Resources & Links for Parents & Students

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Instrument Fingering Charts

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Help with Reading Notes

Help with Reading Treble Clef Notes: Help with Reading Bass Clef Notes: ​Note Reading Quiz Games: ​​​Note Name Game Apps:
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Practicing Tips & Techniques

Developing Successful Practicing Habits & Techniques:
8 Ways Parents/Guardians Can Help Their Child
​with Practicing Their Instrument
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​ ​Web-based Practice Tools & Other Great Music Apps for iOS / Android​

Web-Based Metronome & Tuner Practice Tools:

Tuner & Metronome Apps:
Fun Apps & Websites:
  • Incredibox: 
    • ​Incredibox.com - This app originated as a website.  Check it out because the website version is free!
    • Prepare to spend the next 20 minutes of your life with this very fun app where you can arrange real fun and cool sounding beats and grooves that you can then record and email to others.  If you have some work that needs to get done, you might want to wait to open this link.  :)
    • Version 2 (Little Miss) is the RMS Band favorite!
    • Note:  The web based version may require a Flash enabled web browser, so open this link on a desktop computer.​

    • Incredibox iOS & Android Apps now available!
  • ​​The Micro Marching League: 
    • ​MicroMarching.com/ - The Micro Marching League is place where people can create their own marching band shows and browse the shows that others have created!

  • ​​Simon - Pitch Memory Sequence Game:
    • Simon - An online version of the classic sequence memory game!  How long of a streak can you get?
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Apps for Band at Randolph Middle School:​
  • ​​Flipgrid:
    • ​Many Randolph teachers including Randolph Band Staff utilize the App / Website Flipgrid for practicing homework assignments.
      ​
    • ​Flipgrid Assignments are typically posted on Microsoft Teams by your teacher.  By clicking the links in Teams, you'll be able to automatically login to Flipgrid with your school Microsoft account to navigate to your assignment.
      • Important note:  It's best to navigate to Flipgrid assignments through the links and assignments posted in Teams; otherwise, you'll need to know the Flipgrid code to navigate to the correct assignments.
        ​
    • You'll need access to a device or a computer with a camera and microphone to use Flipgrid:
    • Flipgrid on the Web (if using a computer):
      • ​You don't need a Smartphone or Tablet to use a Flipgrid.   Instead, you can use a desktop / laptop computer (if it has a camera and microphone), because a full version of Flipgrid can be accessed on the internet by navigating to flipgrid.com
      • Note:  We have found that Google Chrome works best with the Flipgrid website if using a computer, though other web browsers can also work.
Game Apps to Help with Note Names:
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Music Learning Resources

Music Theory Lessons:  MusicTheory.net 
  • What is Music Theory?  Music Theory is "...the study of the structure of music. This study includes an analysis of the basic elements of music encompassing melody, harmony, rhythm, form, texture and the function of each of these elements."  (source)
  • The website MusicTheory.net is a free website that offers free music theory lessons from the very basic elements to the most advanced of music theory concepts.​

Free Online Music Dictionary:  Dictionary.OnMusic.org
  • A free online music dictionary where you can look up what those words in your music actually mean.  Until then, just assume that any word in your music that you don't understand means "Watch the conductor" 😜​​

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Music Learning Resources for Particular Instruments:​
 
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  • ​Dr. Selfridge Trumpet Lessons & Help Videos:
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Music Notation Software
​& Blank Staff Paper

Staff Paper:
  • Blank Staff Paper:  BlankSheetMusic.net
    • Use the above link to print out your own blank staff paper so that you can write out music by hand.
    • They have many options to customize the staff paper:  You can select completely a blank staff, treble clef, bass clef, piano (grand staff), guitar tabs, alto clef, percussion clef, and much more! 
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Music Notation Software:
  • Online Music Notation Software
    • NoteFlight.com
      • Noteflight is an online music writing application that lets you create, view, print, and hear professional quality music notation right in your web browser.  Write music on your computer, tablet, or smartphone, share with other users, or embed in your own pages.  
      • There is a free account version, and a subscription version.  See the features of each type of account here.​​​​

    • Flat.io
      • With Flat.io, you can "....easily create, edit, listen, print, share and collaborate on music notation in your web browser without having to download or install anything. We focus on collaboration, innovation, usability, and quality.
      • If you are a composer or an arranger, beginner or professional, you can use Flat anywhere to write your music directly using your web browser on your laptop, tablet, and smartphone. "
      • There is a free account version, and a subscription or one-time purchase version.  See the features of each type of account here.​​​​

  • Professional Level Music Notation Software
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Music Recording & Production

Digital Audio Workstations (DAW):
"A digital audio workstation is an electronic device or application software used for recording, editing and producing audio files." (source)
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Multi-Track Music Video Production (Play a Duet... with Yourself!):
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Multi-Track Music Audio Production (Play a Duet... with Yourself!):



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Other Digital Music Production Tools:
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How Band Instruments Are Made

How Woodwind Instruments & Reeds Are Made: How Brass Instruments & Brass Mouthpieces Are Made: How Percussion Instruments & Drumsticks Are Made:
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How to Care for Your Band Instrument

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Free Music & Tutorials / Play-Along Videos

Note from Mr. Davidson:  Many of the duets found in this section would be perfect to use to record multi-track music video or multi-track audio!  (In other words, you could play a duet with.... yourself!)  Check out the Music Production section of this web page for tools you can use to do that! ​

Free Sheet Music: ​
Tutorials & Play-Alongs​:
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Summer Music Camps for Band

Please Note:  This summer camp information has now been updated for the summer of 2020!

