Welcome to Band
Dear Band Members and Parents/Guardians of Band Members, Welcome to the Bel Aire Band's 20th year! I am delighted that you have taken advantage of this opportunity to learn how to play a band instrument. During phase 2, b and will be taught on Monday according to the following schedule: 7:30-8:00 - Flute 8:15-8:45 - Clarinet & saxophone 12:15-12:45 - Trumpet & trombone 1:00-1:30 - Percussion Goals: While the ultimate goal of the band program at Bel Aire School is to provide a meaningful musical experience through playing and performing in an ensemble, it may be some time before this is feasible. We will, however, be using a music software program called SmartMusic which simulates the experience and sound of playing in a live band, and which also gives the students immediate feedback on the accuracy of their playing. Some of the areas that will be focused on include tone production and quality, fingering and tonguing techniques, reading and understanding rhythm patterns, note and score reading. Practicing: Regular practice is essential for improvement on a band instrument. There are, unfortunately, no shortcuts when it comes to learning an instrument. It is my suggestion that students put in at least two 20-minute practice sessions (in addition to their scheduled band sectional) per week. Students should start with a short warm-up, similar to the warm-ups we do in band class, and then proceed to repertoire that we’re working on in class. I highly recommend getting a music stand for placing sheet music. Instrument rental/purchase: Most students rent their instruments from “The Magic Flute”, located in the Northgate One shopping mall (near Safeway). “Best Music” in Oakland is a second option. Students who need assistance with procuring instruments may contact Mr. Gist through the school office. Percussion students should plan on getting ahold of a practice pad, and I recommend procuring a snare drum if possible. Method Book: The band method book we will be using is entitled “Standard of Excellence Comprehensive Band Method”, by Bruce Pearson. Students have a choice of either buying their own books, which they may keep, or borrowing schoolbooks, which they must return at the conclusion of the school year. The book is available at “The Magic Flute”. Clarinet tutorials:
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| inception-flute.pdf |
| inception-clarinet.pdf |
| inception-sax.pdf |
| inception-trumpets.pdf |
| inception-trombone.pdf |
| inception-percussion_1.pdf |
| inception-percussion_2.pdf |
| inception-mallets.pdf |
"Inception" audio recording:
"Mary Ann" audio recording:
Instructions for Bel Aire Virtual Spring Concert
1. We will be performing 2 songs: "Mary Ann" (#38 in the Standard of Excellence band book), and “Inception”. You are welcome to play one or both of these pieces.
2. Practice the songs along with the audio recordings (located above) until you can play them confidently and with polish. Do not rush this process! The band generally practices for many weeks before we are ready to perform. You should do the same. Recordings that are clearly rough and under-rehearsed will be returned so that you can practice them further.
3. Video record yourself, or have a family member video record you, playing the songs along with the audio recording. If you would like to use the SmartMusic backing track, please set the tempo of both songs to 108.
4. Important: You must use headphones while making this video. No sound should be coming out of your computer or iPad--this will interfere with the soundtrack I plan to use for our movie! I prefer earbuds rather than noise canceling headphones, as it is easier to hear both your instrument as well as the backing track at the same time.
5. Email me (jgist@reedschools.org) your video recording, or you can upload it to Google Drive and then share it with me.
6. Finally, I will schedule a Zoom meeting where all the students involved will be video-recorded playing both pieces.
7. The Deadline for turning in your video recordings is Friday, May 21st.
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