Welcome to the Valley Horizon Band Page! On this site you will be given information regarding events and happenings for The Valley Winds! Unfortunately, the time for joining band has past. However, you may still join band on an audition basis. If you have experience playing an instrument you may ask Mr. Thorp to join band. You will have to show that you have an instrument, a book and the ability to play as well as the other students in the current class. If you complete these tasks, Mr. Thorp will add you to the roster and you may begin participating in class.

Our Winter concert has passed and students will not be practicing on their instruments during class for the rest of this week. However, this does not mean that students should not be playing their instruments on a daily basis. Students need to practice everyday during break so that they do not lose their skills. Their skill should improve.

Band homework is 5-6 days of practice every week consisting of at least 15 minutes of playing time. Essentially, this means that students should practice everyday, but it gives them a little "wiggle room" to miss a day here and there.
          Step 1) 5-10 minutes of "warm up."
               Warm up is playing one note at a time for a minimum of 5 seconds on each note. Students should play each note that they know how to play. Students should attempt to play each note so that it sounds as smooth and steady as possible. Students should then play a couple of the "Warm Up" songs from the book. Right now #30 is the only warm up song that 1st year band has worked on, but there are many warm up exercises throughout the book that can be used later on. Second year students should be aware of the warm up songs that will be useful to them.

          Step 2) 5-20 minutes of "practice."
               Practice is the time when students should be working on the new skills that have recently been learned as well as reinforcing the ones they already have a strong understanding of. Students should pick a two or three songs that they are familiar with, but do not play all the time and play through them as well as they can. Mistakes are o.k. These are the tools that they will use to learn with. After playing each song once, they should "critique" themselves and play the song a second time and attempt to improve the mistakes that they made. Only play each of these songs twice. They should not be "working" on these songs, simply using them as a tool to work on "performance" and "reading music." The second part of practice is working on new skills. For the 1st year bands, students should be working on numbers in the #25 to #35 range. This means that your student should be able to perform #25 for you fairly easily, and that they should be able to slowly play their way through #35. Many students will be able to play beyond this point if they are practicing regularly, however, this is the "expected" level of ability to this point. 2nd year band students should be working in the 80s and 90s if they are practicing regularly.

          Step 3) Play for "fun"
               Finally, students should play a couple of songs just for "fun." This is an optional part of the practice regimen, but should be done more often than not. This is the time when students should "show off" to somebody else. Most of the songs they students know at this point are only 10 - 20 seconds long and can easily be performed during a commercial break.

Please remember that playing music requires muscles in the students body to perform an act that is not developed through any other means, other than playing. The vast majority of these muscles are some of the smallest in the body. As a result, regular exercise (practice) will keep these muscles strong and in shape, however, taking even a few days off from practice will let these muscles return to their normal state. Three weeks without practice will cause a student to lose a digress in their learning, and make it difficult and frustrating for them when they return to band.

TIPS FOR DEVELOPING SUCCESSFUL PRACTICE HABITS

Try to schedule practice. Scheduling does not necessarily mean setting a time. Examples of successful schedules that I am aware of include:
     1) Right after finishing their other homework. Since you know that your student has band homework everyday, if they practice when they finish their other homework, it will give you a "heads up" that they have finished their homework and would be good time to take a look at it. 
This is not a good idea if other homework is not regularly monitored.
     2) Right before dinner. If you make dinner for a set time every night this can be a good option. Please remember BEFORE dinner and not AFTER dinner. We don't want any more ravioli inside of their trumpet than necessary.
     3) Right after getting home from or before leaving for football practice, dance class, youth group, etc. If the students have a regularly (daily) scheduled set of activities. Having them practice as part of that routine will help establish the time.
     4) Right before bed time. This was the routine I had when I was a kid. This may not work if you have younger siblings with an earlier bed time, or if it interferes with you watching "The Amazing Race."
     5) During commercial breaks. If you child watches TV with you at night for an hour every night. Have them put their instrument together and set it by the couch while the show is on. As soon as a commercial break begins, mute the TV and your student can practice for 3-5 minutes. By the time an hour of television has gone by, your student will have practiced for about 15 minutes. Now, this is obviously not the best option, but it's better than nothing.

Band students will meet at 8:15 - 8:45 in the morning.

Band students should be out in front of the school before 8:10 each morning. Mr. Thorp will meet students at the front door of the school at approximately 8:10. (depending on how quickly he can get out of Pueblo.) Students will then be allowed into the school early to get their breakfast and to get ready for band.

All band students will meet Monday through Thursday.
Friday will be an extra day on which specific instruments will meet for more individualized instruction. Students will be informed if they should attend band on Fridays.

Students need the following items to participate in band.

1) Instrument
2) Music Book - Standard of Excellence, Enhanced Version, Book 1 (Approximately $10.00)
3) Pencil
4) Accessories

The rental cost for instrument will vary depending on the instrument. The cheapest instruments (flute, clarinet, trumpet, bell kit) will generally run around $15.00 - $20.00 per month. The most expensive instruments will run around $35.00 - $40.00 per month.

The book will run approximately $10.00 for most instruments. Percussion and french horn are a few dollars more.

Cleaning kits will cost approximately $15.00 depending on what comes in the kit.

Bertrand’s Music will deliver your equipment directly to your house. (888) 780-1812. Ask for Jeff and let them know that you are one of Mr. Thorp’s students.

Sam’s Music is located at 2544 S. 4^th Avenue. (928) 317-0665.         

We need parents to organize, manage and hold fund raisers to support music in Crane School District. If you would be interested in hosting or supporting a fund raiser, please see your school band director for details on how you can help.

If you are a business owner and would like to sponsor a band in the Crane School District, please contact the school's band director for opportunities.