Please read the Newsletter in its entirety as I often make changes to information.

For the MIS Band Students, please be aware that much of the information contained in the Newsletters applies to MJH Music events. However, oftentimes I will include important information for MIS Music groups as well.

Students in Symphonic Band, Concert Band and Cadet Band have started keeping track of their practice logs in Charms. Students in Symphonic and Concert band are responsible for practicing 100 minutes per week. And Cadet Band students are responsible for 75 minutes per week. Students should view practice time like daily homework. If you spend 15-20 minutes per day practicing, the ensemble as a whole will sound amazing, and your student will improve at a faster rate.

Beginning Band students are not responsible for practice logs at this time.

We are once again offering Spirit Wear! Please see below for more information.

Don't forget Spirit Wear orders are due by October 31!

Our next Music Booster meeting is Tuesday, November 19 in the Learning Center at MJHS. Please come out and see what the Music Boosters are all about!

Looking ahead, there are more canceled rehearsals. Please read below for more information.

Just a reminder! There are still a few more canceled rehearsals. Please read this carefully and note WHICH band or choir this affects as it does not always affect every group.

Due to Halloween, and to allow the students some extra time in the morning for putting on their costume make up, we will not have morning rehearsal OR Sectionals on Thursday, October 31 for Beginning Band, Cadet Band, Concert Band and Symphonic Band. Students should enjoy the day!

Also, Due to Halloween, Choir will NOT rehearse on October 31. Have fun trick or treating!

I will again be out of the District on Friday, November 1, so there will be NO morning Cadet Band that morning. There WILL still be Sectionals that Day. Concert Band and Symphonic Band WILL still rehearse.

I know this may seem confusing. We have been letting the students know the schedule and will continue to remind them as these days get closer.

We are very excited to once again be offering Mokena Meteor Music Spirit Wear! There are new options this year!

***Great Gift Idea!!***

Please see the flyer above for information on ordering. Orders can only be placed online via the link below.

All orders MUST be placed by October 31. The company does not accept late orders so please get your order in on time. Delivery will happen on or about November 12.

If you are ordering Spirit Wear as a gift, please email me and let me know and I will put it aside for pick up.

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Bussean at busseank@mokena159.org.

Any 6-8th grader who is currently enrolled in the band program at MJHS (all instruments welcome!) is invited to join the MJHS Pep Band.

We are looking for students to join this year's Mokena Meteor Pep Band! We currently only have FOUR students signed up. If we do not get more students, this group will not be able to move forward this year.

Pep band will meet to perform at several home games to support our Girls and Boys Basketball Teams at Mokena Junior High School. Performance dates will be:

Monday, November 4

Monday, November 11

Monday, November 18

Tuesday, December 17

Students will need to be in the band room at 3:00 for a 4:00 game. Games should end by 6:00. Come prepared to have a lot of fun!

The cost to participate in Pep Band is the $25 District Participation Fee. Your Charms account will be charged once we have a set roster.

COME JOIN US AND SHOW YOUR SCHOOL SPIRIT AND SUPPORT OUR TEAMS!

Here is the Google Form to sign up: https://forms.gle/e2wR7Zz4f3yqswCh6

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Bussean

As always, 100% of the profits from the sale will go directly to the Mokena Band and Choir. You are needed to make this fundraiser a success? Throughout the years, Mokena Music Boosters purchases have included music stands, choir shells, instruments and Marching Meteor program trailer. Ongoing the boosters also purchase sheet music and fund the repair and maintenance of school-owned instruments. All the money raised helps our children have one of the highest quality music programs in the area!

The Sweet Returns gift cards can be used at any Baker's Square for one whole Fruit, Silk or Classic Pie. We are asking each family to sell a minimum of SEVEN gift cards.

Red cards are $15 and can be purchased for fruit pies and Green cards are $17 and can be used to purchase whipped cream pies.

For every 5 pies a student sells, they will receive a raffle prize entry to win one of many prizes including $25 gift cards.

Orders are due by Tuesday, November 5. Please make one check payable to the Mokena Music Boosters.

Gift card pick up will be Thursday, November 21 from 4:30 - 6:30 pm at MJH. If you do not pick up your cards then, they will be sent home with your child on Friday, November 22.

