Belton Middle School Band

Please note that the message below is only intended for select members of the Wind Ensemble:

We are excited that it is finally time for this year’s prestigious TMEA All-Region Band Auditions on Saturday, October 31!  The students have worked very hard on their scales and etudes since the start of school, and now they finally get to see how they measure up to the competition!  This is the most individually-competitive event we do all year, and the students compete with middle schools from Belton, Bryan, and College Station.  Students that makeRegion Band are considered state-ranked within Texas middle schools!

Parents should sign up their student for a time slot using Sign-Up Genius at this link: https://tinyurl.com/y5jrl8h7 no later than this Wednesday, October 28.  These times range from 10:00am to 5:00pm at Belton Middle School.  Students should arrive at the side Cafeteria entrance under the awning (by the bus loop) 30 minutes before their recording time.  This will allow them to get focused, warm-up, and tune in the Cafeteria before their time slot.  Students should take their instrument home with them the day before (Friday) so as to not disturb the recording sessions already in progress in the Band Hall.

If the student plays a woodwind instrument (flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, or saxophone) they should report to the Orchestra Room promptly at their designated recording time.  Brass instruments (trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, or tuba) should report to the Band Hall.  Percussion students should report to the Ensemble Room.  A director will meet each student at that place and time and help them make 5 recordings: 1. First Scale, 2. Second Scale, 3. Chromatic Scale, 4. First Etude, and 5. Second Etude.  The first and second scales should be announced by the judges before Saturday (hopefully).

This recording session is considered a performance, and will be taken as a major grade using the following rubric:

—Be Punctual – arrive at the Cafeteria 30 minutes before your scheduled time slot, and be on time to your recording room for your audition (25 points)

—Be Prepared – have all of your music, instrument, and supplies ready to go ahead of time.  Make sure that your instrument is in good working order, including broken-in reeds and valves that have been oiled ahead of time (25 points)

—Be Prepared – wear school-appropriate attire when you enter the build.  Do not wear hats so you don’t interfere with the playing of your instrument or the recording (25 points)

—Be Disciplined – both in the practicing of your instrument and in your behavior at all times, including the Cafeteria, hallways, and recording room (25 points)

Thank you ahead of time for your support of our band students.  If you have any questions or conflicts, please contact Mr. Pulley ASAP.  We wish all of our students the best of luck as they make final preparations for this year’s All-Region auditions.

Please note this message is intended for 7th and 8th grade band students only:

This Thursday, October 15 we will be having our first band event of the 2020-2021 school year!  Our 7th and 8th grade band students will be observing a rehearsal and performance of the Belton HS Marching 100 (M100) in Tiger Stadium.  Students will need to arrive at the BMS Band Hall at 5pm.  No instruments or uniforms are necessary for this event.  We will then walk over as a large group to Tiger Stadium to watch.  Masks will be required to be worn by students, parent chaperones, and directors, and social distancing guidelines will be in effect.

Students will also be observing proper concert etiquette guidelines by not talking or disrupting the viewing of the rehearsal and performance, and they will be provided a bottle of water to stay hydrated.  This gives our students the opportunity to observe the high performance level of the high school band, and gives them a glimpse into what it’s like to be part of the M100, a goal we have for all Belton MS Band students.  Afterwards, we will walk back to BMS and parents can pick up their student in the BMS Bus Loop (staff parking lot) by 6:30pm.  

We do realize that other events, such as a girls’ volleyball game, will be occurring at the same time as this event.  If your student has a conflict during our event, please email their director and let us know no later than this Wednesday, October 14 so that we don’t count them as Unexcused for their absence.  See our Band Handbook on our website for more details.

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns, and thank you for your support!

Please note that this message is only intended for the parents/students of Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble:

As we start this 3rd week of school, we want to communicate the expectations for practicing for our advanced band students.  Practicing is necessary outside of class time in order to improve one’s ability on their instrument.  Unlike other classes, band students have homework every week that includes practicing 5 days a week for a minimum of 25 minutes each day. 

Each week, we will be giving students a hard copy of their practice record, as well as posting it in Google Classroom.  After a student practices, a parent will then initial in the box of that particular day.  Practice Records are due the first A Day of the week.  For example, next Monday the 28th is an A Day, so practice records will be due on Monday.  The following week it’s a B Day, so the practice records will be due on Tuesday.  Ten points will be taken off for every day under 5 days that the student does not practice.  For example, if a student only practices 3 days a particular week, their grade would be an 80.

