OPTIONAL/ EXTRA BAND ACTIVITIES

Pep Band:   This group performs in the stands at our home football games.  Minimal after-school rehearsals will be required in September, October and, November.  Students will be required to wear their pep band uniform to school on performance days.  This group is mainly made up of seventh grade intermediate and eighth grade students, but exceptions for 6 th graders with prior experience are possible.  I hope that every student will take the opportunity to participate in this group to learn and enjoy a very important style of musical performance, literature and history.

Band Festival: This event is not optional for 8th Grade Concert Band Members and is sponsored by the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association (VBODA).   The event is held the first or second weekend in March on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday, at a school in either Virginia Beach or Norfolk.  Parents and students will be informed of the performance day and time in early February.  All eighth grade and chosen 7 th grade students are required to attend. PLEASE PLAN EVENTS AROUND THIS!!!!

Jazz Band: This group performs jazz, swing, Latin and pop styles at various activities during the year.  The group will practice one or two days per week, starting in October. Saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone, percussion, piano, guitar and bass players are eligible to participate. Auditions for the group will be held one week after music is distributed. An information and sign-up sheet will be posted before auditions and rehearsals begin.

KMS Pans of Steel: This group performs traditional Caribbean and pop styles at various activities during the year. Students do not need any previous experience; however sign-ups and auditions will be held.  The group will practice one day per week before school, starting in January.

Sixth and Seventh Grade All-City Bands: This activity is sponsored by the Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Participants are selected by the band director. Each middle school is granted a quota of students for participation. Selection for the band will be based on class participation, dependability, grades and playing tests, and a test on audition material. Selected seventh grade students will audition for chair positions at one of the city's middle schools in January; however, sixth grade students do not audition for chair positions. Students participate in two days of rehearsals in March, which include a Friday evening and Saturday morning. A concert is presented on Saturday afternoon.

All-District Band Auditions: This event is sponsored by the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association (VBODA), and is held in early December at a school in either Virginia Beach or Norfolk. All seventh and eighth grade students are eligible to audition. The audition consists of major scales, chromatic scale, a prepared piece, and sight-reading. Students receive audition materials in November. There is a small fee to audition.

All-District Band: This event is sponsored by the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association (VBODA) Those students who audition and are selected for the band, participate in two days of rehearsals with a guest conductor (the first Friday and Saturday in February) at a local school. This weekend provides students the opportunity to perform some excellent music literature with the area's finest players. There is a fee of around $15 for participation. Kempsville Middle students who perform with this group will receive a certificate and a State Medal. According to school board policy, students must maintain a 2.0 grade point average in order to participate in this event.

Solo and Ensemble Festival: This event is sponsored by VBODA and is held in late April or May at a school in the Kempsville, Larkspur, Salem, or Bayside area. Students prepare solos, duets, trios, quartets, etc. to perform for a judge. The students receive a rating from I ( Superior) to V (Poor) for their performance. Students receiving either a I or II will receive a medal at the band banquet. Music for the performance must be listed in the VBODA Graded Manual. Most area music stores will have selections sorted by grade level. If a student needs assistance in finding material, please check with the director. Each student must chose to either go to the festival and participate completely or prepare a selection, under the same rules, and perform it for the class. I highly recommend all students participate, in this event. There is a small fee to participate.

Spring Trip:   A spring trip to Busch Gardens may be arranged near the end of the school year for Eighth Grade Concert Band members.  I cannot guarantee that this event will always take place.  This trip is considered a reward for Festival Band students who have maintained at least a C average in band, participated in all applicable performances, and have not been assigned ISS/OSS during the year.  If the trip takes place it will occur on a weekend or non-school day.  Each student will be responsible for his/her cost of the trip .