BUSSEY MS BANDS: Journal

The first week of school has flown by. I am so excited about the wonderful students who have chosen to make band a part of their lives this year. I have a great feeling about this school year. I am a blessed teacher.

Sixth Grade Orientation is tonight at 6:30 in the Cafeteria. Sixth grade band students and/or new band students (new to Bussey) are encouraged to visit the "Downloads" tab of this website. There is a list of local music stores with addresses, phone numbers, and websites. There are also supply lists.

Mrs. Tucker thanks her Symphonic & Honors Band students for helping at the sixth grade orientation tonight by walking kids to their classrooms and helping them open their combination lockers.

The Bussey Symphonic and Honors Band students finished summer band camp yesterday. It was a great start to the year. The students worked on warm-ups, the GISD All-District music, and the two pieces for Band Fest (Secret Agent Man & Mission Impossible).

The Lone Star Wind Orchestra (the group Mrs. Tucker performs in) has been invited to perform in the 66th Annual International Midwest Clinic in Chicago this December 2012. We will be fulfilling our mission of Music Changing Lives by performing for over 4,000 influential music teachers, administrators, students, and parents. We are so excited for this opportunity. It is a HUGE deal in the music community. You can visit the Midwest site to learn more (www.midwestclinic.org). We need your help though! In order to cover the costs of transporting the musicians to Chicago, we need to raise $15,000. We have started a fundraising campaign with the Kickstarter project. We have until September 1st to raise $15,000 or more. If we fall even one dollar short, we will not receive any of the donated money (credit cards will not be charged). Please visit the site, watch the video, and donate whatever you can (any amount will help us get to our goal). Thank you in advance for your help. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/750516837/lone-star-wind-orchestra-is-going-to-chicago

Bussey Band students and parents, please be aware of the new dates for summer band camp (listed in the calendar section). I was off by a week, so please make the proper adjustments to your calendar. Thank you, Mrs. Tucker.

The Bussey Honors Band did wonderful at UIL today! They were calm and professional and played well. They earned their first 1 rating in SEVEN years! Yea Bussey! Mrs. Tucker is so proud!

Bussey Band Students:

I hope everyone is enjoying their Spring Break - resting and enjoying the warm temperatures.

Please make sure you are practicing every day and listening to the posted recordings of our UIL music every day as well. There are also videos of Brandy Station March on YouTube - just keep in mind that we want to sound even better than these recordings. :)

I look forward to working with all of you again soon.

Your director, Mrs. Tucker

CLICK THE NAME TO HEAR THE PIECE!

As Twilight Falls by Robert Sheldon

Fire Dance by Douglas Akey

The Honors Band did a great job at the North Garland High School Spaghetti Supper Concert last Tuesday. Tomorrow (Tuesday, March 6th) should be the more of the same at Pre-UIL. Honors Band students need to have their formal concert uniform tomorrow at school (Bussey Band polo shirt tucked in to black dress pants with black dress shoes and black dress socks) as well as their permission slip and $7 for food. We will eat after school in the cafeteria and make sure everyone is changed into uniforms. Dinner will be a Chick-fil-A sandwich, chips, a can of soda, and a brownie. We will then load up on the buses and head over to Garland High School to listen to a couple of bands. We warm-up at 6:45 PM, perform on stage at 7:15, and sight-read at 7:45. We should be on our way back to Bussey at 8:15 PM. If there are any questions, please contact Mrs. Tucker at (972) 494-8391, extension 50226.

The contest is being webcast at: http://live2/sml/go/rebeshea/bvLToWv

The GISD MS Solo & Ensemble Contest was a huge success this year! Seven of our Bussey Band students received 1 (Superior) ratings - Danielle Marshall, Amanda Guerrero, Katie Vassalli, Veronica Bool, Neeli Snider, McKenzie Davis & Zoe Hernandez! Congratulations girls! Matthew Torrez and Peter Willey got a 2 (Good) rating. All the students showed up and were very professional I am SO proud!

This new school year (my fifth year as Director of Bands at Bussey) will be starting in just a few days. I am so excited about this year. There is a new "spirit" among the staff in the building - a spirit of belief, encouragement, and excitement. Our motto this year is "Believe in the Best." It is very fitting. I DO believe in the best. I believe in the kids at Bussey. We've had 1 1/2 weeks of summer band and the kids are doing great! They have been consistently attending sectionals and full band rehearsals and have been practicing the school and fight song very diligently.

We are excited to perform at the Sixth Grade Orientation tomorrow night (Thursday, August 18th at 6 PM at the Bussey Cafeteria) as well as for the teachers this Friday, August 19th at 8:30 AM in the Competition Gym.

Mrs. Tucker would like to welcome all those interested in being in beginning band for the 2011-2012 school year. The instrument test drive is TONIGHT in the Bussey Band Hall from 6-8 PM.

Congratulations to both the Bussey Beginning and Symphonic Bands for their outstanding performances at Sandy Lake yesterday. Both bands came away with 1st Division trophies! :) They behaved themselves well and were troopers despite the 6:30 AM call-time, the excessive WIND, and the long day. Mrs. Tucker also won a 2-liter of Dr. Pepper! :) All and all, a great day.

