Welcome Back Mustang Band!

First, let me say how much I miss our Mustang Band students!  I am very much ready to see everyone again and get back to our band family!  All of the band directors in the state have been putting our heads together over the past couple of months to figure out how to best approach music education in this unusual time. Ultimately, our goals are to provide the best music education possible so students can advance on their instruments and grow as musicians, while also ensuring that the band remains an enriching activity which allows students to experience the joys of music.  Although we cannot currently perform live together, I am excited for the opportunity to teach students musical skills that are often overlooked in typical band classes because of the need to push to prepare for live performances.  Please read on for more information about how our band classes will operate for the time being.

A note for 6th Graders: 
Usually, we would start right away with learning how to play our band instruments.  This year, we will instead begin with a general music approach in order to build basic skills until we are able to play instruments at school.  I believe the benefits of this will be enormous!

Safety in the Band Room

• The band room is very large, so students will be truly spaced 6 feet or more apart. 
• All surfaces that are interacted with will be cleaned between classes.
• There will be no playing of wind instruments at school until it is safe to do so.

Do students need to bring their instruments to school?
No, all instruments should remain at home for now.  However, 7th and 8th grade students should still be practicing at home and will be given assignments to work on.  
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6th Graders please do not purchase or rent an instrument at this time.  When it is appropriate to do so, I will hold a parent meeting to provide information on how we will instrument test and how to go about purchasing/renting instruments.  It is extremely important that students end up with functional, quality instruments, or they will struggle to learn to play them.  Please wait to acquire an instrument.

What will be the band schedule?

• Hybrid Students: In person class vs. at home days
  • Because of the A/B Day schedule and the Mustang/Pride group splits, students will come to band class in person every 4 days.  They will have a virtual assignment to complete from home during the time between in person classes.
  • What day do they come to school?
    • Mustang Group - Last Names A-J 
    • Pride Group - Last Names K-Z
    • *there may be some exceptions to this, check Powerschool when it is available to be sure.
  • ​​What day do they come to band?
    • A Day - Brass & Percussion
    • B Day - Woodwinds
    • *since 6th graders do not have instruments yet, we tried to put them in a class based on what they originally showed interest in and/or where needed to balance the classes.  Don't worry if their schedule says brass but they were interested in woodwinds or vis versa.  This can be fixed later once we start learning instruments!
  • ​​When they come to school but don't have band, they go to PE!  
  • For a full breakdown of August, see our band calendar here:
    http://www.cmsmustangband.com/calendar.html
  • Example schedule for the first two weeks of school:

• Virtual Students
  • Virtual students will do everything hybrid students do.  They will have the same assignments and attend the same lessons (virtually instead of in person).  Most in person band class sizes are small.  Hopefully this leaves plenty of opportunity for meaningful interaction with virtual students joining us on Google Meet.
• After School Rehearsals
  • At this time, there will be NO after school rehearsals or practices.

What will happen in band class?
We will delve into aspects of musicianship that do not involve playing an instrument. However, student progress on their instruments will remain first priority. Topics may include:

• Music theory and history
• Rhythm
• Ear training
• Practice techniques
• Instrument maintenance
• Conducting
• Music composition
• Hand/body percussion possibly moving to all students experiencing playing a percussion instrument to supplement rhythm study
• Listening to/watching videos of professional musicians or fellow students and analyzing performances
• Music production and “beat making” to learn musical form and texture.​

These are all things real life musicians are knowledgeable about, interact with often, and are part of being a “complete” musician. 

When will we play instruments at school again?
LADOE guidelines state there should be no playing of wind instruments (percussion is allowable) indoors during Phase 2.  We are allowed to play wind instruments indoors during Phase 3, but I will follow the guidance of APSB leadership when that time comes.  7th & 8th Grade students will always be expected to play instruments at home.

Will there be band concerts this year?
None are currently planned. However, there are other ways students can share what they have been doing with friends, family, and the school. 

Should we pay the band fee?
Yes, the $35 band fee should still be paid through OSP.  At this time we will NOT be ordering band polos, however, students can order a hoodie here: http://www.cmsmustangband.com/store/p2/Band_Fee.html

Communication

Google Classroom Codes:

• ​​6th Gr. B Day - 52c2pdq
• 6th Gr. A Day - dvxulai
  
• 7th Gr. Woodwinds - nkg3aph
• 7th Gr. Brass & Perc. - 5yyebk6
• 8th Gr. Woodwinds - yyvgod2​
• 8th Gr. Brass & Perc. - yipk7ad

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Sign up for Remind messages, this is the messaging platform most frequently used for band!

• 6th Grade - Text @cmband6 to 81010
• 7th Grade - Text @cmband7 to 81010
• 8th Grade - Text @cmband8 to 81010

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Bookmark our website www.cmsmustangband.com to stay up to date!  ​​

Finally, CMS has a tradition of great bands and we value the meaning of a band family. We know your child will feel at home here in the band room. We are so excited that your child will be a part of this! We weren't able to do any recruiting this Spring in person, so please, if you know of anyone interested in joining the band, tell them to let me know so we can get their schedules changed ASAP!

Musically yours,

​Katie Codina
Central Middle School, Band Director
Louisiana Music Educators Association, District IV Director
Louisiana Music Adjudicators Association, President
katie.codina@apsb.org