Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Band Update: Week of April 27

"Lunch with the Band Director" Zoom meeting Thursday, April 30 from 12:15-12:45pm. Check your email/text/Google Classroom for information.
 The 4/4 Rhythm Activity in Sightreading Factory is the recommended online assignment for the week. When finished, mark the assignment as complete in Google Classroom. This week's optional written assignment is to create a UIL/Spring Concert Program. Instructions are posted in Google Classroom.

Students with instruments at home should make every effort to pass-off their scales in Flipgrid by May 24. This ensures that they will be prepared for 7th grade band.

Please complete THIS FORM by May 3.

Only two more weeks of assignments. All school instruction will end on May 15. Students will be allowed to pick up items that were left at the middle school on Monday and Tuesday, May 18-19. More information about that will be posted soon.

Thank you to everyone that participated in the band fundraiser. You will be notified when the items arrive for pick-up. That's all the news for now! Stay safe!

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Band Update: Week of April 20

Assignments for this week are posted in Google Classroom and also on our website

Many of you are submitting work through Google Classroom. Here are some things about Google Classroom that I think may be helpful to you:

1. After you complete an assignment (google quiz, flipgrid video, etc.), you need to "Turn In" the assignment in Google Classroom. That notifies me that you did something, and it is only after you "Turn In" that I will then know to check for your work. This especially goes for assignments from previous weeks.

That being said...

2. Only "Turn In" assignments that you actually do! Remember, you don't have to do every assignment that is posted; you just have to complete one activity a week. It takes up a lot of my time trying to research if you actually did the assignment.

3. Please do not turn in old assignments from the 1st 4 six weeks, unless you are passing off your major scales. Old Stuff is marked "Old Stuff," and you do not need to do it.

4. Be sure to attach work to your assignments if you created a document or video on your own. I missed seeing a happy birthday video because the student did not attach the video nor did they turn in the assignment. I just happened to stumble across it 9 days later in a Google Drive folder.

5. Once the assignment is graded and returned to you, do not send it back to me.

6. Finally, email or leave a comment for me if you have any questions. I am getting between 50-100 emails a day. I am doing my best to make sure I don't miss anything. If I happen to miss yours, please just send me another email. I promise you that it is not intentional.

We are all doing our best with this new situation. Though we are away from school, this is not a break from school. You are still expected to do your work. I am working from home at least 8 hours a day.

I miss making music with all of you. I hope you all are doing well. 


Monday, April 13, 2020

School Song Recording Project

We are trying to create a recording of the School Song featuring band students from all over the district. We want to feature this recording during the district-wide staff meeting on Friday morning.

Parts for all wind instruments are included below as well as a click track you will need to play along with. You will need to listen to the click track through headphones on one device while you record yourself playing along on another device. Record AUDIO only (NO video). It is very important that we don't hear the click track in your recording, or we won't be able to use it. Since this song is new to 6th grade, or if you don't have your instrument, you may choose to sing the school song. Here are the lyrics: https://www.blancoisd.com/253470_2.

Recordings must be uploaded to Google Classroom (6th Grade) or emailed to Mrs. Conard by Thursday at noon so we have time to mix down the project. This may count as your assignment for the week should you choose to participate. Let's create some school and community spirit!

The sheet music for instruments can be found HERE.
The click track to play along with can be found HERE.

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Band Update - Week of April 6

Dear 6th Grade Band,

(Sorry...this is a lengthy update, but I need to get this information to you.)

We survived our first week of distance learning! It was great to hear from so many of you! Over 100 students responded to the band survey, and I read each and every response. I also appreciated the Flipgrid videos and Google Classroom comments. I have over 170 students, and I promise I am doing my best to respond to each of you. If you leave me a message and don't hear back from me, then there's a good chance I just didn't see it. Message again!

I can't think of anything better than music to help us forget about the craziness that is going on in the world! I downloaded the acapella app, and I'm having fun playing duets, trios, and quartets with myself!

For this week, continue with the musical activities that are posted on the online learning page or that are in your packets. I have posted a new, fun Flipgrid video assignment. There is a really cool feature in Flipgrid where you can respond to each other's videos with a video reply. I replied to a few of your videos with my own video responses. Try it out! I will be posting my own fun Flipgrid video this week, too!

I am again asking you to fill out a Google form at the end of the week to show me what you've done. A new form will be uploaded every Wednesday from now until we return to school. This week, you will be asked to upload a picture or link to something that you completed for band. You can take a picture of a completed worksheet or weekly practice log, a screenshot of a completed note naming activity, copy the link to a video you watched, etc. If you made a Flipgrid video, then you will not need to upload anything to the form.

You may have noticed "due dates" on posted assignments. This is to keep us all on a schedule and help stay organized. It it okay to turn in something "late." If you miss an assignment one week and cannot go back and do it, just try to complete one the following week. We all must keep making progress while "in school." I will use grades to improve your current grade or replace missing grades from before spring break. No one should worry about their grade in band.

Finally, and most importantly, I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. Keep practicing physical distancing, but stay social with your teachers, friends, and family online or on the phone. Contact me with anything you might need.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Conard