Cliff Jones, Director

  Cliff Jones has been teaching for 10 years in Gwinnett County Public Schools. Prior to joining the faculty at Moore Middle, Mr. Jones was the Band Teacher at Hull Middle School in the Peachtree Ridge Cluster.  Mr. Jones holds a Bachelor of Music Education (2001) and a Master of Music Education (2007) from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. Who am I?

  There are many types of ensembles that use the term “Band.” In this context, we are referring to the concert band when we use the term band.  The Concert Band is one of America’s youngest ensembles and is generally comprised of Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion.  Band is also a place where your child can explore creativity, make new friends, and develop many necessary life skills. What is Band?

  In 6 th grade, we start the following instruments: Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba, Percussion.  Near the end of 6 th grade, we begin to transition interested students to Oboe, Bassoon, Bass Clarinet, Tenor Sax, Bari Sax, and French Horn. What do we teach?

  Piano  Guitar  Drum Set  Electric Bass  Any string instrument (thankfully, they do up the hall, though) What we don’t teach

  The Moore Middle School Band will be a safe environment where our students will become independent musical thinkers who demonstrate responsibility and accountability toward self and peer. What is our vision?

  We will strive to equip all students with the necessary skills to appreciate all forms of music and ultimately become a lifelong consumer and/or producer of music. What is our mission?

  Your child should have received a sign up form in homeroom today. You can turn those forms in tonight or send them in to school tomorrow. How do we sign up?

  While the class itself is free to enroll and anyone can enroll, there are certain expenses incurred when taking a band class.  Uniform – you will only have to purchase a shirt from the band. That price is usually around $20. Black pants, socks, and shoes are required. You are on your own to purchase those items.  While not required, we encourage all parents to contribute what they can to our organization financially. We are severely underfunded and need your support. Other fees…?

  It is not my intent to conduct a typical brochure type “bother your co-workers with useless stuff” fundraiser. In 10 years of teaching I have never conducted one of those types of fundraisers and I don’t want to start now. I will share (at a later date) more about what I envision our program doing to raise funds that won’t have your co-workers saying “here he comes again.” Fundraisers?

  Economic times are very hard for many people right now. Even when things are good, acquiring a quality musical instrument for instruction can be a bit of a challenge. However, the instrument is the necessary tool your child needs to participate in a concert band. There are two main ways of acquiring an instrument that we will discuss:  Renting and Buying. Acquiring an Instrument

  The deals are out there. You can walk into the corner super center and find musical instruments for a low price. With eBay and Craigslist, it seems very affordable to get that trumpet your child needs for band class.  Unless you know what you are looking for, I suggest avoiding the traps on Craigslist and especially eBay.  The supercenter instruments are not designed to handle the wear and tear of every day playing. Remember: you get what you pay for. Renting vs. Buying

  Renting is still a good option, especially for the first year. The largest attrition rates occur between 6 th and 7 th grade band. Don’t get stuck trying to sell a purchased instrument.  Your child will be a little clumsy with the instrument at first and it may need several repairs during the first year. Purchasing that extra coverage when you rent is worth the money.  Renting is not a fiscally sound long-term strategy. However, it is recommended early on for the short term. Renting vs. Buying