Rotolo Middle School Bands!
Important Sixth Grade Band Information
WELCOME TO THE RMS BAND FAMILY!
Welcome to the Sixth Grade Band at Rotolo Middle School. This must be a very exciting time for you as you think about all of the great experiences that await you next year. We sincerely hope that you plan on making membership if the RMS Band part of that experience.
Sixth grade marks the second year of the band experience for our young musicians. The sixth grade (second year) is year of tremendous growth. By having band every day, the students are going to accomplish incredible things. In addition, there are many new opportunities that await the students in the RMS band program.
Band is a family! Some of our current best friends are friends that we met in band! Band students are great students! We will work hard improving our music skills, but we are going to have a lot of fun too!
This introductory newsletter will give you important information about the band. In addition, it will hopefully answer some questions you may have about band at the middle school level.
Parents, if you have questions about our program, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Buckley. His contact information is below.
In addition, please visit our band website http://rotoloband.com. You can also like us on Facebook at RotoloMSBand.
We can't wait to start making music with our new middle school musicians in the fall!
Sincerely
Rob Buckley
Sherry Reiss
Keith Ozsvath
Sixth Grade Band: The Basics
- Band Meets Every Day
- There are three band teachers at RMS. Mr. Buckley teaches Sixth Grade Rehearsals, Ms. Reiss teaches sixth grade woodwind/percussion lessons, and Mr. Ozsvath teaches sixth grade brass lessons. Ms. Reiss will be the students' seventh grade band teacher (rehearsals). Mr. Ozsvath will be the students' eighth grade band teacher (rehearsals). Mr. Buckley will teach seventh/eighth grade lessons.
- Band is one of the three exploratory classes taken each day
- Band lessons take place about one time per week
- Band lessons take place during band (no missing other classes)
- There are currently three equal-size, equal-ability bands that will combine into one large band for concerts
- The Band will perform in four concerts (Winter, Music in our Schools Month (March), All-City, and Spring
- Students can participate in the Solo/Ensemble Festival (February)
- Students can participate in one of the jazz bands or Symphonic Band (see below)
- The band will take a field trip
Extra-Curricular Music Opportunities at Rotolo Middle School
- It is open to all band students regardless of instrument.
- Bass players from Orchestra are also welcome.
- In addition to the band instruments, students who are advanced piano players can play piano in jazz band.
- There is NO audition requirement for Jazz Band*
- Jazz Band is open to students in sixth-eighth grade.
- Jazz Band Meets Tuesday mornings from 7:00am-7:45am in the band room.
- The Jazz Band will perform multiple times throughout the school-year.
- Jazz Band carries an extra-curricular music fee.
Jazz Ensemble: This is our audition-enrollment jazz band.
- Instrumentation in Jazz Ensemble is traditional (Five Saxophones, Four-to-Five Trumpets, Four-Five Trombones, Piano, Bass, Drumset, Guitar (opt).
- Enrollment is based on audition results (auditions take place in October).
- The Jazz Ensemble is open to sixth-eighth grade students.
- Jazz Ensemble meets Wednesday mornings from 7:00am-7:45am in the band room
- The Jazz Ensemble will perform multiple times throughout the school-year.
- Jazz Ensemble carries an extra-curricular music fee.
Symphonic Band: This is our honor band (concert band)
- Instrumentation in Symphonic Band includes all band instruments
- Enrollment is based on audition results (auditions take place in October).
- In order to audition, students must be at 8th Grade Level GLE's by the audition date
- Band plays highest caliber of middle school wind band literature
- Band meets before school
- Band performs at two-three concerts plus travels to at least one band festival.
- Symphonic Band is open to sixth-eighth graders who meet the requirements
- The Symphonic Band carries an extra-curricular music fee.
* (percussion students wishing to play drumset in Jazz Band must have drumset experience (private lessons strongly encouraged) and be able to demonstrate drumset skills prior to playing drumset in the Jazz Band).
Sincerely
Mr. Buckley
Ms. Reiss
Mr. Ozsvath
Mr. Buckley's Contact Information
Email: robert.buckley@bps101.net
Website: http://rotoloband.com
Phone: (630)937-8727
Facebook: facebook.com/RotoloMSBand