Sweet Returns Gift Cards DO NOT EXPIRE and can be used at any Baker's Square. They are not valid for meals - only pies.

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Dion at adion@sbcglobal.net

TonalEnergy Tuner is an all-inclusive, easy to use application designed for individual practice and/or large ensemble rehearsals that aides musicians to improve sound quality and intonation.

Tuning, volume, articulation, release, duration, and steadiness are the key elements of developing a beautiful tone quality. TonalEnergy Tuner is the first multi-purpose application that allows users of all ages to understand and improve every aspect of their sound.

This app is especially useful to young brass players who struggle to find the correct partial. Oftentimes they think they are playing the correct pitch, when in fact, they are not. This can be very frustrating. This app can help students learn where the correct partial is and to hear when they are not matching the correct pitch.

In addition to its tuner capabilities, it has a built in metronome to keep students rehearsing with a steady beat!

We highly recommend that all students in our band program invest in this application if they have access to a device. It is well worth the $3.99 it costs. This is much more inexpensive than a separate metronome and tuner device.

It is not required that Mokena music students take private lessons. It is true, however, that the vast majority of students who do not take private lessons tend to have improper playing habits, and never reach their full potential as musicians. SECTIONALS ARE NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR PRIVATE LESSONS. There are still many benefits of private instruction over full band rehearsal and small group sectionals. If you are interested in getting your child private lessons on their instrument, please visit the following link: https://www.mokenameteormusic159.org/uploads/2/3/4/4/23449316/private_lessons.pdf

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Bussean or Ms. Beekman

The AmazonSmile fundraiser is available year round - not just at Christmas time. This is a great way to support our music programs without any cost to you! Any time you are shopping via Amazon, please consider using Amazon Smile for your purchases. Go to www.amazonsmile.com. You can select the Mokena Music Boosters to receive a donation on your behalf just by making your regular Amazon purchase through them. It doesn't cost you anything and helps the Music Boosters fund our programs. This is available year round. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Bussean.

You may hear the term IFA account and wonder "what is that?" An IFA account is an Individual Fund Account. Every student registered in Charms automatically has an account. Funds raised through IFA Fundraisers will be credited to your child's account and can be used to purchase any music related items such as booster fees, reeds, valve oil, and even music department trips, just to name a few! The current 6th and 7th Grade Band students are eligible to go on the 2021 Trip to Disney World! If your child is in 4th and 5th Grade, they will be eligible for the Disney trip in 2023. Start saving now!

IFA Fundraisers usually occur once per quarter and are not mandatory. We are currently running the Popcorn Fundraiser. 50% of the proceeds will go into your child's IFA account.

Below is a short video walking you through how to sign into your child's Charms account for the first time.

Come out on Tuesday, November 19, 2019 at 7:00 PM to the monthly Music Booster Meeting. The meeting will take place at Mokena Junior High School. Music Booster meetings are open meetings that anyone can attend. Come see what our Boosters are all about and how you can help support your child's music education. I look forward to seeing you there!

The Mokena Meteor Music Department has a Facebook page! It is a closed group, so please request to join! We post photos and information about what is happening in the Music Department. There is a link at the bottom of this Newsletter.

OCTOBER

10/31 - HALLOWEEN - NO MORNING REHEARSALS (Have fun in your costumes!)

10/31 - NO CHOIR REHEARSAL!!! (Have fun trick or treating!)

NOVEMBER

11/1 - NO CADET BAND REHEARSAL (Mrs. Bussean will be out of the District) SYMPHONIC BAND WILL STILL REHEARSE

11/2 - Fallidays Vendor and Crafter Event sponsored by the Music Boosters

11/7 - NO SCHOOL

11/8 - NO SCHOOL

11/15 - Fall Fling

11/16 - ILMEA Jazz Festival (only for students who previously auditioned)

11/19 - Music Booster Meeting

11/23 - Mokena Parade of Lights (MANDATORY for all 6/7/8 Grade Band Students)

11/27 - NO SCHOOL

11/28 - NO SCHOOL THANKSGIVING

11/29 - NO SCHOOL

Email: busseank@mokena159.org
Website: www.mokenameteormusic159.org
Location: 19815 Kirkstone Way, Mokena, IL, USA
Phone: (708) 342-4870
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1407106346017516&ref=br_rs