock Music: I hope you keep your instrument over the summer! Beacock Music is offering a special where they’ll give you a free month of rent when July rent is paid—just give them a call after you’ve paid July rent and they’ll put you on their list for free August rent. If you need to turn in your instrument to Beacock Music, you have two choices. First, you can turn it in to the store on your own. The other option is that you can bring your instrument to me in the Band Room on Thursday, June 22nd by 8 a.m. The Beacock Music representative will then pick it up. If you are renting a school instrument: please see Mr. Sanchez with your instrument by June 22nd. Students who fail to turn in their instruments will be fined for the cost of the replacement. If you are renting from another source: you’ll need to contact them. Sheet music We will be turning in all sheet music in class on June 22nd. If you’re not going to be in class on June 22nd due to a field trip, please turn in your folder to Mr. Sanchez before June 22nd. If you are headed out for the summer, please make sure to turn in your music before you leave. Jazz Band kids who aren’t in 7th or 8th grade band need to turn in their music to me ASAP. Dear Parents,
We’re nearing the end of the school year, and there’s lots of activity happening around here! Here are some end-of-year and concert reminders. Concert Tomorrow night is our final concert for the year! The kids have a fabulous program planned for you. Here are the details…. When: Tuesday, June 20th. Students arrive at 6:30 p.m. Concert starts at 7 p.m. 6th Grade will store their cases in the Band Room, 7th Grade will store their cases in the theatre dressing room just behind the stage, and 8th Grade will store their cases in the Choir Room). Where: Camas High School Theatre Attire: Concert dress (please see Band website for details) Other info: The concert order will be slightly different to help accommodate a PBL function. PBL 6th graders will need to arrive as soon as possible, assemble their instruments in the CHS Band Room, and sit in the audience with the other 6th graders. Please plan on having PBL students to the CHS Theatre by 6:40 p.m. End-of-Year instrument check-in Students who are renting instruments from Beacock Music: I hope you keep your instrument over the summer! Beacock Music is offering a special where they’ll give you a free month of rent when July rent is paid—just give them a call after you’ve paid July rent and they’ll put you on their list for free August rent. If you need to turn in your instrument to Beacock Music, you have two choices. First, you can turn it in to the store on your own. The other option is that you can bring your instrument to me in the Band Room on Thursday, June 22nd by 8 a.m. The Beacock Music representative will then pick it up. If you are renting a school instrument: please see Mr. Sanchez with your instrument by June 22nd. Students who fail to turn in their instruments will be fined for the cost of the replacement. If you are renting from another source: you’ll need to contact them. Sheet music We will be turning in all sheet music in class on June 22nd. If you’re not going to be in class on June 22nd, please turn in your folder to Mr. Sanchez before June 22nd. Dear 8th Grade students and families, If you are interested in playing in the CHS Jazz Band as 9th graders for the 2017-2018 school year, please read below for a letter from Mr. Mancini. Please direct any questions about CHS Jazz Band to Mr. Mancini: Richard.Mancini@camas.wednet.edu ****************************************** Attached please find audition materials for next year’s CHS jazz bands. It’s pretty self-explanatory, I think: find the two pdf files that apply to your instrument, print them out, practice them! Also be sure to read the “Auditions” pdf file. If you’re not auditioning for jazz band, feel free to delete this message. You’re welcome. Auditions will consist of the following:
Alto and bari sax: choose the “alto bari” files attached Tenor sax and trumpet: choose the “trumpet tenor” files Trombone: choose the “trombone bass” files Piano and guitar: play “Misty” for me (ha ha) from the “trumpet tenor” file, playing whatever background chords you can with the melody; also prepare a piece of your choice to play (any style, but something jazzy is better in this case) Bass: choose the “trombone bass” files, playing the melody; also play me a “walking bass” 12-bar blues progression in the key of your choice Drums: you will play the scales on the vibes; then play the following grooves: swing, shuffle, rock, funk, Latin (bossa nova, samba, etc.). I will give you the tempo for each style. About the chord symbols in the charts (piano and guitar): the “minus sign” denotes a minor chord; “B-7” is “B minor 7,” having the same function as the lowercase “m” in standard music theory (Bm7). Instead of using a capital “M” for major 7ths (FM7), these charts use “maj7.” Students will audition by section like we do for concert band chair tests. Anyone can go first, second, third, etc. Once you complete your audition (about 7-8 minutes), you are free to leave. Here’s our schedule: Tuesday, May 23 – saxophones 6:40-7:35 AM (zero period), saxophones currently in jazz bands at CHS After school, CHS saxophones NOT currently in jazz band will audition 2:20-3:10 (or during 6th period if available); 8th graders will begin at 3:10. Wednesday, May 24 – trumpets 6:40 AM, trumpets currently in jazz bands at CHS After school, CHS trumpets NOT currently in jazz band will audition 2:20-3:10 (or during 6th period if available); 8th graders will begin at 3:10. Thursday, May 25 – trombones (this is also our step-up instrument night, BTW) 6:40 AM, trombones currently in jazz bands at CHS After school, CHS trombones NOT currently in jazz band will audition 2:20-3:10 (or during 6th period if available); 8th graders will begin at 3:10. Friday, May 26 – rhythm section 6:40 AM, bass/guitar/piano/drums currently in jazz bands at CHS After school, CHS bass/guitar/piano/drums NOT currently in jazz band will audition 2:20-3:10 (or during 6th period if available); 8th graders will begin at 3:10. (NO SCHOOL Memorial Day) Results will be posted by Tuesday, May 30, after school in the CHS band hallway. I will also send the results to my CHS band email list and also to Mr. Henion and Mr. Sanchez. Since this follows a three-day weekend, results may be posted earlier in the day. Thank you for auditioning! Richard Mancini 
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