Lakeview Band Blog

5th Grade Up and Ready To Go

2009-09-23T11:22:00.002-05:00

The 5th grade band students have started playing their instruments this week. It has been fantastic to start working with them. I love the enthusiasm showed at the very beginning. It makes it very fun to have my job.

We have nearly 80 kids in the fifth grade band and the instrumentation is excellent. We have 14 flutes, 20 clarinets, 5 saxes, 13 trumpets, 18 trombones, a baritone and 5 drummers. That should make for an excellent sound.

For our concert on December 6th, we will be performing Aunt Rhodie's Diet. This is the continuation of the story that I have used the last couple of years with 5th grade bands. I must admit I am excited to have something that is at least a little bit different. The other change for the 5th grade concert this year will be that instead of high school students playing the various roles I will probably be using 6th graders. That should be really neat. I can't wait to see how the 6th graders do with that.

If you are a 5th grade band student, I encourage you to keep practicing hard because the music will be challenging but, if we practice a lot, it should be really fun.

A New Year

2009-09-09T07:41:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone,

The new year is off to a great start. I tested the last 5th grade students yesterday and will be letting them know what instruments they should play soon. It is always exciting to start a new bunch of kids on their instruments. They are always so excited to get started. I like hearing "Mr. Taylor, when do we get to start practicing?" :-)

The 6th grade band is off to an excellent start as well. We have already begun work on Scarlet and Black and have begun work on one of our songs for the Winter Concert. We are working ahead of schedule at this point and I intend to keep that going. I think that this group is going to have a nice sound. Our instrumentation is fantastic and, if we can rehearse the way we did the other day, we should get a lot done in rehearsals.

Lakeview started a new program called PBIS and that has made a big difference in the halls. I have been impressed with the behavior of the kids this year. Hopefully that is able to continue for the whole school year.

Have a great week everyone!

-Mr. Taylor

Summer with Katie

2009-07-04T12:29:00.003-05:00

Well, it has been a while since I blogged about my daughter. My wife informs me that it has been too long since I blogged about her. She says the last post says that Katie was working on crawling.....she is past that now.

Katie constantly runs around our house now. Her favorite things to do are chase the dog (who she calls "beast) and sneak up to my computer as soon as I get up from it. She actually tries to find Elmo on the computer...usually she just succeeds in opening random windows and deleting files.

When she isn't trying to practice her hacking skills on my computer, she likes to ask "What's that?" and "Why?" She really is quite inquisitive. Usually after I tell her why something has to be one way, she asks why about that. It is a never-ending cycle. :-)

She also likes to sing her ABCs. She makes it to P and then gets lost. The notes are pretty good but the words leave a bit to be desired...I guess she will be an instrumentalist not a singer. She loves to play her little piano each day and she plays music that sounds a lot like the stuff written by John Cage (but not 4'33")...if you don't know what I mean, you should look him up.

Also this summer, I got to see my wife's new room at the high school. I am jealous. She is up on the third floor in a huge classroom with a couple of very comfortable couches. She is planning some awesome lessons for her classes next year so it should be fun for her and her students.

Well time to get back to playing with Katie...it's peak-a-boo time.

Summer Lessons and "The Rank System"

2009-06-25T14:30:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone,

It has been a little while since last I blogged. :-) Summer lessons are over halfway over and I feel like we have just begun. I have been extremely pleased with the students that I have been working with so far this summer. We have had a number of people complete lesson books and have gotten an excellent start to "The Rank System."

For those of you who are not aware of the rank system, this is designed to make learning scales and advanced techniques more interesting. "The Rank System" is a new incentive program that will give students various ranks for accomplishing certain tasks on their instruments. Later this summer you will find more information on the rank system on the band webpage. Most importantly though, all students achieving the rank of Captain by the end of next school year will get to have a pizza party. That should be pretty fun. :-)

Summer band has also been going pretty well. I think that we will be in good shape for our performance. We are definitely performing "Prehistoric Suite," "Chesapeake March," and "Rockin' Drummers." We will try out "Supercalifragilisticexpialodocious" next week in rehearsal. I can't wait to see how well that one works out.

So I would like to try to make my blog slightly more interactive....meaning I want you, the reader, involved. :-) So....I am going to try asking a question.... For those of you who have gone through band at Lakeview, and those of you still in band at Lakeview...What was your favorite piece of band music that you played while at Lakeview? Feel free to post your answers in the comments section below. I hope to learn from the discussion this should provide. :-)

Jazz Band Stuff

2009-04-21T07:52:00.003-05:00

I got to go with the high school Jazz I the other day to Jazz Championships. I have to say that I was proud to be a band teacher in Centerville as I watched them perform. The kids did an excellent job. It is a sad thing that this was the last performance in the jazz band for the seniors. We had an excellent group of seniors this year and I know I speak for all of us when I say that we will miss them.

