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Longmeadow Middle School

Band Handbook

2018-2019
Mr. Anthony Ohannessian, Band Director
aohannessian@longmeadow.k12.ma.us
Williams (413) 565-4260 ext. 2805
Glenbrook (413) 565-4250 ext. 2636
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Welcome to Band!
Choosing to be in band and to study music is an amazing decision. It shows that you’re
brave: Learning something new can be uncomfortable and scary. It shows that you’re a hard
worker: Studying music is so much fun, but it also takes effort! And lastly, it shows that you’re
curious: There is simply so much great music in the world. All of these characteristics are traits
of a good student and good person. I am so excited that you’re in band class and can’t wait to
teach you and to learn with you! WELCOME TO BAND.

What You Can Expect of Mr. Ohannessian (o-NEE-shin)

 Always to share my passion and enthusiasm of music with you. Music has taught and
changed me so much that I decided to dedicate my entire life to music through
performing in groups and by teaching you! That’s kind of cool.
 To help you. There is so much to learn in music. Count on me every day to be here to help
and to guide you in band. Never be afraid to ask questions about music.
 To challenge you. In music, recognizing that we don’t know everything and can’t do things
we want to do isn’t fun. You will become frustrated in this class, but we only ever get
better by challenging ourselves and practicing things that we’re not good at. Mr.
Ohannessian has been playing trombone longer than you’ve been alive yet he still
constantly practices trombone.

My Expectations of You
 Always to respect others in our classroom. We respect others by always treating others
as we would like to be treated. This includes everyone in our school and community: Mr.
Ohannessian, our other teachers in Longmeadow, everyone who comes to our concerts,
and all of our peers in band class as well.
 To try our best. All things worth doing are also worth doing well. The most rewarding of
experiences are ones in which we invest effort.
 To support each other. We’re a big team. When our friends succeed, we succeed too.

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Getting Started
Instrument Rentals
Obtaining an instrument is the responsibility of the student. Longmeadow Public Schools
works with Gerry’s Music to help provide instruments to students.
Obtaining a quality instrument is essential for a great experience in music. Please avoid
renting or purchasing brightly-colored instruments (e.g. purple flutes, pink clarinets, plastic
trombones…). Also, please avoid purchasing instruments at locations other than music stores
(e.g. Walmart, Amazon…). Brightly-colored instruments and Walmart-brand instruments are
constructed from cheap materials that do not produce good tone and routinely break. These
instruments are also a trap financially as, when they do inevitably break, many repair stores
refuse to service them as the instrument’s cheap materials make working with the plastic
and/or metal impossible. These repair shops often refer to Walmart-brand and brightly-colored
instruments as “disposable instruments.” Feel free to contact Mr. Ohannessian with questions
regarding respected brands and dealers of musical instruments.

School-Owned Instruments
Longmeadow Public Schools own a collection of instruments that students may borrow.
Mr. Ohannessian will issue these instruments to meet the instrumentation necessary in the
group. Students and parents will then need to fill out an instrument loan form. Students must
provide their own mouthpieces when using Longmeadow woodwind and brass instruments.
Please contact Mr. Ohannessian with any questions regarding this process.

Instrument Storage
When not in band class, students are
expected to store instruments at home as practice
cannot occur when instruments are left in school
lockers. Exceptions may be made for students who
play large instruments. Even in these instances,
however, students are expected to have an
instrument at home on which to practice. In
addition, instruments are not to be left out in
hallways.
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Daily Procedures and Routines

