Concert and a Break

What a great way to end the first semester! I am very proud of all the groups that played on the 20th! Awesome job! Break is always a great chance for me to recuperate and see family and friends--but it also goes by really quickly! I write today sitting in my office having just put my room back together. My grades are almost complete, but I'll spend some time working on those today and Monday. To me, the most exciting thing is handing out new music! The 7-8 band has been working a little on one new piece for a couple of weeks, but everything we will be playing at the Parade of Bands in March needs to be handed out before students come back. The same thing is true for choir--new music! It's exciting, but there is a lot of work to be done!

I hope you all have had a great holiday week! Happy New Year!

Turn up the Heat!

The motherboard went out on the furnace in the band room on Monday evening, which has made for a very cold last couple of days. The closest a new motherboard could be found was Kansas City, so Tuesday, Wednesday and part of Thursday were very cold in the band room! We didn't have lessons those days and group band rehearsals happened in the equally HOT choir room downstairs. We watched a Mannheim Steamroller video and discussed some performance styles. Thankfully the heat is back on and working so we can have some great rehearsals today!

Students were sent home with a note about the concert on Dec. 20th. It is at 7PM at the middle school. I'd like choir students to be here by 6:30 for warm-up and band students by 6:40. Students have been asked to dress nicely--no jeans or tennis shoes if at all possible. If this is a problem, give me a call or email. I have some nice clothes that I can lend out!

It should be a wonderful concert! I am very much looking forward to it!

Awesome stuff!

Here is a link to an article in the Cedar Rapids Gazette that I think is way cool for a couple of reasons:

1) It talks about students who have taken it upon themselves to organize and have fun with something that is educational and musical.

2) I know the band director there through Wartburg College.

It's a short article and a very cool story!

http://thegazette.com/2011/11/23/north-cedar-sixth-graders-happy-to-be-band-geeks/

The Little Stuff

Lots of little things in this post, so I'll get to it.

As our concert draws closer (Tuesday, Dec. 20) we are spending more and more time in rehearsal working on the little things. This can get a little tedious at times, but all the groups are really starting to hear what they are capable of putting together--AWESOME!

Butterbraids came in last night. It's always hectic trying to get them packed up and back to the middle school in time for students to take them home on the bus. Let me know if you have an incorrect order.

We will be starting some solos/ensembles for the 7-8 band students following Thanksgiving break. All 7-8 band students participate in a solo or small group. They will perform these pieces on Tuesday, February 9th at PCM Middle School.

I hope everyone has an awesome Thanksgiving break!

Wow!

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. It seems like I say it every year, but it seems to come quicker every year! That means concerts are just around the corner. Our middle school concert is Tuesday, December 20th. Hopefully we can avoid any snow and have no scheduling difficulties!

It is fun to come to school every day and work with the groups I get to work with. I was just telling my 7-8 band today that I really do enjoy coming to school and working with them Monday, Wednesday and every other Friday. There is no substitute for doing something you love to do!

On another positive note, check out the great news about the middle school on the website. The building was one of 10 in the state to be recognized for improvement in test scores! That's some awesome news!

Keeping up with the Posts

It inevitably happens--I begin the year with the best intentions on keeping up with everything I want to do, but about this time of year, I start to fall behind on things. This blog is one of them! I'm going to make a renewed effort to keep putting information out there!

It was great to see so many of you at conferences on Thursday! I wish I could have been there both nights, but I took 2 students to SCIBA Honor Band on Tuesday and had the opportunity to listen to 3 wonderful bands perform at a concert. It is amazing what committed students can do!

On that note, I would like to redouble my reminder to encourage your student to practice. It doesn't need to be an everyday thing (although that wouldn't be bad) but it needs to be some kind of routine. 15-20 minutes can do wonderful things--even if it means setting a kitchen timer! A lot of times, a student just needs to get over that hurdle of starting to practice--once they get going, they'll often play for much longer.

We have a lot of students here who have great potential--I am looking to help them move past potential to make it a reality! That is one of the things that excites me so much about teaching.

KEEP ENCOURAGING THE PRACTICE AT HOME!

History of Rock Music

This year, I am teaching a history of rock music exploratory class. We begin with Bill Haley and the Comets in the 50's and go all the way through the 90's. I have had an absolute blast so far listening to and talking about some FUN music! It's also great to see the students make some connections about family members and music, as well as cultural connections concerning music's role in society.

Today we had Megan Wood's grandfather come and talk a little about Buddy Holly. What a great time! He had quite a collection of memorabilia and information to share with the class. I learned several things today! It was a great opportunity to have him come and share his knowledge and enthusiasm with the class! What a resource for us to have!

Conferences

I hope that you are all able to make it to conferences this week! The last couple of weeks, I have been telling my classes to let you know that I will not be at conferences on Tuesday evening. I will be with a couple of students at an honor band in Johnston all afternoon and evening. If you need to talk with me, I'll be there on Thursday. I'm also more than willing to set up another time that is good for you. Just let me know!

Butterbraids and Jazz Band

Every fall, the middle school bands join the high school music department in selling Butterbraids. It's the only fundraiser we take part in. Each Butterbraid is $12--5 of which go to individual student accounts. Students can use this money to buy needed supplies, like reeds, oil, lesson books, metronomes, etc. These accounts stay with students through high school and eventually can be used to help pay for trips. Selling is totally optional. I don't push too hard on this, as the students are the ones who see the benefit from this sale.

Jazz band will begin next week, Oct. 24th. We are going to try something new this year. On Monday, we are going to rehearse during RAPP at the middle school. On Tuesday, we will have a 7:30AM rehearsal in Mingo and on Wednesday we'll have a 7:15AM rehearsal at the elementary. That way, students in both communities will have the opportunity to take part. Plus, we'll have everyone together for one rehearsal each week. It should be a great learning experience and a fun time!

It's Coming!!

The end of the quarter is fast approaching! This means that band students have quarter projects that need to be turned in soon! There is a link to the handbook on the middle school website. There are tons of suggestions--but the deadline to have these completed is October 21st.

On to Concert Band!

What a great day for a parade last Friday! I thought the band did a great job. Our music sounded great and our lines were pretty straight! There is always room for improvement--we weren't staying in step very well--but overall I was pleased! The music is always the most important thing.

The switch to concert band can be challenging and exciting at the same time. We go from one tune we have been working on for a month and know pretty well, to 3 new pieces we have never seen before. Percussion completely switches gears as far as instrumentation. Several students migrate back to instruments that don't work as well for marching. There just are a lot of things in flux.

As far as I am concerned, though, new music is always exciting. We work on our sightreading. We spend a lot more time working on tone and sound production. It's just a great time to work and grow as musicians!

Homecoming Week

It's here! This week combines some nerves and some excitement for me--mostly because of our parade marching at the end of the week. It looks like the weather is going to be good for rehearsals and for the parade on Friday, which is awesome!

The 7-8 band marches about 2/3rds of the parade, so that those involved in football, volleyball and other activities can hustle back and be with their other groups as well. Because of this, we need some people to take the instruments of those who are otherwise involved. I only have about 7 students who aren't participating in another activity, which is great! This means that they can't manage to take ALL of the instruments of the others who are involved. If there are any parents who are going to be at the parade and would be willing to help me take instruments back the the elementary, please let me know!

Marching

Playing an instrument well is hard enough when sitting down. Somewhere along the line, someone decided schools should have bands that can move around and play (it's a long story). The 7-8 band has been working on marching fundamentals and finally got out on the street Wednesday and marched, while playing instruments. They did a nice job for their first time out on the street, especially when dealing with all of the extra equipment needed. Lyres and flip folders to hold the music and marching percussion carriers always add a little complication. What complicates things even more is the hilly terrain around the middle school--it's tough to march on! It does, however, make the parade route (which is VERY flat) seem quite easy. We have 5 more rehearsals to improve our skills before the homecoming parade and they will do a wonderful job! If you are out in Mingo around noon, listen for us!

UI v. ISU

Tomorrow is one of those fun days I look forward to every year. It's a blast to see the students dressed up in their Iowa or Iowa St. stuff and the tug of war at the end of the day is so much fun! I take a baritone over to the gym and play fight songs--it's just a good time! Go Hawks!

Practice

It was nice to see many of you last night! Some familiar faces and some new faces!

Some schedule shifting was done today. As a result, I had to totally rework the lesson schedule. On the band/choir page of the middle school website, you will find an updated copy. Please encourage your son/daughter to do several things:

1) Know when their lesson is

2) Remember to come to the band room during their lesson time

3) Take their instrument back and forth between school and home

and most importantly

4) PRACTICE! 20 minutes, 3 times a week is a good start. Encourage them to practice their lesson music, their full band music and to play something that they want to play. It's amazing how the time will fly by. However, middle school students still need to be reminded that they need to practice! :)

Another Fun One!

Day 2 was at least as fun as day one for me! I got a chance to hear both the 6th grade band and the 7-8 band! WooHoo!! It is going to be a fun year!

We will start lessons on Monday. Students have received a copy of a lesson schedule, which I will put on the website when I am done with this blog post. There are 2 lessons each period and most students are either by themselves or with one lesson partner. Let me know if you have any issues or concerns with the time of your student's lesson. I'll do my best to make things workable for everyone! Have a fantastic weekend!

Good First Day

The first day with students has come and gone, and I would say it was successful. It's always interesting to see them come in the building after a summer off and see how much they have changed! We had very few schedule issues this year, which is great for Regina in the office!

I am thrilled to have so many signed up for 7-8 choir!!!! We are in the mid 30s! Unfortunately that makes the choir room REALLY hot--no windows or air--but we are looking for solutions and surviving!

I am really looking forward to tomorrow when I'll get to hear the bands play a little. So excited about the possibilities this year!

We're Back!

As I am getting things ready for the second day of inservice, I am realizing how quickly the summer went by! It seems like I just finished up summer lessons last week!

I have some great expectations for this school year. In addition to 6th grade band, 7-8 band, 6th grade choir and 7-8 choir, I'll be teaching a music history exploratory class on the history of rock music. I am excited about the material and the possibilities to connect it with technology!

Like the last several years, the 7-8 band will march in the homecoming parade on Sept. 23. That doesn't leave us a lot of time to get music learned, so students should bring their instruments to school on Friday, August 19th!

It's an exciting and scary time, but the start of school is so much fun! Let's make it a great year!

We have reached the end...

Amazingly enough, the school year has come to an end! We took time today to do some awards with the middle school students. It's nice to be able to recognize lots of students for the great things that they do, day in and day out!

As I move into "Summer Mode" I'll be posting the summer lesson schedule on the middle school website. Summer can be a great time to get instruments to the repair shop for a "tune up." Just like other things we use regularly that need to get checked (cars, mowers, ourselves), instruments need the same thing. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email or call me. I have email access at home and I come to school a crazy number of times in the summer, so I'll get back to you as soon as I can!

8th Grade Promotion

Today is a weird day--with rehearsal for 8th grade promotion taking up part of the morning, things are a little different than normal. Cindy has done a nice job of getting the stage ready. It looks great.

For me, it was great to hear what the 7-8 band will sound like for next year! We have some great times ahead--the group sounded awesome in rehearsal this morning! The choir will get a chance to run through their piece this afternoon and the event tonight starts at 7PM. Hopefully we will be done in an hour or so! It will be nice having our music events done for the year! This has been one busy week!

Concerts, Solos and More!

What a crazy time of year it is! This past week or so has been filled with activity!

The 6th grade concert on the 9th was wonderful. What a fun group of students to work with. On Monday the 7/8 groups gave their concert and did an awesome job!

Yesterday the 6th grade band students (and a couple 7th and 8th graders) performed the solos they had been working on for the past month at the elementary. Their judge was Katherine Breitbach, 5-12 band director at Colo-NESCO. She is always full of energy and gave some great feedback to the students on ways to improve their playing and performance. It was also nice to see so many parents, family members and friends there in support of those playing!

A couple reminders/updates:

All 6/7 band members need to be at the middle school on Friday at 6:45PM for the 8th grade promotion event. This is our last performance of the year.

All 7/8 choir members need to be at the middle school on Friday at 6:40PM for the 8th grade promotion event. This is our last performance of the year.

Summer lesson forms are due on Friday, May 20th. Students should have them. They can be downloaded at the middle school website. Students are not required to take lessons. However, the option is there and we can certainly work on a wide variety of things over the summer.

Finally, as things stand now, the district will remain at 3 full time music faculty. Thanks for your support of the program!

Hot!

I am beginning to wonder how it always ends up so warm on these May concert nights! As I sit here getting ready for the 6th grade concert this evening, I am deciding how I feel about a split concert. The separation of the 7/8 concert from the 6th concert this year ended up as a result of a change in a track meet at North Mahaska. Rather than have the students forced to make a decision in a situation that wasn't of their doing, I decided to split the concert. While this makes 2 nights at school for me (and some families), it makes the concerts considerably shorter.

I would love to have your thoughts on the split concert. Feel free to log in and leave a comment below, or email me at bwipperman@mail.colfax-mingo.k12.ia.us. Let me know what you think!

If you have a chance, check out the HS Band/Vocal concert tomorrow night, May 10th, at 7PM!

Break

Hopefully everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend. Mine involved a lot of travel, but some good time with family!

The end of the year is fast approaching!!! I can't believe it is only 2 weeks until the 6th grade concert. Hopefully parents and students will enjoy a shorter concert than usual, with the rescheduling of the 7-8 portion of the concert. I have been pleased with the work the 6th graders have been doing!

All the 6th graders also have solos to work on. Hopefully you are hearing those at home. If not, ask about them. Sometimes well all need a little nudge :)

Thanks!

A big thank you to those who shared their opinions about the potential music position cut--thank you. The board doesn't want to cut that position for this year!! As we wind the year down, I'll continue to do what I can for the program and the district. There are some lean times ahead for the middle school, but we'll keep working hard to move kids forward. Thanks again for your support!!!!!

Potential Music Department Cuts

The following email was sent to Music Booster parents we had email for on Thursday: I wanted to make you all aware that on Monday, April 11, the school board will have a public forum at 5:30PM, followed by a meeting where they will discuss and then vote on budget cuts for the next year. The proposal does affect the music department, as it would cut a full time position to a .5 position. A cut like that would affect the quality of the program and would limit the number of opportunities/performances for students involved in the program. Attached to the email is a document with researched based advantages to music education and student involvement in the arts. If you want more information, email me at bwipperman@mail.colfax-mingo.k12.ia.us. I’m more than willing to share. Whether it is about cuts to the music faculty or other proposed cuts, make sure the school board hears your thoughts. Please remember that it’s important to maintain a civil tone. Your remarks are likely to have more impact if they are presented respectfully. http://www.colfax-mingo.k12.ia.us/files/CMHIGH/Teachers/InstrumentalMusic/parents.htm

Thank You!!

A big thanks to all of you who volunteered your time to make the Solo/Ensemble Contest we hosted over the weekend a success! It takes so much time and effort to coordinate and pull of an event like that! There was lots of positive feedback from the directors as they checked out at the end of the day. What a great opportunity to show off our music department and the district! Please take some time and come to the high school this evening at 5:30 to hear about the budget proposal and how it will affect the district. The arts are going to be affected.

