Concert

Recruitment Concert/Band BBQ

Good morning and happy Sunday!

This Tuesday at 9 AM the 6th grade band members will perform a small concert for our 4th graders. This concert will be during the school day and will not require anything special other than their performance uniform. Students will report to the band room after the Broadcast (announcements) and will come to the multi-purpose room so that we can rehearse until the 9AM performance. I am so proud to have our fantastic 6th grade band to demonstrate the excellence of the Middle School program that they have established this year to our potential future band members! A few parent volunteers would help. Please email me or comment on this post if you are available to help from around 8:00-10:00 AM this Tuesday.

6th grade Flutes only: Those of you who have been invited to perform at the Band BBQ at the high school on Thursday, May the 4th will need to report to the band room at 10:15 AM on Thursday. Mrs. Lyle will have a quick rehearsal with you and then you all will walk down to the high school to perform. The performance will be around 11 AM. Those who would like to watch are recommended to arrive a little earlier than 11 so that you can find a great spot to watch the performance. They will perform underneath the Away bleachers. I am so excited to see you all perform this Thursday!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

-Ms. Menendez

Announcements

Good morning,

I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your HARD work on the AYP fundraiser. I sold out of the first bunch and had to ask the company for more to sell! We sold out and made a lot of profit that will go directly towards your student. Thank you so much for taking the time to support our band program.

I know that Friday of this week will be a normal day at the Middle School so please make sure that your student brings their instrument on Friday for class. Please also ask your student to practice this week because the end of the year will involve a lot of playing and even a concert for the 4th graders that the 6th graders play in. I do not have the exact date of the recruitment concert but know that it is during the school day and is just a concert that we play to encourage the younger kids to consider joining band.

Please refer to an earlier post and consider enrolling your student in private lessons on their instrument. A lot of kids will take private lessons in the summer so that they stay in shape, work on some things to fix and prepare some more advanced concepts for the next school year. If the pricing is not good for you then I recommend emailing me and I will find a high schooler that I trust to teach your kid for much less money.

Your kids are the best and you all are such a supportive set of families. Thank you for all that you do.

Sincerely,

Ms. Menendez

Announcements

Good evening,

I hope that my students are enjoying Spring Break and I am sorry for the family members who have to continue working! I cannot say enough about the concert this past Thursday! The students were professional, focused, and sounded amazing! I have heard many great things about their performance and how they carried themselves that entire night. I am so proud of each and every one of the students. Congratulations on another fantastic concert.

There is a concert tomorrow night at the University of West Georgia. Just like the last concert that I performed in, the first portion is the Symphonic Band and the second portion is the Brass Ensemble. The brass ensemble portion contains a solo by the trombone professor the University of Florida which may excite some of our low brass palyers. I was thrilled to see some students in the audience at the last concert and would love to have them hearing not only me play in a professional setting, but hear other extremely talented individuals performing on their instruments. Info is posted below:

Symphonic Band and Brass Ensemble: Cale Self, conductor
Friday, February 24, 2017 • 7:30 PM
Townsend Center for the Performing Arts
Free admission

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Now that our concert season has relaxed I would like to really encourage students to consider taking private lessons on their instrument. This is an opportunity to really enhance their skills and understanding of their instrument with someone who is specialized on their specific instrument. Private lessons can be used for students who feel that they are behind or students that need an extra challenge. The job of the private lesson instructor is to meet your student where they are at and help them grow while learning to love their instrument!

If your student is competitive than they will want to know that students who take private lessons tend to place higher in rankings at the Junior High for chair placements and in competitions such as District Honor Band and All- State. Competitions such as DHB and All State are great items to put on your resume as you apply to colleges later high school. Colleges love seeing students take the initiative to grow in a subject outside of the school day and they even offer scholarships for students to play in their ensembles. I took private lessons in 9th grade all the way through college and regretted not beginning earlier. They completely changed my playing and especially my work ethic, which I have carried on with me into other areas of my life. I have attached a list of instructors that I trust who will charge fairly low prices and who will be flexible to meet the needs of you and your student. They can work with your child once a week or once every few weeks, whatever works best for you! Please let me know if you have any questions and take advantage of the outstanding musicians in our area at the University of West Georgia and beyond.

