Brocks gap BAND

April 2, 2012

Brocks Gap Intermediate School Band

1730 Lake Cyrus Club Dr Hoover, AL 35244 205-439-1628 Josh Lynch, Director jlynch@hoover.k12.al.us Website: jlynch.wiki.hoover.k12.al.us

Hello, future Brocks Gap Band students and parents! WE WANT YOU to become a part of our band program next year as a 6th grader! One of the many great things about being in our band at Brocks Gap is that you will be plugged into the life of our school and make a large number of friends instantaneously! Besides having a tons of fun and going on trips, band has a lot to offer. There are opportunities for creativity, leadership, and responsibility. Music itself is important in becoming a well-rounded student. It creates high self-esteem and has shown to have correlation with high academic achievement levels in math, science, social studies, reading, and language arts, because it relates directly to all subject areas. Most importantly, it prepares you for life by teaching you excellent communication skills and how to think independently. Parents, I recently attended and taught your childs 5th grade music class at Brocks Gap. During this class, I introduced them to the instruments we have in the band, demonstrated some of the instruments for them, and gave them some basic information about becoming a part of our band program. Students will be receiving their course selection sheets for 6th grade in the very near future, on which they will have to select one elective course. Please take time to speak with your child about their interest in music and becoming a part of the band next year at Brocks Gap. You may have questions about our band program, so the most frequently asked questions are included for you to look over in addition to a handout full of statistics showing the importance of studying music. If you have any further questions, please feel free to call the band office at 439-1628, or e-mail me at the address listed above. You can also check out our band website at http:// jlynch.wiki.hoover.k12.al.us for a plethora of information about our band program. We look forward to seeing you in the fall! Sincerely, Joshua Lynch Director of Bands

FAQs about the Bumpus Band Program Most Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What does my child have to gain by being in band? The benefits of being in the band program are numerous. Music is an important part of everyones life in some way, and music education can immeasurably enrich a young persons life. The National Arts Education Standards statement says: No one can claim to be fully educated who lacks knowledge and skills in the arts. Research has shown a positive correlation between learning experiences in the arts and enhanced student achievement in academic classes and standardized tests. Band also involves students in an organization that develops leadership, pride in oneself and ones organization, and the importance of working towards common goals as a team. 2. Can my child play sports and also participate in band? Yes! Students who wish to play sports in middle school can most certainly be a student in our band program as well. Band is an in-class activity, and sports teams practice after school. We have very few after-school rehearsals throughout the year as to avoid conflict with after-school activities such as athletics. A large number of students in our band program are involved in sports such as football, basketball, softball, tennis, track, wrestling, and golf. 3. How much does it cost? The primary cost for beginning band students and their parents is the purchase of an instrument. While this can be expensive, many good options are available. Instruments may be purchased or rented, and many companies have rent-to-own options as well as financing plans. Also, there is usually a supply of good used instruments in the area. In addition to the instrument, there are a few other minor expenses such as books, reeds, mouthpieces, and other cleaning items to keep the instrument in good working order. 4. Does my child have to have a special aptitude or prior musical studies to be in band? No! There are only two elements needed to be successful in banda positive attitude and a good work ethic. A student with only an average amount of ability can easily be very successful by keeping up in class and working hard. Previous musical instruction is not necessary. An instrument aptitude test will be given to each student to help them select the instrument that is best suited for him or her. Every student who desires to be in band, regardless of aptitude, will be given a place in the R. F. Bumpus Middle School Band. 5. What does my child have to look forward to in his/her future in the band? During the first year, the Sixth Grade Band performs a Holiday Concert and a Spring Concert. 6th Grade Band students will have the opportunity to compete in the spring at Solo and Ensemble Festival for Superior medals. Our 6th Grade Band also performs at the 5th grade orientation and at Hoover High School in the spring. As 7th and 8th Grade Band students, your child will also have an opportunity to participate in the Alabama Junior High All-State Honor Band and District IV Honor Band, U.A.B. Honor Band, Samford University Honor Band, and District and State Band Contest. Most importantly, these students will develop a musical skill which will stay them the rest of their lives.