Also, this weekend, the junior high jazz band played at Dallas Center-Grimes. I was so impressed. I think that the kids in that group have worked extremely hard. I could tell that you guys really liked the music that you were performing. That shows when you perform. Keep up the great work, we can't wait to hear you when you come to Lakeview this spring. By the way, I also thought the concert band was EXCELLENT! I know this is a jazz post so I won't talk too much about it, but great job to everyone in the junior high concert band.

We have been having some excellent rehearsals with the 6th grade jazz band. The group is coming along nicely. I have been enjoying the swing tune the most but I am guessing that you kids have been enjoying the rock tunes. :-) That is the way of the world. Our performance on the 22nd of May will be really good. I can't wait to share the work that you guys are doing.

Well until my next post...have a good one and (my kids love this one) stay out of trouble. :-)

It is too cold!

2009-01-15T14:58:00.000-06:00

Hello all,

I hope that you are warm and comfortable in your homes today. Don't forget to practice a whole bunch today. :-)

Just wanted to post here how you can find recordings of some of our band songs on-line. If you go to www.jwpepper.com you can often find the songs we do so that you can listen to them. Of course, I have been told that YouTube also has recordings. Just remember that the quality of recordings on there depends on who put it there. The recordings on JWPepper are done by professionals.

6th Graders- You should check out There Will Come Soft Rains and As Winds Dance on there. Those would be good listening. Happy listening.

Great Work On IBA Recording

2009-01-10T15:35:00.002-06:00

Hello all,

I just wanted to take a minute to tell all of my sixth grade band kids that they did a fantastic job on our preparation of an IBA recording. Regardless of the outcome, I am extremely proud. The recording that we have is quite good and I think that those of you who asked for a copy will thoroughly enjoy it.

Now we get to get into a really fun part of the year preparing for solo/ensemble contest and pep band. I think that you all will have a great time over the next month or so.

Oh no....I hear my daughter saying "Uh-oh" that means she is up to no good. :-) I should go. Have a great day everyone and welcome back from winter break.

-Mr. Taylor

Mr. Holland's Opus Grant

2008-11-12T17:50:00.002-06:00

Wow! This has been a busy year and I am a terrible blogger. :-) I need to blog more often. Well, this time I have great material for a blog. Lakeview got a grant from the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation. This foundation was founded by the composer of the music for the movie Mr. Holland's Opus, Michael Kamen.

We will be getting four clarinets, two trumpets, a brand new tenor sax, and a brand new bari sax. These instruments will be a big help to our program. I am excited that we will get to have these instruments in students' hands. To be honest, I am excited to try them out myself too. :-)

On Monday, November 17th a representative from the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation will be coming to observe the 6th grade band rehearsal and a few lessons. The sixth graders sound awesome so it will be great to show them off. There may even be members of the press on hand at our rehearsal to cover our grant award. That is exciting.

If there are any articles or air time for the band, I will be sure to post information about that either here in my blog or on the band website if I get the chance.

The First Day of School

2008-08-21T10:17:00.002-05:00

6th graders,

How exciting! The first day of school is here! It was great to see so many students coming to school with a smile on their face today. I love it when the enthusiasm is at its highest.

I just finished putting the sixth grade band folders together today and I think that we are in for a great year. There is some really fun music in those folders that I know you all will like. There is something for everyone.

Since we are starting a new year, I thought I would let you all know about this year of band. We have 61 kids signed up which, for me, is a new record in sixth grade! It is neat to see so many kids together having a great time.

Band starts on Monday so be ready for some fun kids.

-Mr. T

Welcome Back!!!

2008-08-14T18:34:00.001-05:00

Hello gang,

The school year is upon us. I hope you are all in for a great year. We have a lot of fun ahead and I know that I can't wait to get underway. Good luck with all of the first days and I hope that you have an easy time transitioning back into your school year schedule.

-Mr. T

Information about Baby (Katie) Taylor

2008-07-11T14:01:00.004-05:00

Hello again,

Two posts in one hour. That is definitely a record for me. I have had so many questions about Katie that I wanted to share a little bit with you all.

Katie is 4 and 1/2 months old and is starting to really enjoy exploring her world. She currently is learning to scoot around on the floor (not yet crawling) and eating baby food. The baby food is an adventure. She likes to smile when she eats which makes the food come out all over her. This, of course, makes her smile even more. :-)

Katie's best friend is her dog, Maddie. The two are nearly inseparable most of the time. I posted a few pictures for you so that those of you haven't seen her can.

End of Summer Lessons/Band

2008-07-11T13:53:00.002-05:00

Wow, what a summer! Last night was our performance of the summer jazz band, youth band, and junior band. The concert went very well. It was really hot, but the music was excellent.

Jazz Band- I was proud of the work that you guys did this summer. We went a long way with some very tough music. The solos were well played. It was neat to see so many kids in the jazz band. I also appreciated the help that we got from the high schoolers and alums for the performance and in rehearsals.

