Welcome Back!

Hello Everyone and Welcome back to school! I hope you all had a fantastic summer vacation and I am looking forward to a fun and exciting school year!

I am hoping to post more often on my blog this year. Google has made it easier to sign in and control this page so check back here often!

You may leave comments here this year but I will be moderating all comments so remember to keep your posts school appropriate!

See you all next Wednesday!

Mrs. Ricci

Concert Dates Posted/Polo Shirt Forms Ready

Hi Everyone,

Please check the LMS band website at www.lincolnmsband.com for the latest updates and concert information. Remember to pick up a concert notice and polo shirt notice in the band room ASAP. We will be trying on shirts next week so it is very important that you get this information home to your families.

Mrs. Ricci

New to Band this Year??

Hello Everybody!

I really am enjoying my classes so far this year! Thank you for being so positive and enthusiastic so far!

I wanted to make a post to welcome all of our new band members who are learning to play an instrument for the first time this year.  I know that this can be a little stressful. Especially for 6th graders who are getting used to a new school, new teachers, new friends and now a new instrument!

All new band kids at the middle school are lumped into the same band classes as the kids who have been playing for at least one year more than they have. In some classes there are only a few "new" band students while the other 27-30 kids already took band for a year or more. Therefore, even though I do start at the beginning of the book with 6th grade classes, I quickly loose the interest of the vast majority of the class if I stay on the review lessons too long.

I always tell new students not to worry and to look on, listen along and try their best to get a sound in class. Writing notes into your book or trying to remember fingerings during class can help you to catch up even quicker!

I also run after school extra help sessions for new band students in August and September. Our next extra help session is from 2:30pm-3:30pm next Thursday, September 13th. 

This happens every year and at every grade level from 6th grade all the way up to 12th grade at the high school. The good news is that the overwhelming majority of new players have great success in band! They work hard on their own using the method book, ask me for help before, during and after class and come to the after school extra help sessions. I am very easy going with new players and try to help them to relax. I encourage them not to give up and to practice a little every single day. As the year progresses, they catch up little by little and by the end of the year, many of them become some of my very best players! New players can became very advanced players with a lot of practice and persistence! 

Band kids are graded on their level of effort and preparedness. Therefore, new students do not need to worry about their band grade. 

I really hope this helps some of you to be less stressed. Band is supposed to be fun and laid back. Please remember that I don't mind if it takes you quite a bit of time to catch up, new people!!  It is perfectly normal! 

Mrs. Ricci 

School So Far and Festival 2012 Pics

Hello Everybody!

I hope you all had a nice start to the school year! I am very pleased with all of my classes and I'm having fun making music with you all every day!

Please make sure to turn in your syllabus, percussion contract and email list papers asap.

Audition music for both Jazz Band and Advanced Band is now available in the band room. Pick up a copy today! Auditions will be held during the last week of September.

Here are a few pictures from last year's big trip to the Mass Bay Festival and Six Flags. Enjoy!

Welcome Back to School!

Hello Band Kids! Welcome Back! I hope everyone had a great summer!

Welcome to our brand new 6th grade band students! You are going to love the middle school and band class!

Welcome back 7th graders! I am so excited to see you all again and to see how you have grown over the summer break! Make sure to dust off your instruments before school starts!

Welcome back 8th graders! You have so much to look forward to this year in band! There will be more performances for you, a field trip or two and new fun music to play! Remember that now you are the class that all the 6th and 7th graders look up to! One of the first things you can do as 8th graders is to volunteer to help any brand new band students learn how to put their instruments together. We will be meeting after school on Tuesdays until jazz band starts up. Let me know if you want to volunteer!

See you all very soon,
Mrs. Ricci