# Greetings, Senior Musicians! (and families) We're just about to get started on a wonderful year of music-making, and I'm looking forward to another great year! ## First Things First - Are you in your Google Classroom? If you haven't already joined your Google Classroom, please join it now. [Senior Concert Band Google Classroom](https://classroom.google.com/c/ODAwMTczNzk0NzAz?cjc=iy6oaaey) ## After School Classes - Jazz Band, Steel Pans, Strings Students who would like to participate in these classes should come to our meeting **Thursday, September 4 at lunch in the Music Room**. At that time we will gauge how many people would like to be involved in each group, and what days will be best to operate those rehearsals. We will endeavour to make the schedule work for as many people as we possibly can without conflict, *even allowing athletes who wish to participate the opportunity to do both sport and music* to the best of our ability. If your student is already certain of which groups they wish to join, they can do so by clicking the appropriate Join Links in the Google Classroom for their band. ## Flarum - Family Communication Medium for Montreal Fundraising [Join the Flarum for Fundraising](https://ndcmontreal.flarum.cloud/) Flarum is our tool for communicating fundraising initiatives. Our standard fundraising initiatives go to support all NDC Music Students, however any initiative started in Flarum by either Parents or Students will see the proceeds evenly distributed to Montreal Trip students. Fundraising initiatives must be conducted by Parents and Students only, with Mr. Windsor as the Staff Supervisor for events. ### Please join the Flarum to get started on Fundraising! ## VERY IMPORTANT DATE - September 11, 2025, 6:00 PM - INSTRUMENT RENTAL NIGHT This evening will be the *last* day for renting your instrument in order to have your instrument in your possession at a reasonable time for learning. Long & McQuade will be at Notre Dame Collegiate in the evening to assist with the completion of Instrument Rentals. **If your student is renting a tuba, baritone saxophone, oboe, bassoon, any secondary instrument for Jazz Band, or percussion or electronic instrument** (bass guitar, piano, etc.), they will be renting it from Notre Dame Collegiate, and we expect that rental to occur during this September 11 Instrument Rental Night. Students playing baritone or bass clarinet should investigate possibilities with Long & McQuade first, and should that be cost-prohibitive, please then rent from Notre Dame Collegiate. Every instrumentalist should also purchase a Care Kit for their instrument. Clarinet and Saxophone Players should also purchase a box of 10 Rico Reeds for their instrument (thickness 2.5) [Purchase an Instrument Care Kit](https://www.long-mcquade.com/?page=search&SearchTxt=carlton%20care%20kit) [Purchase Royal Reeds (Blue Box), Various Thicknesses (probably 2.5 minimum)](https://www.long-mcquade.com/search/6/4234/Royal-By-DAddario/) ### Yes, you can rent earlier if you know your instrument and you intend to rent through Long & McQuade! If you are renting an instrument through Long & McQuade (flute, clarinet, smaller saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and some others), you can rent online and have it delivered sooner! If you do, make sure you follow the steps outlined below; - Go to [https://rentals.long-mcquade.com](https://rentals.long-mcquade.com/) - Choose your instrument - If you need reeds, buy a box of 10 Royal Reeds (blue box) - You can also add an instrument care kit to your order here. Every student should have an instrument care kit. - You do *not* need any other resources. - Fill out the form for processing a rental online with the following details - Use **Notre Dame Collegiate** as your School - Choose the **Calgary Chinook Store** - Choose to **Ship to School** Long & McQuade representatives come to Notre Dame Collegiate very regularly, so will be happy to deliver your instruments for you. You can also go to the **Calgary Chinook** location of Long & McQuade to rent your instrument in person. ## Expectations of Musicians Throughout the Year - **Performances** - This is a performance-based class. Therefore Performances are a significant part of their grade (35%). There are only 4 performances throughout the year, so students are expected to participate in them. They include; - November 10, 2025 - Remembrance Day Service(s), details to be announced - December 9, 2025 - Christmas Concert Night - Foothills Community Music Festival - *Optional* - Solos, Duets, small ensembles - Montreal Trip - April 23-26, 2025 ... more details to come in separate announcements (if not attending, students are expected to participate in one of the optional activities) - May 16, 2026 - *Optional* - Little Britches Parade (Seniors are invited to either perform or act as Staff) - June 2, 2026 - Year-End Showcase and Awards Night - **Skill Assignments** - Students will be assigned a few skill assignments throughout the year. **Two of them will need to be completed on their own time**, not during class. Access to a device with a microphone and a connection to the internet is all that is required to do so. - **Written Assignments** - There are many written assignments throughout the year, including 3 Breezin' Thru Theory assignments, two Responding Assignments, and a Creating Assignment. Most of these can be completed in class, and class time is provided. Students who do not complete these assignments during the allotted classtime will need to complete them at home. - **Ready, Regular, Reliable, Rigorous, Respectful** - Students come to class on time, ready to work, be reliable for their fellow musicians, challenge themselves, and respect that every person is at a different point in their musical learning and lift one another up as we learn together. Your students have already demonstrated to me that these should be easy to achieve, and so I can't wait to get started with them! ## Questions? If you have any questions, please email Mr. Windsor. He will answer them as quickly as is possible for you! Let's have a great year of music-making together! Contrapuntally yours, Joel Windsor, MME, RMT