 Set-up
o Students will enter the room orderly and proceed to their seat in the ensemble.
o Once the bell rings, Mr. Ohannessian will set a timer for three minutes. In this
time period, students are expected to:
 Set-up instruments (percussion please look at the agenda to see which
instruments are required for our rehearsal).
 Perform necessary instrument maintenance (oil valves, swab
instruments, adjust reeds).
 Look to the agenda to see what warm-ups and pieces will be rehearsed
that class period and retrieve these from their folders.
 As students will warm-up as a class, students should not play during this
time.
o When the timer sounds, all eyes and ears turn to Mr. Ohannessian. Mr.
Ohannessian will then check each student’s preparedness for rehearsal.
 Students are expected to hold up their pencils for Mr. Ohannessian to
check.
 Mr. Ohannessian should not see students retrieving materials from their
folder in the middle of class as it should already be on the stand.
 Three occurrences of unpreparedness as listed above will result in a
phone call home.
 Warm-Up
o Potential warm-ups can include breathing exercises, scales, warm-up sheets
(Yamaha, Five Minutes a Day), chorales (blue books) and/or selections from
Essential Elements.
 Rehearsal
o Rehearsal will focus on excerpts of band music or book music that Mr.
Ohannessian has written on the white board under the agenda.
o Mr. Ohannessian will also write the focus of the next rehearsal on the white
board under “For next time.” Students are expected to copy this assignment for
their at-home practice.
 Dismissal
o Mr. Ohannessian will give students at least three minutes to pack up and
proceed to their next class.
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Band Rules
Often, band rehearsal is the largest class students have. Therefore, in this environment
our rules and procedures will ensure:

 Safety
o Students are not to speak when Mr. Ohannessian speaks as often Mr. O has to
communicate important information to the many students in his classroom.
o Students are expected to raise their hand if they wish to leave their seat.
 Respect
o Students are expected to respect the space of their peers and of Mr.
Ohannessian:
 Students should not touch others’ instruments without their permission.
 Students should not enter the music library or office without Mr.
Ohannessian’s permission.
 Instruments played when Mr. Ohannessian is speaking become
temporarily the property of Mr. Ohannessian (even if played by accident).
o The bands of Longmeadow are TEAMS. Students are expected to support their
fellow “teammates” and treat them with respect:
 Students are expected to listen to each other when their peers speak or
play.
 Mr. Ohannessian has zero tolerance for students who try to put down,
bully, or demean their peers.
 Responsibility
o Students are expected to attend rehearsals and lessons on time and with the
required materials.
o Occasionally, Mr. Ohannessian will have to work with specific instruments in
rehearsals. During these times, he will assign independent work to other
sections. Students are expected to work independently until Mr. O says “Hey
Band!”

Discipline Policy
Behavior issues will be addressed with the following series of consequences. Steps,
however, may be skipped depending on the severity of the behavior.

 First Offence: Verbal Warning

 Second Offense: Name written on board/ conference with Mr. Ohannessian outside of
class.
 Third Offense: Phone call home and/or detention
 Fourth Offense: Detention and/or office referral
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Home Practice
Playing an instrument is exceptionally similar to exercising or playing sports. An
athlete trains to strengthen muscles and acquire muscle memory. A musician practices for the
exact same reasons. The muscles they strengthen, however, are less visible.

 Practicing is a part of your homework for band class and students should treat it with
equal importance to the homework for our other classes.
 Mr. Ohannessian expects at least twenty minutes of practice, five days a week.
o THOUGH MR. OHANNESSIAN DOES NOT REQUIRE PRACTICE CHARTS FOR 6TH
THROUGH 8TH GRADES, HE STILL EXPECTS STUDENTS TO PRACTICE AT LEAST
FOR 20 MINUTES, FIVE TIMES A WEEK. A lack of practice will naturally result in
lower scores for playing assignments, especially through technique.
 Practice is great for reviewing things learned in lessons and rehearsals. Break down
tricky parts down practice them in smaller bits.
 Practicing for twenty minutes every day is far better than for two hours for one day.
 Students are welcome to practice in the band room before or after school when Mr.
Ohannessian is present.

If students do not practice outside of school, they will not improve. Mr. Ohannessian will go to
the ends of the Earth to assist students but he cannot give them muscle memory, muscle
development, and muscle strength. Only at-home practice can do this.

