MS Band Director

For music educators - By music educators

Best Practices for Band Handbooks

Directors,
It is time consuming to google middle school band handbook for ideas, but everyone has probably done so. Only to find that there are over 20,000 postings and pdf's. Please share your favorite handbook links as well as your handbook practices here on this discussion and we can, perhaps, cut down time for everyone with regard to creating the very best band policies and delivery systems possible.

Attachments:

Band Handbook OCSA 2008-2009.pdf, 776 KB

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ben Schuhart on November 4, 2009 at 5:24pm

Here's my Notebook (handbook)

Attachments:

MMS Band Notebook 2009.pdf, 5 MB

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Permalink Reply by Tony Strebig on November 4, 2009 at 8:00pm

Wow...That is a lot. Do you copy this for each student or just use it for yourself and online access?

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Permalink Reply by Ben Schuhart on November 7, 2009 at 4:43pm

Every student got their own 138 page book with a CDR with select videos that I snatched from YouTube...like cleanng and maintanace, chamber groups featuring their instrument and cool thing like Conra Bass Flute, DCI drum lines.

My school system has a print services department, I just uploaded it from home and like magic, I showed up at school the 1st day and boxes of the bound and ready to hand out books were there. I did have to copy the CD's and put them in the book, but we have a 10 CD copier at school. This was a big undertaking and this was the first year I did this. I'll most likley edit it for next year, but the hard work was the 1st edition.

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Permalink Reply by Tony Strebig on November 4, 2009 at 7:57pm

Here is Fort Wayne's Southwest Allen County School Corporation Woodside Middle School Band Handbook.

Also, check out the trip booklet I use for our St. Louis Six Flags Festival Contest.

-Tony Strebig

Attachments:

09-10 handbook.rtf, 100 KB
07 ST. LOUIS BOOKLET.rtf, 961 KB

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Permalink Reply by Andrew B. Spang on November 4, 2009 at 11:42pm

Hello,
Here is my Band Handbook for Folly Quarter Middle School in Ellicott City, Maryland. Many of the ideas contained herein are from my inspirational colleague Jeff Brodie (Burleigh Manor MS). Hope this book is of use to you.
My best,
Andy Spang

http://www.follyquarterband.org/handbook.html

Attachments:

FQMSBandHandbook.pdf, 493 KB

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Permalink Reply by Kimberly Wise on November 5, 2009 at 10:03pm

I look forward to browsing other band handbooks...I'm ALWAYS looking for ways to improve.

Attachments:

20092010MSHandbook.pdf, 170 KB

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Permalink Reply by David Allen on August 19, 2010 at 4:26am

Russ - This is one of the best discussion areas of this site. Thanks again for your hard work. I would eventually like to go fully digital, too. I had our handbook posted on our school's website last year, but had lackluster response for merely reading purposes. I believe if there is no interaction (such as online forms, etc.) it can be dull, but at least its posted. My students received a hard copy this year, and it was stream-lined. I'll upload it soon.

What is "Charms" that you speak of? I am very interested in learning what this program is (cost, where you get it, who hosts it, etc.) and revamp my handbook again for next year.

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Permalink Reply by David Allen on August 19, 2010 at 4:47am

I would like to implement a student leadership program this year (band officers, etc.). This type of program vaires from school to school. Some directors do not include it in their handbooks. I would like to include it in my band handbook but without re-inventing the wheel. Do any of you have, in print/copy, a band officer/leadership program in your program? If so, would you mind sharing that with me/us here.

Thank you.