Jasper Co. Honor Band

9 students are going with me today to the Jasper Co. Honor Band in Newton. It's a great opportunity for talented musicians around Jasper Co. to come together and work with a guest conductor and make some great music. This year's conductor is Leon Kuehner, a retired director from Hampton. You would never know he is retired, though. He has an energy and a passion that really make him phenomenal to work with. He is also a leader in arts advocacy and support for the arts in schools. It should be an awesome day!

Jasper Co. Honor Band Recordings

Here are some links to recordings of some of the pieces:

John Williams Movie Adventures

On the Crest of a Wave

Valley Forge

Dedication, March & Celebration

Northlake Festival Overture

Busy, Busy

It always seems like there is a bug that goes around this time of the year. I think it has hit the middle school, as well as the Wipperman house! Unfortunately that means I have not been at school as much as I would like to have been. I can't wait for SPRING!

Parent teacher conferences are next week. I hope to see a lot of you on Tuesday and Thursday evening!

Great Rehearsals

Both bands had awesome rehearsals today! It gets me really pumped and reminds me why I went into music education! A lot goes into having a great rehearsal--more than you may think.

The first step happens before the students are in the room. I spend a good amount of time for each group I work with coming up with a plan for the rehearsal. From deciding what the warm up will consist of, to what sections of music we are going to work, to how those sections will be rehearsed, to educating the students (not just telling) about the critical parts of what is being rehearsed. While this can all fly out the window based on what the day throws at you, the more prepared I am, the better the rehearsal is going to go.

More to come...

Solo/Ensemble Congrats

Many congrats to those students who performed solos/duets last night! Some very good performances! There were some great comments on all of the evaluation sheets to learn from and improve! I am working at handing out the ballots and the medals.

A reminder that our next event is the Parade of Bands on Tuesday, March 1st at 7PM at the high school.

Snow Schedules

Hope you are all done digging out of this wonderful winter snowstorm!

I know the snow throws everything out of whack. Everything that is planned gets changed. For me that REALLY frustrating! As the 7-8 band students are getting ready for Solo/Ensemble festival on the 10th, schedules really get messed up! The next week, it is really important that students are practicing. At school, I'll try to get lessons made up and quickly rotate students in to get a chance to run through things with the piano. Also, another reminder that there is a schedule for the 10th posted on the band/choir page of the middle school website.

Stay warm!

7-8 band Solo/Ensemble

Most 7-8 band students have been working on solos/duets the last month of school and performance for these is coming quickly. On Thursday, Feb. 10th, PCM will host a festival where there will be judges to hear the solos and provide feedback and ratings to the students. I have linked a copy of the schedule and some information below. As always, if there are questions or problems, let me know and we can get something worked out!

Solo/Ensemble Schedule

ITBS

Next week we begin ITBS testing. Some of you may know the testing by the reports that come home with a percentile rank in several subject areas. These tests are used by teachers to help determine skill level, content knowledge and many other things. They are also used by government agencies to determine the "quality" of the school. The No Child Left Behind legislation has, over the last 10 years, increased the importance of these tests, as they are THE indicator that is used to rate schools.

The last 2 weeks, teachers at the middle school have been going over strategies, tips and practice tests in their class. The importance of this test is being repeatedly stressed.

Please make sure your student has a full night of sleep for test week, a healthy breakfast and encouragement from home to do their best! It influences many things in our school--the arts included!

Second Semester

As I was in working over break , I was thinking about how quickly the school year really goes by. It is half over! There is no gradually getting back into the swing of things, either. This Friday we are headed to the Science Center of Iowa for their DaVinci exhibit and ITBS testing starts at the end of the month.

On the music front, all the groups are working on new literature, which can be kind of hectic to get ready. Imagine collecting 3-4 textbooks from every student at the end of the semester and then passing out 3-4 new textbooks to each of those students! 7-8 band students are working on solos/ensembles for performance in February at PCM. The next full band performance is the Parade of Bands the first week of March at the HS. The first semester just flew by and it doesn't look like it is slowing down any time soon.

Take some time and ask your son/daughter about DaVinci, ITBS testing and their music!