Chamber Music Day!

Members of the Quintessence Wind Quintet will host the first annual Chamber Day for middle school students in North Carolina.  The event will give young students the opportunity to experience playing and performing simple chamber music in an informal educational setting.  In addition, the members of Quintessence will include a master class demonstration on how a professional chamber ensemble rehearses and performs music.
This opportunity is available to interested 8th Grade Brass and Woodwind musicians!  Download Information Packet.

It all begins with the first sounds!

6th Graders have made our first sounds the last few days!  Just like walking, we must slowly take the first steps towards becoming wonderful musicians--and it starts with building new muscles.  This weekend, we ask each student to spend a few minutes EACH DAY playing long sounds with mouthpieces ONLY (and reed, for clarinets) and practicing assembling and dis-assembling the instrument until it feels very easy!

I am VERY excited about getting started!  Now is a great time to start setting aside a specific time and place to help your child build great practice habits.  A note to all parents of clarinetists--the mouthpiece has a very HIGH pitch, but I promise it will get much better once the muscles are formed and we are able to put the instrument together!

P.S.  Thank you for all of your support and patience with the great amount of information transferred at the beginning of the 6th Grade.  Our Invest-a-Kid fundraiser is already halfway to our goal!!!  THANK YOU!  I look forward to teaching and getting to know your child in the coming weeks, months, and years!

P.S.  If your child has not turned in his or her Handbook (indicates photo permission as well as contact information) or Supply Envelope  (polos must be ordered soon!) please send them to school ASAP!

Happy Practicing!

Invest-in-a-Musician!

September 4 marks the jumpstart of our annual Invest-in-a-Musician Fundraiser!  Here is our chance to invite neighbors, friends, and nearby family members to invest in your child's music program!  In this fundraiser, we ask for a small $5 investment into our program and, in return, they can see the progress your child makes throughout the school year by attending performances and events!

Further information will be sent home with your child this week; thank you for supporting Music Education--every little bit helps!

Jazz Band Auditions

Auditions for the Parkwood Middle School Jazz Band will be held the week of September 10-14.  Only 7th and 8th graders are eligible to audition.  The Jazz Band typically consists of 25 members; rehearsals take place Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:30am.  Student responsibility is HIGH and students must remain in good standing in their regular band class to remain in Jazz Band.  

Auditions will consist of a prepared piece ("Thriller") as well as Sightreading components.  CLICK HERE to listen to a recording of the audition material.

*Returning Jazz Members do not need to audition, but PLEASE sign up on Ms. Speight's door!*