Mary Kathryn Newton, flute
Amari Jimenez, flute
Mariana Fraire, oboe
Jourdan Speesen, bassoon
Kyle Willoughby, clarinet
Kristen Greenstein, clarinet
David Jones, saxophone
Alex Payne, saxophone
Michaela Wilkinson, horn
Jules Antoine, horn
Thomas Frost, trumpet
Zoe Kriegel, trumpet
Erik Payton, trombone
Keidis Smith, trombone
Wesley Grace, tuba
Luke Bass, tuba
Emma Eddleman, percussion
Martez Stroud, percussion
Emily Olson, percussion
Mary Kathryn Newton <nmarykathryn@gmail.com>, Amari Jimenez <ajimene3@my.westga.edu>, Mariana Fraire <mfraire1@my.westga.edu>, Jourdan Speessen <jourdan010698@gmail.com>, Kyle Willoughby <kwillou1@my.westga.edu>, Kristen Greenstein <kgreens1@my.westga.edu>, David Jones <djones23@my.westga.edu>, Alexander Payne <apayne8@my.westga.edu>, Michaela Wilkinson <mwilkin6@my.westga.edu>, Jules Antoine <jantoin1@my.westga.edu>, Thomas Frost <tfrost1@my.westga.edu>, Zoe Kriegel <Zkriege1@my.westga.edu>, Erik Payton <Epayton1@my.westga.edu>, Keidis Smith <ksmith70@my.westga.edu>, Wesley Grace <wgrace1@my.westga.edu>, Luke Bass <Lbass4@my.westga.edu>, Emma Eddleman <eeddlem1@my.westga.edu>, Martez Stroud <mstroud1@my.westga.edu>, Emily Olson <eolson1@my.westga.edu>
I have so much love for the students and families that surround this program. Thank you for your constant support and have a wonderful evening.
Sincerely,
Ms. Menendez

Beaming with pride!

Good evening,

I had the pleasure of seeing my first show at the Cultural Arts Center here in Carrollton this weekend. This Friday I went with my family to see our local production of Beauty and the Beast and was blown away by our local talent here in Carrollton! It warmed my heart to see so many Carrollton students in the production and specifically Carrollton band students of all different ages who were involved. Our very own Lexy Walter did a beautiful job. Her bio found in the program has been posted below.

IMG_0198

As I smiled from ear to ear I realized that we have multiple students who have different talents in our band program this year. I have witnessed the athletic skills of many of our soccer players like Kanate Jordan Evir, James Noori, Hagan Russell, Nick Jenks, Jacob Easterwood, Jackson Moncayo, Justin Arnold, Gavin Ward, Mark Zimmer, and Jayro Lopez. We also had Lexy Walter and Anna Kate Ware compete in the cross country team this year with great success.

I watched with pride last month when two of our very own, Mark Zimmer and Connor Haley,  competed in the system spelling bee and fought a tough battle, leaving with their heads held high.

I love nothing more than seeing students exploring and expanding their horizons. If your student participates in an activity and would like for me to come and watch them please contact me individually.  I will try my hardest to see them in an activity other than our band program. I want for our students to try every avenue that they have access to at this time in their life and will always support them in their exploration here in Carrollton. Please know that we as the band directors support and even encourage students to participate in other activities and sports along with our band program. We easily workout any schedule conflicts, which are a rare occurrence in the younger ages since band occurs mainly during the school day and not after school. I am excited for our 6th graders to move on up to the Junior High School and continue their journey not only in band, but in up to four other connections during each school year! The importance of the arts and athletics here in Carrollton is something that I take a lot of pride in. If you have any questions about scheduling and connections at the Junior High school PLEASE contact me. Mr. Huls is extremely excited to work with your kids next year.

