6th Grade Bands –
The 6th grade bands are off to a good start. The woodwind and brass members have settled on an instrument choice and the percussionists have finished the audition process. We are still in a holding pattern while we wait for the remaining school repairs to return from the summer. The students that aren’t using a school instrument should be locating an instrument to play on. There are links to Paige’s Music and Melody Music Shop on our website. Both companies are good choices for locating an instrument to rent or buy.
The percussionists have been selected and will need to buy a stick bag with the appropriate sticks and mallets to use for class. The band department will order these stick bags with what the percussionists need to make it easy for them. Last year the stick bags with the sticks and mallets cost $55. and we will be able to keep the price the same. They will also need to have something to practice bell parts on at home. A bell kit, piano, iPad app, or little electric keyboard work well for this.
All the students will need a beginning band book. We use Essential Elements 2000. Most students that rented from Paige’s Music already have this and others may too. The percussion book includes the snare and bell music and costs $16. The rest of the band books are $9. The students that need a book can purchase it from the band office in the next couple of weeks as the books arrive.
Checks can be made out to BMS Band.
Fall Fundraiser To Kick Off On Sept. 3 –
This year’s annual fall fundraiser will begin on September 3rd. We will be selling cookie dough again. Last year’s sale was just incredible and the profits really helped the program grow. We don’t expect the students to go out and sell a lot or be aggressive in taking orders. We are large enough that a few orders from everyone will more than meet our needs. I really appreciate any help at all with this project. From personal experience, I know it is a tough time and some households may have another fundraiser happening with a sibling. The profits enable us to sell supplies and equipment below cost to the students. We also use profits to lower trip costs, so students that participate in fundraisers receive discounts on local band trips.
Our help is needed –
I have gone to the drive-in movies every summer for as long as I can remember. I have enjoyed our local theater south of Mitchell and have seen many of our band students and band families enjoying it too. This year the film companies are switching all movies to a digital format. This change is requiring theaters to make a costly change to equipment that most drive-ins can’t afford. The Holiday Drive-in has an opportunity to receive the necessary equipment at no cost from a Honda promotion. I have included some information here from Mr. Wilson and hope we can help keep a drive-in theater here in Lawrence County for years to come.
Here is some information I received from Steve Wilson. Steve is the current owner of the Holiday Drive-in here in Lawrence County.
5 Winning Drive IN Theaters will Win 1 of 5—$80,000.00 digital projectors awarded by Honda Motors USA. The most votes win the prizes.
Help Save The Holiday Drive In Theater, in Mitchell Indiana, By Voting each and every day for the next 30 days, from August 9 through 9 p.m. P.D.T on September 9th, 2013 You can vote one time per day per Computer and Per Cell Phone number. Ask your friends to join in and text like crazy to save one of the only Drive In Theaters in the area. This may be our ONLY chance to keep this theater Open! Please help us by organizing drives to text and to VOTE!
The Holiday Drive IN Theater has been open since the summer of 1962 and has been through many crises which could have closed it but it has persevered! The Holiday Drive IN Theatre does not produce enough income to pay for one of these very expensive projectors due to its short 5 month season and sometimes up to 15 weekends of rain.. It will only survive by dedicated individuals like yourself that can come to its aid in one way or another.
Please Vote each day with every computer and every texting cell phone at the following addresses:
http://projectdrivein.com/vote_43 or Text: Vote43 to 444999
Current Class Standings –
The 6th, 7th and 8th grade bands earn points for group work ethic, concentration and effort. Individual tardiness, talking and lack of effort lower the ensemble’s daily score. Here are the results for the first week:
Period 1 8th Grade Band: 10 points
Period 2 8th Grade Band: 4 points
Period 4 6th Grade Band: 8 points
Period 5 6th Grade Band: 7 points
Period 6 7th Grade Band: 9 points
Period 7 7th Grade Band: 8 points
Voice Mail –
The school has new voice mail and I am excited to have this great tool. I am sad to report the band voice mail hasn’t worked yet. The phone techs are working hard to fix it and it will be up and running soon. Always feel free to drop me an email or even drop by any time. I always enjoy seeing our parents.
Have a great week!
Bedford MS Bands 