Five points will be deducted for the first day that it is late, followed by 1 point off each subsequent day thereafter.  Practice Records will not be accepted past Friday of the week they are due.  Because practice records are taken as a daily grade every week, a significant portion of a student’s band grade will be determined by their consistency of turning in practice records.  Students should not expect to earn a passing grade for Band if they do not practice and turn in their practice records.

The content of what students will practice will change from week-to-week as they receive their practice records.  As an example, this week’s practice record for Wind Ensemble has been linked here for your viewing.  Symphonic Band’s practice record will be different, and they will receive it in class as well as having it posted to Google Classroom.

The document “How to Practice” has been attached here so both parents and students can better understand how to create successful practice sessions.  We will also be teaching students in class how they should practice, and we would like to count on you the parents to help them schedule their practice times. 

In addition to at-home practice, students may practice in the Band Hall before school starting at 7:30am until 8:00am.  This is a great time for students to get feedback on their practicing from us the directors, as well as ask for help with a particular scale or passage.  In this instance, we the directors would sign the practice record for that particular day.  Students are still responsible for getting directors to sign their practice record if they take advantage of this.  We will not hunt them down!  Please do not take the student’s word for it that they practiced unless you see our initials on their practice record!  Please note that practicing before school is a privilege that can be taken away if students are not focusing and intentionally practicing.  

Thank you for your support of your band student’s improvement on their instrument.  Please let us know if you have any questions or if we can help your student practice better.

If you haven’t already, feel free to watch our Meet the Teacher Night video here: https://youtu.be/fw5lI0Xe4AU.

Remember that ALL students will need to purchase a shirt this year for their uniform. Please fill out their shirt size here no later than this Friday, September 18, if you have not already done so: https://forms.gle/Hdbqnu15icDot6mt9. Payment for the shirt is also due on Friday, and you can pay a variety of ways: Cash or Check made out to BMS with a valid phone number put in an envelope with your student’s name and the item on the outside. We also have on online store where you can pay for shirts, instrument usage fees, and the optional auto decal: http://tinyurl.com/beltonmsbandstore. The first payment for instrument usage fees are also due this Friday.

Thank you to those of you who have already filled out the form and sent in your payment! By now you should have received an email receipt containing your student’s updated financial statement. Email Mr. Pulley if you have any questions on this.

TONIGHT, the Belton HS M100 will having a Spirit Night at Chipotle! Take a night off from cooking and support the HS Band from 4:00-8:00pm. You can order online using the code: LMGPPYV and pick it up to take home. Or go to the Temple location for dine in or take out and show this flyer to give the Band credit. Thanks!

We apologize for the delay in sending out this information, but it’s been a very busy first week of school, including the weekend.  Below is information about turning in money for school-owned instruments, uniform shirts, and the optional auto decals.  We accept cash or checks made out to BMS with a valid phone number.  You can send your student’s money in a sealed envelope with their name and item written on the outside.  They should then give it directly to a director, not the black turn-in box. 

New this year is the ability to pay online using the district’s RevTrack system.  Visit http://tinyurl.com/beltonmsbandstore for the website, but please know the site charges a 4% processing fee and the standard 8.025% sales tax on top of our costs.  

Be sure to visit https://beltonmsband.org/forms and click on Uniform Shirt Order Form if you haven’t yet turned in your student’s shirt size.  Beginner shirts are $10, and the polo shirts for Symphonic Band/Wind Ensemble are $20.  Jazz Band dress shirts are $25.  Be sure to turn in multiple submissions if you would like more than one shirt, say for a parent.  You can also custom order an Auto Decal for your vehicle for $10, and these are optional.  These submissions are due no later than this Friday, September 18.

If your student uses a school-owned instrument, you should have already signed up for a payment plan.  Plan #1 is the full $100 due this week.  Plan #2 is $50 due this week, and another $50 due January 15.  Plan #3 is $25 due this week, as well as November 16, February 16, and April 12.  Plan #4 is $12.50 due this week, as well as the 15th of every month until April 12.

Be sure to let us know if you have any questions.  Thank you for your help as our band program starts to take shape!