The Centennial Lane Band Program



The Centennial Lane Band Program

The CLES band program consists of a Beginning Band, Concert Band, and two Jazz Ensembles. Concert Band members attend full band rehearsals on Thursdays, with Beginning Band rehearsals being held on Wednesdays. Jazz Ensemble rehearsals are held before school on Tuesdays or Thursdays. All band students also attend sectional practices each week which are scheduled on a rotating basis. Beginning Band members will perform two concerts a year and will also have the opportunity to participate in the Howard County Elementary Solo and Ensemble Festival. In addition to these performances, Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble members perform at Walk and Wheel to School Days, the CLES Enrichment Fair, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, a performance of the National Anthem at a Frederick Keys baseball game, the Annual Centennial Area Jazz Concert and the Grade 5 Simulated Congressional Hearing.

In recent years CLES bands have been invited to perform at the Maryland State Teacher of the Year Banquet and the Baltimore Washington Jazz Festival. Several years ago our Jazz Ensemble was featured in a Washington Post article (Jazzed up About Music, November 4, 2004). And in what can only be regarded as a stupendous display of dedication, in 2005 our Jazz Ensemble arrived at CLES at 5 a.m. in order to perform “Louie, Louie” during a live weather broadcast on WMAR Channel 2!

CLES Band students have also been very active in county sponsored events and ensembles. In addition to Solo and Ensemble Festival, during the spring of 2018 CLES placed ten band students in the Howard County Elementary GT Band. This was one of the largest representations from any school in Howard County.

The CLES Music Boosters

Fourteen years ago the CLES band and orchestra programs began a parent support group called the CLES Music Boosters. The mission of this organization is to coordinate volunteers for concerts and field trips, to help fund our music program by sponsoring the annual Centennial Lane Summer Band Camp, the Spring Practice-a-Thon and to serve as an advocate for music locally and in our school.

Practicing

As the director of bands at CLES my goal for the young musicians in our program is that they learn to love music as listeners, performers and, if they so choose, as composers. In order to achieve this goal, consistent practice at home is a vital adjunct to the concepts taught in full band rehearsals and sectionals.

Beginners are expected to practice a minimum of five days per week, fifteen minutes per day. Concert Band members are expected to practice a minimum of five days per week, twenty minutes per day. Band students will record their daily practice time using the practice log in their method books. These logs will be collected four times per quarter. The grading scale for weekly practice is as follows:

Beginning Band Concert Band

A 75 minutes or more A 100 minutes or more

B 67-74 minutes B 85-99 minutes

C 60-66 minutes C 70-84 minutes

D fewer than 60 minutes D fewer than 70 minutes

A student will not receive a grade of “E” unless no practice record is turned in.

Grading

All band students will receive a letter grade quarterly. This grade will appear on their elementary report card along with their other classes. The grading standards and their relative weights are listed and explained below:

Applied Skills and Technique 40%

This category refers to the basic competencies that wind, brass and percussion players must develop in order to be successful. These include but are not limited to tone, intonation, articulation, rhythm, note reading fluency and major scales. The student’s skills will be assessed by both classroom observation and by playing tests administered in class.

Musicianship 30%

This category refers to the developing player’s habits which lead to success on a particular instrument. Practicing at home, knowledge of basic music theory and instrument care are included in this category.

Reflection 20%

Reflection refers to the student’s ability to assess their own progress and the progress of the section and the band. This will be assessed by both group discussion and written assignments.

Creativity and Composition 10%

This category will be largely teacher led and will consist of completing short written assignments in the Essential Elements method book.

Instrument Rental

The following music stores rent and/or sell instruments of acceptable quality. This list is provided for your convenience and is not an endorsement of a particular store.

Baltimore Brass Company Catonsville 410-744-1723

Music and Arts Ellicott City 410-461-1844

Mike’s Music Ellicott City 410-465-0700

Md. Academy of Music Columbia 410-997-8388

Instrument Brands

All brands of instruments are not the same. Some brands have, over the years, proven to be of better quality and durability than others. If you are considering renting or purchasing an instrument not listed here, please contact me first.

Flutes

Yamaha, Gemeinhardt, Armstrong, Jupiter, Selmer

Clarinets

Yamaha, Buffet, Selmer, Jupiter, Giardinelli

Saxophones

Yamaha, Jupiter, Armstrong, Selmer

Trumpets

Yamaha, Getzen, King, Conn, JZ, Selmer

Trombones

Yamaha, Getzen, Conn, King, Jupiter, Selmer

Percussion students should rent or purchase a Pearl, Ludwig or Musser bell kit. This kit should also contain a practice pad and drum sticks.

*** All students will need to purchase Essential Elements, book one, for the appropriate instrument. Percussion students will also need to purchase Elementary Drum Method by Roy Burns. ***

*** The following accessories will also be needed***

Clarinet and Saxophone: five #2 reeds (VanDoren, Hemke and Mitchell Lurie are good brands) and a swab.

Trumpet: valve oil and flexible cleaner.

Trombone: flexible cleaner, liquid slide cream (please do not purchase slide oil).

It is recommended that all students purchase a folding music stand for home practice.

Concerts and Concert Attire

The Beginning Band will give two concerts this year. Our Winter Concert is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday December 4, 2019. Attendance at concerts is mandatory.

The required concert attire for all band students is black slacks/skirt, black shoes and the CLES Music uniform shirt. This shirt is a white polo with a red and blue CLES Music emblem. A uniform shirt order form will be sent home in September.

Private Instruction

Private instruction on a musical instrument is not a prerequisite for enrollment in the CLES band program. It should also never be viewed strictly as a remedial tool for skill reinforcement, or as a substitute for consistent practice at home. Private instruction is, however, a wonderful way for students who really enjoy playing their instrument to more fully explore the performance techniques and repertoire of that instrument. A list of local private teachers can be found at clesbands. and in the supplementary section of this handbook.

Summer Band Camp

Since its inception in 2003, the Centennial Lane Summer Band Camp has grown to be one of the largest summer band camps in central Maryland. The camp was started in order to give interested students an opportunity to play their instruments during the summer in a full ensemble setting. Beginning with 36 students in 2003, the camp boasted an enrollment of 83 students in the summer of 2019, with an additional 30 camp counselors. All but seven of the counselors were former CLES band students who are now in middle school, high school or college. One very unique aspect of the camp is that it serves as a fundraiser for the CLES music programs.

The Centennial Lane Summer Band Camp is normally held during the last two weeks of July. The camp is sponsored by the Centennial Lane Band and Orchestra Boosters and by Baltimore Brass Company. Information regarding the 2020 Centennial Lane Summer Band Camp will be made public early in 2020.

Website

In addition to frequent emails and notices in the CLES newsletter, our band website, clesbands., should be utilized by parents and students as a primary source for CLES band information and resources. The website will be updated weekly throughout the year.

CLES Band Enrollment Form

2019-20

Please return to Mr. Owens no later than Monday, September 9, 2019

(or register at clesbands.)

Please print clearly

Student’s Name________________________________________________________

Current Grade _____ HomeroomTeacher__________________________________

Home phone _____________________ email_________________________________

Work phone (father) _________________________

(mother)_____________________

Does your child have piano experience? ____________ If yes, how many years? _____

Choice of Instruments 1. _______________________________________

2. _______________________________________

My child has my permission to join the band program at CLES. I will encourage my child to practice on a consistent basis.

Parent/Guardian Signature_______________________________________________

Date ___________________

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