We warmly welcome all families to the 2022 Band Program and look forward to an exciting year ahead. For those new to the Band Program, the Band News is a weekly update published in the School Newsletter each Friday. Here you will find information about rehearsals and upcoming performances; we will acknowledge the Musicians of the Week; you will get to know the conductors and tutors; and join us in celebrating the students’ achievements.
1. WHAT DOES 2022 LOOK LIKE FOR STUDENTS IN THE BAND PROGRAM?
This year, band students can look forward to (COVID-permitting):
· Band Camp (25-27 May) – at Crusaders, Galston. Students in Intermediate and Concert Bands will be invited to attend for three days/two nights. Students in Beginner Band will be invited to attend for the day (26 May)
· Band Camp Concert (evening of 26 May) – for all students at Band Camp and their families
· Performing in the 2022 Sydney Eisteddfod – Beginner Band, Intermediate Band, Concert Band and Stage Band (June)
· Performing in the Ryde East Eisteddfod – Beginner Band, Concert Band and Stage Band (August to be advised)
· Performing in the Australian School Band Festival – Beginner Band, Intermediate Band, Concert Band and Stage Band (Term 3 – date to be advised)
· Concert Band Tour (Term 4) – three-day band tour to rural NSW
· Performing in school assembly – all bands
· Performing in the end-of-year School Celebration Concert – all bands
2. INSTRUMENT COLLECTION (for students hiring an instrument):
BEGINNER BAND:
For those who indicated on the Band Enrolment Form that they would like to hire an instrument, instruments will be available to collect on Monday 7 February or Thursday 10 February from outside the Water Street Band Room. We will be there from 7:30am – 10:00am on both days. On the day, parents will be asked to sign a Hire Agreement Form before collecting their child’s instrument. Please access the Water Street Band Room verandah from the Water Street entrance only and do not walk through the school. Remember to check in, wear a mask and social distance. We ask that you please leave the school straight after instrument collection and not congregate at school. Students will receive their music books and band folder at their first Beginner Band rehearsal on Wednesday 16 February.
Please note, for Beginner Band students learning trumpet, could you please come on Thursday 10 February as we are in the process of allocating trumpets, and they will not all be ready until Thursday. Thank you for your understanding.
INTERMEDIATE AND CONCERT BAND:
For those who indicated on the Band Enrolment Form that they would like to hire an instrument, instruments will be available to collect on Thursday 10 February from outside the Water Street Band Room. We will be there from 7:30am – 10:00am. On the day, parents will be asked to sign a Hire Agreement Form before collecting their child’s instrument. Please access the Water Street Band Room verandah from the Water Street entrance only and do not walk through the school. Remember to check in, wear a mask and social distance. We ask that you please leave the school straight after instrument collection and not congregate at school.
3. REHEARSALS:
Band rehearsals will commence in Week 4 (the week commencing Monday 14 February) with COVID-safe protocols in place. For Term 1, Beginner Band, Intermediate Band and Concert Band students will have one 90-minute rehearsal per week. Rehearsals will be held outdoors on the silver seats under the COLA adjacent to the Burns Road Band Room. As government guidelines allow, we hope to move to having two one-hour rehearsals per band/week indoors. Stage Band will have one 60-minute rehearsal/week commencing in Week 4.
Please see the below information regarding rehearsal days and times:
BEGINNER BAND:
· The first rehearsal for Beginner Band is on Wednesday 16 February
· The Beginner Band Conductor is Rebecca ‘Beck’ Heather
· Rehearsal day for Term 1: Wednesday
· Arrival time: 7:20am for a 7:30am – 9:00am rehearsal
· Where: outdoors on the silver seats under the COLA adjacent to the Burns Road Band Room. Students should arrive at school at 7:20am and meet on the verandah of the Burns Road Band Room. They will unpack their instruments and leave their instrument case and school bag there.
· (Rehearsal days for Term 2 onwards (COVID-willing): Monday and Wednesday mornings - arrival time 7:50am for a 8:00 – 9:00am rehearsal)
INTERMEDIATE BAND:
· The first rehearsal for Intermediate Band is on Thursday 17 February
· The Intermediate Band Conductor is Mr Rob Di Marzo
· Rehearsal day for Term 1: Thursday
· Arrival time: 7:20am for a 7:30am – 9:00am rehearsal
· Where: outdoors on the silver seats under the COLA adjacent to the Burns Road Band Room. Students should arrive at school at 7:20am and meet on the verandah of the Burns Road Band Room. They will unpack their instruments and leave their instrument case and school bag there.
