Mokena Meteor Music

January 24 - 30, 2020

Important Information from the Music Department!

There is a lot of information for our 8th grade band students below. Please read the Newsletter in its entirety.


Pre-Contest is this Saturday. Students who are involved should have received their time. Original music has been handed out week. Students should take very good care of this music! We don't have extra copies. Please make sure your measures are numbered!


The 2021 Disney Trip Registration is open through January 31! Current 6th and 7th grade band students wishing to go on the trip MUST register by January 31. The same goes for any fan packages. See below for more information.


We currently have a parent interested in the Treasurer position for our Music Boosters but we are still looking for a few more parents to help out. The following positions are still open: Hospitality, Uniforms, Dine & Earns (beginning June 2020 and Dippin Dots. Please see below for more information.


JAZZ BAND IS CANCELED THIS FRIDAY!!! Ms. Beekman will be in Peoria at the Illinois Music Educator Conference.


8th Grade Pep Band Step Up Night is February 7. Please see below for more information.


There is an information meeting for 8th grade parents and students planning to continue in ANY music program at LWC on February 11 at LWC. Please see below for more information.


All 8th Grade Band students who are planning to continue in Band or Marching Band should complete an audition. Please see below for more information.


Our Third IFA Fundraiser information in below.


Our next Music Booster meeting is Tuesday, January 28 in the Learning Center at MJHS. Please come out and see what the Music Boosters are all about!


REMINDER: Morning Band Cancellations:


Wednesday, January 29 - NO MORNING CADET BAND ONLY (5th Grade Band ONLY)
-Miss O'Donnell (our student teacher) is being evaluated that morning at the junior high and there is a post rehearsal meeting that Mrs. Bussean must attend. BEGINNING BAND WILL REHEARSE (4th graders) BOTH CONCERT AND SYMPHONIC BANDS will rehearse (6th, 7th and 8th grade students)


Thursday, January 30 AND Friday, January 31 - NO BAND REHEARSALS OR SECTIONALS AT EITHER SCHOOL. NO BEGINNING BAND, CADET BAND, CONCERT BAND OR SYMPHONIC BAND.
-Mrs. Bussean, Ms. Beekman and Miss O'Donnell will be traveling to Peoria, Illinois for the Illinois Music Educator Conference.

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2021 DISNEY TRIP - DEADLINE IS JANUARY 31!

The registration portal is open for the 2021 Disney Trip. If your child will be in 7th or 8th Grade Band NEXT YEAR and would like to attend, please go to https://www.mokenameteormusic159.org/disney-2021.html for more information.


Registration for the student and fan package is due by January 31.

Third Quarter IFA Fundraiser!

It's time for another optional IFA fundraiser for the Music Department! The Music Boosters offer quarterly IFA (Individual Family Account) fundraisers for students wishing to add money to their account. These monies can be used for future music department purchases such as, registration fees, books, travel (ie DISNEY!).


Students can sell Lou Malnati's Frozen Pizza Certificates. Each coupon is good for one frozen deep dish (cheese, sausage, pepperoni, or spinach only pizza) to be picked up by the customer at any Lou Malnati's location, including Arizona, Indiana and Wisconsin. Certicates are $13 each with $5 going back to your student.


These IFA fundraisers are not mandatory but are a good way for students to build their funds. Choose to participate in all of them or pick and choose fundraisers that appeal to you.


Certificates should be available to pick up approximately two weeks after the end of the fundraiser. You will be notified of their availability.


If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Grant or Mrs. Zielinski at kristenandlisa2019@gmail.com.

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8th Grade Pep Band Step Up Night

Please see the above flyer from Mr. Mroczek at Lincoln-Way Central inviting our 8th grade band students to Pep Band Step Up Night on Friday, February 7!


This is fun evening that our students have participated in over the years. Come out and have a great time playing fun stand tunes and hanging out with your future band mates!


If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Mroczek at cmroczek@lw210.org.

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Lincoln-Way Central Annual Music Information Meeting - 8th Graders ONLY

All 8th grade music students and their parents are invited to the Lincoln-Way Central Annual Music Information Meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, February 11, at 7:30PM (after the Music Boosters meeting). The LWC music faculty and music boosters will cover a wide variety of topics, including how to register, class selection, extra curricular activities, and more!


On a wonderful side note...zero hour will be no charge next year! Woo!


