Destin Middle School Band Handbook
Destin Middle School Band Handbook
School Band
Handbook
Welcome to the Destin Middle School Band program. We are excited to have you as a part
of our program this year!
Please take some time to read over the Band Handbook . This will prepare you for your work and
responsibilities as a member of the Band. If a problem should arise, consult the handbook first. If you still
cannot find the answer please do not hesitate to contact me.
The mission of the Destin Middle School Bands is to team with parents, students, and the school to provide
an atmosphere where students progress musically and academically as an ensemble while maintaining a
commitment to excellence within each student. We strongly believe that music is a part of a students
comprehensive education.
A positive experience must begin with an understanding of the expectations for those who participate in the
DMS Band Program. This handbook will help explain those expectations.
If you follow the guidelines as laid out in this handbook, your reward will be like nothing you have
experienced before. You will feel pride, a sense of accomplishment, self-satisfaction, and have FUN!!!! You
will be impressed to see how much you can accomplish! I cant wait to work and grow with you. Lets have a
fantastic year!
MATERIALS
ALL students are required to be on time to class with a three ring binder, pencil, their instrument,
individualized materials (shown below) and their music to receive full points for their participation grade.
If a students instrument is being repaired, a note from home or receipt from the music store will be
necessary to excuse them. Otherwise, points will be lost. Playground Music has a list of our materials on file
to help you pick out the right materials when shopping with them. You can also order materials online.
Individualized Materials:
Beginning Bands: Traditions of Excellence Book 1 Comprehensive Band Method Book for their specific
instrument and Excellence in Theory Book 1
Concert Band: Traditions of Excellence Book 2 for their specific instrument. Also need a flip folder, lyre,
and extra pages for marching season.
Symphonic Band: Foundations for Superior Performance for their specific instrument. Also need a flip
folder, lyre, and extra pages for marching season.
Clarinets: Must have at least 4 reeds at all times. Recommended: Vandoren 2 -3 strength
Saxophones: Must have at least 4 reeds at all times. Recommended: Vandoren 2 strength
Oboes and Bassoons: These instruments are available for rent from DMS. Must have at least 2 reeds at all
times. I recommend you purchase these from a dealer who makes them by hand rather than manufactures
them. They last longer and have a much better sound.
Trumpet: Recommended mouthpiece size 11B4 and valve oil
Trombones: Recommended mouthpiece size 6 AL and slide oil
French Horns: Recommended mouthpiece size 32C4, rotary valve oil
Euphoniums: Recommended mouthpiece size 6 AL, valve oil, and tuning slide grease
Tuba: Recommended mouthpiece size Bach 18, Yamaha 66, Conn or Schilke, tuning slide grease, and
valve oil
Percussion: Standard beginning band bell set. (can be rented/purchased from Playground) and 5B Regal
Tip drumsticks plastic or plain wooden tip in any brand.
The Beginning Band is where students start from learning to open their instrument
cases to performing as an ensemble. All students will be taught to read music and
rhythms and are expected to play them correctly on their new instrument. Beginning
Band does not require any prior musical experience. It is amazing to see how much
these students will accomplish by the Spring Concert.
Fall Concert
Spring Sectionals
pm
Sectionals: Dates in which Symphonic Band students of separate sections
meet to prepare their music in a concentrated group in order to prepare for
the Music Performance Assessment. Sectionals begin the first week of
February after school and end the second week of March. Sectionals
will be every week on their designated day unless otherwise noted.
Occasionally a sectional will be cancelled for holidays or early release days.
Students will be notified in advance for any cancellations. Sectionals are
MANDATORY. PLEASE FIND YOUR INDIVIDUAL GROUP TIMES BELOW
Tuesday- Trumpets
Spring Concert
Band Fees
Band fees are collected to help pay for the various events and instruments we need to continue growing and
learning. Band fees are used to purchase music, instruments, travel, clinicians and pay for students to
attend All County, All State and other optional opportunities. Payments can be fundraised throughout the
year or paid directly to DMS Band. All remaining balances that have not been fundraised are due by Dec
1st. The fees are as follows:
Beginning Band Students: $50
Concert and Symphonic Students: $100
Percussion Students: Additional $100
School-Owned Instrument Usage: Additional $100
Uniform Cost for Concert/Symphonic: $70
Band Tshirts: $12
Optional Opportunity fees:
Accompanied Solo for Solo and Ensemble Festival: $40
Unaccompanied Solo or Ensemble Fee: $5
Grading Policy
Grades for the Band classes are based on a point system per nine weeks:
Class Participation= 5 points per week
Students are allotted 5 points at the beginning of each week. Students can lose a point for
being tardy, missing materials, or not participating in class activities. Occasional binder
checks may occur to make sure students have their materials. STUDENTS WHO
FORGET THEIR INSTRUMENT LOSE ALL 5 POINTS FOR THE WEEK. They can earn 4
back after completing an optional assignment.
Performance, Sectionals and Full Band Rehearsal Participation = 100 points
Students are expected to attend all scheduled performances, sectionals, and rehearsals.
Without a PRIOR excuse for absence, students will lose 100 points in their grading for
each event missed
Missing these events will drop the student a full letter grade or more
Performances are used to assess the students abilities and therefore take the place of
major tests or exams in band.
These activities are crucial to helping the student improve musically in band.
