Unioto Bands
14193 Pleasant Valley Rd.
Chillicothe, Oh 45601
Welcome!
For over 75 years Unioto has been providing outstanding educational opportunities for the
students of our community, and the fine arts are no exception. I would like to officially invite
your student to become a member of the Unioto Bands. This is a very exciting time for
students and parents and you may have questions about our band program—the following will
provide you much information about the Unioto Bands.
Besides the enjoyment of playing music, participating in band provides students an opportunity
to develop as a complete student. The benefits conveyed by music education can be grouped in
four categories:
Success in social / group interactions e.g. teamwork, confidence, belonging, responsibility
Success in school and learning
Success in developing intelligence, creative thinking, and esthetic value
Success in life skills, e.g. determination, leadership, goal setting, focus,
I hope you enjoy this introduction to beginning band, and I look forward to meeting you. If
you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
Mr. Michael Fulk, Director
773-4105
Unioto High School Cafetorium @ 6:30p.m.
Meet the director
Ask questions
Schedule a fitting appointment for an instrument
Now that our first year of starting band in the sixth grade is almost complete, I am
delighted to report that it was a great success. We had a large class of beginning
band students that have progressed extremely well. Equally important, the students
are having a great time and our attrition rate has been very low. Every year our 6th
grade band performs the Star Spangled Banner at conservation camp. This year is no
exception, the students have accomplished in one year what has previously taken
two. Great job 6th grade band students, you have made your director proud!
7th and 8th grade students that enroll in band will take it as a year long class that meets everyday. Each grade
rehearses separately; a different period during the day. However, the 7th and 8th grade bands are
combined for performances. In recent years we have attended Trills and Thrills at King Island each May and have
received “excellent ratings”. Students also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of extension activities:
marching band, Solo and Ensemble, Large Group Adjudication, District 16 Honor Band, pep-band, summer camps,
band camp, and private lesson.
Why Music
“The life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of a nation, is close to the center of a
nation’s purpose– and is a test to the quality of a nation’s civilization”— John, F. Kennedy
Playing a musical instrument significantly enhances the brain stem’s sensitivity to speech sounds. This relates to
encoding skills involved with music and language. Experience with music at a young age can “ fine-tune” the
brain’s auditory system. — from a study supported by Northwestern University, grants from the National Institutes
of health, and the National Science Foundation. Nina Kraus, director of NWU’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory
and senior author of the study, which appeared in April 2007 Nature Neuroscience.
Key (First Quarter)
Group (A) Percussion
Group (B) Clarinets
Group (C) Flute and Sax
Group (D) Trumpet & Trombone
Students (E) that need extra help
Attending Class
First Quarter
Monday Tuesday Wed. Thursday Friday
Band A B C D E
Attending Class
2nd, 3rd, & 4th Quarters
Monday Tuesday Wed. Thursday Friday
Band A B C F F
Key (2nd, 3rd & 4th Quarters
Group (A) Percussion
Group (B) Woodwinds (flute, Clar. Sax)
Group (C) Brass (Trumpet & Trombone)
Full Band (F) (everyone together)
The bands at Unioto High School are forming a rich tradition and continue to be a focal point for the school district
and community. In just a few short years your student will have the opportunity to take their place among those stu-
dents. As a member of the Unioto H.S. Bands, they will have numerous additional opportunities including:
Unioto Marching Shermans
Band Camp
Pep Band
Tours and Trips
Honor Bands
Chamber music
Solo and Ensemble
District Large Group Contest
In addition to their musical activities,
Unioto Band student-musicians are academic leaders and participate in nearly every school, church and community
activity. For many years band members have participated on athletic teams and many serve as leaders in both pro-
grams. In short, it is absolutely possible to do both “sports and band”, meet all graduation requirements, and be a
leader in school.
