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Inside this issue:
Band Clinic & Re-
cruiting Concerts
1
Music Advocacy 2
A Message from the
Director
2
8th Grade Band-
Trip Information
3
Calendar 3
BMS Band - Year in
Review
4
On Wednesday, May 9, the Bluffs Middle School Bands will be working with
Dr. Michael Stephens (Chadron State College).
Michael Stephens was a middle school band director for six
years prior to attending Kent State University for his Masters
studies. After completing his doctoral work at the University of
Pittsburgh, Stephens joined the faculty at Chadron State Col-
lege in 2007. His compositions have been performed by the Pitts-
burgh Symphony Orchestra, the Ion Sound Project, David Rus-
sell, Diba Alvi, and his own jazz fusion group, Osmosis. Ste-
phens performed with numerous jazz, rock, and popular music
groups in Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, and Osmosis opened for Spyro
Gyra, Chuck Mangione, and Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Stephens also performed back-
ing jazz greats Clark Terry, Bill Dobbins, and Marian McPartland.
The students will have clinics with Dr. Stephens following the schedule below:
8th Grade Band - 8:34-9:19 a.m.
7th Grade Band – 10:12-10:57 a.m.
6th Grade Band – 2:17-3:02 p.m.
Band
News
Wednesday, May 9
“Band Clinic” Day
Dr. Michael Stephens
Special points of inter-est:
8th Grade Band Results
and Pictures from the
‘Elitch Gardens Concert
Band Festival’ will be
posted on the BMS Band
Web Site following the
competition on Saturday,
May 12th.
www.sbps.net/bmsbands
Bl u f fs Mi d d l e S c hoo l
May 2018
Volume 5
“Be Part of the Band” Recruiting Concerts
The 8th Grade Concert Band will soon present its annual “Be Part of the Band” Con-
cert for the Scottsbluff Public Schools’ 4th & 5th Graders.
The Band will play full band arrangements as well as songs that will demonstrate
the different instruments that students may choose to play when they join the Be-
ginning Band program in the fall. The section feature songs include: “Flute Fancy”,
“Clarinet Boogie”, “Saxophones on the Run”, “Slide Advantage”, “Bugler’s Holiday”,
and “Madcap Mallet Mania”.
The concerts will be held on Tuesday, May 1st from 9:00 - 9:30 a.m. and on Wednes-
day, May 2nd from 8:45-9:15 a.m. in the BMS Cafetorium.
Parents are also invited to attend.
child towards musically oriented activi-
ties. Please encourage them to find
some avenue of musical expression and
not let their artistic language become
dormant. It is the most important gift
you can give your child.
For the returning students, we have
exciting plans for the coming year and
we anticipate continued positive growth
in our music program.
THANK YOU again for being a strong
advocate of music in our schools!
Have a great summer!
We are completing a wonderful year of
music making at Bluffs Middle School.
Everyone associated with our music
program deserves a standing ovation,
especially our parents. Because of you,
music is an important and respected
academic subject in our school and a
vital art form in our community.
THANK YOU!
Yes, scheduled classes are coming to an
end, but summer vacation offers many
music opportunities for the students.
May we suggest:
Enjoyable, stress-free practice time
Attendance at live concerts to ex-
perience new and interesting musi-
cal styles
Solo or ensemble performances at
church, civic groups, or family
gatherings
Growth in musical taste and un-
derstanding by listening to a varie-
ty of music
You, as a parent, can serve as a surro-
gate music educator by guiding your
“A study of rural and urban inner-city schools found that
arts programs helped schools in economically disadvan-
taged communities develop students’ critical-thinking
and problem-solving skills.”
STEVENSON, L., DEASY, R. THIRD SPACE: WHEN
LEARNING MATTERS, AEP, 2005
“With music in schools, students connect to each other better—greater camaraderie, fewer fights, less rac-
ism and reduced use of hurtful sarcasm.”
JENSEN, E., ARTS WITH THE BRAIN IN MIND, ASSOCIATION FOR SUPERVISION AND CURRICU-
LUM DEVELOPMENT, 2001
“The vast majority—96 percent—of the school principals interviewed in a recent study agree that participa-
tion in music education encourages and motivates students to stay in school. Further, 89 percent of princi-
pals feel that a high-quality music education program contributes to their school achieving higher gradua-
tion rates.”