If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Mroczek at cmroczek@lw210.org or Mrs. Jackson at sjackson@lw210.org.

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LWC Band Audition Information - 8th Graders ONLY

Information and music for the 2020-2021 L-W Concert Band Auditions is now available.


Curricular Audition Process

  • The WW/Brass audition consists of five scales (marked on music), and 2 etude excerpts (marked on music).
  • The Percussion audition consists of a snare drum etude excerpt and a mallet etude excerpt.
  • Incoming freshman should prepare and record as much of the music as possible, but please tell them not to worry if they are not able to prepare all of it.

Audition Procedures

  • Auditions must be video recorded, uploaded to YouTube (one video), and a link submitted through the L-W Google Form (available February 10). The audition videos will be sent to a panel of outside judges for scoring.
  • Audition video submission will be accepted starting February 10th, and the window will close February 24th. Videos should be submitted following the instructions at the website listed below.
  • Auditions may be recorded at home or at school.
  • All students planning on joining band next year should audition. The audition will be used for concert band placement for next school year, as well as marching band part assignment and role assignment.


More information regarding how to complete an audition, as well as how to download the audition music/materials, can be found on our music website at the link below.


Website link: http://www.lincolnwaymusic.org/bandauditions


Please contact Mr. Mroczek at cmroczek@lw210.org with any questions.

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MOKENA MUSIC BOOSTERS NEED YOU!







Do you miss volunteering at the grade school?

Do you want to be more involved but don’t know how to because maybe your student is getting older and there’s not as many volunteer opportunities.

Come to the Music Boosters!

It’s a great way to stay involved behind the scenes

If you have a student in band or choir you are already a member!

We are in need of volunteers for the following areas:

Hospitality

Uniforms

Dine & Earns (beginning June 2020)

Dippin Dots’

Afraid you don’t have the time to commit to a position? Grab a friend and do it as a team! If you are interested, please contact one of the Music Directors

Please join us for our next meeting on Tuesday, January 28 at the MJHS Library

Private Music Lessons - Highly Encouraged

It is not required that Mokena music students take private lessons. It is true, however, that the vast majority of students who do not take private lessons tend to have improper playing habits, and never reach their full potential as musicians. SECTIONALS ARE NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR PRIVATE LESSONS. There are still many benefits of private instruction over full band rehearsal and small group sectionals. If you are interested in getting your child private lessons on their instrument, please visit the following link: https://www.mokenameteormusic159.org/uploads/2/3/4/4/23449316/private_lessons.pdf


If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Bussean or Ms. Beekman

THE LITTLE MERMAID

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THIS WEEK'S REHEARSAL SCHEDULE

Please note that students are responsible for their own schedules for Musical rehearsals. The schedule for rehearsals is posted in the band room hallway, and is updated every week in the Newsletter. Students should refer to their script to determine whether or not they are needed if they feel the information is unclear. I will always either list the song title or the scene we will be working on. This is their responsibility. Attendance is critical and ADVANCE notice should be given if a student will be missing. This INCLUDES other school activities.
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Musical Tech Crew Members

PLEASE NOTE SOME CANCELLATIONS AND AN ADDITIONAL SUNDAY. I completely understand if your child cannot make the Sunday builds. We need to add more time so we may add a few more Sunday builds into the schedule if we need it. Crew is never mandatory until Tech Week. And I completely understand needing family time. If your child is available on those dates, great. If not, I understand. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.


More information on who is in which group can be found in the next section. Our January/early February schedule is as follows:


Thursday, January 23 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm - CANCELLED DUE TO VOLLEY FOR A CURE

Saturday, January 25 9:00 am - 3:00 pm - Sebastians, Buddy-Chum-Pals and Aquaholics

Thursday, January 30 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm - CANCELLED DUE TO IMEC CONFERENCE


Saturday, February 1 9:00 am - 3:00 pm - TENTATIVE

Sunday, February 2 10:00 am - 3:00 pm - TENTATIVE

Thursday, February 6 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Buddy-Chum-Pals, Ratatouille


GROUPS TO BE DETERMINED...


Saturday, February 8 10:00 am - 3:00 pm - Tentative

Sunday, February 9 10:00 am - 3:00 pm - Possible

Thursday, February 13 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Thursday, February 20 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Thursday, February 27 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Saturday, February 29 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Sunday, March 1 10:00 am - 3:00 pm - Possible

Thursday, March 5 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Thursday, March 19 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Saturday, March 21 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Sunday, March 22 - LOAD IN!!!!


