1557 B Larpenteur Ave.

W, Falcon Heights, MN 55113 P: (651) 895-0891

E: info@88notesmusic.com W: 88notesmusic.com

Encore Ensembles - School Handbook

2017-2018

Who We Are

Mellisa Weinert, CEO, Director of Music & Educa9on

Eighty Eight Notes School of Music
Mellisa graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Music Educa6on and Liturgical Music, with a
minor in Flute Performance and Bible in 2007 from Golden State Bap6st College in Santa Clara,
CA. She received her Master of Arts in Music Educa6on with a concentra6on in Piano Pedagogy
in 2013 from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. She is a Na6onally Cer6ed Teacher
of Music (cer6ed through the Music Teacher's Na6onal Associa6on) as well as a member of
several professional music organiza6ons including the Music Teachers Na6onal Associa6on
(MTNA), Minnesota Music Teachers Associa6on (MMTA), and APPI (Associa6on of Professional
Piano Instructors) of which she has served as an ocer.

Mellisa onboard Encore Ensembles to the oerings at Eighty Eight Notes in 2016. Mellisa is a
music educa6on and business consultant for several music schools and private studios around
the country and has performed in loca6ons overseas. Mellisa is the lead piano teacher, Director
of Music and Educa6on, and CEO of Eighty Eight Notes School of Music.

Laura Thompson, Program Coordinator, Encore Ensembles

Laura is currently the K-8 Music Teacher and 4-8 Band Director at Transgura6on Catholic
School. She takes on the program coordina6on role in Encore Ensembles in addi6on to her
teaching job.

Laura a]ended a K-8 Catholic School growing up and is deeply passionate about the successes
of music programs in small private, charter, and home schools. Laura takes on the Administrator
role of Encore Ensembles in addi6on to her current teaching posi6on. She received a Bachelor
of Arts in Instrumental Music Educa6on from Gustavus Adolphus College. She is currently a
member of NAfME (Na6onal Associa6on for Music Educa6on), MMEA (Minnesota Music
Educators Associa6on), and MBDA (Minnesota Band Directors Associa6on).
The Program
Your school contracts with us, Encore Ensembles via Eighty Eight Notes School of Music.
Through that contract, we provide a teacher as well as all equipment that your band or
orchestra program needs to be successful -- band music, percussion instruments, etc. There is
no cost to your school for these services. Band parents pay Eighty Eight Notes School of
Music directly and we u6lize that money to provide your instrumental music program to your
school or home school loca6on.

This alleviates the nancial burden on your school to provide the nances to budget for a high
quality band teacher and the equipment necessary to have a successful instrumental music
program. Finances are the main reason why instrumental music is oaen unachievable to many
small schools and this makes instrumental music programs possible in your school.

Encore Ensembles teachers will work with you to provide a program that suits the needs of your
school. We adapt to your schools schedule and we work with you to create the instrumental
music program that you envision for your school. For example, if you would like your band
students to play duets or trios at a weekly chapel service, our teachers can help prepare the
students for that type of performance.

Scheduling
Once your school contract is signed with Eighty Eight Notes School of Music, parents will sign up
for the program online. We provide the list of students to your band director who in turn will
work with you to create a band schedule that works with the sta and your school.

Your Encore Ensembles teacher will be at your school one day per week. Students receive a
20-30-minute small group band lesson and a 30-45-minute large group rehearsal. Lessons will
be 30 minutes UNLESS there are lesson groups with only one student. We recommend 30-
minute rehearsals for beginning band students, however advanced groups should have 45
minutes.

By agreeing to this contract you are agreeing to provide >me for lessons and
rehearsals to take place.

Concerts
Tradi6onally, band or orchestra students will perform in two concerts per year, a Holiday
Concert and a Spring Concert. Ideally the band or orchestra would join in your current concerts
oered at your school.

As your teacher likely teaches in other schools on other days of the week, please do not
expect your teacher to be present for addi>onal performances. Your teacher will work with
you at the beginning of the year to determine performance dates for your school.

Make Up Lessons
Regre]ably as many of our teachers have a full teaching schedule days missed due to snow
days, eld trips, and days o from school will not be able to be made up. Please be sure eld
trips and other special events are planned on days that are not band days. If your teacher
needs to be absent due to illness, they will work out a make up day with you.
If a student has a test during the 6me of their band lesson, it is expected that the student comes
and talks to your Encore Ensembles teacher before the lesson starts. This gives your Encore
teacher the opportunity to nd another 6me to t that student into the schedule.

Teacher Placement
We place teachers carefully to ensure they are a good t for your school. We know and
understand the unique needs of your school as a private school or home school loca6on, and
we keep that in mind as we carefully select teachers for our program. Eighty Eight Notes School
of Music also conducts background checks on all teachers before placing them in your schools.

Expecta9ons

1. Support your Encore Ensembles teacher throughout the school year. You are welcome
to observe your teacher and see them in ac6on!
2. Provide a space for lessons and rehearsals.
3. Provide two performance opportuni6es during the year for your band or orchestra
tradi6onally a Holiday Concert and a Spring Concert.
4. Link the Encore Ensembles website to your schools website.
5. Promote the band program in your school.
6. Allow students to a]end band lessons and rehearsals.
7. Maintain consistent communica6on with your Encore Ensembles teacher as well as
Encore Ensembles administrator, Laura Thompson.

