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

mfulk@unioto.k12

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.