District 66 Solo Festival

 Solo Festival Preparation To Begin Soon

Each year, the music department from Dist. 66 hosts a solo festival for all band members in grades 5-8. As a Cadet Band member, your child will soon begin preparing for this performance that will take place in January.

The purpose of having students prepare a solo is to help them improve their musical skills in many areas. The solo, that every child plays is determined by their ability level. They will have plenty of time to prepare the solo for performance. By performing alone, it gives each child an opportunity to show off their skills. It also forces them to be independent and build some self confidence in their playing. Memorization is important because it shows that they have really spent a lot of time getting to know the solo in great detail.
Students will be judged in several areas:

Intonation – How well they play in tune.
Tone Quality – Is the sound that they produce clear and pleasing to the ear.
Rhythmic Accuracy – Are they interpreting the rhythm of the music correctly.
Technique – Can they play the piece fluently with correct tonguing, slurs, sticking, etc..
Musicianship – Did they play with some emotion, loud and soft, fast and slow, etc…
Memorization – How well did the student memorize the piece.
Appearance – Did they dress well and preset themselves in an appropriate manner.

All soloists will be given a rating of Superior, Excellent, Good, etc.. and medals will be awarded to all students who receive a rating of good or better. This is a wonderful and sometimes stressful experience for students no matter what their experience level. This has proven to be one of the best ways to improve a student’s musicianship.
Solos will be handed out within the next couple of weeks so be on the look out for it. By mid January you should know your child’s solo almost as well as they do.

More info to come!!

Mr. T

 

10/17/07 Practice Techniques

Practice Makes Better!! Ways to help your child develop good practice techniques.

Parents often ask me how to get they can get their child to practice more? Many often say, “I don’t have any musical training, how can I help my son or daughter with band?” Another statement often made is, “How do I know if they are playing things correctly?” I would like to offer some suggestions that may help you, help your child. After many years of seeing music students come and go, as well as having two children of my own that also play instruments, I have learned a lot.

Practice Time
This is the area where parents and students struggle the most. As a parent, I realize that schedules are tight. As we try to balance our schedules and the schedules that we have for our children, something must give from time to time. Even the band director’s child may have a bad week of practice here and there. So here are some things you can do to help keep your young musician on the right track.

Make practicing a priority – If you show interest in having your child practice just like you do when they have homework, it will hopefully become a priority for them.

Make homework time practice time- Consider practicing as part of their homework time. It should be treated like any other academic subjects. As students go through their assignments for the evening, include their band assignment as part of their work. Music is a great way to give the brain a break and use some other senses for a while. Studies have shown that music helps the brain think in a different way and that translates into more success in the academic classroom.

Ask your child to play for you – You may not have any musical training but you do have ears. Show your child that you want to hear them play. You may not know exactly what they are playing but you can tell if something sounds good. Many of the lines from the lesson book are familiar songs so you may know them. You can comment on their sound, their posture, if it has improved since the last time you heard it. Kids want you to notice when they are doing something positive. Don’t send them away to practice. Have them near by so you can hear them if not see them. Ask them to play for their family members at gatherings.

It’s not always how much time but how many- People often say that you have to practice 30 min. or 45 min. each day. Depending on what level your child is at, the length of time a child practices may vary. I have found that not every child can stay focused for 30 or 40 min. or so when practicing alone. It may be better to break up the practice time into smaller practice sessions. Students may practice for 15 minutes on a few things, take a break, and come back and do 15 or 20 minutes later. This can help keep them fresh.

Use the practice CD’s – Every Standard of Excellence book comes with a play along cd to help the students with the lines in their book. Many of them do not use it but it is a great way to help them identify incorrect notes and rhythms. It also helps keep a steady pulse. Some of the lines may be played too fast on the recording to play along with but it can still help them identify whether they are playing it correct or not.

Get some music to play for fun – All of the music your child plays does not have to be from the lesson book. Go to your local music store or go online to find some music that they like to play for fun. Holiday songbooks, Disney, Movies, Popular music, you name it and it is out there. Choose something that is easy to play in a short period of time. If you would like some suggestions please let me know. I hope to have some links up on the music web page soon for you to access.

Practice with a friend – From time to time it might be more fun if your child practices with a friend. Practicing with someone also gives your child someone to get feedback from.I hope that some of the suggestions that I have made will help you have a better idea of how to approach your child’s practice habits. You can make a difference simply by being involved and interested in your child’s musical education.

Thanks,
Mr. T

10/15/07 Things You Should Know……

As the mid-point of the trimester passes I thought it would be a good time to help you check to see how your child is doing.  The Cadet Band handbook outlines everything you should know and is available online.

Important Numbers

·         Mr. Tedeschi’s office phone – 630-783-5124

• Dist. 66 Website – www.ccsd66.org
• Cadet Band Blog page – http://pvcadetband.wordpress.com/
• Music Homepage: http://www.ccsd66.org/MusicWeb/CCSDMusic/ccsdmusichome.html

 Rehearsals

All Cadet Band students should be attending regular rehearsals on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  So far things have been going well!!  I would like to start no later than 7:15 so that we can maximize the limited time we have. 

