Sign your child up with Beginning Band as
FIRST CHOICE on the schedule sheet and return it on time to your child’s 5th grade teacher.
Be sure to come to the beginner band instrument drive on February 2nd. Your child must be interviewed by a band director before they can be placed on an instrument.
This is to insure that they play an instrument that fits
their physical attributes.
Once you and the band director have chosen your instrument, begin the process for obtaining the instrument. Be sure to follow the process that the band directors inform you of when you sign up.
Sign up with the band directors to be a part of the private lesson program. You can start lessons early in the summer so that you give your student a head start.
If for some reason you can’t come to the drive, call the band office and set up an appointment to meet with Mr. Smith on a different date.
Enjoy the rest of the year in elementary school. Middle School is just around the corner.
Studying Music is Preparation for Life
We all want our
children to experience a healthy, happy and prosperous life
and to enjoy themselves in the process. There are certain
mental tools which aid in this goal, and music is crucial in
honing these tools:
Creativity.
Music opens horizons
of the mind and supports wonderment, imagination,
appreciation, and sensitivity. Creativity is the source of
possibility and is a mental muscle that must be trained and
exercised often.
Communication. Music
is a language beyond words. Music can only be explained with
music because of its various styles, textures, tempos, and
dynamics. Music truly stirs the soul of people. No words or
visual display can come close to the emotional impact of
music.
Critical
Assessment. Music is
one of the key areas where an individual can develop a
consistency between intellectual and emotional
understanding. Here is the chance to bridge the cognitive
and affective data of life, which many feel is the recipe of
genius. We can create formulas instead of just solutions,
and we can be pro-active rather than re-active. We can open
the mind and avoid tunnel vision - and in doing so, come up
with discerning opinions which develop quality character.
Commitment.
It is almost
impossible to be "partially committed" to music. One may
quit on a test, refuse to turn in an assignment, or just not
be aware of what is going on in a lecture class, but the
participation level in music requires a focus of attention
unlike most subjects in school. Music causes one to learn
persistence and the value of "not giving up," even when
there is the temptation to throw in the towel. Many have
pointed to "stay power" as one of the greatest personal
attributes in our society. Welcome to one of the key
benefits of the study of music.
Excerpts
from "The Value of Music"
by Tim Lautzenheiser
Attitude Concepts for Today