Playing Assignments
Students in sixth through eighth grades will have at minimum one playing assignment
due the last day of each month. Mr. Ohannessian will assign an excerpt from either a method
book or band music around 32 measures in length. All recordings should be uploaded to the
class’ respective Google Classroom page.
A rubric regarding the grading of playing assessments is attached to the end of this
handbook and procedures for uploading playing assignments to Google Classroom will be
demonstrated in class. Students are welcome to record their playing assignment in the band
room on their own time. Mr. Ohannessian reserves the right to assign additional playing
assignments and to have students play independently in class.
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Playing Test Champions

Each month, Mr. Ohannessian will go to either the Dollar Store or Five Below and find
the stupidest, silliest, most worthless thing he can possibly find. He will award this coveted prize
to the student who receives the highest score in each grade on their playing assignment. In the
case of a tie, all students with the highest grade will receive this prize.

Google Classroom Codes

6th Grade Band: b4xaca0
7th Grade Band: 97i1uk
8th Grade Band: c0w5jg9

Private Lessons
If interested in private lessons, please contact Mr. Ohannessian for recommendations of
educators in the area who are available to teach private lessons. Mr. Ohannessian may also
recommend students to study privately who are progressing quickly on their instrument.

Lessons with Mr. Ohannessian

Mr. Ohannessian arrives at school before 7:30am and seldom leaves before 4:00. As
such, he most happily gives private lessons after school to students. Mr. Ohannessian will assign
extra work during these private lessons and expects this work to be completed before the
scheduling of another lesson.
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Required Materials
Instrument

 Every rehearsal
Music

 Band music, warm-up sheets, method book (Essential Elements)

Other

 Pencil, Cork grease (woodwinds), extra reeds (woodwinds), valve oil (valve brass), slide
cream (trombones)

Consequences for Unpreparedness

 Forgetting Instrument
o Student will complete the “Rehearsal Detective Worksheet.” If the student
completes this assignment with thought, partial credit will be given for the work
of the student.
o As stated in procedures, three occurrences of unpreparedness for class will
result in a phone call home.
 Forgetting Music
o Students must have their own music for each class. Mr. Ohannessian will keep
copies of extra music in his cabinet by the door. If a student, forgets their music,
they must first sign out a copy and return it at the end of rehearsal.
o Mr. Ohannessian will contact parents if a student forgets their music three times.
o Mr. Ohannessian will place all music left in his room in a lost music folder next to
his cabinet.

Reeds
Students studying woodwind instruments (i.e. saxophone, oboe, clarinet) are expected
to have reeds for their instruments. Reeds can be purchased at virtually any music store in the
area. Mr. Ohannessian will have the occasional reed for emergency purposes. If Mr.
Ohannessian gives a student a reed, that student owes a reed to Mr. Ohannessian. Please note
that students—especially beginners—should not be playing on the same reed for more than a
few weeks
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Grading Scale
Band is a class. All students scheduled in band class will receive a letter grade just as
they do for any other subject. Students will receive a grade based on performance assessments,
ensemble participation, at-home practice, and concert attendance. The complete breakdown of
grading is as follows:

 40% Daily Rehearsal Materials and Ensemble Skills

Assessment in band class of students’ ability to play in a full ensemble and their ability
to master daily objectives. Students will be evaluated on preparedness for rehearsals as
well as their progress on their respective instruments.
 30% Playing Assignments
Assessment of formal playing tests on scales, assigned exercises, or assigned measures
in a piece. After one week after the assessment, students may retake tests if they wish
ON THEIR OWN TIME. Students are responsible for setting up a time (i.e. before school,
during lunch…) during which to retake tests.
 20% Concert Attendance and Performance
Assessment of student’s ability to perform in a formal concert setting.
 10% Written Assessments
Assessment of the completion weekly listening assignments and written music theory
exercises done in class.

Concert Attendance
Band at Longmeadow Public Schools is a performing ensemble. Thus, concert
attendance for the winter (January) and spring (May) concert is mandatory. Only family
emergencies and illnesses, documented in writing, may excuse a student from attendance at a
concert. An unexcused absence from a concert will result in a zero grade for the concert. Mr.
Ohannessian may also schedule optional community performances throughout the year. Please
avoid scheduling doctors’ appointments, vacations, or other events on concert days.
Concert Attire
Concert attire for school concerts consists of

 White Dress Shirt (ie White button-down shirt, white blouse)

