Belton Middle School Band

Click here to find the itinerary and information for our Jazz-O-Rama Concert this coming Monday, May 10 at the Belton HS PAC.  This also serves as our semester exam for Jazz Band.  Please plan on having your student stay for the duration of the concert, plus we need help putting away stands and chairs afterward.  This should be done by 8:00pm.  This is a concert you don’t want to miss!

A couple of reminders for this coming week.  First, 8th Grade Shirt designs are due to Mr. Pulley by this Friday, May 7 by 4:00pm.  They can be hand-drawn, traced, or computer-generated, but they need to be submitted as a hard copy so students can see them and vote for their favorite.  The artist of the winning design gets a free shirt, and the design does not necessarily have to be band related.  It does, however, have to be appropriate for school.  The back of the shirt will feature all of the 8th grade band students with their surprise nicknames! Please contribute to start this new tradition!

Also, video submissions for the M100 Auditions are due to the M100 Google Classroom no later than Sunday, May 9.  Feel free to send a pre-audition video ASAP to either Mr. Pulley or Mr. Trahan via Schoology if you would like some constructive feedback on your preparation.  Don’t wait to the last minute to submit your video!  Ask a director if you have any questions.

I am proud to report that the Belton MS Wind Ensemble received straight first division superior ratings at the UIL Concert & Sightreading Evaluation recorded a few weeks ago! This continues Belton’s long-standing tradition of excellence in wind band performances at UIL. The judges were very positive and supportive in their comments, which included: “Overall, really good sounds from all players; “Very energetic and exciting – well done; “Nice, mature ensemble sound that is well balanced; and “This was a very well prepared performance – good teaching and learning are taking place in spite of a challenging year.”

We want to thank everyone for your support during this difficult year.  You only have a couple of more chances to hear our students perform this year: Jazz Band Concert on Monday, May 10 at 6:30pm AND all of the concert groups (Beginner’s Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble) on Friday, May 21 at 7pm, both in the Belton HS PAC.  Hope to see you there!

Below please find all of the important spring and summer dates for M100 that should be added to your calendar at home. 

Remember that M100 audition videos should be submitted to Google Classroom by your student during the week of May 3-9.  These include both major scales and the 2 etudes that we have been working on in class for the past couple of weeks.

Please contact Mrs. Gill at shannon.gill@bisd.net if you have any questions.

As we look forward to the next school year, here is information about our annual end-of-year placement auditions.  Auditions will be held during your child’s band class from April 26 to May 7.  All current 6th and 7th grade band students are required to participate as part of their spring semester exam.  This audition serves as the individual assessment of each student’s musical skills mastered from this school year.  Think of this as the individual STAAR test for Band.

The concert portion of the Belton Middle School Band consists of 3 ensembles: the Beginner’s Ensemble, the Symphonic band, and the Wind Ensemble.  This audition serves as the placement exam for students into one of these 3 groups.  Students in the Beginner’s Ensemble are from grades 6-8, while students in the advanced groups (Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble) are from grades 7th and 8th only.  Placement in these advanced ensembles is based on ability and musicianship, not grade level.  Much like when students from 6th to 7th grade, Symphonic Band serves as the natural next step in the progression from Beginner’s Ensemble.  Wind Ensemble serves as the premier group, and students in both groups participate in concert, contests, and other public performances.

For all students, the audition material consists of scales and sightreading.  Percussion students will audition with Mr. Smith on their material.  Audition music can be found on this website: https://tinyurl.com/bmsbandauditions, and detailed information has already been provided directly to students.  Each audition will last no more than 5-10 minutes.  Students in the Beginner’s Ensemble will audition on Level 1, while Symphonic Band/Wind Ensemble students will audition on Level 2.  Students will play their audition only once, and will not be allowed to redo it.  Auditions will be audio recorded for directors’ reference, not for public distribution.

Students will earn a separate score and grade for their audition.  Scores determine ensemble placement, and grades are earned based on each student’s individual audition preparation, performance, and potential.  As part of the semester exam, only the following grades will be given: 100, 85, 70, and 50.  Any student who earns a grade of 50 will be required to repeat Beginning Band next year if they wish to remain in the Belton Middle School Band program.  

