CONTRACT OF COMMITMENT

Congratulations! Your child has shown interest in playing a musical instrument. As you know, learning to play and perform on an instrument aids in a child’s overall learning experience. We are one of the few music programs that offer students an opportunity to study with teachers that play professionally on the instrument they teach.

The first step to ensure success on a musical instrument is to establish and consistently maintain a practice schedule. A music lesson is to monitor progress and set goals for improvement. Once those goals are set, a student needs to practice in order to accomplish them. You may ask what needs to be practiced. You can practice warm-ups, review scales or songs you have already learned, practice your new assignment, and play something you really love or just for fun. You may also ask when and how do I practice. For first year players, we recommend fifteen minutes a day no less than five days per week. You should also plan to reserve the same time slot each day, this will help with consistency. You should set goals to try to accomplish in each practice session, work on the most challenging spots first, break down the music into small sections, and repeat the passage many times after you get it right. Parents, you can use this information as a guide to monitor your child’s progress throughout the school year.

Once you have established a practice routine, you must make every effort to attend lessons and rehearsals for preparation of your performances. Lessons will begin on Friday, September 9, 2016. The first performance for all first year players will be a recital for family and friends. Recitals take place during the month of March. After the recitals, flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, and percussion students will join band. The band rehearses once a week scheduled the same time and day. The band prepares to perform at the school spring concerts. In addition, there will be several rehearsals at James Caldwell High School after school during the month of May to prepare for band and orchestra district wide concerts. These concerts are held at James Caldwell High School. Please review the attachment. On the attachment is a detailed schedule of rehearsals and concerts. Please keep this attachment as a reference throughout the year. We also have these events posted on our district website at www.cwcboe.org.

Student and parents, now that you have reviewed and discussed the contents of this letter and are willing to enroll in our program, please complete the information below, detach the bottom portion and bring to your first instrumental music lesson in September 2016.

cut here, and bring to your first instrumental music lesson

I, ______________________________________________, understand those responsibilities

    (signature of student)

involved with studying a musical instrument and pledge to carry out these responsibilities to the best of my ability. 

I, ______________________________________________, understand those responsibilities

     (signature of parent)

involved with studying and musical instrument and will foster my child in reaching his/her greatest potential.

PHASE I                              

All first year flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, percussion, violin, viola, cello, and bass students will attend weekly lessons. Once the instrumental music teacher receives your online registration information, the student will be contacted regarding their scheduled lesson in late August 2016. Lessons will begin on Friday, September 9, 2016 and continue until the end of the school year. The first performance for all these students is a beginner recital. Below are the scheduled beginner recitals.

PHASE II                            

After first year flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone and percussion students perform in their respective recitals, they will join their school band. In addition to attending weekly lessons, they will now attend band rehearsals. Rehearsals are the same time and day every week.

First year violin, viola, cello, and bass students will continue with weekly lessons only. Below is the schedule for band rehearsals.

PHASE III

First year flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, and percussion students are attending weekly band rehearsals preparing for their school concerts. In addition, these students will also prepare for the Elementary/GCMS Band Spectacular held in May at James Caldwell High School.

First year violin, viola, cello, and bass students will be in a district wide ensemble named Essential Strings. Essential Strings will perform in the All-District Elementary Orchestral Festival held in May at James Caldwell High School.

Preparation for these concerts involves rehearsing in the James Caldwell High School Center for Performing Arts (CPA). Below are scheduled school concerts, a schedule for the Essential Strings for the All-District Elementary Orchestral Festival, and a schedule for the All-Elementary Band for the Elementary/GCMS Band Spectacular.

please keep this as a reference