 Black pants (no jeans) or long black skirt
 Black dress shoes
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Concert Dates
Williams Grade 6 Winter Concert: Thursday, January 10, 2019
Glenbrook Grade 6 Winter Concert: Monday, January 14, 2019
Longmeadow Middle Schools Winter 7/8 Instrumental Concert: Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Williams Grade 6 Spring Concert: Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Glenbrook Grade 6 Spring Concert: Thursday, May 30, 2019
Longmeadow Middle Schools Spring 7/8 Instrumental Concert: Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Times for these concert have yet to be determined. Also keep an eye on Longmeadow
Middle School Bands’ monthly calendar for information regarding all of our events. Musicians
learn just as much from listening to music as playing music. Thus, when band shares concerts
with chorus or orchestra, students are required to support their friends in chorus through their
attendance during the chorus’ performance. Students are also HIGHLY encouraged to attend
LHS concerts.

Repairs
Mr. Ohannessian can repair many minor issues with instruments. If a student has an
issue with an instrument, they must contact Mr. Ohannessian before rehearsal begins. Please
ask before attempting any repairs or taking your instrument to the repair shop. If taking an
instrument to a repair shop, please ask for an estimate regarding the length a repair will take
and send a note to Mr. Ohannessian regarding the length of time the student will be without an
instrument. Mr. Ohannessian will provide students with recommended instrumental repair
shops in the area. Please do not attempt repairs yourself. Mr. Ohannessian has specialized
tools and will happily use them in the repair of instruments.

Longmeadow Middle School Band Website

The Longmeadow Middle School Band website is a valuable resource for students and
family. Students and family members can find a full calendar of events as well as electronic
copies of all handouts given by Mr. Ohannessian in class. Mr. Ohannessian will also occasionally
post rehearsal recordings online for reflection by students. In general, Mr. Ohannessian uses
the band website for communication with parents and uses google classroom for classwork
with students. N.B. This is a different website than in years’ past.
www.longmeadowmiddleschoolbands.weebly.com
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Longmeadow Middle School Band

Playing Assignment Rubric

Name:________________________________ Date:___________
Instrument:____________________________
Students are responsible for performing a musical selection by the last day of each month. Mr.
Ohannessian will assign these passages at the beginning of each month. Students will record
their assignment and will be assessed on their pitch, rhythm, tempo, articulations, and timbre.
Assignment:_______________________ Total:__________

Points Earned 20 15 10 5

Reading Pitch Reads and Reads and Reads and Reads and
performs performs performs performs
ALL MOST SOME FEW
pitches pitches pitches pitches
accurately accurately accurately accurately
Reading Rhythm Reads and Reads and Reads and Reads and
performs performs performs performs
ALL MOST SOME FEW
rhythms rhythms rhythms rhythms
accurately accurately accurately accurately
Tempo Maintains The tempo The steady The steady
steady tempo varies slightly tempo is tempo is not
throughout throughout inconsistent present
Articulations Tongues Tongues Tongues Tongues
ALL MOST SOME FEW
rhythms rhythms rhythms rhythms
correctly correctly correctly correctly
Timbre Tone full and Tone mostly full Tone Tone not full
appropriate for and appropriate occasionally full and appropriate
grade for grade and appropriate for grade
for grade
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LONGMEADOW MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND

STUDENT/PARENT SIGNED STATEMENT

AND
CONTACT INFORMATION

This statement indicates that both the student and the parent have received this band
handbook, have read it, and will keep it to refer to during the school year. This signed
statement needs to be returned to Mr. Ohannessian. Return of this page will count as a
student’s first grade in band.

SIGNED STATEMENT

I have read the information provided in the Longmeadow Middle School Band Handbook and
understand the requirements for membership in band.

Student name (please print)_____________________________________________

Student signature____________________________________Date____________

Parent/Guardian name (please print)______________________________________

Parent/Guardian signature_____________________________Date____________

Student Instrument Serial Number________________________________________

PARENT/GUARDIAN CONTACT INFORMATION

Address___________________________________________________________

City___________________________________ Zip Code___________________

Phone # (H)_________________(W)__________________(C)_______________

Parent email (for monthly band newsletter)_____________________________________

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________