Students should bring a sack lunch and drink to Saturday Crew meetings.


Please make sure to wear clothing that you don't mind ruining (we will be painting) and students must always have on closed toe shoes - no flip flops or slides. Students should bring screw guns if they have them and should ALWAYS wear eye protection (goggles).



Tech Week Mandatory Schedule


6:00 - 9:00 pm

Monday, March 23
Tuesday, March 24
Wednesday, March 25
Thursday, March 26


Students will be bused from MJH to LWC for these rehearsals. Students who have purchased dinners in advance will be fed. Students who did not pre-pay for dinners will need to provide their own dinners/drinks.


PERFORMANCES


Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28

These performances will take place at LWC. Times to be determined


Sunday, March 29

Time to be determined

MANDATORY SET STRIKE


Mandatory set strike and storage of equipment
We will start at LWC and then move things to MJH.

This is MANDATORY for all Cast and Crew members.

TECH CREW GROUPS!

SECTIONAL SCHEDULES

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Help Support the Music Boosters by Shopping Online!

Did you know that you can support the Mokena Music Boosters with every Amazon purchase you make at no cost to you? Any time you are shopping via Amazon, please consider using Amazon Smile for your purchases. Go to www.amazonsmile.com. You can select the Mokena Music Boosters to receive a donation on your behalf just by making your regular Amazon purchase through them. It doesn't cost you anything and helps the Music Boosters fund our programs. The AmazonSmile fundraiser is available year round - not just at Christmas time. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Bussean.

TONAL ENERGY APP - MUST HAVE FOR ALL INSTRUMENTALISTS!

TonalEnergy Tuner is an all-inclusive, easy to use application designed for individual practice and/or large ensemble rehearsals that aides musicians to improve sound quality and intonation.


Tuning, volume, articulation, release, duration, and steadiness are the key elements of developing a beautiful tone quality. TonalEnergy Tuner is the first multi-purpose application that allows users of all ages to understand and improve every aspect of their sound.

This app is especially useful to young brass players who struggle to find the correct partial. Oftentimes they think they are playing the correct pitch, when in fact, they are not. This can be very frustrating. This app can help students learn where the correct partial is and to hear when they are not matching the correct pitch.


In addition to its tuner capabilities, it has a built in metronome to keep students rehearsing with a steady beat!


We highly recommend that all students in our band program invest in this application if they have access to a device. It is well worth the $3.99 it costs. This is much more inexpensive than a separate metronome and tuner device.

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What is an IFA Account? (Formerly known as IBA)

You may hear the term IFA account and wonder "what is that?" An IFA account is an Individual Fund Account. Every student registered in Charms automatically has an account. Funds raised through IFA Fundraisers will be credited to your child's account and can be used to purchase any music related items such as booster fees, reeds, valve oil, and even music department trips, just to name a few! The current 6th and 7th Grade Band students are eligible to go on the 2021 Trip to Disney World! If your child is in 4th and 5th Grade, they will be eligible for the Disney trip in 2023. Start saving now!


IFA Fundraisers usually occur once per quarter and are not mandatory. We are currently running the Popcorn Fundraiser. 50% of the proceeds will go into your child's IFA account.

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Music Booster Meeting - January 28, 2020

Come out on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at 7:00 PM to the monthly Music Booster Meeting. The meeting will take place at Mokena Junior High School. Music Booster meetings are open meetings that anyone can attend. Come see what our Boosters are all about and how you can help support your child's music education. I look forward to seeing you there!


We are in serious need of someone or more than one person to take over the Treasurer responsibilities next year. If we do not have someone to take on this role, we will be unable to operate the Music Boosters. Please consider giving some time to take on this very important and crucial role.

Did you know we have a Facebook page?

The Mokena Meteor Music Department has a Facebook page! It is a closed group, so please request to join! We post photos and information about what is happening in the Music Department. There is a link at the bottom of this Newsletter.
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JANUARY 2020

JANUARY


1/25 - Solo/Ensemble Pre-Contest

1/28 - Music Booster Meeting 7:00 pm at MJH

Mokena Meteor Music Department

Mokena Meteor Music Department

19815 Kirkstone Way, Mokena, IL, USA busseank@mokena159.org (708) 342-4870 mokenameteormusic159.org