A new book

What is Band?

Band is a fun and interactive connections class where you get to play an instrument. At the beginning of the year, you get to test out multiple instruments, until you find one that you like or your good at. During the year, the teacher, Mr. Mitchell, will help you learn your instrument. As he continues to teach you how to play your instrument, he will give you harder and harder work. You will even be able to play at concerts and festivals. I like band because I get to try something new. Also, another great thing about band is that it is open to everyone. To be in band, you don't need any previous knowledge of music. For example, when I joined band, I knew nothing about music. But I was still able to learn and pick up information thanks to the help of Mr. Mitchell, and now I know a lot of music. Lastly, band is great because you never stop learning. There is always more and more to learn in band. Band is a very fun class, but you also have to take it seriously. If you follow the rules, and have self-motivation, I can guarantee that you will have a great time in band.

About Mr. Mitchell

Mr. Mitchell is the one and only band director at DeSana Middle School. He is certainly a very talented person, and has an amazing personality. Mr. Mitchell started band in middle school, and played the tuba. One thing I like about Mr. Mitchell is that he gives everyone a chance. He gives everyone equal opportunities. Also, Mr. Mitchell let's you go at your own pace. If you feel like you don't understand what he is teaching in class, he will give you the opportunity to work privately(1 on 1) before school starts that day. Another thing I like about Mr. Mitchell is that as well as he gets to know us, we get to know him. He is always telling us stories about his childhood, and making personal connections to his life. Overall, I think Mr. Mitchell is a very funny and nice guy. He tells a lot of jokes, and can be very nice, but he also takes things seriously. He is very funny, and will tell a lot of stories, but he also makes sure we get our work done, and that we also take band seriously.

Band Events: Part One

Costume Party: The day before Halloween, Mr. Mitchell hosts a costume party at school. At the party, you get to hang out with your friends, take pictures at the photo booth, eat a BUNCH of snacks, etc. You also get to show your costume to some judges, who will enter it into a category such as scary, cute, best looking, etc. At the end of the party, the winner from each category gets a cash prize. During the party, Mr. Mitchell hosts a bunch of games that you play for cash prizes as well. And that is what you do at the costume party.

Picture of 2018 band costume party

Gift Exchange: One day close to winter break, Mr. Mitchell hosts a gift exchange. During the gift exchange, everyone buys a gift, and Mr. Mitchell puts them all into a pile. Then, he randomly gives everyone a gift. Later, we unwrap the gifts while we watch a Christmas movie.

Solo festival: The solo festival is an optional band event. If you choose to do it, you must pay a $12 fee. Then, Mr. Mitchell gives you a solo, which is a piece that you play by yourself. You will get around 2 months to learn and prepare your solo, and on the day of the festival, you must perform your piece in front of judges. Lastly, you will receive a rating. However, this does not affect your band grade.

Band Events: Part Two

LGPE: LGPE stands for Large Group Performance Evaluation. During LGPE, the whole school band performs together. There is a prepared piece part where Mr. Mitchell already knows the music and you learn it ahead of time. Then, there is a cite-reading part. In this part, you get the piece of music at the event, and you only have about 5 minutes to analyze it. Then you must play it as well as you can. Lastly, the band will get a rating based on how well they played.

School Concerts: School concerts occur twice a year. One of them is the Winter Concert. The other one is the Spring Concert. During the Winter Concert, there are 3 songs that the beginners(6th graders) play. During the Spring Concert, there are about 4-5 songs that the beginners play. The fun thing about the concerts is that afterwards, you get to watch the 7th and 8th grade bands play their complex pieces. Also, during the concerts, there are speeches, and the photography club displays all of their work. Overall, these concerts are a great experience.

Me at a school band concert