Football Games
Concert and Symphonic Band Students perform at every home football game and select away games. On football
Thursdays, band students stay after school before the game. Our football band uniform is our teal Destin Band shirts
tucked in to khaki shorts or pants with a belt and tennis shoes. I recommend wearing it to school on game days. There
will be time allotted for homework, dinner, and rehearsal. Football games start at 6:30.
Attendance Policy
BAND STUDENTS MUST ATTEND ALL REHEARSALS AND PERFORMANCES!!
The DMS Band functions as a team and cannot create the desired product if all members are not present. We are
highly dependent on every student in the band. Missing one French Horn or one Saxophone can have the impact of
missing the quarterback in a football game. With this in mind, students are required to attend the scheduled dates for
each band.
Excused Absences
Since participation in band activities correlates with the grading policy, students will receive a 0/F for every unexcused
absence in band events. THIS WILL LARGELY AFFECT YOUR STUDENTS GRADE. Whenever possible, you must
notify Ms. Murie in writing or email to give prior notice of absence. If prior notice is not given, it is your responsibility to
bring a note from your parent or guardian stating the reason or excuse for being absent from a rehearsal or event. All
absences are assumed unexcused unless there is proper notification to the band director. Ms. Murie understands that
emergencies happen and excused absences are very rare but sometimes necessary. The student is responsible for
bringing a note from a parent or guardian explaining the absence and it is up to the discretion of the band director to
determine whether the excuse constitutes a sufficient cause for absence. We take great care in scheduling band
events very well in advance. Please be sure to schedule vacations and other events around the band dates provided.
Failure to prepare a means of transportation will not be excused. Carpools can easily be arranged far in advance.
Since there are many students in the band, parents often work out a system with other parents to arrange carpools. Of
course in matters of personal illness, religious holidays, or a death in the family, absences are immediately excused.
Band Awards
Beginning Band Awards:
High Achievement Award. This award is given to beginning band members who have shown great
motivation to push themselves the extra mile to exceed expectations in band. They have set high standards
for themselves and others as well as challenged themselves to become better musicians. Recipients of this
award demonstrate these qualities by Participating in Solo and Ensemble (or performing a solo for the class
for 5th graders), Maintaining an A average in band all year, playing all 7 middle school scales with additional
octaves, earning a minimum of 40 chair points for the year and maintaining perfect attendance.
Scale Master award is given to the beginning band student who first plays all of his or her middle school
scales in the All State Pattern which is under two minutes with additional octaves.
Concert/Symphonic Band Awards:
Students receive these marlin awards for challenging themselves outside of the band class and
demonstrating personal motivation to achieve excellence in music. They will receive a chart with how to earn
First Offense: Student will be issued a warning. This warning can be to an individual (John Doe, please
stop talking) OR to a section or group (Trumpets, pay attention please). Names of first offense students will
be written on the board for a visual reminder.
Second Offense: Students will receive a check mark by their name to remind them that this is their last
warning. If the offense is repeated again throughout the class or regularly throughout the year, they will
move directly to the third step.
Third Offense: Students will be assigned lunch detention for their first offense and be directed to
administration after repeated offenses to receive their consequences. (detention, ISS, OSS, etc)
Band Students are expected to display exceptional behavior in ALL of their classes. Students who receive 3
or more office referrals will not be permitted to attend our annual band trip in the Spring. Furthermore, band
students who receive a grade lower than a C average for their first semester grade in ANY class will not
qualify to attend our band trip.
Optional Opportunities
All County Band: Audition Required to earn the Silver Marlin Award and Gold Marlin Award Students from
the 6-8th grade band are allowed to audition for All County Band which is an ensemble formed of the top
middle school musicians in all of Okaloosa County. Auditions are held in November and the dates for
rehearsal and performances of those selected members will be scheduled at the beginning of each school
year. Those interested in auditioning should see Ms. Murie for more information and music.
All State Band: Audition Required to earn the Gold Marlin Award Students from the 7-8th grade bands are
allowed to audition for the All State Band which is an ensemble formed of the top middle school musicians in
the entire state of Florida. Auditions are held in September and the rehearsals/performance for those
selected members will be the second week of January in Tampa, Florida. This audition will require practicing
over the summer and those interested may want to sign up for summer lessons. Those interested in
auditioning please see Ms. Murie for more information. Students who make the band will have their hotel
Jazz Band
DMS Concert and Symphonic Band members are invited to join the jazz band at DMS. The jazz band meets
Tuesdays from 7:45-8:45 am. Instrumentation is very limited as it is a small ensemble. Auditions may be
required depending on the amount of interest. The jazz band performs in the fall and spring concerts with
the other ensembles as well as performing at Jazz in the Park at Playground music (held on a Saturday in
May). Please see Ms. Murie if you are interested in joining. Jazz students must be able to regularly attend
Tuesday rehearsals since our time is limited as a once a week ensemble. Students are allowed 2 absences
per semester for emergencies. Tardiness counts as one half of an absence. Membership will be
discontinued if a jazz student has more than two absences or 4 tardies for the good of the ensemble.
Private Lessons
There are many coaches in the area that specialize in every instrument. Students are encouraged to take
advantage of these services and take private lessons. Ms. Murie has a list of recommended teachers for
those interested. Students can also take private lessons at Playground Music Center in Fort Walton Beach. I
will guarantee that with private instruction, they will improve above their grade level in class. There is only so
much in class that we can teach in a group setting but in private lessons, the individual student is assessed
and progressed to their specific needs. Playground has a wonderful and highly beneficial program and I
encourage every student to be a part of it. Especially if they intend to play competitively as an individual in
the band world.