​Concert Band Summer Music Camps:
Mt. Tabor Music Camp - Parsippany, NJ:
  • July 1st – July 29th, 2020
  • ​Mondays through Fridays from 8:00am - 12:00pm
  • Mt. Tabor Music Camp Description:
    • Mt. Tabor is a 4 week summer band camp offering daily lessons and ensembles on all brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments.  Mt. Tabor has programs for:
      • ​Concert Band
      • Jazz
      • Guitar
      • Music Theory
  • ​Mt. Tabor Music Camp Tuition:
    • Early Registration discount (February 10th - April 30th, 2020):
      • $245 for the first child
      • $220 for 2nd or more siblings
    • Regular Pricing (After April 30):
      • $285 for the first child
      • $260 for 2nd or more siblings
    • 2nd Instrument:  $100
    • Jazz Ensemble:  $70
    • Jazz Improvisation & Fundamentals:  $40
    • Music Theory & Composition:  $40​

      ​
Lebanon Valley College Summer Music Camp - Annville, PA (close to Hershey Park):
  • Spend a week at the college that Mr. Davidson attended!
  • July 5th-10th, 2020 (sleep away camp)
  • Click here for additional information and registration!

  • Camp Description:
    • ​​Middle School Students:
      • Students entering grades 6-8 are invited to attend Lebanon Valley College's Junior High Music Camp.  The cost for junior high residents is $575.  (Students stay in a dorm during the camp.)
    • ​High School Students:
      • ​Students entering grades 9-12 are invited to attend Lebanon Valley College's Senior High Music Camp.  The cost for senior high residents is $675.  (Students stay in a dorm during the camp.)

    • You are invited to experience a week of learning, connecting, and performing with members of Lebanon Valley College's music faculty. Campers will participate in a primary concentration, secondary concentration, master classes, chamber ensemble experiences, and more.  Participants will have the opportunity to work with acclaimed concert artists, composers, and conductors. Evening activities will include a picnic, swimming, and other fun activities.

    • Spend a week learning with our professional music faculty. Share your love and passion for music with other campers. You can plan your own camp experience by selecting a primary and secondary concentration, and other classes. Performance areas include percussion, woodwind, brass, strings, and voice. It is all about making good music and lasting friendships. That’s why so many of our campers return year after year. Your week at LVC will give you a sense of what a career in music might hold. This is your chance to explore the world of music and develop your unique talents.

Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp (Michigan)
  • Mr. Russel Branch &  Mrs. Jen Branch, Randolph residents and local music teachers, have both taught at this summer camp in the past and highly recommend it.  Mr. Davidson can put you in contact with them if you are interested in learning more about this fantastic camp!


Jazz Focused Summer Camps:
Jazz House Kids Summer Workshop - Montclair, NJ (@ Montclair State University)
  • August 3rd, 2020 - August 15th, 2020
  • Open to students ages 12-18. 
  • Commuting and housing options are both offered.
    ​
  • Camp Description:
    • For two weeks each August, the Jazz House Summer Workshop immerses students in the art of jazz performance and helps them become well-rounded musicians through workshops, ensemble performances and jam sessions with professional musicians.

    • Students of all levels receive mentoring and top-notch instruction to develop key skills and enhance knowledge in fundamentals of music and the art of performance, for both instrumental musicians and vocalists. Highlights include master classes, small groups and big band ensembles, history and culture, composition and film scoring. Students perform at the renowned Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola at Lincoln Center, top NJ jazz clubs and the Montclair Jazz Festival, which attracts an audience of 6,000 jazz fans.
      ​
    • The camp provides a safe environment where young musicians are mentored by an array of acclaimed faculty and visiting guest artists. Together, emerging musicians create musical bonds and memories that will last a lifetime.


Rutgers Summer Jazz Institute - New Brunswick, NJ (@ Rutgers University)
  • July 12th – July 17th, 2020
  • Open to students ages 11–18.
    • High School Students:  A housing option is available for high school students.
    • Middle School Students:  May only participate as commuters.

  • Camp Description:
    • This dynamic week-long workshop features music of the great jazz masters taught by the world-class faculty of the Jazz Department at the Mason Gross School of the Arts.

