Our Recent Accomplishments, 2000-2001, 2001-2002, 2002-2003
Other Raider Band Offical Web Sights
The Trumpet Websight
The Percussion Websight
Our Schedule
Leadership
Jazz Band
Wind Ensamble
Symphonic Band
Marching Band
Anastasia (and fall guard too)
Offical Web Sight of the Orange Park Raider Band
hey everyone! Welcome to the Raider Band Web sight! We have now ended this years marching season. We performed a Billy Joel show with songs like "Piano Man" "Pressure" "She's Always A Women" "Tell Her About It" "It's Still Rock and Roll To Me" "Goodnight Siagon" and many more. Concert season is now among us. Chair try-outs are this week in all band and percussion classes. The next concert is the Christmas Concert on December 12, 2002
New York Money is Due Friday... $200 payment, after that another $200 is due January 15, and the last payment is $270 on February 28.
All County Auditions (HIGHLY ENCOURAGED) are Thursday November 21, 2002
Excitement not enough to join the band? Let me give you some other things that band does for you.
#1. Educational- to devolop competent preformers. To incorporate music education into the total education process, FYI: Music students score better on standerized test :)
#2. Cultural: to devolop an appreciation of good music and to develop a critical outlook, which will raise the standards of performance through working with the best in music.
#3. Citizenship: to devolop better citizens for the world of tomorrow by devoloping the traits of responsible citizens today. This may be realized through the mental and physical discipline incurred from the enactment of the program experiance.
#4. Service: to lend dignity, color, and atmosphere to certain school and civic events.
#5. Recreational: to provide its members with an opportunity for the worthy use of leisure time, emotional outlet, and social interaction. (your best friends are your band friends!)
Already in band? Keep praciticing your music.. playing test are coming soon.
There's still more... While there are lots of important requirements of the band, there are only three major rules that all band members need to be aware of.
#1. BE NICE! Be nice to everyone in the band program and everyone you come in contact with while involved with the program. No one is mean by accident. You have to PLAN to be nice.. since the effort will be made either way, we require that you plan to be nice! Do not play tricks on each other, call each other names, etc.
#2. DO NOT ACT LIKE YOU HAVE TO BE HERE! Everyone signs up for the band program because they want to be in the band program. So, act like it! Be enthusiastic and happy that you have an oppertunity to participate in the OPHS Band program.
#3. NEVER ROLL YOUR EYES! This action is one of the most negative things you can do and it is, again, a deliberate action. No one should deliberately do negative things to our band.
It also cost money to be in band. The band requires that you pay a fair share. The first child must pay $100 a year and the second child will cost $65 a student. The money is used to supplement the Parent Association budget for uniforms and equiptment. Once a student has paid his/her fair share, they will show a $0.00 balance. If, through fund raising events they have more than the required amount for Fair Share, the excess funds may be used for almost any other band function. These funds may be carried over from year to year until graduation. Orange Park High School supports us more than most other school in the area. We have a choice of generating funds or not having the caliber organization that we are proud to be a part of. If we choose to maintain this level of excellence, we must choose to fund raise and ask students to participate through fair share.
Grades! Grades are determined based on your ability to play your part and your behavior in class. Basically, each day a student comes to rehearsal prepared and does not interfere with or disrupt the rehearsal, will result in the student gaining two points for the day. There are 45 days in a quarter that will result in 90 points. The other 10 points are determined by the director concerning the students ability. Grades are necessary to assess preformances and progress. If you attend most of the time, with an average attitude, having done average work, you can expect an average grade. Most student earn an "A" because they preform better than average with a very good attitude.
Band is considered a full year subject and is recongnized by the state department of education as a year course. Band is NOT considered a two sememster course. If anyone wants out at the semester break, it takes the director'a and administration's approval. This will result in an F for the first sememester. Band is also a wieghted grade if you are enrolled in band V or VI.
General Suggestions about being in band..
1. Every member of the OPHS Band must maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average. Any student who falls below this will not be allowed to participate in any contests or festivals. This is state law.
2. If you play a school owned instrument, you are expected to take good care of it. If you fail to do this, then the privilege of playing that instrument will be taken away from you. You are responsible for all repairs needed because of your carelessness.
3. You are responsible for your music and folder. If lost or damaged, you must pay for a replacement.
4. Most students come to the band with student line horns. As you progress, you should be prepared to purchase an upgraded horn. Some of the band's progress is hampered by the equipment used.
5. We encourage all students to take private lessons. The director can assist you in locating an instuctor.
Helpful practicing tips
Remember that no muscial performance can only be accomplished as a result of effective individual practice. No amount of full band or section rehearsal can ever subsitute for individual practice. Each person must gain a higher degree of control over his own instrument in order to play his/her part in a muscial performance.
#1. Set aside time for practice every day, preferably the same time every day, when you are relatively rested.
#2. Practice in 30 minute sessions with adequate break time to reflect what was done (or not done) in each session.
#3. Practice with a specific purpose to achieve a specific result. Have a plan of organization for each session.
#4. While practicing, be extremely critical and analytical of your playing. Check everything, tone, articulation, notes, rhythum, dynamics, phrases, style, musical effect, expressiveness. Approach each problem as a doctor to an illness. Diagnose the case of the problem, and most importantly follow the prescription.
#5. At the end of a practice session, you should have a distinct feeling of accomplishment and elation; otherwise, you have missed the boat. Perhaps you have tried to accomplish too much or your goal was too general. Work on specific short range goals as well as long range projects. Example: you can probably learn a scale in one practice session, but developing constant staccato articulation take several weeks or even months to accomplish.
#6. Above all, individual progress requires that a person have patience, persistence, and determination. You must constantly tell yourself that you will control your instrument no matter how long it takes or how much effort it requires. This is the price every musician has paid to really experiance the joy of music. A defeatish attitude can only bring defeat.
#7. Here is a suggested practice plan:
A) Warm up and practice fundamental
B) Practice old material for refinement
C) Work on new material
D) Sight Read!
E) Play over familiar music
F) Practice scales
PARENTS!! We have a band parent association for adults that have children in the band and visual ensamble. The main objective of this group is to raise much needed money for items not provided by the school board. These items consist of uniforms, instruments, music, etc. They also provide much needed services to insure the smooth running of this organization. This is a vital group and supports the OPHS Band Program. No band can accomplish what they need to without a strong parent organization. A schedule of the year's meetings will be published at the beginning of the school year. Meeting will begin at 7:30 in the band room. We hope to see all of our parents at these important meetings.