Junior Band- You guys nailed that concert. It was really cool to see that so many of you decided to go ahead and play solos. After the concert, I had even more kids ask if we would do more soloing next year so that they could get a chance. I will absolutely try to find a way to make that happen. Many of the Municipal Band members heard our concert and said that you guys sounded great. I was also happy to see a lot of you all watch the Municipal Band concert, especially with as hot as it was last night.

High School Helpers- Thanks again for your help and support. It is great to see that so many of you care about helping out the younger students. You were indispensable this summer.

I hope that you all have a great ending to your summer and that you stay safe. See you in the fall.

-Mr. Taylor

This Summer

2008-06-24T07:56:00.000-05:00

Hello again everyone,

I just was thinking yesterday how amazing this summer of band has already been. We have accomplished so much already and we have only had three of the six weeks of summer lessons.

Almost ten of the 6th graders have crossed off scales for next year. In fact, Cassidy came in to one lesson and crossed off five scales in one sitting. Many of those who have crossed off scales, have crossed off more than one. Way to go! If you want to join in the fun, just let me know at your lesson and I will help you to cross off your first scale so that you can get going. I would like to see all of the sixth graders cross off their band scale (concert Bb) by the end of the summer if we can. Since we are entering a new year, there will be a new scale challenge to see who finishes first. The first one gets a king sized candy bar. All other students who finish will get a regular sized candy bar or a can of pop.

We also have had a number of kids finishing books this summer. Keep up the great work with that. Remember you get a lovely "I Love Band" pencil when you finish your book. Since chair placements for sixth grade band are based upon where you are in your book, you also are helping to improve the chair you sit in if you work really hard at crossing songs off. In many of our sections the top few players are going back and forth each week, so the competition is fierce.

I hope that you guys are having a lot of fun this summer. I know that I am. Now, don't forget to go outside and play.

-Mr. Taylor

Excellent First Day of Summer Lessons

2008-06-09T17:51:00.000-05:00

Hello gang,

Today was a great first day of summer lessons. I had a lot of really good lessons and an excellent rehearsal of the Summer Jazz Band. I hope that we are able to keep this moment up all summer. Jazz band people, I hope that you had fun with the music I picked. I am going to look for a rock song to add to the mix since there are so many shuffles. I guess I just have an ear for shuffles. :-)

There is no Junior band this week but next week we get to start with it and I can't wait. Anyone who would like to attend, but hasn't signed up would be more than welcomed to come. I love having a lot of people around for that sort of thing.

I look forward to the next couple of days of lessons and the first rehearsal of Youth band on Wednesday. It is always fun to see the new seventh graders with the eighth graders. I know that I will be proud when I see that. :-)

Have a great day and go outside and enjoy the nice weather (when we finally get it again)!

-Mr. Taylor

Municipal Band and Summer

2008-06-03T20:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the first municipal band practice of the new season and it was neat to see so many students there. Hopefully we can keep up the great participation. It is nice to get to play sax too so drummers please keep showing up. :-)

Well gang, summer is here and that means summer band and baseball, and softball, and camp, and vacation, and relatives visiting, and soccer, and the list goes on. While you are busy this summer, don't forget to get a little bit of practicing in each week. While it is hard to practice as regularly as you do during the school year, it is nice if you get some time in. It will help you to be better next year so that you can concentrate more on having fun in band rather than hoping that you get the right notes at the right time. :-)

I highly recommend practicing those scales. Since the scales start all over for a new year at Lakeview, there will be a new challenge for the first done in each level. If you would like to get the candy bar for being first, start working towards it now.

Have a happy summer! I will see many of you next week at lessons.

-Mr. Taylor

WOW!

2008-05-27T20:29:00.000-05:00

We have reached over 300 hits on our new webpage since we bought the new domain a week ago. This is excellent. To put this in perspective a little bit, I will tell you that our biggest month before was almost 200 hits. I went back to check our information and realized just how big a week it has been for this website.

To continue with this success, I just ask that you check back periodically. Offer any suggestions for material that should be on the site in various pages, help me to check for quality control (i.e. did I type something incorrectly?) and sign the ole guestbook.

Thanks gang. Have a great day and an excellent summer!

New Website and End of the Year

2008-05-22T19:51:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

I am extremely happy to be working on the new webpage. Since we are now being hosted under a different company our storage space is so much bigger. We can now include a lot of pictures and original content in our webpage. If you have some ideas that you would like to share with me to help me to improve the website, I would be happy to include them.

This school year has been an excellent one. Thank you to the band students who have worked so hard this year to make all of our performances so successful. I look forward to working with many of you this summer through the summer bands and lessons. We should be able to build on our success and have a great time.

Thank you sixth graders for a productive year. It has been a pleasure to teach you the last couple of years and I wish you the best of luck in the junior high. I know that you will be successful there.

Also, seniors good luck in the "real world." We will miss you dearly and hope that you come back to visit us often. I hope that many of you one day return to Centerville with children of your own to join the band. :-)

-Mr. Taylor