Welcome and thank you for enrolling your student in Rockband at Rose Bay Secondary College. It has been a busy couple of weeks collecting and amalgamating all the data I need to have to get the kids in groups and up and running, I thank you for your patience. We held formal rehearsals for new bands last week with great attendance while most returning groups have been up and running for 2 weeks now. Hopefully this week I can see everybody and we’ll be able to keep things going until easter without too much trouble.
Please download from the following link the rehearsal schedule for the remainder of this term as well as the groups students have been placed in in case you wanted to know.
https://rbscmep.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/rockband-term-1-rehearsal-shedule.pdf
https://rbscmep.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/rockband-groups-2014.pdf
While I have collected paper forms from most of you which helped me get things started there is one thing I need everyone to do and that is to click through to the following google form and complete the information that was on the sheet digitally. Someone showed me this only recently otherwise I would have had everyone do it from the beginning It takes about 5 mins max and saves our MEP administrator valuable hours not having to manually enter everything into a spreadsheet (the spreadsheet will be created automatically from your answers). The link is below
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1LOVZFclYyBtGLSD2kjg6ix-I0OWv-6O8omlbQuhbh2s/viewform
FAQ
REHEARSALS
For those who don’t know rehearsals take place in the MEP space underneath the hall. Students scheduled in period 1 must attend roll call and may leave once their names are marked off, this will save the absentee warning text being sent to you when you know your student is at school. For all other periods students can come straight to me instead of their class.
INSTRUMENTS
Guitars, Basses and Drum Sticks are not owned by or supplied the MEP. These items need to be brought to school by students all other instruments, leads, and amps are supplied and can be used for no additional fee by the students. At this stage we do not have a loan or rental program for guitars or basses.
CHANGING REHEARSALS
If there is a need to change a rehearsal time due to a test, excursion or partial absence please contact this email address (rbscrockband@gmail.com) at the earliest convenience. Unfortunately rehearsals can only take place on thursdays due to room availability but there is time at the end of the day for an additional hour if no alternative arrangement can be made (3:30 – 4:30). Conversely, I will notify you all and the students if for some reason I can’t make it to the school as well.
PERFORMANCES/UNIFORM
As a member of the MEP it is expected that students obtain a MEP Uniform. MEP uniform is compulsory for all in school performances and on an as required/instructed basis for performances off site. Our major performances are mid year and end of year MEP concerts as well as our Rose Bay Rocks gala night which we are hoping to have twice this year. Students are occasionally asked and also welcome to put themselves forward for assemblies and school functions.
FEES
MEP fees apply for all Rockband students. This helps us fund the program including paying tutors, any purchases of equipment we need or fees associated with competition entries or workshops we put on. They can be paid now through our website. https://rbscmep.wordpress.com/
COMMUNICATION
rbscrockband@gmail.com is the main point of contact for Rockband. MEP contact details can be found on the website above and you can also get to us through the school. There is a Facebook group as well which if your student does have an account I would like them to join. Its another way I can get information to them quickly but also share articles, music, and other things i think are useful. Officially students and teachers cannot be ‘friends’ on Facebook but they do not need to be my facebook friend to become a group member. They just need to click the link and ask to join.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rbscrockband
There is also a Soundcloud page where we share the recordings we’ve made. It is still under construction so wait for an update.
That’s about everything I can think of. If you’ve got any questions shoot them back to me here and if theres anything that keeps popping up in the next week I’ll be in touch with everyone as soon as I can. Otherwise thank you again for supporting the program and I look forward to working with your students.
Kind Regards,
Ben Bryant – Rockband Director
RBSC Music Ensemble Program 