Sun Valley HS Band –
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Band a year long
class? Yes & No.
Students will register for two separate semesters of band (Fall &
Spring). Each semester receives its own credit. In a full year a
student will receive two credits for band. Students needing to miss a
semester of band because of a scheduling issue for other classes will be dealt
with on a case by case basis. In all cases a student may be required to
audition to be placed back in the band class after missing a semester.
This is to ensure proper musical progress is made if a student must skip a
semester.
Do I have to participate
in the marching band in high school? No. However, participation is highly encouraged.
It is worth giving it a try. The camaraderie and additional music
training that comes along with participating in marching band does not compare
to just playing an instrument in class each day. Students also love the travel
and performance opportunities that come with participation in marching
band.
How much time is
involved in marching band? In
short, marching band has several days of “band camp” at school in the
weeks before school begins, and has a Tuesday and Thursday evening
rehearsal component. Several Mondays after
school are sometimes scheduled to work on music and visual elements. The marching band participates in all home
varsity games on Fridays, and most away games. There are also several
Saturday competitions from the middle of September until the last week in
October. (Not every Saturday, usually 4 or 5). We will also have a
few evenings scheduled in May to provide our Rookies (first year marchers) with
basic beginning instruction on marching and begin sightreading music. This is all done at Sun Valley High.
Is there a cost for
being in High School Concert Band? There
are no fees for band class.
For those participating
in marching band - there is a
participation fee of $325 that covers the cost of camp instructional staff and
materials for the marching band, as well as transportation to all marching band
events. Additional costs include the
purchase of individual marching bands and marching shoes and gloves. These will be ordered during band camp prior
to the start of school. If at any time
you foresee a financial hardship or have concerns about any costs involved be
sure to contact Mr. Reynolds. A marching band commitment/informational
meeting will be held on TUESDAY, MARCH 26
at 7pm in the high school auditorium for anyone interested in high school
band in general and those wishing to participate in marching band, A
deposit of $125 will be due upon registration for marching band.**Students
interested in marching band must also be registered for band class.
Can I change instruments
in high school? Generally speaking, no. Unless you have received private
instruction and can play a secondary instrument at a 3rd year
level, you will be expected to play the same instrument you did in middle
school. Exceptions might be those students who are recruited to
participate in the percussion front ensemble of the marching band. These
students will receive training at percussion camp over the summer. Other
exceptions will be handled on a case by case basis. Please contact Mr. Reynolds
to make him aware of your interest in changing instruments.
Does marching band
conflict with cheerleading or sports? The short answer is "sometimes". In high school
you will have to start making some choices. HOWEVER, when it comes to
sports, I will let you participate in as much as you can handle. The
general rule regarding games, performances and practices is this…. If the band
has a performance and you have a sports practice, the PERFORMANCE comes
first. If there is a band practice that conflicts with a sports GAME, the
GAME comes first. You should be able to experience as much as you want,
but realize that schedules will sometimes overlap. Good communication
between students, parents, coaches and band director are essential. You
and your parents know how much you can handle. If you can fit in marching
band rehearsals and sports practices and homework and keep up with it all, then
we try to work it out. We have had band members participate in almost
every sport, as well as other school clubs and do just fine. There have
been marching band students in Cross Country, Tennis, Soccer, and Volleyball in
recent years. It can be done sometimes, but if the practices over lap and if
there are too many performance/game conflicts a student will have to make a
decision to do one or the other.
How am I graded in HS
Band? Daily rehearsal (coming
to class prepared, participating fully, etc). Performances – being at all
scheduled performances. Tests/Quizzes – Written and playing tests.
How can my schedule work
if I want to take both Band and ROTC in high school?
ROTC and Band would take
up four of your eight courses your freshman year. In order to make it
work in your schedule you may need to delay taking PE until your sophomore
year. Please be sure to contact Mr. Reynolds so that he can be in
communication with the guidance department and ROTC instructors.
Will taking band keep me
from being able to take Honors and/or Advanced Placement Classes? There may come a time, usually in your junior or senior year, that
an Honors or AP level class gets scheduled the same period that band
meets. In these cases you will need to weigh one over the other. If
a student wishes to study a particular field in college, and wants to be sure
they have a specific class, then they may have to drop band a semester in order
to take that class they want. Sometimes a student WANTS a class, but
doesn’t HAVE to have it, meaning it is not a requirement for graduation.
It is in these cases that a student has to determine which class they would
most like to have.
There is an honors level
credit for band students who are regularly playing at an advanced level (grade 4 and above). Most students achieve this level by the second semester of their freshman year. Honors level credit can significantly help a
student’s GPA, so it is in a band student’s best interest to remain in band and
continue to enjoy playing and participating.
There are students who
graduate from Sun Valley HS every year who have remained in band every semester
they have been in high school. Many have graduated with honors, and have
gone on to prestigious colleges and universities. Previous Sun Valley
band students who stayed in the program all four years of high school
(including all 8 semesters) are now, or have been, in school at Appalachian,
Catawba, Elon, Wingate, Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Greensboro, Western Carolina, East Carolina,
Furman, Clemson, NC State, UNC-Wilmington, UNC-Asheville, and
UNC-Charlotte just to name a few! Colleges look for students who are
committed and follow through with their high school activities. Band is a wonderful way to show that commitment!
What leadership
opportunities are there in band? There are numerous ways in which a student can take an active role
in band. We have a Band Council and our Leadership Team for Marching
Band.
Do I still have to
complete a practice journal in high school? No. Practice journals are used in the middle school to help
you establish a regular practice routine, and help ensure proper
progress. Students are expected to still practice at home, but your evaluation
will take place in your playing tests….then I can usually tell if you have
practiced enough at home!
What are the benefits of
taking band in high school? One of the biggest
advantages of participating in high school band is that there are ready-made
friends the first day of school. Marching Band will also introduce you to
upperclassmen at the high school that will become your friends immediately, and
will help make your transition a smooth one. Band is also one of those
classes where you pretty much already know what to expect. This leaves
you time to concentrate on other classes that will be new
to you.
Participation in band
also helps you with your time management skills and learning to prioritize and
set goals. You have a ready-made support system that can help you with
everything from car-pooling to school and events, as well as upper class
students who can assist you with a class you may be struggling in. You can
almost always find someone who has had the same course you are taking, or who
has had the same teacher in a previous year. Those are benefits that go
beyond the music in the class.
A few comments regarding Early College and
Central Academy:
Early College does not
have a band program. Central Academy does have concert, marching (limited
to one contest in previous years), and jazz band, just as SVHS does. Some students,
depending on their “track”, may not be able to take band every semester or
yearly at Central Academy. Elective classes are geared towards a student’s chosen
field of interest, and band may often conflict with the other required classes.
There is a music production and recording arts track at CATA. Details can be found on the Central Academy
school website. .
PLEASE CONTACT MR.
REYNOLDS WITH ANY QUESTIONS
www.sunvalleybands.org
jeff.reynolds@ucps.k12.nc.us
704-296-3020 SVHS