Spring 2024

Dear Grade 5 and 6 Parents,

We are very excited to let you know that next year’s grade 6 and 7 students will have the opportunity to take Band again in 2024|25. Students will have the option of selecting Band another Fine Arts/Music option at their school to be determined. We look forward to working with both beginning and experienced musicians next fall culminating some of the great activities that grow out of learning an instrument including concerts, festivals, ESPRESSIVO and the award-winning DW Poppy Elementary Honour Band, who has received multiple invitations to MusicFest Canada, the Canadian National Music Festival.

Beyond experiencing the joy of making music, involvement in band develops of a group of friends that lasts a lifetime and establishes some rather profound environmental influences which will help determine many of your child’s successes in school well beyond music. We know that engaged band students represent the top of the academic scale in school, they average higher scores on SAT tests, indicating stronger verbal and math skills. We also know that most band students enjoy a successful academic high school career, go on to post-secondary education and become the leaders in our society. The top academic achiever and the band student are one and the same.

Membership in band is one of the most positive experiences you can offer your child, helping nurture and develop self-discipline, social and communication skills, positive self-image, cooperation and creativity through their study of music. It is an investment in your child’s future as these life-skills will be an important foundation for the various responsibilities they take on later in life.

You can register through the DW Poppy Music website online here (https://forms.office.com/r/xDHamyx3qk) or complete the PDF registration form and return it to your child’s school by Friday, May 3 or scan and email it to mfollett@sd35.bc.ca. If your child participated in band as a grade 6 this year, we encourage students to continue with their previous instrument, but if they would like to switch, please let us know so we can make the move that best improves your child’s chance of success.

Mark Follett – mfollett@sd35.bc.ca

DW Poppy Director of Bands and Elementary Band Coordinator

BEGINNER VIDEO LESSONS:

Beginner Lessons for all instruments! Dr. Steve Selfridge (https://www.drselfridgemusic.com) is an amazing band director who has shared a huge number of video lessons on Youtube. Here are beginning lessons for each instrument. I highly recommend spending some time on these for your instrument!