For interested saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and percussion students, this audition also serves as placement into our Jazz Band.  No additional music is required to prepare for this ensemble.  Not all students who audition for Jazz Band will earn a spot in this group.  Students must be concurrently enrolled in either Symphonic Band or Wind Ensemble, and use 2 elective choices in order to participate in this elite group.

Audition results are final and will be posted on Friday, May 14 at 8:00am in the Band Hallway.  These results will be sent to our school counselors for next year’s scheduling.  Those students choosing to NOT remain in Band next year will not have their results posted.

Thank you for taking the time to read through this letter to ensure a smooth audition process.  As always, if there are any questions, please contact one of the directors.  Thank you for your support of the BMS Band!

This message is intended only for 8th grade students and parents who are interested in joining the M100 in high school band next year:

This coming week, students will be given the Fall 2021 M100 audition music, which can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/m100-2021.  This information applies to all woodwind and brass students.  Mr. Smith will oversee the percussion audition separately, and he will be giving out this music directly to percussion students.  

The auditions will be virtual this year, and each instrument will sign up for a separate Google Classroom using their MyBISD address.  The codes can be found on the first page of the PDF for each instrument.  Us directors can help students sign up for this if they need help, plus we are also available to help students with preparing the music.  Students should sign up on Google Classroom as early as possible in order to give the HS directors an idea of how many people they can expect to audition for each section.  

The video submission window is May 3 through May 7.  They will have results as soon after they receive all the submissions.  Also, parents and students should mark down June 1-4 from 5-7pm at Belton HS on their calendars at home for the Fundamentals Camp.  Here, they will focus on marching fundamentals, playing, and some parade preparations for the 4th of July parade in downtown Belton.  

For more information, please visit the M100 website at http://beltonmarching100.com or contact Mrs. Gill, Director of Bands at shannon.gill@bisd.net.

Please note that the message below applies to Wind Ensemble parents and students only:

Click here find the schedule for Wednesday’s UIL Concert & Sightreading Evaluation recording session at the Belton HS PAC on April 7.  This will take place during school, and students will need to bring their formal uniform to school that day, which includes their red polo shirt tucked into black pants, black calf-length socks, black dress shoes, and a black belt for gentlemen. 

Students will be required to make up work in their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd period classes, which they will be given the opportunity to do so during our 4th period band classes that day.  Please email Mr. Pulley if you have any questions.

This week, your student received an order form for band pictures we will be taking next week.  Students will wear their uniform and have their instruments in a group picture we will take in the competition gym.  This is for publication in the yearbook, and available for student/parent purchase.  We will also have individual photos being taken in the Ensemble Room if you wish to have one made for your student with their instrument and uniform.  Order forms will need to be filled out and money brought the day of the pictures in order to purchase them.  We will have extra order forms available the day of pictures, and students can pick up another one in the Band Hall.  Alternatively, you can visit https://phototexasphotography.com to learn more.

Students who do not have their band uniform on picture day will not be allowed to be in the picture.  Students must BE PREPARED and be responsible for having their uniform on picture day.

Beginners will need to wear their band uniform to school next Tuesday, which includes their band shirt tucked into jeans with closed-toed shoes and a belt for young gentlemen.  Individual pictures will be taken during their respective band period, and the large group picture will be taken during 8th period STRIPES time starting at 3pm. 

Jazz Band will need to wear their formal jazz uniform with black pants, black socks & shoes, as well as a black belt for gentlemen.  This will take place during 5th period on Tuesday.  We will also take an additional All-Region Jazz Band picture for those students.

Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble will take their pictures next Wednesday during their respective band periods.  These students need to wear their formal band uniform, which is their polo shirt tucked into black pants, black socks & shoes, as well as a black belt for gentlemen.  We will also take an additional All-Region Band picture for those students.

Please email a director if you have any questions.

Please note this message is for the students and parents of Wind Ensemble only:

Please click here for the information for our Pre-UIL Benchmark Concert this Friday at the Belton HS PAC.  Students will need to wear their formal band uniform, which is their red polo shirt tucked into black pants, with black socks, shoes, and belt for gentlemen.  Students should report to the PAC Stage at 6:15pm, and the concert will start at 7:00pm and is open to the public.  

Please email Mr. Pulley if you have any questions regarding this performance.