HARRIS INTERACTIVE POLL, 2006
“This Is What We Do” The Value of Music Education
A Message from the Director …
Thank You and Keep Making Music
Band News Page 2
SCHOOL MUSIC fosters well-
being.
The students/sponsors will need to
wear blue jeans (no tears or holes,
please), the trip T-shirt, and tennis
shoes (no flip-flops, please) as the
uniform for our performance and
while we are in the park. (They will
receive the T-shirts sometime during
the week of May 7) The students/
sponsors will also need money for
meals that day. Lunch and supper
will be in the park.
IMPORTANT: If there are any stu-
dents who do not plan on riding home
on school transportation, you will need
to fill out a blue travel release form
and have it approved by the office be-
fore we leave.
As usual, if you have any questions
or concerns, feel free to contact me
by phone at 635-6287 or by e-mail at
Here’s the latest information about the
8th Grade Band
Trip to Elitch
Gardens on Sat-
urday, May 12,
2018.
Our fundraising
projects have been
very successful
and we will be able
to pay the full
amount needed for
the festival/park
and for the trip T-
shirts. The shirts
will be worn both for our performance
and while we are in the park. (For easi-
er group identification) Students will
need to pay for meals and souvenirs
throughout the day.
The schedule of events for the day
has tentatively been set as follows:
(All times are estimates and are
subject to change)
5:45 a.m.-Load the Bus
6:00 a.m.-Leave for Arvada, CO
9:45 a.m.-Arrive in Arvada, CO and
unload bus
10:05 a.m.-Warm-up for performance
10:30 a.m.-Performance will be held
at Ralston Valley High School in
Arvada, CO
11:15 a.m.-Finished with perfor-
mance/load bus
11:20 a.m.-Leave for Elitch Gardens
11:45 p.m.-Arrive at Elitch Gardens
(We will take a group picture
upon arrival)
12:00 p.m.-5:15 p.m.-Students/
Sponsors are free to enjoy the park
until the awards ceremony
(Students-Please stay in groups of
4 or 5 while in the park and check
in with your sponsor every two
hours or so throughout the after-
noon.)
5:15 p.m.-All meet with Mr. Koch at the
Carousel
5:30 p.m.-Awards Presentation
6:00 p.m.-Load the bus
6:15 p.m.-Leave for Scottsbluff, NE
9:45 p.m.-Arrive in Scottsbluff, NE
Friday, May 11 BMS “Jazz, Etc.” Concert BMS Cafetorium 6:30 p.m.
(7th & 8th Grade Jazz Band/Small Ensembles)
Saturday, May 12 “Music In The Parks” Festival Elitch Gardens All Day
(8th Grade Band ONLY)
Thursday, May 17 BMS Spring Band Concert SHS Auditorium 6:30 p.m.
(5th, 6th, 7th, & 8th Grade Bands)
8th Grade Band Trip Information
BMS Band-Spring Calendar
Page 3 Volume 5
EFFORT = SUCCESS
Michael A. Koch
Director of BMS Bands
Bluffs Middle School
27 East 23rd Street
Scottsbluff, NE 69361
Phone: 308-635-6287
Fax: 308-635-6271
Email: [email protected]
6th Grade Concert Band
SUPERIOR Rating @ Contest
7th Grade Concert Band
SUPERIOR Rating @ Contest
8th Grade Concert Band
SUPERIOR Rating @ Contest
Mr. Koch—30 Year Certifi-
cate from NMEA for dedi-
cated service to music edu-
cation in Nebraska
7/8 Grade Marching Band
SUPERIOR Rating at Old
West Weekend Parade
7/8 Grade Jazz Band
Holiday Concert @ Monument Mall
2017-2018
In Review
NSBA 8th Grade All-State
Jazz Band
Kearney High School
John Mentgen
NSBA 8th Grade All-State Band
Kearney High School
Ethan Gion (alternate), Nathan
Hoevet, & Ayden Reed
BMS Bands perform for
Bearcub Pre-School
students
7/8 Jazz Band
Performs @ Scottsbluff
Country Club
7/8 Jazz Band with WNCC
‘Fire in the Pan’ Swingers
Celebrating MIOSM 2018
BRAVO!