· (Rehearsal days for Term 2 onwards (COVID-willing): Monday and Thursday mornings - arrival time 7:50am for a 8:00 – 9:00am rehearsal. Mr Di Marzo will conduct the Monday rehearsal. Thursday’s rehearsal conductor is to be advised.)
CONCERT BAND:
· The first rehearsal for Concert Band is on Monday 14 February.
· The Concert Band Conductor for Monday is Mr John Saunders
· Rehearsal day for Term 1: Monday
· Arrival time: 7:20am for a 7:30am – 9:00am rehearsal
· Where: outdoors on the silver seats under the COLA adjacent to the Burns Road Band Room. Students should arrive at school at 7:20am and meet on the verandah of the Burns Road Band Room. They will unpack their instruments and leave their instrument case and school bag there.
· (Rehearsal days for Term 2 onwards (COVID-willing): Monday and Thursday mornings - arrival time 7:50am for a 8:00 – 9:00am rehearsal. Mr Saunders will conduct the Monday rehearsal and Mr Di Marzo will conduct the Thursday rehearsal)
STAGE BAND:
· The first Stage Band rehearsal for the year is on Wednesday 16 February
· The Stage Band Conductor is Mr Greg Carger
· Rehearsal day for 2022: Wednesday
· Arrival time: 3:20am for a 3:30pm – 4:30pm rehearsal
· Where: outdoors on the silver seats under the COLA adjacent to the Burns Road Band Room. Students should meet on the verandah of the Burns Road Band Room at 3:20pm, unpack their instruments and leave their instrument case and school bag there.
4. TUTORIALS:
Tutorials for all students will commence in Week 4 (the week commencing Monday 14 February) with COVID-safe protocols in place. Students in Year 3 and 4 will have their tutorials on a Monday; students in Year 5 and 6 will have their tutorials on a Wednesday. Tutors will contact parents in the coming week to confirm tutorial times and place of teaching.
Beginner Band students may choose to have a group or private tutorial. Group tutorials are included in the price of the band fees whereas private tutorials are paid for by the parents. Some parents may choose for their child to start the term having a group tutorial, then move to a private tutorial as the year progresses. Students come out of class on their respective tutorial day, to have their 30-minute tutorial with their tutor. Some parents prefer their child to have their tutorial during recess or lunch if possible. Please do not hesitate to discuss these options with your assigned tutor.
Students in Intermediate and Concert Bands are required to have one 30-minute private tutorial per week. These tutorials are paid for by the parents and are a financial arrangement between parents and the tutors.
5. BAND FEES:
i. Band fees for Beginner, Intermediate and Concert Band students are $205/student/term. Stage Band fees are $75.00/term.
At the first rehearsal for Beginner Band on Wednesday 16 February, students will receive a music book and band folder. They will also receive a communication book to take to tutorials for any parent/tutor feedback. The band fees include student entry to the various competitions the band performs at throughout the year.
At the first rehearsal for Intermediate Band on Thursday 17 February, students will receive a special black folder to store all their music in for the year. This folder should be retained for the remainder of primary school years for use in Intermediate and Concert Bands. The band fees include student entry to the various competitions the band performs at throughout the year.
Concert Band students should bring their black music folder to the first rehearsal on Monday 14 February. Please remove any music from last year. The band fees include student entry to the various competitions the band performs at throughout the year.
Stage Band students should bring an A4 folder to store music in, to their first rehearsal on Wednesday 16 February. The band fees include student entry to the various competitions the band performs at throughout the year.
ii. For those students who choose to hire an instrument, instrument hire is $55/term + the one-off annual servicing and cleaning charge of $180. The annual servicing fee is charged and payable with the Term 1 fees.
iii. Percussion students will be invoiced $25/term for the use of all school percussion instruments. This fee covers the annual servicing of instruments. Percussion students are expected to purchase/own a ‘stick bag’ of mallets, practice pad and triangle at the start of the year. Please note that these kits will last the students for the remainder of their primary school years and will be invoiced with the Term 1 band fees for all Beginner Band students. The cost of these stick bags is $270.
iv. Keyboard and bass guitar students will be invoiced an instrumental usage fee of $12.50/term for the use of the school keyboards and amplifiers at school. This fee covers the maintenance/replacement of the keyboards, amplifiers and leads.
6. RECORDER
Recorder enrolment forms will be sent home next week for interested students in Years 1 and 2. More information to follow.
It’s never too late to join the Band Program!
Please do not hesitate to contact us on kate.spencer14@det.nsw.edu.au if you have any queries 😊
Kate Spencer and Kylie Lee (Band Coordinators)