I've added a new section on the website - Downloads. You can click on this tab and then proceed to download and print many different things - exercises to practice, articles to read, music enrichment forms, etc. Go browse!

Congratulations to the 2010-11 Band Director Award Recipients: Jaylah Thompson, Beginning Band; Yessenia Cabrera, 7th grade Honors Band; and Lindsay Waddleton, 8th grade Honors Band.

Also, congratulations to Lindsay Waddleton and J'Son Turner for earning spots in the top band at North Garland High School as Freshmen! Way to go!!

Frank Ticheli is the Composer-in-Residence for the Lone Star Wind Orchestra this year. While at dinner with him and his wife prior to our "Angels of Light" concert on April 25th, I learned that he student taught at Bussey Middle School - back when Jim Jeter was the head director. I thought, "Wow! What a small world! How cool is that? Frank Ticheli was a student teacher for the Bussey bands!" I think I may have to make a certificate and have him sign it so that I can frame it and hang it in the Bussey Band Hall. OR, better yet...I may have to do a fundraiser and commission him to write a piece for the Bussey Band program.

21 Bussey Beginning Band students participated in the 2010 Young Excellence Solo and Ensemble Contest held at Hudson Middle School today. Of the 21 students, 5 received ribbons and 15 received medals! Mrs. Tucker is very proud of her students! Way to go!!

Both the Bussey Beginning Band and Honors Band performed at the Sandy Lake Fun Festival today and made Mrs. Tucker proud. The students represented themselves, the band program, and the school well today with their behavior. They were punctual, respectful, and focused.




The Honors Band received a I rating for their performance. They played "Lexington March" by John Edmondson. Mr. Edmondson was one of the judges and really appreciated the Honors Band performing his piece. The students chose to perform this piece especially for Mr. Edmondson. Mrs. Tucker is so proud of the students' performance and focus today.

Just FYI: There will be a bus for transportation to the Solo Contest at Austin Academy this Saturday. It will depart from Bussey at 10 AM. It will leave Austin Academy at 4 PM to go back to Bussey.

The rehearsal on February 18th has moved to February 16th, and the time has been shortened an hour (4-5 PM instead of 4-6 PM). Please note this change and make arrangements. Mrs. Tucker has the opportunity to use a new school Flip Camera for the Band program as long as she attends training. The training is on the 18th. Thank you for adjusting!

Click on the links below to hear recordings of our 2010 UIL Selections (you will have to click on the icons to listen to each recording):

Lexington March by John Edmondson: http://www.penders.com/p/430400/lexington-march
Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) by Michael Story: http://www.penders.com/p/8971900/sakura-cherry-blossoms
Our Kingsland Spring by Samuel R. Hazo: http://www.penders.com/p/17663800/our-kingsland-spring

$5,000 Matching Grant Challenge for Fine Arts Grants

An anonymous donor has made a $5,000 matching grant challenge to the BEST Foundation for the Betsy Henderson Fine Arts Grant Program. This means for every dollar that is contributed to the grant fund, it will be matched up to a total of $5,000. This is a great way to make a final tax deductible contribution before the end of the year.

The Betsy Henderson Grant was established in 2005 for the specific purpose of funding creative and innovative programs in the GISD Fine Arts Department. The grant is named for retired Fine Art Coordinator Betsy Henderson.

Contributions can be made to the Henderson Grant by mailing a check to the GISD Best Foundation, PO Box 460517, Garland, Texas 75046-0517. Please specify Henderson Challenge.

Congratulations to Erika Brito and Lindsay Waddleton for earning spots in the 2009 Garland ISD All-District Bands. Bussey has not had any students in the bands in a long time. Erika, 8th grade flute player, made the Symphonic Band and Lindsay, 8th grade bass clarinet player, made first chair in the Honors Band. Both have earned spots on the 2009-10 Bussey Band Wall of Fame.


Lindsay Waddleton, first chair Bass Clarinet, GISD All-District Honors Band


Erika Brito, flute, GISD All-District Symphonic Band

The following students will be the first on the Bussey Band Wall of Fame for the 2009-10 school year for their great work at the Summer Band Camp:

Yessenia Cabrera, flute
Adrianna Welch, oboe
Jose Gonzalez, clarinet
Lindsay Waddleton, bass clarinet
J'Son Turner, baritone saxophone
Chris Balleza, trumpet
Mayra Duarte, horn
Evelyn Ibarra, trombone
Jordon Castillo, tuba
Oscar Cruz, percussion

Congratulations!

This year's Bussey summer band camp will be shorter and more beneficial to the students. 10 AM-noon will be sectionals with some GREAT teachers. Flute - Karen Eichinger, Oboe - Melissa Bosma, Clarinet - Sam Ross, Bass Clarinet - Nancy Lawrence, Saxophone - Chris Dickhaus, Trumpet - Jay Ellsmore, Horn - Angela Winter, Trombone - Jason Freeman, Euphonium/Tuba - Andrew Jones, Percussion - Sam Naishtat. Then there will be leadership workshops in the afternoon for the Band Council members. And there will be lots of fun, of course! Camp is MANDATORY for all 2009-10 Bussey Honors Band Students.