Karen Wagoner, Avon Middle School South Band Director, and Rick Wagoner, Avon Intermediate West Band Director
Twenty or so kids file into the band room at Avon Intermediate School West – all going into the sixth grade.
They filter over to the area where band directors Rick Wagoner and Josh Ellis are handing out instruments and materials with the help of Middle School band director, Karen Wagoner, to each of the students. As they collect their new treasures, they lug them over to a seat where they nervously arrange themselves along the row and await instruction from the teacher.
“Place your instrument case on the floor with the instrument logo facing up, unlatch the case, then open the lid.” Attention to detail must start immediately. As each student pulls the instrument out of its case, his eyes are wide with both nervousness and excitement, as he gets to start down the path that leads to greatness…but must first start with good posture and whole notes.
And this is what the students will learn at beginning band camp, but they will also be ignited with a fiery passion for making music that will be nearly impossible for anyone to extinguish. The adventure starts here.
Stan Storey, Band Director at Avon Middle School North, and his lovely wife Kerri
One year, new attitude
Across the way at Avon Intermediate School East, many incoming middle school students converge upon the band room, chatting, slapping hands, and quickly catching up on time they’ve been apart. They carry their instrument casually, and grab the seat they expect to be assigned by middle school band director Stan Storey.
“Instruments up, sit up straight, concert Bb major scale in whole notes.” Words that would sound like a foreign language to the beginners in the neighboring school, easily understood by these kids – many of whom are only one year older. And it’s the job of our amazing middle school band directors to take the students that are sent their way and push them to the next level. At the camp, they get to enjoy time together making music and learning a few new pieces…something that will sustain them since the summer months will otherwise leave them longing to be back in the band room making music.
Josh Ellis, Band Director at Avon Intermediate School East, and his baby son, Duke
Back in the classroom with Mr. Wagoner, students are learning how to hold their instruments properly, how to make a sound on their new instruments, and start down the path that leads to the highly competitive programs that we all know and love. In this band camp, these incoming sixth graders will gain extraordinary experience that will give them a running start on their education in instrumental music. They will be taught several new notes, and they’ll play a few short pieces that include those notes. All the wonderful musical ideas they learned throughout elementary school finally get to be assimilated by applying them to their new skill. Every class for band camp for the incoming sixth graders will be separated by instrument so that they can receive instruction only applying to their own instrument. What a fantastic opportunity to learn! Parents are more than welcome to stay and watch their student participate daily in the camp!
Shifting over to Mr. Storey’s Middle School band camp, students are reviewing fundamentals and learning several pieces of music that they will perform for their parents at the end of the camp. While two weeks isn’t sufficient time to polish music to the perfection that meets the standard usually set by Avon music groups, with the help of Mr. Storey, these kids pull off a truly amazing amount of work. They give a remarkable performance! The skills they utilize during these two weeks help to increase the musicianship of each and every student, and it gives them a much needed directed opportunity to practice their instrument. Something we all know is difficult to get students to accomplish during beautiful summer days. This is a truly wonderful opportunity for students going into seventh or eighth grade band!
Music skills at a minimal price
The directors have worked hard to keep the cost to the student as minimal as possible. Both camps are $100 per student for the two weeks (June 8-June 19). Our intermediate and middle school band directors are simply the best, and I’m grateful for what they do to teach our kids as much as possible about playing their selected instruments before they pass them off to our high school band directors, where the students will be given the grand opportunity to participate in what is arguably the best high school band program in the nation. But…for many…it all begins on June 8th at the Beginning Band Camp.
For more information
For information on how to get your student signed up for the Beginning Band or Orchestra Camp, visit this link:
www.avonbeginningbandandorchestracamp.com
For information on how to get your student signed up for the Middle School Band Camp, click here:
http://www.avon-schools.org/Domain/3656
For choir camp info, follow this link and act immediately: