The Lamar band directors would like to take this opportunity to encourage your child to participate in the Lamar private-lesson program. Qualified teachers travel to Lamar, and students take lessons during their regularly scheduled band class or before or after school.

Learn all about the Band Boosters and how you can become a part! Here are the LMS Band Booster Tenets:
make a difference

  1. To promote and maintain community interest in the LMS Band program.
  2. To provide all possible support both moral and financial to the LMS Band program, to assure no child is denied the ability to participate due to financial hardship.
  3. To develop and implement revenue-making projects to supplement the financial well being of the LMS Band program.
  4. The LMS Band Booster Club commits itself to cooperate with school officials for both building and maintaining a band program based on excellence. To promote general activities pertaining to the band in accordance with UIL Guidelines as well as District Policy for Booster Clubs, taking precaution not to interfere with the curriculum and direction of LMS Band Directors.

Help Your Child Become Successful

  • Show an interest in your student’s study of music.
  • Find a regular time and a quiet place for your student to practice.
  • Keep your student’s instrument in proper working order. See that they have good reeds, valve oil, or other instrument supplies as needed. It is suggested that all personal instruments have some form of insurance coverage. Personal instruments are not insured by LISD. Record serial numbers for home records and identification. Independent insurance information is available from your student’s director.
  • Help your student keep an accurate practice record each week.
  • Help your student understand the importance of being prepared and on time for class.
  • Give the gift of private lessons to your student.
  • Keep a schedule of band activities in a prominent place to help avoid conflicts.
  • Ask your student to play for you. With regular practice, you should see a difference.
  • See that your student takes his/her instrument and music to school and home again.
  • Volunteer time for your student’s band program. Parental involvement is a key to student success.
  • See that your student keeps up with all their studies and makes up work missed while absent.
  • Attend your student’s performances.

Competition and Other Events

In addition to the Winter and Spring concerts performed by the Lamar Bands, there are other opportunities to showcase there talent and skill. Here is a brief listing of those events.

LISD All-District Bands

All fifteen Middle Schools in the Lewisville ISD audition to be selected as members of either the All-District Concert or Symphonic Bands. The audition consists of scales, two prepared pieces and sight-reading. Some of the instruments have so many students that there is a pre-audition before final section ranking. The first phase is Pass/Fail. Students passing move on to the second phase and will be ranked.  Students are judged by a panel of three to five judges who sit behind a partition to listen to each student perform their music.  This process protects student anonymity and the integrity of the audition process.  The top students are selected from these auditions and receive the honor of participating in the All-District Band Clinic and Concert.

Band students generally audition in October. The clinic and concert are held in December.

UIL Region 24-West All-Region Bands

The All-Region process is very similar to the All-District audition process except that the audition pool is expanded to include other school districts. The music from All-District auditions is also used for All-Region auditions. The top students are selected from these auditions and receive the honor of participating in the All-Region Band Clinic and Concert.

Students will be required to play all scales and audition music for the band directors prior to the audition date. This is a major part of the grade of all Symphonic and Concert Band members during the fall semester.

Selection to the All-Region band is one of the highest honors a middle school student can achieve. At Lamar, our philosophy emphasizes the improvement each student experiences as a result of participating in the All-Region Band process.

The following school districts complete to be part of the All-Region bands:
Southlake/Carroll, Grapevine/Colleyville and Lewisville ISD.

Solo & Ensemble Competition

All Lamar Band students participate in at least one Solo and Ensemble Contest per year.  All students are required to perform a solo with piano accompaniment, however the majority of percussion solos do not require accompaniment.

The band staff will help students arrange for a piano accompanist, or you may make your own arrangements. The band provided accompanists charge a small fee for their services. If you make your own arrangements, please be sure the directors are told so they can schedule your accompanist.

The soloist is judged on a scale of I (Superior), II (Excellent), III (Good), IV (Fair), V (Poor). Students that receive high marks are awarded a medal. The contest judges complete a critique and offer suggestions for improvement. This is not a competitive event – the only competition is with yourself to do your best!

Click here for preparation and performance tips.

UIL Concert & Site Reading Contest

A contest is a competitive performance. The Symphonic and Concert Band participate in several events during the spring semester. These events are: Two Pre-UIL Concert and Sight-reading contests, UIL Concert and Sight-reading Contest and a Festival in the weeks following the UIL event. The Beginning Band also attends a Festival in the month of April or May.

 

Band Camp

One of the many great opportunities during the summer is band camp. There are several offered throughout the state at college campuses. One of the most highly recognized camps takes place at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. During this two-week camp, students are given intensive instruction on their instruments, take part in a performing band, and enjoy a large number of recreational activities.

Click here for more information about this summer camp.