Rental Program Since students must furnish their own instrument, arrangements have been made with Music & Arts, a
reputable, full service music dealer to be present at the parent meeting. This company has been recognized
as a specialist in the school band instrument business for many years, and as a convenience will present a
risk free rental-purchase plan for your consideration. Of course, there is no obligation. It is important that
you register for a fitting time-slot during this meeting! If purchasing/renting an instrument is a
possibility, please bring a major credit card and your checkbook to your scheduled fitting. The credit card
is used only as a safeguard since Colonial Music does not run a credit check. Colonial will address this in
detail during the meeting on the 5-21.
Used Instruments I keep a list of used instruments for sale in the community. Many of these instruments are in excellent
shape for a reasonable price. This list is always changing based on the information that is made available to
me. Please still make an appointment so that someone can evaluate the playability state of the instrument.
Other Instrument Vendors/On-Line Sites There are other music vendors in the vicinity who also offer rental programs with various terms. In recent years I
have had some students locate instruments on-line as well. This has had mixed results, please be cautious. If you do
choose to acquire an instrument in this manner please consult with a director first regarding acceptable
brands and quality— I want to help you make a quality purchase.
How is the decision made about what instrument my student should play?
During fittings, your child will be assisted by a trained fitter (a local band director or retired band director)
that is hired for this process. Fitting is a process to match your child with the instrument that is best suited
for them, and takes about 12 minutes. Most of the time, they will be able to play the instrument that they
are most attracted to, but in certain cases due to denture, lip-shape, finger-size, and coordination we will
suggest that they play their second or third pick.
Does my student need to know how to read music?
No. No prior musical knowledge is required.
What about braces or orthodontic issues?
Many students in the Unioto Bands currently have, or had, orthodontic work or braces. The effect of braces
for a student is very individual—however, having braces does not prevent a student from playing any in-
strument well.
What is the time commitment expected for beginners?
All band students in 6th grade take band as a class as part of their normal school day. It is anticipated stu-
dents will have band two days the first week and three days the following week, and will continue that rota-
tion. This schedule will result in four sections of beginning band; each section a different instrumental
class. Students are asked to practice a total of 60 minutes per week..
Can my student be in the band and still participate in other activities?
Yes. Unioto Band students in all grades have historically been very active in numerous school, community
and church activities. Below is a sampling of the activities that band students commonly participate in:
National Honor Society
National Merit Scholars
Student Council
Quiz Bowl
Advanced Placement Courses
Church Youth Groups
Dace Studios
Tutoring leaders
Choir
Drama
Yearbook
Musical
Community Theater
All High School Sports
All Junior High Sports
A.A.U. teams
Great Seal of Ohio Community
Band
Summer Camps
Boy Scouts
Girl Scouts
Benefits Beyond the Music Classroom
Nearly 100% of the past winners in the prestigious Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science and Technology (high
schools” play one or more musical instruments. This led the Siemens Foundation to host a recital at Carnegie Hall in 2004, featur-
ing some of these young people, after wich a panel of experts debated the nature of the apparent science/music link.—The Midland
Chemist (American Chemical Society) Vol. 42, No. 1, Feb. 2005.
Students of the arts continue to outperform their non-arts peers on the SAT, according to reports by the College Entrance Examina-
tion Board. In 2006, SAT takers with coursework/experience in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal portion of
the test and 43 points higher on the math portion than students with no coursework or experience in the arts. —The College Board,
Profile of College-Bound Seniors national Report for 2006; http://collegeboard.com
An education rich in the arts an humanities develops skills that are increasingly crucial to the productivity and competitiveness of
the nation’s workforce: the ability to think creatively, communicate effectively and work collaboratively, and to deal with ambigu-
ity and complexity. Prof. Ann M. Galligan, Northeastern University, in her paper “Creativity, Culture, Education and the Work-
force”, Center for Arts and culture, December 2001.
Rehearsal at band camp under the oak trees
Unioto Band Alumni who are now members of the University of Cincinnati Bearcat Marching Band.