Mr. Pinkerton and the High School Wind Ensemble came to visit 5th grade band today for a side-by-side! A side-by-side is when members of two groups sit combined and work on music together. 

When both groups arrived we passed out a piece called Dark Adventure by Ralph Ford. Neither group, high school or elementary school, had ever seen or heard the piece before. We started with sight reading, then rehearsed a little (about 25 minutes!) and then played a performance of the piece! See the video below.  

After we learned the song together, the high schoolers played a March from their concert last night for the 5th graders. There were some 5th grade jaws on the floor! 

Thank you so much to Mr. Pinkerton and the high schoolers for coming to play with us. This is an experience we'll never forget! 

Today 5th grade band had their Band Olympics closing Ceremony! For the past couple of months, 5th grade students have been competing on 11 different teams, representing different countries on a variety of challenges. Challenges included the circle of fourths, Bb Concert scale, sight reading, long tones, and musical knowledge. 

Each team created their own musical flag, using the original flag as inspiration. Below are our runner-up teams! 

Last week I traveled with 121 high schoolers to Disney World to play in a parade through Epcot. We had an EPIC time and the performance was incredible. We've decided to take this trip every three years, so the current 5th graders with be in 11th grade and the 4th graders will be in 10th grade. I can't wait! 

What an amazing event! Thank you to everyone that came out to support our band program and our fantastic students. 

I hope that everyone is having a fantastic summer so far! I know that I have :) Here's a few updates on things going on...

Summer Lessons - 
We had a total of 81 students sign up to take summer lessons. That's amazing! It's been great having students making music at the otherwise very quiet school this summer. Thank you for being so dedicate and being willing to work on your instrument this summer. 

Marching Band - 
I have joined the staff of the Hershey High School Marching Band! We've been having a blast so far and it feels good to be back on their field. My involvement at the high school will NOT affect my elementary schedule in anyway, but it will give us some opportunities to collaborate with the high school musicians in the future...*wink*wink*
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We start Band Camp next week and I'm super pumped to put the music on the field. I hope you will stop by a football game and check out the band this season!
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Graduate Classes

This summer I've been taking a series of graduate course on technology. As our school district moves toward a one-to-one model with ipads I'm exploring ideas of how we can integrate more technology into our rehearsals and and the instrumental music program. If you have any ideas of how you would like to use more technology please let me know! 


I got married! 
It's true! This summer, my now husband, and I choose to have a private ceremony in the National Redwood Forest in California. Afterward, we also traveled to Yosemite National Park and San Francisco. I am still in the process of changing my name, so in the meanwhile I can still be reached at kdaneker@hershey.k12.pa.us. I have changed my instagram (@obiemusic) and obviously my website (www.obie-music.com). I will let everyone know as soon as my email changes. I know its a big change, but now I'm Mrs. Obielecki!! 

March is over and so is Music in our School's Month. Even so, we can still continue to celebrate the awesomeness of our school music programs! Just yesterday it was announced by NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) that Derry Township School District is one of the Best Communities for Music Education in 2017! So Fantastic! 

The students certainly came up with some fantastic words to describe what music makes them (See below!). However, no one said that music makes them "BUSY", but boy, are we busy! Here are some of the important dates you need to know.....

Tuesday April 11th - All-District Jazz Night 7pm - 5th grade Jazz Band performing
Monday May 1st - 5th grade Concert 7pm 
Tuesday May 2nd - 4th grade and Jazz Band Concert 7pm
***All concerts are held at Hershey High School

We still have very important rehearsals to make sure we are prepared for our concerts. The PSSA's have made our schedules a little funky so be sure to check the calendar and watch for remind alerts! 

I feel like I waste a lot of paper. I'm always making copies of music, flyers to send home, or practice worksheets. In an effort to use less paper I will no longer be sending home 'Band Notes' newsletters, but instead posting a (hopefully) weekly blog here. Hope you enjoy!

For starters, March is Music in our Schools Month and we've been celebrating! Students have been finishing the sentence "Music Make Me_______!" and I've been posting pictures of their answers on my Instagram (@danekermusic). There have been some funny answers like "Music Makes me Dehydrated!" and "Music Makes me have chapped lips!", but overall the students are proving that music is making a huge impact on their lives. 

What should students be practicing right now? 
- 5th grade
- SCALES! I know these aren't fun, but they are important!
- Ask your student to show you the Circle of 4ths. Can they play every note?
- Trouble spots in concert music. "If you sound amazing when you practice you      aren't practicing the correct sections!" Work on stuff that isn't easy!

- 4th grade
- Red Book coin songs. Every student SHOULD be up to #57. Ask them where they are! 
- Concert Music - there is a lot of tough stuff we are working on! Practicing at home and doing your individual part will make a huge difference when we work on putting it all together. 

Concerts are coming up in about a month (5th grade - May 1; 4th grade (w/Jazz Band) - May 2) and we are in what's considered crunch time. EVERY rehearsal is super important. I'm so excited to share what we've been working on! 

Musically yours, 
​Miss Daneker