By: Jen 10/14/04

Immaculate Heart of Mary has a great band program. The attendance is usually minimal, but the students who are in it, enjoy it. Band is a great opportunity to learn to play an instrument, or to just have fun at an extra-curricular activity.

At I.H.M. there is a beginner band and an advanced band, they meet every Monday. The beginner band is from 9:00-9:30 and the advanced band is from 9:30-10:00. The beginner band is for only fifth graders and the advanced band is for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. When you join the band, you have the choice of playing one of six different instruments. They are clarinet, saxophone, trombone, flute, trumpet, and percussion.

Most students that are in Immaculate Heart of Mary’s band chose to participate in their high school’s stage band or marching band. They enjoy making music so much that they want to continue playing. One of the students in the advanced band said, “It may not have many students in it, but it is still an enjoyable extra-curricular activity to do with my fellow sixth and seventh grade band members. It has taught me a lot about instruments. It is very hard to play any kind of instrument, whether woodwind, brass, or percussion. You should give a lot of credit to all of the instrument players in bands, including all professional instrument players, too.” A former band member said, “I thought band was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed it a lot. It was really cool getting to learn something new and leave our classes to go from school to school to do something we enjoy. It was a really great experience getting to play all the different marches and songs that you learn when you are in a band.”

Mr. Brian Campbell is the band director at Immaculate Heart of Mary. He is also the director of the marching band at Saint Vincent-Saint Mary High School and he also teaches children at: Saint Hillary, Saint Matthew, Saint Vincent, and Saint Frances De Sales. Twice each year, all the elementary schools, including I.H.M., go to St. Vincent-St. Mary for a concert. There is a winter concert and a spring concert. At the end of the school year, everyone in the band (including Saint Vincent-Saint Mary’s band) goes to all the elementary schools and performs a concert for them. It is a treat for all the students in the elementary schools when the bands play for them. Last year, the advanced band performed the “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl” theme song for all the elementary schools. Every time it was announced, all the kids became very excited.

Mr. Campbell plays the trumpet, like many of the kids he teaches. He brings it to many classes and sometimes he will play along to help them learn their musical parts even better. He is a very good teacher, and can help to make a hard task, such as band, easier.

I hope this article encourages you or your children to join band.

This is the advanced band practicing their music.

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