Rachel Ollestad

MUSE 355
Dr. Palmer
24 November 2016

Kooksville Middle School Band Syllabus 2016/2017 Academic Year

Teacher: Rachel Ollestad

Office: OT129
Email: reollestad@exosc.k12.in.us
Phone: (314)159-2654

Course Description:

The band program at Kooksville Middle School consists of two separate classes. The
fourth and fifth grade beginning band class meets for one hour on Mondays, Wednesdays,
and Fridays. During this class, students will be gaining the introductory executive and
musical skills necessary to build a solid foundation for future music experiences. The
curriculum for this class includes concepts ranging from how to put the instrument
together, proper playing techniques, and the introduction of music notation to personal
interpretation of music, relationships between music and history and culture, and the way
in which music connects to daily life. Much of the class is be devoted to assessing and
enriching musical readiness skills through exercises that include movement, singing,
clapping, and playing instruments. The sixth, seventh, and eighth grade class meets every
day for forty-five minutes. The primary goal of this class is to expand upon those skills the
students gained in fourth and fifth grade. Students are expected to demonstrate their
ability to perform basic executive skills learned in previous band and music classes, and
will be challenged with increasingly difficult musical repertoire in accordance with their
playing abilities. Students will continue to work on their executive skills, advancing in their
musical reading abilities and monitoring good playing posture and mechanics. This class,
however, will also motivate students to think more independently and critically about the
musical selections they play. Homework assignments will be given to both classes in order
to supplement concepts discussed in class.

Objectives:

During their time in the Kooksville Middle School Band Program students will:
1. learn the necessary executive skills to play their instruments properly and read
standard music notation.
2. cultivate their own emotional interpretation of musical ideas as they develop the
basic vocabulary needed in order to discuss music in an intelligent manner.
3. understand the importance of music as it relates to history and culture.
 4. learn how to work as part of a team, understanding that music is both an individual
and a group activity in which every person is important.
5. develop a life-long love of music by forming meaningful connections between music
and their personal lives.

Class Expectations

Every day, students are expected to:

1. come to class on time, prepared with their music, a pencil, and any homework
assignment that is due.
2. throw away any gum or candy in their mouths as they walk in the door.
3. listen and actively participate in class.
4. touch and play only their own instruments.
5. be respectful of the room, the teacher, their classmates, and themselves at all times.

Discipline Plan

Failure to follow classroom expectations, procedures, and rules will result in the following
consequences. The teacher may deem it appropriate to skip steps depending on the
severity or frequency of the issue.

1. Verbal warning
2. Reduction of participation grade
3. Conference with teacher after class
4. Detention
5. Phone call to parents
6. Conference with parents
7. School referral

Grading System/Assessments

Classroom assessments will be made both informally and formally. The teacher will
monitor students progress as they participate in daily classroom activities, and she will
make formative assessments in order to gauge future lessons and modify any material for
review. Summative assessments, including worksheets, short papers, playing tests, written
tests, pass-off cards, and oral exams will also be used to evaluate students knowledge at
various points throughout the semester and will be included as a part of their formal grade.

Daily Classroom Participation: 30%

Attendance and participation in every class is essential to the progress of music students.
Students should arrive on time to class prepared to participate fully in all classroom
activities. If a student cannot participate for some reason, they should let the teacher know
before the start of class.
Homework assignments: 25%
A variety of assignments will be assigned throughout the school year in order to assess and
reinforce concepts taught in class. Examples of these assignments include a weekly pass-off
card, short essays over the history or composers of pieces and the cultural emotional
significance of a piece of music, and worksheets. Students need to complete these
assignments accurately and submit them on or before the due in order to receive full credit.
Late assignments will lose five points per day late.

Tests: 25%
Similar to homework assignments, a variety of tests will be given throughout the school
year to assess student learning and progress. Some of these tests will be written and cover
any material discussed in class. Other tests will include playing exams over a previously
determined piece of music or section of repertoire. Oral/demonstration exams may be
given so that students have the opportunity to show the teacher their skills.

Concert/Performance Attendance: 20%

One of the most important aspects of performing as part of an ensemble is participation in
concerts and performances. There will be several opportunities for the students to
showcase the skills they have been developing throughout the year. Students will be given
a calendar of required performances at the beginning of the school year. It is the
responsibility of the students to communicate these dates with their guardians and notify
Miss Ollestad of any conflicts at least one month prior to the performance.

Concert Attire

The band program will sponsor various concerts throughout the academic year, and it is
important that students dress appropriately for these performances. The goal of our attire
policy is to minimize distractions that detract from the musical performance by making the
members of the bands look as uniform as possible.

Concert attire:
Black dress (at least knee length when sitting and with length sleeves), black
pantyhose, black closed-toed dress shoes
Black pants, black shirt (at least length sleeves and with no logos or designs),
black socks or pantyhose, black closed-toed dress shoes
Minimal jewelry and makeup, no finger-nail polish

If there are any issues that inhibit a students ability to acquire and/or wear the
appropriate concert attire, please contact Miss Ollestad directly.
Junior All State-Band and All-Region Band

The Indiana Junior All-State Band is an ensemble made up of the top musicians from
each middle school in Indiana that meets and rehearses for one weekend before giving a
concert. Students must submit an application as well as a $10 entry fee along with a
recording of audition material in order to be eligible to be selected for the group. This is a
wonderful way to allow students to play with other talented musicians from all over the
state.

The All-Region band is similar to All-State except that students are only selected
from the surrounding regional areas. This application does not require a recorded audition,
but students must submit a letter of recommendation from Miss Ollestad. Both of these
events would help to improve the musicality of every student who attends. It allows
students to learn from new instructors, meet other musicians from all over the state, and
form friendships with students from other schools.