(5th graders are stuck with me for one more year… *insert evil laugh*)

We have our Spring Concert this Thursday at 7:00 PM. Although many meaningful memories have been made, I look forward to what will be performed on Thursday. When you hear the improvement in the bands you will be blown away. These kids work each and every day during their connection course to learn musical, mental, social, and human skills that will stay with them forever. Thank you for your help so far and I look forward to seeing you all this Thursday. Bring your camera and take lots of pictures because we will want to hold onto these memories for a long, long time.

I often use Sunday as a day of reflection for what I have and who I have in my life up to this point. Your students bring so much joy to my life not just in their musical abilities but in who they are. Seeing them thrive and flourish is what gives me hope for the future. They are selfless and unconditional with their love and I learn from them daily.

Thank you for adding so much joy into my life through your students. I am so thankful for them and for you.

Sincerely,

Ms. Menendez

 

Spring Concert

Spring Concert: Our spring concert is March the 30th at 7PM in the Mabry Arts Center. The students will be required to wear their uniform which is black pants (no leggings or sweatpants) black socks, black shoes (no tennis shoes) and their performance band polo. We had to move our May concert date much earlier due to Milestones testing and the trips at the end of the school year.

Again: the May concert does not exist anymore. The date has been changed since December because there was a conflict with the trips and the Milestones testing window.

Please begin planning accordingly. This concert is going to be incredible! Once again we will share this concert with our CMS singers. The band will play first and students who are in CMS Singers will change and prepare for the musical during the transition.

Report time is at 6:30. 5th graders will report to the stage in full uniform while 6th graders will report to their designated seating area.

I look forward to our last concert of the year on March the 30th at 7PM.

Sincerely,

Ms. Menendez

 

Updates

Good afternoon,

Below are a few updates and reminders.

1.) AYP Cards: please keep selling them! We still have a lot left to sell.

2.) Grades: Test grades for both 5th and 6th grade are slowly going into the gradebook. Students are making up tests in class and after school daily so please be patient with their make-up grade. If your student is not happy with their test grade then they may play it for me again during class or after school to aim for a 100.

3.) Spring Concert: Our spring concert is March the 30th at 7PM in the Mabry Arts Center. The students will be required to wear their uniform which is black pants (no leggings or sweatpants) black socks, black shoes (no tennis shoes) and their performance band polo. We had to move our May concert date much earlier due to Milestones testing and the trips at the end of the school year. Please begin planning accordingly. This concert is going to be incredible! Once again we will share this concert with our CMS singers. The band will play first and students who are in CMS Singers will change and prepare for the musical during the transition. 

3.) I will perform with the University of West Georgia Brass Ensemble this Friday. It is a group that is just comprised of only brass players. The first half of the concert is the Symphonic Band of UWG (a full band like we have in class) and the second half is the brass ensemble concert. If your students are interested they may attend the concert. If they speak to me after the concert or during and I see their faces, I will give them extra credit. This is an opportunity for them to see higher level musicians playing their instruments in order to motivate them to keep pushing themselves.

Symphonic Band and Brass Ensemble: Cale Self, conductor
Friday, February 24, 2017 • 7:30 PM
Townsend Center for the Performing Arts
Free admission

4.) I am looking for some donors who would be interested in aiding me with purchasing or renting an instrument for some band students. We have some of our band family members who are unable to make rental payments and I would like to help them out if at all possible to keep their rental membership up until they can get on their feet again.

Please do not feel required to help but know that it is very appreciated for our band family members.

Please contact me with any questions at maria.menendez@carrolltoncityschools.net

 

Sincerely,

Ms. Menendez

OUTSTANDING JOB!

