News
A Letter from the Director
Greetings,
Thank you so much for your interest in the Mission Oak Hawks Marching Band and Color Guard! My name is Calvin Carr, and as you probably already know, I am the new music director here at Mission Oak High School, and it is my pleasure to welcome you and your family to the music program. There are many things happening this year and I’m excited that you’ll be part of the fun!
We have two pre-school events this year. The first events are clinics for percussion and Colorguard members (both new and returning). Percussion clinics will be on Monday, July 25th, Thursday, July 28th, and Friday, July 29th. Each day will be from 6 pm - 9 pm. Colorguard Clinics will be on Monday, July 25th from 10 am - 2 pm. The second event of the year is band camp, and it’s right around the corner! Band camp will be four days long, and it’s Wednesday, August 3rd, through Saturday, August 6th. We will rehearse from 8 am-5 pm every day with a break from 12 pm-1 pm. We will be going over a ton of marching techniques and music, and this is when we set the tone and foundation for the rest of the season, so please be on time every day, ready to work hard, and have fun! If there are any days you will need to miss, please let me know as soon as possible. My cell phone number, email address, and band room phone number are listed at the bottom of this page.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at any time. We will be adding more information to the MOHS Website about band camp as well as the rest of the year, so please check there first if you have any questions. I look forward to seeing you on August 3rd at 8 am!
With appreciation,
Calvin Carr
Director of Instrumental Music
Mission Oak High School
Cell: (925)405-5689
Email Address: Calvin.Carr@tulare.k12.ca.us
Direct Line to Band Office: (559) 687-7413
***Students and Parents: Please read the collapsible tabs below.
0. What to bring to Band Camp
What to Bring to Band Camp
-Water (LOTS!! The bigger the bottle/jug you can bring, the better)
-Hat
-Sunglasses
-Sunblock (Please don’t ignore this, there isn’t any shade on a football field!)
-Insect Repellent (Very Important! As there are bugs on the field that can bite! )
-Shorts (no pants please, it’s way too hot and too difficult to march!)
-Short-Sleeve Shirt
-Tennis/Athletic Shoes Only (No Flip-Flops!)
-Pencil
-Instrument
-Forms (provided on day 1)
-Great Attitude and a Willingness to Learn!!
**All items must meet the school dress code policy.
- Instrument Pickup Date and Time, August 3rd
Instrument Pickup Information
*Please come to the band room on Wednesday, August 3rd, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm to pick up your instrument.*
If you are unable to pick up your instrument on Wednesday, please email me through the Contact Us quick links at the bottom of each page (or click here) and I will schedule a different date/time for you that works with our district guidelines
If you own your own instrument, please do not take a second one because we will run out. Also, if you plan on dropping my class, please do not pick one up because you will have to come right back and return it.
Due to our shortened Band Camp this year, Instrument pickup will be done during the first day morning block by section and seniority. Our goal is to get instruments in your hands and you back into rehearsal as quickly and efficiently as possible.
See you Wednesday!! :)
2. Mandatory Forms for 2022-2023 Music Department
Once you get your instrument and materials from me, parents and students will want to fill out and electronically sign the following four google forms as soon as possible. These will be accessible in links below if you click on the title of the form, and in the Forms tabs as well. Listed below is a general description of each form and its purpose.
Image Release Consent: This is the same form we used in previous years to allow us to record student performances, create an end-of-the-year slide show, and post images and videos within our band and booster run sites and applications.
Behavior Contract: Simple form with electronic signatures agreeing to my rules about behavior within the music program, both digitally and in a full return to the classroom so it covers the entire year, wherever that may go.
Instrument Loan Agreement: When students receive their instruments, I will document everything being check out into our Charms program. However, I would like students to document their school loaned instrument in more detail so we can ensure the serial and model numbers are correct, the documented condition is accurate, and an agreement through electronic signatures that holds families accountable for loss or damage of district property while in their possession..
3. Overview of Programs to Assist with this year
Student Perspective
Although students should become familiar with every tab and resource on this website going into the 2022-2023 school year, there are only three tabs I want you to fully understand and access frequently while we are distance learning: Zoom, Google Classroom, and Charms. Detailed information can be found in each of these tabs, but please read the general purpose below.
-Smart Music Contains all playing tests and Music can be uploaded on here and played back via midi to be used as a practice tool at home. Everything you need to know about Smart Music and how to access our meetings for classes can be found in this section.
-Google Classroom: Contains codes for each of my google classrooms where you will find and submit all digital assignments. Announcements will also be posted in your google classroom regularly as they pertain to each class and will be found easily at the top of the "classwork" section in Google Classroom, so make sure you log into google classroom frequently for assignment information and announcements.
-Charms: Contains sheet music, inventory, band account information, and much more will be added as we transition back onto campus and into a regular schedule. This will primarily be used for accessing your music during the 2020-2021 school year because it is password protected.
Please note that students will need to access Aeries to see their grades for all of their classes. I have also added a quicklink to this site at the bottom so this can truly be a location containing everything students need to be successful in our music program this year.
