“Building a Tradition of Excellence”
Course Description: Eighth Grade Band is an advanced performance class. The purpose of the 8th Grade Band is to continue the development of more advanced performance skills and the reinforcement of fundamentals learned in previous years. Progress is measured by rehearsal competency, playing opportunities, and ALL performances and rehearsals. Students are expected to attend all after school rehearsals and performances. Dates and times for after school rehearsals will be communicated closer to time to each performance in class and on our eClass portal.
ALL performances and after school rehearsals are a required part of the curriculum and count as part of
the student’s grade. Students need all materials (instrument, sticks, mallets, pencils, books, music, etc.) each day, and full credit for class participation cannot be awarded unless all materials are available in class. Please refer to the band activity calendar for dates and times of concerts and rehearsals. Though not a requirement, members of the 8th Grade Band are encouraged to participate in Solo and Ensemble Evaluation, All-State and District Band Auditions and other extra-musical activities. 8th Grade Band students are required to participate in two (2) basketball games for Basketball Pep Band. They also have the opportunity to audition for the FFMS Honor Band (August 11 @ 8:15 AM) and to join the Jazz Band (Spring).
Band Dues are $30 and include:
● Band Carabiner
● Helping our Band Program with supplies, bringing in instructors, and buying new music!
BAND DUES AND FORM ARE DUE NO LATER THAN AUGUST 30TH!!!
Materials and Equipment Required:
● Pencils
● Complete Formal Band Uniform (Band Polo, Black Dress Pants, Solid Black Shoes)
● Metronome / Metronome app
● Instrument in good repair
● Woodwinds – Reeds (size 3 or medium), reed cases, cork grease, and swabs
● Brass – Valve oil, slide grease, and cleaning cloth (Students playing school instruments must provide
their own mouthpiece and valve oil)
● Percussion – Concert snare SD1 sticks; medium/general purpose, felt-head timpani mallets; hard nylon
or lexan bell/xylophone mallets, medium yarn mallets, and a stick bag
ALL CASES AND STICK BAGS MUST HAVE THE STUDENT’S NAME VISIBLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CASE
Grading Breakdown: Band has two levels of curriculum: a class / group curriculum and an individual
curriculum. The group curriculum concerns rehearsal competency and the individual curriculum consists of individual performance. Rehearsal Competency is defined as having all materials every day and participating with a positive and cooperative attitude. Grade breakdown is as follows:
Classroom – Rehearsal Competency Instrument and Accessories, Book, Music/Handouts, Individual pass offs, participation – 40%
Summative – Playing Tests, Concert Performances (ex. Exercises from book, sections from music, etc.), any written assignments given during class – 50%
Final – Performances and Rehearsals – 10%
8th Grade Dates to Remember
Required Activities:
+August 31 Rehearse with Bronco Marching Band | Report: 4:30 PM | BHS Practice Field
+September 1 Perform with Bronco Band at Youth Night | Report: 5:45 PM | BHS Stadium
+October 30 Lights Out Concert | Stay after | Perform: 5:30 PM | Cafeteria
+December 7 Winter Concert w/ Crews | Report: 5:15 PM | Perform: 6 PM | BHS Commons
+February 26 Pre-LGPE Concert | Report: 6:30 PM | Perform: 7 PM | Cafeteria
+March Large Group Performance Evaluation (LGPE) | TBA
+May 14 Spring Concert | Report: 6:30 PM | Perform: 7 PM | Bus Lanes
+Required part of Grade
Optional Activities:
| September 19 | All-State/District Band Fees Due | Interested Students |
| December 2 | All-State District Band Auditions | Paid Participants |
| January 6 (13) | All-State Final Auditions | Selected Students |
| January 24 | Solo and Ensemble fees due | Interested Students |
| February 9-10 | District Honor Band Event | Selected Students |
| February 13 | Rising 9th Grade Rookie & Info Night | 5-8 PM | BHS | Interested Students |
| March 1-3 | All-State Band Event | Selected Students |
| March 20-24 | BHS Guard and Drumline Auditions | BHS | Interested Students |
| April 27 | Solo and Ensemble Evaluation | Paid Participants |
GCPS Band Policies
Band activities require attendance at ALL scheduled rehearsals. In order to better prepare for performance, some before-school and/or after-school rehearsals may be scheduled. These groups represent Five Forks Middle School at public performances, and it is imperative that we are able to put forth a “world-class” product. All bands will perform in at least two concerts per year, as outlined in the GCPS Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS).
*Please note MOST classes will have rehearsals before or after school. Rehearsals will be scheduled during the school year and announced in class and on social media (eClass page). Every student is required to attend these rehearsals as part of their grade. This is in accordance with GCPS Grading policies – “required out-of-class activities as stipulated by theteacher will determine a portion of the student’s grade”.
2023-24 Five Forks Middle School Band Donation List:
| Paper Towels Face Tissue / Kleenex Hand Sanitizer Dry Erase Markers | Sharpies Pre-sharpened Pencils Mechanical Pencils Erasers | Colored Printer Paper Candy (Jolly Ranchers, Starbursts) AA Batteries |
Thank you so much for your support of our FFMS Band Program!!