H a n o v e r T o w n s h i p P u b l i c S c h o o l s M e m o r i a l J u n i o r S c h o o l M u s i c D e p a r t m e n t

Dear Fifth Grade Parents/Guardians:

Band, Chorus and String Orchestra are full year courses. The String Orchestra and Chorus students perform at two concerts a year, while the band students perform at three concerts a year. The String Orchestra meets once a week after school, the Chorus meets twice a week during the school day, while the Band meets three times a week during the school day. Band and String Orchestra lessons are given once a week during the school day. We welcome anyone to join, even if they have never participated in Band, Chorus or String Orchestra before!

The “Top 10” Questions about Band, Chorus and String Orchestra at MJS

1. May I join if I have never participated in either group before? YES, we always welcome newcomers who want to have fun and are excited to learn!

2. I am not happy with the instrument that I currently play; may I switch to another one? YES. We have various instruments here that you can try. This way you can see what you like better, under the guidance of one of our band or string orchestra teachers.

3. Am I going to have fun in Band, Chorus and String Orchestra? YES! We sing/play a variety of music. Last year in band we played pieces such as “March of the Aliens,” “Frozen”, “Concerto Extremely Grosso,” “Bang Zoom” and “Star Wars”, and in chorus we sang songs by such artists as Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Selena Gomez, Adele, Sam Smith, and Taylor Swift.

4. Do we get a grade on our report cards for Band, Chorus or String Orchestra? YES. Music is an academic subject so you will be graded on the MJS letter system (ABCDF). Most of the students get A’s or B’s!

Band/Chorus and Orchestra are full year classes. Even though we would love to work with all of the students, we realize that it is not for everyone. If at any time your child is having any difficulties, please contact us ASAP. Due to the complexities of scheduling, if a student’s schedule needs to be changed, it can only be done at the end of each marking period.

5. What extra musical groups does MJS offer? Everyone is invited to audition for the annual school musical. This past year, we performed “The Wizard of Oz,” and it was spectacular. During the 2014-2015 school year the music program offered the following groups:

. The Viking Jazz Band Grades 7 & 8 One day a week before school . Small Ensembles Grades 7 & 8 During weekly Lesson . Honors Band Grade 6 One day a week after school

6. Do I need to own my own instrument? We encourage everyone to rent their own instrument so they can use a quality instrument. We work with wonderful music stores that have rent-to-own policies. After a few years of rental payments, the instrument is yours to keep. However, if you can’t secure a rental, MJS does have various instruments that we can supply for you. We own many of the low instruments such as bass clarinets, baritone saxophones, tenor saxophones, tubas, baritones, trombones, French horns, oboes, and bassoons. We often encourage students to try these instruments in 6th grade. 7. How does the music schedule work?  Band: 2 Band Mini classes per week before lunch, 1 full band class during physical education/health per week.  Chorus: 1 Chorus Mini class per week before/after lunch, 1 full chorus class during physical education/health per week.  Orchestra: Meets after school on Mondays. Every student in the Band and String Orchestra program has a group lesson once a week. They meet for different periods on a 4-5 week rotating basis.

8. Will being involved in the MJS music program help me to prepare for the Whippany Park music program? YES. Most of our students continue and participate in the award-winning high school music programs. The Whippany Park Band has performed around the country at places such as Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom and Epcot Center, Universal Studios Florida, Giants Stadium, MetLife Stadium, Cleveland State University, and the University of Pennsylvania. The band was also invited to perform at both the Lincoln Memorial and the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., where they were introduced by New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg. The Marching Band and Color Guard is regularly praised for their spirit, pride, and musicianship and has gar- nered several awards at the state level. In 2012 and 2014 they were selected to march in the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade. In the past, the select Madrigal Chorus group has performed at Carnegie Hall. There is no string or- chestra program.

9. Are there leadership opportunities in Band, Chorus and String Orchestra? YES, many times there are opportunities for students to try out for solos in different songs.

10. What does the research say about students who are involved in music programs? Information found on www. nafme .org/

 Studies have shown that assiduous instrument training from an early age can help the brain to process sounds bet- ter, making it easier to stay focused when absorbing other subjects, from literature to tensor calculus.” (Scientific American’s board of editors 2010)  Multiple studies indicate that early music instruction is linked to significant improvements in students’ spatial rea- soning abilities. (Hetland, L. 2000)  Children with music training had significantly better verbal memory than those without such training, and the longer the training, the better the verbal memory. (Ho, Y. C., Cheung, M. C., & Chan, A. 2003)  On the 2012 SAT, students who participated in music scored an average of 31 points above average in reading, 23 points above average in math, and 31 points above average in writing. (College Board SAT, 2012)

If you have any questions or need clarification prior to making your selection, you may call the Memorial Junior School Band Room at (973) 637-5512 or Chorus/Orchestra room (973) 515-2479.

Sincerely,

Tracy Currie and Raymond Uy MJS 6th Grade Music Teachers