**I highly recommend adding this website to your bookmark bar so you can access it quickly and easily. To learn how to do this, watch the first three minutes of this tutorial video on YouTube by clicking HERE.
Parent Perspective
You are welcome to join our google classrooms through the tabs on this website so you help your student stay on top of assignments if you wish. If it does not add you when you enter the code, please contact me and I will be happy to manually input you into the class. I will make an effort to update grades every Friday in Aeries as well, which you can log into your account by clicking on the Aeries quicklink down below. Aside from grades, please check out the News, Booster Board, Fundraising, and Calendar tabs to stay up-to-date with what's going on in our programs and learn how you can get involved! Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions using the contact quicklink and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
4. Resources
Located in the Resources tab will be links to helpful videos, metronomes, tuners, and more. Please take advantage of these applications and let me know if anything should be added that has helped you while distance learning and I'll be happy to add it to the list!
Orchestra students will definitely want to look at the video on using fine tuners so you know how to get your instrument in tune. This can be tricky, especially for freshmen who have never tuned themselves before, so please check this out and we will go over this during zoom class meetings as well.
5. Current Band Camp Schedule (last updated: 7/25/22)
Band Camp Schedule
Last Updated 7/25/2022
Clinic Week (EVERYONE HYDRATE!! It will be hot!!)
Monday, July 25th: Colorguard Clinic for new and returning members 10 am - 2 pm
Monday, July 25th: Percussion Clinic for new and returning members 6 pm - 9 pm
Thursday, July 28 Percussion Clinic for new and returning members 6 pm - 9 pm
Friday, July 29: Percussion Clinic and preliminary placement auditions 6 pm - 9 pm
Monday, August 1: Colorguard Clinic for new and returning members 5:30 pm - 9 pm
Tuesday, August 2: Colorguard Clinic and preliminary auditions 5:30 - 9 pm
Band Camp (ALL marching band members expected to attend)
Wednesday, August 3: 8:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-5:00pm (marching 8am-12pm)
Thursday, August 4: 8:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-5:00pm (marching 8am-12pm)
Friday, August 5: 8:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-5:00pm (marching 8am-12pm)
Saturday, August 6: 8:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-5:00pm (marching 8am-12pm)
***Saturday, August 6: Mandatory parent meeting at 3:00 pm, student performance at 4:00 pm***
Post Band Camp (Stay home and submit your BEST recordings of all music)
**Google Classrooms should be set up by end of Band Camp**
Monday, August 8: Stay home, submit music if it’s ready, and practice the ones that need work. (wind players only)
Tuesday, August 9: Stay home, practice, and submit the best recordings of all music by midnight. (wind players only)
*Breaks for lunch will be 12:00 pm-1:00 pm every day. As of right now, students will need to bring their own meals, but I am hoping food can be provided by the school if employees are back on campus. Please plan on bringing your own meals and plenty of water.
*8:00 am - 12:00 pm blocks will be marching basics for all wind players, so make sure you have tennis shoes and water, and I highly encourage things like sunblock, hats, sunglasses, and whatever else you may need. We will be marching on the football field.
*Mandatory parent meeting on August 6 at 3:00 pm is required so all families have the necessary information to prepare for the upcoming season. All mandatory forms to participate in marching band require parent signatures, so this is a great opportunity to discuss/sign/submit all required forms together and discuss other aspects of the season like fundraisers, football games, competitions, and more. The afternoon will conclude with a short performance of the exercises and music we have been preparing all week.
6. FAQ (last updated: 8/3/20)
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me by clicking here, or find my email address in the Contact tab. If I receive questions that I feel will be beneficial to others in the group, I will post them to the FAQ quicklinks at the bottom of each page so others may be able to find answers to their questions in this section.
- How many trumpet players does it take to log into a zoom meeting?
- Seven. One trumpet player to do all the work, and the other six to judge them and spread rumors about how much better they could have logged in.
- Zero. They can't figure it out.
- Trumpet players are amazing and accomplish everything on their own! :)
All joking aside, questions and answers will look something like what you see above. Often times there are multiple answers to questions so I made multiple responses to this joke I altered... Sorry trumpets! :)
7. In other News... (last updated: 8/2/22)
Band Camp Dress Up Days!
Your staff has come up with some themed dress up days for this year's band camp. While participating is completely optional, we decided to make it a little bit more fun with a friendly competition. Each day, we are going to be taking a tally of participation by section (flutes, clarinets, saxophones, etc.) Percussion will be split into battery and front ensemble for sections. We will keep a percentage of total participation. The section with the highest participation at the end of camp will all win prizes! The different themes for each day are listed below!
Band Camp Dress Up Days.pdfStay in the Loop!
Follow us on:
Facebook: Mission Oak Band Boosters
Instagram:mohs_band (https://www.instagram.com/mobb_hawks/?hl=en)
Band App: band.us/@mohs
Face Mask Fundraiser: Click on the mask below!
Mission Oak Monday.pdf