12/18/2020
Merry Christmas Everyone! It has truly been an unusual year! From school being cancelled last year, to the possibilty of no band this year, to band without recruiting and socially distanced, it has been a whirlwind, but the students (and parents) have been fantastic. Although band has been quite different in class and we have not gotten to do many of our usual activities, the students have been learning and growing musically and I am so very proud of their accomplishments. We were able to compete in one virutaly event and I am proud to say that once again the Junior Beta Jazz Band has placed 1st in group talent competition and will represent SMS in the national competition this summer (covid permitting). This is is the 4th time that the Beta Jazz Band has represented SMS in the national competition.
Because we could not have a live Winter Concert, I did want to share with parents and family some of the things the SMS band has been working on this year. This is just a sampling and nowhere near a polished performance that we are used to giving, however the students do want to show off their hard work. The video represents the first time the students have played together for each grade (each grade is split into 2 or 3 different classes to keep numbers down.) And is the first time the students have ever heard the other instruments. To keep contact and time together down, we had no combined rehearsals, simply got together and recorded our best effort each day with a different grade spread out in the lunchroom. And if you have every tried to get 60+ 6th grade students to do anything at the same time, then you understand the challenges.
I am very proud of the students and hope that you can hear the progression as the students move from 6th to 7th and 8th grade. They are an absolute joy to teach. Wishing you and your family the most wonderful of holiday seasons,,.,,,,,Dr. Hundley