 Lessons

Lesson schedules are available on the music homepage.  If you need to check when your child’s lesson is you can do so by accessing it online.  Most of the kids are doing a good job keeping track of it on their lesson days but it doesn’t hurt to remind them as they leave in the morning.  Schedules are also posted in the classrooms.

Practice Charts

As we did last year, the students should be keeping a weekly practice chart.  All of the students we issued a practice chart to log at the beginning of the trimester.  They are also available from the music homepage.  The goal for all Cadet Band students is to do between 80 and 100 minutes of practice at home each week.  Students receive a weekly grade for their practice sheet.  Most of the kids are doing a great job with this.  If you haven’t seen one lately, please ask your child for it.  You should be signing it weekly.   This practice time may also include time with a private teacher if they are taking private lessons. 

Supplies

Your child should have all of the necessary supplies to keep his or her instrument in working order.  If your child needs consumable items such as reeds, grease, oil, swabs, drum sticks, etc.. they can be purchased through me or Mr. Ohlsen.  We keep a stock of some supplies at school so that the kids can get them when they need them.  A price list of what the supplies cost is located on the music home page.  If you need to purchase something for your child, please send it in an envelope with your child’s name on it, list what it is for and how much is enclosed.  Make checks payable to District 66 Music Boosters or send cash. 

Thanks        

Mr. T

10/12/07 Cadet Band Update and Handbook Info

Cadet Band Update

Now that things have been running on a regular basis for a few weeks, I hope to be a little more consistent with what is happening with the Cadet Band students. I would urge you to use the music homepage for information and to help navigate to our blog pages and other useful information. http://www.ccsd66.org/MusicWeb/CCSDMusic/ccsdmusichome.html 

Cadet Band Handbook (Please read)

Located on the music homepage is the Cadet Band Handbook. This is new this year and I hope it will help you get a better understanding of how the band program operates and what the expectations are for the kids. This document is located under the Handbook / Information heading. I would ask that you take a few minutes to read through it.

The last page of the handbook is a signature / information page. Please print this page out. The signature page will need to be completed and returned to Mr. Tedeschi by October 25,2007. In addition to the signature page there is a Music Booster fee for the solo festival and a uniform shirt. The Cadet Band will be wearing a green District 66 Music polo shirt for our performances. If your child was in choir last year and their shirt still fits then you will not need to order one. If your child needs a shirt because they do not own one or they no longer fit into their shirt, please indicate that by your choice on the handbook page. The fee will either be $35.00 or $15,00. Everything is explained on the handbook page.

Also included in the handbook as well as on the homepage is the performance schedule for the year. Please print one out or save the music homepage to your favorites. Our first performance this year is on Saturday, Dec. 1 at Lakeview for our annual District 66 Winter Invitational. All of the performances are listed for all of the performing ensembles in the district.

If you have any questions regarding any of this information please contact me at your convenience.

Thanks,

Mr. T

 

 

9/21/07 Welcome to Cadet Band

Here we Go!

The Cadet Band has had a successful start to the new school year.  Thanks for all of your patience in waiting for this information to come out.  This will be my primary source of communication.  I hope that you will find this helpful in managing your child’s schedule and informative regarding your child’s progress in the band program.  This Blog site will be for information only.  I will let you know when there is new information on the Cadet Band blog.  You can respond to the lvband web address or ttedeschi@ccsd66.org.  I can also be reached at 630-783-5124.  I am really looking forward to working with this group.  Below are a few things you should know as we get started.  I will be publishing a handbook next week that will outline the program and expectations.

About Me (Mr. T)

This is year 18 for me in District 66.  As many of you know, I live in the district and I have two sons.  Sam is in 5th grade and Danny is in 7th grade.  I have a B.M. in Music Education from DePaul University, a Masters of Music Education fro VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, and a Masters of School Administration from Northern Illinois University.  In this district, I have taught 6-8 choir, 6-8 general music, Jazz Band, Beginning Band, and all of the concert bands.  I was a trumpet player when I was growing up and going through school and it was my major instrument in college.  I was the lead male singer and trumpet player in a band that played for weddings, parties, festivals, conventions, and charity events for 24 years.  We just recently broke up.

I have a great passion for my job and think that every child should have the opportunity to be a part of a musical group and be able to create music with others.  We are very lucky to have tremendous support from our district administration, teachers, and especially our community.  The benefits of music in a child’s education are countless.  I hope to provide your child with a positive experience that will carry on for many years.

Lessons and Schedules

Regular lessons have begun as well as the continued tracking of your child’s practice chart on a weekly basis.  Your child should be asking you to sign their practice chart weekly so that I can see what kind of progress they are making at home.  Every child should be filling one out by this time.  The lesson schedules and practice charts are available on line.  Go to the district website at www.ccsd66.org and go to the Prairieview page.  You can access the forms from the music site on the Prairieview page.  If you have trouble accessing it please let me know. Students are graded weekly for their performance at their lesson as well as given points for a completed practice chart.  Students are asked to accumulate 80-100 min. if practice time per week.  They will receive 10 points per week for a completed practice chart with a minimum of 80min.

I will have more information regarding participation in the Cadet Band soon.  Have a great weekend.

Mr. Tedeschi