Good morning MSMS Band!
MPA PERFORMANCE DATE AND TIME ARE SET
The 7th and 8th grade band will be performing at the Alabama State Music Performance Assessment on Wednesday, March 5 @ 8:00 a.m. in Norton Auditorium on the campus of UNA.
Here’s the schedule for that morning:
What: Music Performance Assessment
When: Wednesday, March 5 @ 8:00 a.m. (this is our performance time)
Where: Norton Auditorium @ UNA
Who: 7th and 8th grade band members
We will take the kids on buses over to UNA the morning of March 5. They will need to wear their concert attire when they arrive at school that morning. The kids will need to eat breakfast before they come to school that morning as we will leave before the cafeteria opens. They may bring a change of clothes with them to change into once we come back to MSMS.
The band room will be open at 6:00 a.m.
The buses will leave at 6:45 a.m.
We will get to UNA relatively early that morning. This will give us time to get on stage, warm up, and let the kids get used to playing in a different environment.
Anyone may come and listen to the bands play at MPA. There is no charge for admission. However, parents will need to remain in Norton Auditorium. Once the band leaves the stage, they will go into another room to perform the sight reading portion of the assessment. No one but band members, directors, and administration may go into the sight reading room.
When we are finished, we will have a little bit of time to listen to some other bands before heading back to school. We will have the kids back at school in time for them to go lunch.
Upocoming Full Band Rehearsals for 7th & 8th Grade
We are drawing ever closer to our MPA Perfomrnace. We will begin having the full band come together in the mornings starting on Thursday this week.
Parents, these next 2 weeks are the most important days of rehearsals of the entire school year. Please make every effort to have your child attend these rehearsals. We want them to be confident in what they are about to go and do. These rehearsals will go a long way in helping to accomplish that.
We have 4 full band rehearsals remaining:
February 20 – Full Band; 7:15 – 7:50
February 25 – Full Band; 7:15 – 7:50
Evening MPA Rehearsal with Full Band
*February 27 @ MSHS in the Band Room; 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.* (this rehearsal will take place in the High School Band Room. We will have special guests with us that evening to adjudicate the band as we prepare for our upcoming MPA Performance)*
March 4 – Full Band; 7:15 – 7:50 (I have added this date now that we know when our Performance date is. The kids will need one more run through before their performance)
Parents, if you have any questions, please let me know.
6th Grade Band Members are making WONDERFUL progress
It is the consensus of the directors that this 6th grade class has greatly exceeded where we normally are in the Essential Elements book for this time of year. These students are doing a marvelous job and the future for them is very, very bright! We are learning and playing things with them that we normally don’t get a chance to look at during 6th grade. They are going to sound wonderful on their spring concert. We are very pleased with what these students are doing!
We expect MANY of them to participate in the Solo and Ensemble Festival in May and we also anticiapte MANY superior medals being awarded to these students!
Upcoming Calendar of Events
March 5– Music Performance Assessment @ UNA. This will be all 7th & 8th grade band students.
March 7 & 8 – Shoals Area Middle School Honor Band @ Florence Middle School (for selected students)
March 11 – Band Recruiting Day for current 5th grade! Jazz Band will play along with the 7th & 8th Grade Band. (will be during the school day)
April 10 – 12 – All State Band in Mobile, AL (for selected students)
April 22 – Shoals Area Night of Jazz @ Florence Middle School (Jazz Band will perform that evening)
April 24 – 26 – UNA Middle School Honor Band (for selected students, more info to come in the spring)
May 3 – Solo and Ensemble Festival at MSMS. (All grade levels may participate in this. More info to come in the spring)
May 8 – MSMS Band Spring Concert @ Muscle Shoals High School (All grade levels will perform)
Seay everyone on Wednesday!
