For most of you this is a welcome back, and for our freshman and newcomers this is a warm welcome to our program. This is an opportunity for me to share a few updates about the band classroom, but more importantly, point you to the group that makes our program work so smoothly! The Friends of Cleveland Bands (FOCB for short).
BAND WEBSITE: https://www.clevelandbandspdx.com
If you click on the “Get Involved” tab near the top of the page, you will find a drop down menu with more that you can explore.
There are performance dates and events on this calendar.
There is also a newsletter tab on the top menu of the website that will allow you to subscribe to the weekly newsletter (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED).
A more detailed performance calendar (list form) will be made available on the Resources page of the website in pdf form.
SYLLABUS AND HANDBOOK
Two weeks ago we began our “Standard Operating Procedure” module. (A new term that we use with CANVAS) You should have been asked by your student musician to sign a couple pages for the Syllabus and Band Handbook. They were then supposed to upload screenshots or scans of those pages into a google form. I would ask that you read through both of those documents, as your signature indicates that you have done that.
STUDENT TEACHER
We will have a student teacher in our midst this year. He is a teacher candidate from Portland State University. He graduated from Summit HS under the baton of Dan Judd, and is a trombonist. He is excited to begin work with me and our Cleveland students. He has introduced himself to all of the classes this week during our synchronous lessons (live Zoom classes). You will have the chance to meet him (via a video) during Back to School Night, as well. He will be with us all year!
VIRTUAL BAND?
I will conclude this lengthy welcome letter with a short thank you to all of you who are supporting your children through this unusual time. I hopeful that we can be in a room together before the school year is over in whatever form that may take. In the meantime, I will try to make this class as meaningful as possible. Many students have shared their frustration around not being able to be together, and how that is what makes this band so special. I 100% agree with them, and will try to continue to create opportunities to connect as we go forward. I look forward to meeting you all in one form or another.
Musically Yours,
Gary Riler