Welcome back to band for your final year at Dickerson! 8th Grade Band is similar to the 7th grade year in that you will have 4 concerts - Fall, Winter, Festival Preview, and Spring Concerts - with he Festival Preview Concert being preparation for the State Performance Evaluation. This evaluation allows our bands to be evaluated by other band directors and receive a constructive review of our performance. While the 8th Grade Band does not participate in the Six Flags Festival Performance (like the 7th Grade Band does), we do join the 7th Grade Band for a Saturday together at Six Flags Over Georgia!

In addition to these concerts and festivals, the 8th Grade Band typically has the privilege of participating in one other concert/event.  During the Spring of 2006, the 8th Grade Band was invited to perform at the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) meeting in Savannah, GA.  During the Spring of 2007, the 8th Grade Band, Orchestra, and Chorus all participated in the Smoky Mountain Music Festival in Gatlinburg, TN (and of course, traveled to Dollywood)! 

Students who also participate in ensembles, like the Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, and Flute Choir also have additional opportunities to perform.  For example, the Percussion Ensemble was invited to a national competition, the PASIC, for the Spring of 2007.  See the Percussion website for more details on the Percussion Ensemble.

Dickerson is a feeder school for Walton High School and our 8th Grade Band students have several opportunities to begin to get familiar with the Walton High School Band program. One Friday night in the fall, the 8th Grade Band students are invited to join the Walton High School Marching Band at a football game. The 8th Graders meet with the Walton Band before the game, march into the stadium with them, and play songs in the stands with them. The Walton Band members teach the 8th Graders how to "dance" along with the particular songs in the stands as they play! Then as half time approaches and the Walton Marching Band leaves the stands to get ready by the field, the 8th Graders are on their own to play the Walton Fight Song and other songs!  In the early Spring, Walton High School Band has a Rookie Orientation Night to tell the parents and the 8th Graders more about the band program at Walton. Late Spring, 8th Graders are also invited to participate in Rookie Week - a week of after-school practices at Walton where the students learn how to march and generally have a blast getting acquainted with the Marching Band program. If an 8th grade student is unsure about Marching Band, this is a great week for the student to find out what it is all about.

DMS Band Grading Policy

A student’s grade in band class is determined through a points system. Students are awarded points for actively participating in class activities, being prepared for class, and completing assignments.

7th and 8th Grade Policy

Band Required Materials

The following materials will be required of all band students during every rehearsal. Students should bring each of these items to class every day, unless instructed otherwise.

• Instrument
• Accessories
  • Mouthpiece
    • Hard rubber mouthpiece for clarinets and saxophones
    • 5C or 3C mouthpiece for trumpets
    • mdc mouthpiece for French horns
    • 6 ½ AL mouthpiece for baritones and trombones
  • minimum of 2 good reeds (clarinets, saxophones, and oboes only)
  • neckstrap (saxophones)
  • valve/slide oil (brass)
  • slide cream and small water “squirt” bottle (trombones)
  • metal straight mute (trumpets)
  • sticks/mallets and stick bag (percussion)
    • 1 pair general snare drum sticks (SD1 or equivalent)
    • 1 pair yarn marimba/vibe mallets
• Band Method Book (can be found at all local music stores)
  • Warner Brothers Band Expressions, Book 1 (6th Grade)
  • Foundations for Superior Performance (7th and 8th Grade)
• Theory Book
  • Alfred’s Essentials of Music Theory (6th Grade Only)
  • 1” 3-Ring Notebook (6th Grade Only)
• Music Folder
  • provided by local music stores and distributed by band directors
  • all music must be kept in a student’s folder!
  • Students will be responsible for replacing lost sheet music
• Pencil
  • mechanical preferred (it is best to just keep one in your case)
  • no pens, please!
     

Recommended Materials for Home Practice

The following materials will make home practice much more enjoyable and productive!

• Metronome
• Electric Tuner
• Wire Music Stand (required for UGA Clinic, All-State and Honor Bands)
• All-State Sight-reading Book (order forms available from Band Directors)
• Tape Recorder (to record practice sessions)
   

Uniform

When the Dickerson Bands perform, either at Dickerson or elsewhere, band students are acting as representatives of our school, our community, and perhaps even our state. Therefore, it is important for all students in the group to look their best at concerts. Depending on the type of performance and the time of year, the uniform will either be CASUAL or FORMAL.

If CASUAL, students will wear the Dickerson Band T-Shirt, blue jeans (without holes!), and school-appropriate shoes. If we are performing outdoors, shorts may be substituted for jeans. The Sixth Grade Band will always perform in this uniform.

The FORMAL uniform is a black dress with black, closed toe shoes for the girls, and a tuxedo with black socks and black dress shoes for the boys. These will be ordered at the beginning of the school year. Information on the uniform will be sent home from the Parent Uniform Committee in August. In general, formal dress is designed to exhibit pride in yourself, your band, and your school. NO jeans, T-Shirts, or sneakers/tennis shoes will be allowed as part of the FORMAL uniform. All students must wear the proper uniform in order to perform with the band.