DiD you know that

IF YOU ARE A BAND STUDENT IN AMERICA TODAY, YOU
1. Are 92% more likely to graduate from college than the average student 2. Are 67% more likely to receive a masters degree than the average student 3. Are 33% more likely to receive a doctorate degree than the average student 4. Have the highest high school graduation rate than any other school organization other than the National Honor Society 5. Have the highest composite GPA than any other school organization other than the National Honor Society 6. Score an average of 57 points higher in the verbal portion of the SAT and 44 points higher in the math portion of the SAT. 7. Have a better than average shot at being President of the United States one day! Every U.S. President had some form of musical training in their background, with the exception of Richard Nixon (and we see how well that worked out for him!). -Scott Lang Leadership Seminars In a 2000 survey, 73 percent of respondents agree that teens who play an instrument are less likely to have discipline problems. - Americans Love Making Music And Value Music Education More Highly Than Ever, American Music Conference, 2000. Students who can perform complex rhythms can also make faster and more precise corrections in many academic and physical situations, accor ding to the Center for Timing, Coordination, and Motor Skills - Rhythm seen as key to musics evolutionary role in human intellectual development, Center for Timing, Coordination, and Motor Skills, 2000. A ten-year study indicates that students who study music achieve higher test scores, regardless of socioeconomic background. - Dr. James Catterall, UCLA. A 1997 study of elementary students in an arts-based program concluded that students math test scores rose as their time in arts education classes increased. - Arts Exposure and Class Performance, Phi Delta Kappan, October, 1998 First-grade students who had daily music instruction scored higher on creativity tests than a control group without music instruction. - K.L. Wolff, The Effects of General Music Education on the Academeic Achievement, Perceptual-Motor Development, Creative Thinking, and School Attendance of FirstGrade Children, 1992 In a Scottish study, one group of elementary students received musical training, while another other group received an equal amount of discussion skills training. After six (6) months, the students in the music group achieved a significant increase in reading test scores, while the reading test scores of the discussion skills group did not change. - Sheila Douglas and Peter Willatts, Journal of Research in Reading, 1994. According to a 1991 study, students in schools with arts-focused curriculums reported significantly more positive perceptions about their academic abilities than students in a comparison group. - Pamela Aschbacher and Joan Herman, The Humanitas Program Evaluation, 1991. Students who are rhythmically skilled also tend to better plan, sequence, and coordinate actions in their daily lives. - Cassily Column, TCAMS Professional In a 1999 Columbia University study, students in the arts are found to be more cooperative with teachers and peers, more self-confident, and better able to express their ideas. These benefits exist across socioeconomic levels. - The Arts Education Partnership, 1999.urce Center, 2000. College admissions officers continue to cite participation in music as an important factor in making admissions decisions. They claim that music participation demonstrates time management, creativity, expression, and open-mindedness. - Carl Hartman, Arts May Improve Students Grades, The Associated Press, October, 1999. According to a 2000 survey, eighty-one (81) percent of people responding believe that participating in school music corresponds with better grades and test scores. This is an increase of fourteen (14) percent over the 1997 results for the same question. - Attitudes, NAMM (International Music Products Association), 2000. Researchers at the University of California and the Niigata Brain Research Institute in Japan have found an area of the brain that is activated only when reading musical scores. - Musical Brain Special Brain Area Found for Reading Music Scores, NeuroReport, 1998. Ninety-two (92) percent of people who play an instrument say they were glad they learned to do so, according to a 2000 Gallup Poll. - Gallup Poll Shows Strong Support for Putting Music in Every Schools Curriculum, Giles Communications,2000. The arts are recognized as a core subject in the Goals 2000: Educate America Act approved by both houses of Congress in 1994. - National Education Goals Panel. A two-year Swiss study involving 1,200 children in 50 schools showed that students involved in the music program were better at languages, learned to read more easily, showed an improved social climate, demonstrated more enjoyment in school, and had a lower stress level than non-music students. - E.W. Weber, M. Spychiger, and J.L. Patry, 1993. Research shows when the arts are included in a students curriculum, reading, writing, and math scores improve. - J. Buchen Milley, A. Oderlund, and J. Mortarotti, The Arts: An Essential Ingredient in Education, The California Council of the Fine Arts Deans. The College Board identifies the arts as one of the six basic academic subject areas students should study in order to succeed in college. - Academic Preparation for College: What Students Should Know and Be Able to Do, The College Board. When researchers analyzed the NELS:88 database of the U.S. Department of Education, which tracked 25,000 students over a ten-year period, they discovered that students who were involved in music scored higher on standardized tests and reading tests than students not taking music courses. This finding was consistent for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds. - Dr. James Catterall, UCLA, 1997. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania School District analyzed its 1997 dropout rate in terms of students musical experience. Students with no ensemble performance experience had a dropout rate of 7.4 percent. Students with one to two years of ensemble experience had a dropout rate of 1 percent, and those with three or more years of performance experience had a dropout rate of 0.0 percent. Eleanor Chute, Music and Art Lessons Do More Than Complement Three Rs, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 13, 1998. Students with band and orchestra experience attend college at a rate twice the national average. - Bands Across the USA. Music students out-perform non-music on achievement tests in reading and math. Skills such as reading, anticipating, memory, listening, forecasting, recall, and concentration are developed in musical performance, and these skills are valuable to students in math, reading, and science. - B. Friedman, An Evaluation of the Achievement in Reading and Arithmetic of Pupils in Elementary School Instrumental Music Classes, Dissertation Abstracts International.

Music therapists working with Alzheimers patients have found that rhythmic interaction or listening to music resulted in decreased agitation, increased focus and concentration, enhanced ability to respond verbally and behaviorally, elimination of demented speech, improved ability to respond to questions, and better social interaction. - Carol Prickett and Randall Moore, The Use of Music to Aid Memory of Alzheimers Patients, Journal of Music Therapy, 1991. Medical researchers have reported that subjects lowered bother their systolic and diastolic blood pressure as much as five points (mm/Hg) and reduced heart rates by four to five beats per minute following music listening sessions. People with high blood pressure can help keep their blood pressure down by listening to tapes of relaxing low frequency music in the morning and evening. - Tony Wigram, The Psychological and Physiological Effects of Low Frequency Sound and Music, Music