Addi9onal Op9onal Events and Performances

Each year we provide opportuni6es for students to par6cipate in addi6onal performances,
including our Band Fes6val, Solo and Ensemble Contest, and Honor Band.

Band Fes9val
Open to all students who have completed at least one year in their school band programs, this
provides an opportunity for Encore Ensembles students to play in a large band of 60+ students.
Typically, this event takes place the last Friday in February. Students will miss the day of school,
however we ensure that the day is educa6onal and a good experience for all of our students.
Playing in a large group as opposed to their typical groups at school gives students an
opportunity to learn from each other and grow together as musicians. We rehearse for the day
and put on a concert that aaernoon.

Solo and Ensemble Contest

This event typically occurs in early April, and provides an opportunity for students to play either
a solo or in a small group. We provide music educators who give the students construc6ve
cri6cism for how to improve their playing. Playing a solo or small ensemble is a dierent
experience than playing in a larger group. The top two or three performances are selected to
play at the Honor Band performance in late April.

Honor Band
Each teacher from Encore Ensembles nominates the top students in your schools band for this
group. The Honor Band is a collec6on of top band students in grades 5-8 from all Encore
Ensembles schools. Typically comprised of 40-50 students, each nominee who wants to
par6cipate prepares an audi6on to earn entrance into the group, which helps us to determine
which part each student will play in the ensemble. Honor Band is our highest honor and
provides our students an opportunity to play music that will challenge them with other students
who are at the same level musically. Honor Band takes place at the end of April.

Benets of Music
Many oaen ask what makes music dierent and unique. How does it benet a student
academically? From NAfME, the Na6onal Associa6on for Music Educa6on, here are twenty
reasons why music is important in your school:

1.Musical training helps develop language and reasoning:Students who have early musical
training will develop the areas of the brain related to language and reasoning. The left side of the
brain is better developed with music, and songs can help imprint information on young minds.

2.A mastery of memorization:Even when performing with sheet music, student musicians are
constantly using their memory to perform. The skill of memorization can serve students well in
education and beyond.

3.Students learn to improve their work:Learning music promotes craftsmanship, and students
learn to want to create good work instead of mediocre work. This desire can be applied to all
subjects of study.

4.Increased coordination:Students who practice with musical instruments can improve their hand-
eye coordination. Just like playing sports, children can develop motor skills when playing music.

5.A sense of achievement:Learning to play pieces of music on a new instrument can be a

challenging, but achievable goal. Students who master even the smallest goal in music will be able
to feel proud of their achievement.

6.Kids stay engaged in school:An enjoyable subject like music can keep kids interested and
engaged in school. Student musicians are likely to stay in school to achieve in other subjects.

7.Success in society:Music is the fabric of our society, and music can shape abilities and
character. Students in band or orchestra are less likely to abuse substances over their lifetime.
Musical education can greatly contribute to childrens intellectual development as well.

8.Emotional development:Students of music can be more emotionally developed, with empathy

towards other cultures They also tend to have higher self esteem and are better at coping with
anxiety.

9.Students learn pattern recognition:Children can develop their math and pattern-recognition
skills with the help of musical education. Playing music offers repetition in a fun format.

10.Better SAT scores:Students who have experience with music performance or appreciation
score higher on the SAT. One report indicates 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on
math for students in music appreciation courses.
11.Fine-tuned auditory skills:Musicians can better detect meaningful, information-bearing
elements in sounds, like the emotional meaning in a babys cry. Students who practice music can
have better auditory attention, and pick out predictable patterns from surrounding noise.

12.Music builds imagination and intellectual curiosity:Introducing music in the early childhood
years can help foster a positive attitude toward learning and curiosity. Artistic education develops the
whole brain and develops a childs imagination.

13.Music can be relaxing:Students can fight stress by learning to play music. Soothing music is
especially helpful in helping kids relax.

14.Musical instruments can teach discipline:Kids who learn to play an instrument can learn a
valuable lesson in discipline. They will have to set time aside to practice and rise to the challenge of
learning with discipline to master playing their instrument.

15.Preparation for the creative economy:Investing in creative education can prepare students for
the 21st century workforce. The new economy has created more artistic careers, and these jobs may
grow faster than others in the future.

16.Development in creative thinking:Kids who study the arts can learn to think creatively. This
kind of education can help them solve problems by thinking outside the box and realizing that there
may be more than one right answer.

17.Music can develop spatial intelligence:Students who study music can improve the
development of spatial intelligence, which allows them to perceive the world accurately and form
mental pictures. Spatial intelligence is helpful for advanced mathematics and more.

18.Kids can learn teamwork:Many musical education programs require teamwork as part of a
band or orchestra. In these groups, students will learn how to work together and build camaraderie.

19.Responsible risk-taking:Performing a musical piece can bring fear and anxiety. Doing so
teaches kids how to take risks and deal with fear, which will help them become successful and reach
their potential.

20.Better self-confidence:With encouragement from teachers and parents, students playing a

musical instrument can build pride and confidence. Musical education is also likely to develop better
communication for students.