Good morning,

I cannot say enough great things about the performance last night! The students were very well prepared, professional, and performed with pride! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your evening to allow for your students to perform and for attending the concert to support them. We have an incredible community here and I feel so blessed to do what I do, especially after nights like last night.

I will be at a conference beginning tomorrow morning so IF the band jackets do not come in today they should be in by the end of the week. I will have the substitute hand out their band jackets if they come in after today.

PLEASE make sure that your students bring home their horn after today. They will not play in class and we need to make sure that they touch their horn during the break so that we can come back in January and continue to grow!

Tubas, baritones and  horns will need to speak with me if they wish to bring their horn home to practice.

Have a FANTASTIC holiday break!

-M. Menendez

 

 

Dear CMS Band Parents,                                                       

Here are some reminders about our upcoming concert on Monday, December the 12th.

  • The concert begins at 7pm. Your students must arrive in uniform with their instrument at 6:30 to the stage in the Mabry Arts Center. We will be seating your students and getting last minute details worked out. Please do not show up late. Students who are not in full uniform will not be allowed to perform.
  • Full uniform includes: black pants/long skirt (no jeans), black socks, dress shoes (closed toed shoes for females), and your black performance polo. After Monday all students will have their band polos. 
  • I HIGHLY recommend that you take your student shopping NOW to make sure that they have their appropriate performance attire. Many students wait until the days before and “have no dress pants that fit me”. We want for the students to learn to be proactive and responsible about things. Please contact me with any if you need assistance in purchasing any part of the uniform.  Your student will wear this outfit for 5th-8th grade band so it is a great investment.
  • It is a formal concert that will last about one hour. Not only do we expect for you and your students to stay for the entire concert but we encourage it so that both you and your student can support the other grade levels and have something to aspire to.  It is one of our two after school concerts and we ask that you enjoy the whole thing! Attending the concert is a grade for your student!! Do not forget that.

The 5th graders will be performing the following lines out of their book for the concert. They may want to begin touching up on these lines: 1-10, 14 Rolling Along, 17 Hot Cross Buns, 24 Listen to Our Sections, 25 Lightly Row, 30 London Bridge, 31 A Mozart Melody, 38 Jingle Bells. 

6th Grade is already aware of what they are performing at the concert. They have the sheet music in their binders. Brush up so that we can hit the ground running tomorrow!

If you have not received any info about fundraisers, concerts, and rehearsals then you have not entered your email and clicked the “follow” button on our website. Subscribing to our website is a sure way to NEVER miss out on any information.

www.cmstrojanband.com

Sincerely,

Ms. Menendez

SPRING CONCERT DATE CHANGE

Good evening,

Due to our Savannah trips this year for 5th and 6th grade, we will not have our Spring concert at the end of the year. Since we are combining our concerts with CMS Singers we decided that we would choose the date that they usually perform which is the week before Spring Break.

Our new Spring Concert date is March 30th at 7pm. We will still play at the Mabry Arts Center (the theater here in campus at the high school) and the report time will still be 6:30.

I have a lot of planned things for the Spring Concert that will make it a blast for all of us and cannot wait for your kids to show off at their Holiday Concert on December the 12th. Please make sure that your kids get black dress pants (no jeans), some black socks, a black belt and some black shoes (no tennis shoes). We want for our students to look and sound professional. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions that you have!

Sincerely,

M. Menendez

maria.menendez@carrolltoncityschools.net

COOKIE DOUGH October the 18th

Good morning,

I was contacted by our fundraiser representative and our cookie dough is set to come in on October the 18th, not the 11th. This is partially because of our early release the week before and also because of the cookie dough manufacture themselves. Please spread the word and let your customers know.

I was told by the representative that you guys knocked the fundraiser out of the park. You would not believe the amount of money that you all raised for our band program. I am one proud band director!

Don’t forget about our two concerts that are set in stone:

December the 12th

May the 15th

Both at the Mabry Art Center with a report time of 6PM

Sincerely,

M. Menendez