Welcome to the Brookswood Community Youth Band (BCYB) info page for our 2022-23 season. Here you will find information on how your child can participate and learn music through instrumental performance at the Elementary school level. This class is open to Grade 5-7 students from the Brookswood Family of Schools (Alice Brown, Belmont, Glenwood, and Noel Booth).
Important dates for September
- September 8th – We will be coming to each school, along with musicians from Tapestry music, and doing a demonstration of the instruments for students to think about what instrument they would like to play. Students will come home with information after this demonstration.
- September 12th – We will have a Parent Information Meeting night in the Music Room at Brookswood Secondary School. The meeting will be at 6:00PM and will last about 30-60 minutes.
- September 15th – This Thursday evening will be our first rehearsal with each group at regular scheduled times. Students should attend even if they haven’t received their instrument yet.
- September 17th – District Beginning Band Workshop 2022 at Langley Fundamental Middle and Secondary School. We strongly encourage all Beginning Band students to be at this very important start-up workshop. More info below.
Stay tuned to this page as dates will be posted as they are scheduled.
Band Class Information
- Team taught by Mr. Derrick Turi (Brookswood Secondary School Music Director, Drums and Percussion Major, UBC) and Mr. Ben Heard (Noel Booth Elementary Music Teacher and Band Director, Trumpet and Jazz Major, Capilano University)
- Rehearsals are held in the Brookswood Secondary School Music Room.
- Music students from Brookswood Secondary help with the class!
- This is a full credited course with a report card assessment.
- Perfect opportunity for students who love music, have a desire to learn a band instrument, and who are interested in developing strong work ethic and dedication.
- We will encourage and challenge our dedicated music students, no matter their level of musical background.
- Music sharing/education opportunities to look forward to:
- Concerts at our family of schools, including concerts with Brookswood Secondary Music Department
- Participation in local Festivals
- Performances at neighbourhood events (Brookswood Annual Swing Night, BSS Car Show and more)
- A music tour within the province
There are two ensembles at the Elementary level:
- Beginner Band is open to all grade 5-7 students who have never played a band instrument before. For those exceptionally keen and hardworking students in grade 5 interested in joining, we ask that their families please discuss this on a one-on-one basis with Mr. Heard first (bheard@sd35.bc.ca). It is our first year including Grade 5 students, and as such we want to make sure these students are well supported through good communication along with an understanding of expectations. Students can start on flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and percussion (snare drum).
- Advanced Band builds upon Beginner Band and is for those who have already had a year or more experience on their instrument. This class will take those students from Beginner Band with a year of experience and continue to develop them. As they continue to develop their instrumental skills and musicianship, this class will also prepare them well for their journey into Band 8 at Brookswood Secondary school. Students here will also discover different instruments in their family, like the tenor sax, bass clarinet, baritone horn, tuba, and others. This will help to create more sounds and colors in the ensemble.
Rehearsal times:
Beginner Band:
- Monday 2:50-3:50pm
- Thursday 6:00-7:00pm
Advanced Band:
- Monday 3:50-4:50pm
- Thursday 7:00-8:00pm
The expectation is that students who join this band will be committed to attending all rehearsals. Being a part of a band is not unlike being a part of a team. Every rehearsal builds upon skills and lessons taught in prior classes and being at each rehearsal contributes to the success of the ensemble.
Some students who have piano or violin experience may be wondering how this band might work for them. Your dedication and musical ability will help you to have success in band class. If you are interested in joining band, then we encourage you to choose one of the band instruments offered. Learning new instruments is a great challenge for those with musical experience. However, if experienced piano players would like to play something similar to piano, then you could be a part of the keyboard mallet percussion section. There will be many opportunities at the High School level for piano players (Jazz Band, Musical Theater Orchestra) and string players (Musical Theater Orchestra).
District Beginning Band Workshop 2022 @ LFMSS
YOU’RE INVITED!
The Beginning Band Workshop will be hosted at Langley Fundamental Middle and Secondary School. This year and we hope to see you there. This workshop is the most important starting place for any Langley student who is new to band and band instruments. With lessons led by alumni and faculty, students will take that first step to understanding the ins and outs of their instrument. They will learn how to play the first few notes, maintain their instrument, and may even learn a song to share with you next time you see them!
When: Saturday, September 17th (from 8:45-11:00am)
Where: Langley Fundamental Middle Secondary School (21250 42 Ave, Langley, BC V3A 8K6)
What to Bring: Students should bring their instrument, band method book, and a pencil for
taking notes.
Schedule:
8:45am: Arrival & Check-in
9:00am: Workshop begins
10:00am: 15-minute break
10:15am: Workshop resumes
11:00am: Pickup
Getting Your Instrument
There are a few different ways to get your instrument. You may be using one passed down in the family or you may have purchased one through Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or your local music store. Many people rent or rent to own their instrument through the music stores. Tapestry Music, Long and McQuade, and King’s Music are all good stores for this.
There are also a limited number of instruments available to be borrowed from Noel Booth. These instruments are handed out on a first come first serve basis. We send out a huge thanks to the PAC and the school for making these instruments available. Please email Mr. Heard about this.
Beginner Band Instruments to choose from: Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Baritone/Euphonium, Electric Bass, Snare Drum, Mallet Percussion (for piano players).
Advanced Band instrumentation will open to other instruments, like oboe, tenor sax, bass clarinet, and others. We will discuss these in class at the beginning of the year.
There are specific cases where students play instruments not on this list. Please make sure you have communicated with me if an instrument not on this list has been chosen.
Tapestry Music Rental Portal:
- Visit the Tapestry Music Website: https://www.tapestrymusic.com/
- Click on Rentals
- Select Band Rentals
- Choose the purchase program you would like, Buy Back Program, School Year Rental, Monthly Rental
- Scroll Down and press Select
- Proceed with filling out your rental information.
Be sure to select the correct band because each class uses a different band book. Beginner Band (first year players) will use the Essential Elements Band Book 1. The store will deliver the rentals directly to Brookswood Secondary School and we will hand them out during scheduled band classes.
Percussionists (Snare Drum and Mallet Percussion) will need a Stick Pack that has the following: Profile Stick Case, Vic Firth SD1 sticks, Vic Firth T1 timpani mallets, Clevelander CSX3 hard plastic mallets, Clevelander CCV2 medium yarn mallets. This pack is available through Tapestry Music, or you can order the parts separately.
Final Thoughts
We very much look forward to working with your children and inspiring them to adopt a lifelong love of music and musicianship. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Turi (dturi@sd35.bc.ca) or Mr. Heard (bheard@sd35.bc.ca) by email.
Thank you!
Kindest Regards,
Mr. Turi and Mr. Heard
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