The Bradley Band consists of nine performing groups. All eighteen daily classes represent either a section of a larger group or a complete performance group unto itself. At this time there are in excess of 400 members in our program and those members are divided among the following groups.

8th GRADE HONORS BAND Prerequisite: Audition - Teacher Recommendation - This is the advanced band which is made up of students who have attained a high degree of proficiency on their instrument. Members of this organization will perform at UIL competitions, contests, and concerts and should be prepared to spend time outside the school day preparing for these performances. (All Year) There is a uniform fee of $25.00 and a $30.00 maintenance fee for school owned instruments.

Students selection to this class will be greatly influenced by the student's past record of personal discipline, dedication, sense of commitment and their ability to function as a member of a team. Elements of music are approached through exercises of increasing difficulty which present challenging, interesting, and enriching activities. Solo and group contests are extremely important and provide competitive opportunities for students to receive constructive criticism from adjudicators out side the district. This is an all year class. Students are expected to come once a week to either a before school or after school rehearsal. Students not complying with the class requirements or not maintaining performance standards or discipline levels commensurate with an honors class will be moved down to Symphonic Band at the earliest opportunity. Students may be required to sign a contract with a parental endorsement acknowledging that they understand and will comply with the requirements for this class.

7th GRADE HONORS BAND Prerequisite: Audition - Teacher Recommendation - This is the advanced band which is made up of students who have attained a high degree of proficiency on their instrument. Members of this organization will perform at UIL competitions, contests, and concerts and should be prepared to spend time outside the school day preparing for these performances. (All Year) There is a uniform fee of $25.00 and a $30.00 maintenance fee for school owned instruments.

Students selection to this class will be greatly influenced by the student's past record of personal discipline, dedication, sense of commitment and their ability to function as a member of a team. Elements of music are approached through exercises of increasing difficulty which present challenging, interesting, and enriching activities. Solo and group contests are extremely important and provide competitive opportunities for students to receive constructive criticism from adjudicators out side the district. This is an all year class. Students are expected to come once a week to either a before school or after school rehearsal. Students not complying with the class requirements or not maintaining performance standards or discipline levels commensurate with an honors class will be moved down to Symphonic Band at the earliest opportunity. Students may be required to sign a contract with a parental endorsement acknowledging that they understand and will comply with the requirements for this class.

Students are expected to be performing at grade level on their instruments. They should be striving to maintain excellent team oriented discipline. Elements of music are approached through increasing difficulty which present challenging, interesting, and enriching activities. Solo and group contests provide competitive opportunities for students to receive constructive criticism from adjudicators outside the district. This is an all year class. Opportunities will exist often, for students to be moved to 8th Honor Band if their performance and discipline are on a level justifying advancement.

Students are expected to be performing at grade level on their instruments. They should be striving to maintain excellent team oriented discipline. Elements of music are approached through increasing difficulty which present challenging, interesting, and enriching activities. Solo and group contests provide competitive opportunities for students to receive constructive criticism from adjudicators outside the district. This is an all year class. Opportunities will exist often, for students to be moved to 7th Honor Band if their performance and discipline are on a level justifying advancement.

JAZZ ENSEMBLES

There are four and sometimes five jazz ensembles (stage bands) depending on enrollment. All Jazz groups are advanced enriching courses that explore those styles of music not normally associated with concert bands. Students will trace the jazz influence on all forms of music, especially the music of the "Big Band Era". Special emphasis will be placed on scales, chords, blues progressions and other music theory as related to composition and improvisation. Students will be placed during summer band and at the beginning of school. Continual adjustments will be made throughout the school year and students will be moved up or down depending on the individual needs of each student. There will be adjustments to assure that the students who are practicing with great frequency and are of proper attitude to be members of the top groups.

8A STAGE BAND (JAZZ ENSEMBLE) This is an advanced enriching course exploring those styles of music not normally associated with concert bands. Highly qualified dedicated students will be accepted and then only by audition. Students will learn to perform music from the "Big Bands", "pop and rock" from the fifties to today, and a variety of jazz styles with special emphasis on jazz, the one true American art form. This is an award winning group that has won many honors over the years including eight first place finishes in the last nine years at the Alamo Tournament of Bands, six first place finishes at the Fiesta Jazz Festival, and a record of never having lost at Southwest Jazz Festival. We are very proud of this group and only students with the most outstanding team oriented music students will be retained. Competition to stay in this group will be a continuing process.

8B STAGE BAND (JAZZ ENSEMBLE) This is a Jazz enrichment class for those students not yet prepared for the advanced performance of 8A Stage Band in one or more respects. There are no audition requirements for this class and every effort will be made to prepare each student for advancement to the next higher group. This is also a performing group that performs at concerts and festivals.

7A STAGE BAND (JAZZ ENSEMBLE) This is an enriching course for students interested in exploring contemporary music styles. Highly qualified dedicated students will be accepted and then only by audition. Students begin by learning swing and bop styles and advance to music of the "Big Bands" and various pop styles of the past forty years. Only dedicated, team oriented individuals with the desire to excel will be retained in this group. Many adjustments will occur throughout the year to promote students from lower groups. This means that the competition will be a continuing process to assure that only the top performing musicians are members of this group. This is also a performing group that has won many awards over the years and every effort will be made to continue that tradition.

7B STAGE BAND (JAZZ ENSEMBLE) This is also an enriching course for those students not yet prepared for the advanced performance of 7A Stage Band. Every effort will be made to prepare these students for advancement to 7A. This ensemble is also a performing group and will follow a similar path as that of the advanced group but at a slower pace so as to cover areas needing remedial work. This is also a performing group where the competition is great. Students moving up from 7C will displace those not performing to high standards. This group performs for concerts and festivals depending on instrumentation.

7C STAGE BAND (JAZZ ENSEMBLE) This is a beginning jazz ensemble for those students not yet ready for performance. Students will concentrate on fundamentals of their instruments until they are ready to move up to 7B. This is the place where students learning second instruments learn skills to prepare them for performance. 7C is a performing group depending on instrumentation.

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