• Welcome to the

    Hillcrest Band,Choir and Music Program!
     

    Notice:  Due to mandated school closures, all performances for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year have been canceled. We thank you for your understanding and continuing support of music at Hillcrest Middle School.
     
     

    Please check the canvas page for your class period(s) for this weeks schedule, assignments, and announcements.

     

    Virtual Class Meeting Schedule:

    Choir Period 1      Monday and Wednesday, 9:30-10:00 am

    Choir Period 2      Monday and Wednesday, 10:00-10:30 am

    Band Period 3      Monday and Wednesday, 12:00-12:30 pm

     

    Band Period 4      Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30-10:00 am

    Choir Period 6      Tuesday and Thursday, 12:00-12:30 pm

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    Hillcrest Middle School

    Band & Choir Important Dates

    2019-2020

    Your student will need to make sure they have ample time to get here, get their instrument and music into the gym, take their attendance picture, and BE SEATED in their designated location.
    Given the concert start time of 6 PM, the following call times apply:
    The schedule for our December Concert is as follows: 
    (FYI- A "call time" is the terminology used in the performance world for the time performers are expected to be IN PLACE, on-stage with necessary equipment READY to warm-up and rehearse for a performance.)
    5:00 PM- Jazz Band and 4th hour band (7th grade band) CALL TIME - instrument set-up and attendance is DONE BY THIS TIME.
    5:15PM- Choir -CALL TIME and warm-up (PARENTS AND FAMILY WILL NEED TO WAIT OUTSIDE)
    5:30 PM- Band Period 3 arrives
    5:45 PM- doors open for parents/family/community,  
    6:00 PM-  Jazz Band / 7th grade CONCERT-    CALL TIME for Band period 3 (Choir and 8th grade band perform second half of concert- no definite start or end time).
    Please note that parents and family will need to wait outside until 5:45 to allow students to warm-up and get set.
        CONFIRMED 2019-2020 CONCERT DATES
    (Posted May 9th, 2019)

    Wednesday, December 11th, 2019 6PM - Winter Concert (Posted May 9th, 2019)

    Thursday, April 16th, 2020, 6 PM - (Band Only) South Region Band Assessment Concert (Posted May 9th, 2019)

    Wednesday, May 6, 2020, 6 PM - Spring Concert (Posted May 9th, 2019)

     2019-2020 ASSESSMENT DATES  TBD

    ALL HMS CONCERT AND DISTRICT ASSESSMENT PERFORMANCES ARE MANDATORY 
     
     
     
     
    Picasso's "The Old Guitarist" at the Art Institute of Chicago,
    June 2016 
     Picasso's "The Old Guitarist" at the Art Institute of Chicago, June 2016
     
     
     Ms. Blank's brother, Captain A. Blank, USMC, en route to Hawaii from Japan in an F18 Hornet  
    "To Ms. Blank and her awesome students from 25,000 ft over the Pacific"
      "To Ms. Blank and her awesome students from 25,000 ft. over the Pacific"
      
     Click link below to see a courtyard performance by the HMS Chorus!
     
     
    Never forget: 
    Carry Thine Own Pig
    Related image
     
                  Spring Fling, 2016  Displaying File_000.jpegDisplaying File_000.jpeg
    Spring Fling, 2016 
     
     
     
     
     

     
    Band and Choir Policy Statement
    In order to assist band and choir members and parents in understanding areas of responsibility, a statement of choir policy is set forth here. Becoming familiar with this policy will enable each individual to make the most of this great opportunity to be a member of the Hillcrest Band and Choir program, become a better person and a better musician.
     
    We in the HIllcrest Music Department firmly believe each choir student should improve through regular practice and part study. When the student has lost the will to improve him or herself or to make a better contribution to the choir, he or she is not positively contributing to the efforts of fellow ensemble members, the director, or the school. The happiest student is one who improves through regular habits of practice and daily progress. He or she must not only know right from wrong but must be able to stand for principles and develop a high sense of purpose toward which he or she is willing to work. 
     

       Responsibility is the focus behind any level of achievement within this or any school program. I, the director, intend to conduct myself in a manner that will facilitate the learning of all students.  

     Daily Class Schedule 
       

     
    Period 
     
    		  
     Class Name
     
     HMSTV 8:15-8:20 Announcements/Pledge
    1st 8:20-9:12  7/8th Grade Choir
    2nd       9:16-10:08  8th Grade Choir
    3rd 10:12-11:04  8th Grade Band
    4th 11:08-12:08  7th Grade Band
              Lunch 12:08-12:38  Lunch
    AP Time 12:38-1:08 AP Time
    5th 1:12-2:04 Prep
    6th 2:08-3:00 7th Grade Choir
         
     

    Objectives of the Band and Choir Program

    • To teach music by its actual performance
    • To develop performance skills on the various voice types and roles
    • To provide for the musical needs of the school and community
    • To acquaint the students with music theory/history and how history and musical composition relate to students' lives and musical experiences
    • To provide all students with the opportunity for worthy use of their time, a means for self-expression, and a healthy social experience
    • To develop the ability to function as a responsible member of a group, enhance interaction, and develop esprit de corps
    • To foster leadership skills within each student

    Did you know?

    • Students taking courses in music performance and music appreciation scored higher on the SAT than students with no arts participation. Music performance students scored 53 points higher on the verbal and 39 points higher on the math. Music appreciation students scored 61 points higher on the verbal and 42 points higher on the math. (Source: 1999 College-Bound Seniors National Report: Profile of SAT Program Test Takers, The College Entrance Examination Board, Princeton, New Jersey) 
    • According to the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, music students received more academic honors and awards than no-music students. A higher percentage of      music participants received A's and B's than non-music participants. (Source: NELS:88 First Follow-up, 1990, National Center for Education Statistics, Washington D.C.). 
    • Lewis Thomas, physician and biologist, found that music majors comprise the highest percentage of accepted medical students at 66% (Source: As reported in "The Case for Music in the Schools." Phi Delta Kappa, February 1994)

    These are just a few reasons why music education and the arts are so important in a student's education!