HamiltonSchoolDistrict

HamiltonHeightsMiddleSchool

MusicDepartment:StudentHandbook

20132014

OpeningOurEyestotheFeelingofSound

ContactInformation

DEPARTMENTOFMUSIC HamiltonSchoolDistrict 1RoseDrive HamiltonHeights,UV314159265 LMILLER@hamheights.edu

Phone:(314)1592653

IfyouhaveanyquestionsregardingthemusicdepartmentoftheHamiltonSchool District,youarewelcometocontactLarryMillerbyphoneatthefollowingtimes. MonFri:5:00PM9:30PM Sat:12:00PM9:30PM Sun:4:00PM9:30PM

Staff

LarryMiller VocalEnsembleDirector HamiltonSingersDirector LMILLER@hamheights.edu

SethMcVey HamiltonHornetsConcertBandDirector HamiltonHonorsBandDirector SMCVEY@hamheights.edu

EmilyLively HamiltonStringsEnsembleDirector HamiltonYouthOrchestraDirector ELIVELY@hamheights.edu

MusicalEnsembles

VocalEnsemble VocalEnsembleisopentoallstudentsofHamiltonHeightsMiddleSchool.Studentsare abletosignupfortheVocalEnsemblewithoutanycurricularprerequisite.Everysemester, theVocalEnsemblewilldiveintoavarietyofstylesandrepertoiretoallowstudentstofind connectionswithmusictheyenjoy.Aswellasbeginningtogatheranunderstandingof vocaltechnique,studentswilllearntofollowtheconductor,usesolfgeandothersimple musicalconcepts,andworkasateam.Attheendofeachsemester,theVocalEnsemble willparticipateinajointperformancewiththeHamiltonSingersintheHamiltonHeights HighSchoolauditorium.Creditforthisensembleisamandatoryprerequisitefor HamiltonSingers.

HamiltonSingers HamiltonSingersistheauditionedchoirofHamiltonHeightsMiddleSchool.Toaudition, studentsmustcompleteatleastonesemesterofVocalEnsemble.Theauditioning processincludesashortmelodicsightreadingandapreparedauditionpiece.Pieces appropriateforauditionwillbediscussedduringthestudentstimeinVocalEnsemble.The performanceofthestudentwillbeevaluatedwitharubricassessingtone,pitch,and expression.HamiltonSingersislimitedto40members,andtherubricbasedassessment allowsforasystematicapproachtoauditioning.TherepertoireoftheHamiltonSingers consistsofvarietyofworksrangingfromclassicalrepertoireutilizingmanydifferent languagestomodernchoralworkstoarrangementsoffamiliarpoptunes.

HamiltonStringsEnsemble Thestringsensembleisopentoanyonewhowishestoplayastringinstrument.Thereisno experiencerequiredtobeapartofthisensemble.Dependingontheneedofthe ensemble,instrumentsmaybechosenforstudents.Inthisensemble,techniquewillbe taughtthroughtheuseoftheEssentialElementsseries.Instrumentsusedinthisensemble includeviolin,viola,cello,anduprightbass.Repertoirewillconsistofrudimentaryclassical andfolkmusictopreparethestudentforthewidervarietyofmusicperformedinthe HamiltonYouthOrchestra.CreditforthisensembleisaprerequisitefortheHamilton YouthOrchestra.

HamiltonHornetsConcertBand TheConcertBandisopentoanyonewhowishestoplayawindorpercussioninstrument. Inthisensemble,techniquewillbetaughtbytheuseoftheEssentialElementsseries throughthevarietyofpiecesmeanttocreateamoreversatileinstrumentalistandmusician. Werecommendstudentswhowishtoplayawindinstrumentchoosefromthefollowing instruments:flute,clarinet,Frenchhorn,trumpet,saxophones,trombone,bassclarinet,and tuba.Creditforatleastonesemesterofthisensembleisaprerequisiteto auditioningfortheHamiltonHonorsBandand/orHamiltonYouthOrchestra.

HamiltonYouthOrchestra TheHamiltonYouthistheauditionedorchestralensembleofHamiltonHeightsMiddle School.StudentscanauditionattheconclusionoftheirsemesterofeithertheHamilton HornetsConcertBandortheHamiltonStringsEnsemble.Theauditionconsistsofasolo pieceintheclassicalrepertoirelistandtwoscaleswhichdisplaytheabilityofthestudent. Theperformanceofthestudentwillbeevaluatedwitharubricassessingtone,pitch, expression,intonation,etc.Forty(40)studentswhoachieveorsurpasstheminimumscore willbeinvitedtojointheHamiltonYouthOrchestra.Windstudentsthatauditionforboth theYouthOrchestraandHonorsBandmaybemovedbetweenensemblesasis appropriate.Repertoireforthisensembleincludeslargerclassicalorchestralworksand moderncompositions.