Important Information:

Junior All-State Entry Deadline: Nov. 12

Fees: $10 application fee, $195 registration fee if selected
Junior All-State Band Festival Dates: Jan. 12-14
Junior All-State Band Festival Location: Fort Wayne Convention Center

All-Region Entry Deadline: Sept. 9

Fees: $10 application fee, $35 registration fee if selected
All-Region Honor Band Festival Dates: Nov. 12-13
All-Region Honor Band Festival Location: East Washington High School (Pekin)

ISSMA Solo and Ensemble

Students have the enriching opportunity to participate in Indiana State School Music
Associations annual Solo and Ensemble competition. This event is a competition in which
students of any skill level perform a piece of music in front of a qualified judge to receive
feedback and a medal or ribbon. Students who perform in the most advanced category will
advance to the state competition later in the year and will perform for a different judge.
There are two different main categories available for students to choose. They can perform
solo pieces or can form small ensembles to perform chamber music in front of a judge.

While students are not required to participate in Solo and Ensemble, they will be
required to prepare a solo piece of music or take part in some kind of chamber ensemble.
Students will play their pieces for Miss Ollestad and discuss whether or not they wish to
submit an entry form for Solo and Ensemble. Solo and Ensemble is a wonderful way for
students to get out of their comfort zone and perform for a judge in order to receive
feedback on ways to improve as a musician. Parents should discuss this opportunity with
their children and encourage them to seize this chance to become better musicians!
Solo and Ensemble Important Information:

Entry Form Deadline: Nov. 3

District Competition Date: Feb. 4
State Competition Date: Feb. 25
Entry Fees: $15.00 per solo entry, $7.00 per member of an ensemble (if you participate in
multiple ensembles, you will be charged per ensemble)
a. Students who sign up for Group I will be charged an additional fee if they pass on
to the state round and decide to participate.
District Solo and Ensemble Site for Winds and Percussion: Columbus East High School
State Solo and Ensemble Site for Winds and Percussion: North Central High School

*Students who wish to participate in Group I need to notify me by Oct. 3 in order to

receive approval.

ISSMA Organizational Festival

Kooksville Bands will participate in one ISSMA judged performance per academic year to
receive constructive feedback regarding their ability to play as a cohesive ensemble. There
will be no excused absences granted for this performance.

Date of ISSMA Organizational: Apr. 1

ISSMA Organizational Site: Columbus East High School
 2016/2017 Academic Calendar (some dates may be added as events are finalized):

Date Event Location Time

August 4 First Student Day
September 9 All-Region Application Due
October 5-9 Fall Break No School
November 3 Solo and Ensemble Forms
Due
November 12 Junior All-State Application
Due
November 12-13 All- Region Honor Band East Washington 8:30am-4:30pm
High School 2pm-4:45pm
November 23-27 Thanksgiving Break No
School
December 5 Marching Band Practice for Kooksville High 6-8pm
Festival of Lights Parade School
December 6 Festival of Lights Parade Downtown TBA
Kooksville
December 15 Winter Concert Dress Kooksville Middle 6-8pm
Rehearsal School
December 16 Winter Concert Kooksville Middle 6:30pm
School
December 21- January 4 Christmas Break
January 12-14 Junior All-State Fort Wayne All Weekend
January 18 MLK Day No School
February 4 District Solo and Ensemble Columbus East High Individual times to be
Competition School assigned
February 25 State Solo and Ensemble North Central High Individual times to be
Competition School assigned
March 14-25 Spring Break No School

April 1 ISSMA Organizational Columbus East High TBA

Festival School
April 22 Spring Concert Dress Kooksville Middle 6-8pm
Rehearsal School
April 23 Spring Concert Kooksville Middle 6:30pm
School
May 17 Band Awards Ceremony Kooksville Middle 6:30pm
School
May 25 Last Day for Students
A Letter to Students and Families:
Today, your child attended a concert put on by the Kooksville Middle School and
High School Bands. The purpose of this concert was to provide students with information
regarding the beginning band program offered at Kooksville Middle School next year. As a
parent, you will play a very important part in the success of your student if they decide to
be a part of our organization.
I want to take this opportunity to invite you to an open house and informational
session at Kooksville Middle School on May 20 at 7:00pm. At this session, you will receive
more information regarding the band program and how your student can become involved.
Studying music offers a wide variety of benefits to students. Throughout their time
in the band program, they will learn self-discipline through practice, time management, and
teamwork through playing in an ensemble. Students will enjoy a sense of pride at working
towards a goal and sharing the product of their hard work with friends and family at our
performances. More than anything else, though, students will have the unique opportunity
to explore their own culture and the culture of others through a creative art shared by
almost every culture in the world.
Your child may have already approached you with the desire to play an instrument. I
realize, though, that you might have several questions ranging from Which instrument
should they play? to When is the first concert?
Before the end of the school year, usually around the end of May, we will be fitting
students for instruments. Our goal during this time is to allow students to test a wide
variety of instruments in order to find the most appropriate instrument for them and their
future success as a musician in this band program.
In order to develop a balanced instrumentation for our ensembles so that students
can have the most enriching ensemble experience as possible, here are the instruments
available for students to study:

Oboe, Trumpet, French Horn, Tuba, Euphonium, Trombone (we will need a fair
number of these instruments)
Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Percussion (fewer of these instruments are
needed)

I hope to see you and your student in the Kooksville Middle School band room at
7:00pm in the band room. Some light refreshments will be served and we will also have
some performances from the current beginning, middle, and high school ensembles!

If you or your student has questions, please dont hesitate to contact me by email or
phone.

Sincerely yours,
Miss Rachel Ollestad
Band Director
Kooksville Middle School
reollestad@exosc.k12.in.us
(314)159-2654