Palen Music Center Quick Note Monday, May 7, 2007   The PMC Quick Note is a weekly service provided to all area directors.  It is part of our mission to support the lives of band directors across the Midwest.  The weekly Quick Note contains helpful tips and suggestions from area directors, spotlights on area college and university band programs, calendars of upcoming events, advocacy articles promoting music education, links to helpful web resources, and much more.  Comments, suggestions, ideas, and articles are always welcome.   Looking for help on a particular topic? Be sure to check out our Quick Note Catalog of back issues.

---

A Summer Missed.....Is A Summer Lost!!
Summer break is fast approaching and there are many opportunities on the horizon. Recently, we put out several lists of summer music camp opportunities. This article, written by Jerry Hoover at Missouri State University, gives some great tips on how to get more students invovled.

In the high energy, performance field of band directing, the various holiday, spring, and summer breaks are appreciated by students and teachers alike. They provide us a well-deserved rest and a chance to recharge our emotional batteries.

Students, however, can rebound rather quickly and we will be remiss if other musical opportunities are not offered and vigorously encouraged.

Summer band camps and touring bands provide instruction, rehearsal and performance experiences, that will only further enhance their total band growth. The "change of scenery" in another venue with students from other schools will not only keep your students playing their musical instruments in the summer months, there will also be a desire to equal or best the new musicians with whom they find themselves. All of this comes back to the home program in a number of positive ways.

But! Do not think a casual mention of these musical happenings, or a half-hearted effort on your part will suddenly influence a large number of your students to change their summer routines. That is why you will initially get the greatest response from the middle school band members. Then the many fun memories will tend to draw them back each summer as they progress through their prep years.

More efforts will need to be put forth with your older students, but the returns will be worth it.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Put literature on what's available in the hands of all your students....keep back-up copies...mention it often in band,
• Letters home to the parents,
• Discuss it at your band booster meetings,
• Approach local banks and civic clubs to provide summer scholarships....present the awards on certificates at the spring awards assembly with the names of the benefactors included on them...publish these awards in the local newspaper,
• Urge whole sections -- clarinets? trumpets? drumline? -- attend as a group (like the guard or flag squads are already doing),
• Get them to camp as a group in a bus (parents can then pick them up at the end of the week)...this will be especially enticing to the younger students...take a group picture for the local newspaper before they depart.

Here are some other thoughts for the summer break:

• Run a four or six week band program for beginners, or for middle or high school groups,
• A nominal fee charge will allow salaries for the instructors,
• Top students in your band program can be selected to teach sectionals in the program, earning them some income and giving them teaching and leadership experience,
• Cap off the session with a concert-in-the-park and an ice cream social or watermelon feed put on by the booster club.

Obviously, there are many programs and ideas that can be considered for the summer break and that would benefit your program. Hopefully the above thoughts will stimulate your thinking.

Jerry Hoover is the Director of Bands at Missouri State University, where he supervises a student offering of eighteen bands. He personally directs the Jazz Band, Symphonic Band, Varsity Band, several entertainment ensembles, and the 320-member Pride Marching Band. After twenty years in the public schools (Cabool, Lebanon, and Jefferson City) where he developed award-winning concert, marching, and jazz bands, he accepted the band position at New Mexico State University where he remained for seven years. He has been in his present position at Missouri State since 1985. For information on the Missouri State University Bands Alive Summer Camp, view the camp brochure or camp application.

---

Exciting New Recruitment Materials Coming Soon!
Many of you gave us wonderful feedback on the recruitment packages we made available at the beginning of this year. The directors that used the recruitment DVD and information handouts showed significant increases in beginning band student enrollment. This project is part of Palen Music's continuing effort to directly assist you in the classroom and positively impact your program.

We had such positive feedback from the DVD that we decided to expand its scope. We are completing work on a DVD with two-versions.....a five-minute version and a 15-minute version. The videos contain lots of clips of kids having fun in band. The accompanying reference CD contains many recruitment documents and handouts that you can customize and send home with your students. For more information, please visit with your PMC road representative. We are here to serve you!

---

A Few More Summer Music Camp Opportunities
For additional camp opportunities, please check out last week's Quick Note.

		University of Missouri - St. Louis Jazz Combo & Improv Camp The UMSL Jazz Camp will run from July 15-20, 2007. The camp features musical instruction from beginner to advanced,jazz improvisation, combo playing, jazz vocal, master and jazz theory classes, jam sessions and daily concerts, and faculty artist instruction in specialized classes. To receive a brochure as soon as they are available, or for more information, contact Kerry Marks at (314) 516-5908 or markskp@umsl.edu. You can view more information on the online Jazz Camp Registration website.
		Webster University Jazz Camp “Jazz at Webster” concert series, is hosting a summer jazz camp at its Webster Groves campus.  The camp is for the beginning, intermediate, and advanced level jazz improviser, instrumentalist and singers. Music reading skills are necessary for participation in classes and ensembles.  Camp registration begins at 8:15 a.m. on Monday, July 9 in the recital hall of the Thompson Music Building , 8282 Big Bend (at the southeast corner of Edgar Road and Big Bend Blvd. ) Enrollment fee is $200. For more information contact the Music Department at 314 968-7032 or email: huberje@webster.edu.

If you know of any additional camps, please let me know and we will post the information!

---

Contact Your Local Palen Music Center

Can we assist you with anything?  Please contact your local Palen Music Center school road representative for all of your music education needs.

 

 

If you would like to submit material, make changes or corrections, give comments, or wish to be removed from this mailing list, please contact Eric Matzat.