HamiltonHonorsBand StudentsthathavecompletedatleastonesemesterofHamiltonHornetsConcertBandare giventheopportunitytoauditionfortheHamiltonHonorsBand.Anidealhonorsensemble ismadeupofstudentsthatarewillingtolearnasindependentmusiciansaswellas membersofateam.Theensembleismadeupofapproximatelytwentyfive(25)wind playersandten(10)percussionists.Thewindauditionrequiresapieceofclassical repertoire(asdiscussedinConcertBand)andascaleofthedirectorschoosing.Arubric writtenbythedirectorwillbeusedinordertoassessthephrasing,intonation,pitch,and expressiononwindinstruments.Technique,rudiments,expression,andrhythmicaccuracy willbetestedforpercussioninstruments.Thetopscoresareselectedandwelcomedinto theensemble.WindstudentsthatauditionforboththeYouthOrchestraand HonorsBandmaybemovedbetweenensemblesasisappropriate.

ParticipatinginMultipleEnsembles

Studentsareallowedbythescheduletoparticipateinoneauditionedensembleandone introductoryensemble.Thisisbecauseallensemblesmeetduring8thperiod.The schedulefortheseisasfollows:

Monday HamiltonSingers YouthOrchestra HonorsBand Tuesday VocalEnsemble StringsEnsemble ConcertBand Wednesday HamiltonSingers YouthOrchestra HonorsBand Thursday VocalEnsemble StringsEnsemble ConcertBand Friday HamiltonSingers YouthOrchestra HonorsBand

Asyoucansee,astudentmayselectanauditionedensemblefortheMWFschedulewhile alsoattendinganintroductoryensembleonTuesdaysandThursdays.

Pulloutlessons

Pulloutlessonsareavailabletoparticipatingstudentsthatrequestextrahelp.Atthe discretionoftherespectiveteacher,astudentmaymissuptooneclassaweektovisitthe musicdirectorforaprivatelesson.Topartakeinthis,youmusthaveasignatureofthe teacheroftheclassyouaremissing,thesignatureoftheteacheroftheensembleyouare playingfor,andasignaturefromyourguidancecounsellor. Anewalternativetopulloutlessonsareinternetbasedinstructionwithdirectorsasthey seefit.Recordingscanbesenttothedirectorsbyemail,andcomments/instructionare abletobesentback.Whilethisreliesonthestudentsaccesstotheappropriate technology,itisanoteworthyalternative.

Travelling

Eachyear,thereisthepossibilitythatanyoftheseensembleswilltravel.Therearealso regionalensemblesforeachdiscipline.Thepoliciesregardingeachoftheseeventswillbe properlydistributedastheyappear.Studentsshouldfollowtherulessetbytheteacherand bytheseparatemusicfestivals.

PracticingatHome

Studentsareexpectedtopracticetheirmusicoutsideofrehearsal.Forallensembles, directorswillexpectatleast30minutesperdayofoutsidepractice.Thisincludeslearning text,learningmusic,andtechnicalwork.Ifthestudentdoesnothaveproperequipmentat home,arrangementscanbemadewiththedirectorforpracticetime.

AttendanceandPerformanceEligibility

Inordertobeeligibletobeapartofanyperformance,thestudentcannothavemorethan five(5)unexcusedabsencesinasemester.Ifastudentisparticipatinginanauditioned ensembleandthestudenthasthree(3)unexcusedabsencesfortherehearsalperiodofan ensemble,thestudentcannotparticipateintheperformanceforthatensemble.Ifthe studentfulfillstheirattendancerequirementsforclassesbutnottheirrequirementtogoto thedressrehearsals,thenthestudentmaynotparticipateinthatperformance.Afterthefive (5)orinthesecondcasethree(3)absences,thestudentwillhavethree(3)points takenofftheirfinalgradeforeveryextraabsence.Additionally,performancegradeswillbe lostduetothelostperformanceeligibility.Attendanceandparticipationisalarge portionofthegradingfortheseensembles.

Assessment
Studentsareassessedintheclassroomaccordingtothecompletenessofpracticelogs, devotiontoasuccessfulrehearsalenvironment,andmemorydeadlines.Whileeach ensembleisassesseddifferently(detailedsyllabiwillbereceivedwhenjoiningeach ensemble),thisisthemostcommonbreakdownofacademicassessment. PracticeLogs:20% EngagedParticipationinRehearsal:50% MemoryDeadlinesforRepertoire:30%

ConcertDress

Girls WhiteBlouse Blackslacksormediumlengthskirt LongBlackStockings Closedtoedblackshoes.

Boys
WhiteDressShirt BlackTie BlackSlacks LongBlackSocks BlackDressShoes

Thankyou.Foranyquestions,youarewelcometocontactLarryMiller,headoftheMusic DepartmentofHamiltonSchoolDistrict. LMILLER@hamheights.edu Phone:(314)1592653