    • The Rutgers Summer Jazz Institute is ideal for young instrumentalists, ages 11–18, interested in improving their jazz improvisation, small group, and large ensemble skills. Students will work intensively in daily rehearsals with the internationally renowned, award-winning jazz faculty of Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts.
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    • Students will learn and perform music of great jazz artists, including Thelonius Monk, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Horace Silver, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Count Basie, and many more in a comprehensive workshop environment on the Douglass/Cook Campus of Rutgers University. The one-week-long jazz camp also contains an Honors component for those that qualify.


West Milford Jazz Academy - West Milford, NJ:
  • July 6th – 10th, 2020 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
  • Tuition:  $300
  • Camp Description:
    • First to provide an educational opportunity for 7th-12th Grade students in the northern New Jersey area where there aren’t many options during the summer.
      ​
    • Secondly, to provide an extremely cost conscious program that doesn’t break the bank for parents.  My faculty for the program are big time jazz educators and players, many of which are on jazz faculty at programs such as William Paterson, Montclair State, Manhattan School of Music, Drew University, Caldwell University, etc., and have performed with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Phil Woods, Wynton Marsallis, Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, and many more.

    • In the three hour session, students will perform in a big band setting, have a masterclass on their instrument and get an hour of improvisation.  We have added two levels of improvisation sessions and a combo track for select students.


Marching Band Summer Music Camps
Please Note:  The below camps are for students who will be high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors (10th-12th graders) during the NEXT school year.


Marching Band Brass and Woodwind Camp:
  • Camp Dates & Locations:
    • July 6th - 9th, 2020 @ Kutztown University, PA
              - OR -
    • July 20th - 23rd, 2020 @ West Chester University, PA

  • Camp Description:
    • Everyone involved with your marching band program will benefit from this comprehensive and dynamic workshop. The instructional staff of the West Chester University Marching Band lead brass and woodwind students of all experience levels in sessions that focus on the fundamentals of every successful band.

      Over the course of the workshop band members put together short performance as a vehicle to work on rehearsal, marching and leadership techniques. Students go home with an expanded toolbox of skills and the energy they need to jump-start the marching band season.


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Marching Band Percussion Camp (for Battery & Front Ensemble Percussion):
  • Camp Dates & Locations:
    • July 6th - 9th, 2020 @ Kutztown University, PA
              - OR -
    • July 20th - 23rd, 2020 @ West Chester University, PA

  • Camp Description:
    • The Marching and Pit Percussion Tracks incorporate the techniques necessary to develop a quality percussion program. Students can then apply these fundamentals to all styles and mediums of percussion performance.

      As the workshop progresses, students will be challenged to maintain basic percussion skills while developing reading and musicianship skills.

      Thom Hannum's Mobile Percussion Seminar (West Chester University only) is carefully designed to develop the mental and physical aspects of percussion performance. Emphasis is placed on technique, reading, and musicianship, as well as a positive attitude, leadership skills, and uniform playing style.


Marching Band Color Guard Camp:
  • Camp Dates & Locations:
    • July 6th - 9th, 2020 @ Kutztown University, PA
              - OR -
    • July 20th - 23rd, 2020 @ West Chester University, PA

  • Camp description:
    • The color guard program is organized by Todd Marcocci and his staff of nationally recognized clinicians. The sessions are designed for students of all experience levels, and guaranteed to motivate and improve individual performance skills.

      Students will focus on a primary piece of equipment to improve their skills as well as being given opportunities to work with other color guard elements. The workshop also provides students with lessons in body work, choreography and staging.​


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Marching Band Leadership Training Camp - West Chester University, PA:
  • ​July 18th - 19th, 2020 @ West Chester University, PA

  • Important Note:  Students are not required to have leadership role or title in the marching band to participate!

  • Camp Description:
    • The camp features several incredible clinicians including the renowned Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser

    • Capable student leaders can make the difference between a good ensemble and a great one. They can motivate their peers, instill pride, and inspire outstanding performances. These exciting workshops will teach them how.

      Led by a nationally acclaimed experts, Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser and Dr. John Villella, the Band Leadership Training (BLT) Workshop uses thought and practical exercises to build student's leadership skills that can take your band program to the next level.  All participants are actively involved.

      This is not a lecture based workshop; students are engaged through activities, examples, dynamic exchanges, and       practical applications of the lessons learned over this intense 2 day program. 

      Sessions alternate between working with the students inside to introduce new concepts and perspectives. These are immediately put to practice outside and they utilize excerpts from proven Drum Major Academy curriculum exercises.

    • Students work on developing new thought patterns and tools for:
      • Setting High Standards of Excellence
      • Fundamentals of Self-Discipline
      • Effective Communication Principles
      • Value of Risk
      • Behavior Modification vs. Motivation
      • Dealing with Insecurities
      • Independent Carry Through
      • Sensitivity to Peers
      • Development of a Positive Attitude
      • Understanding of I / Me vs. We / Us
      • Understanding Consequences of Complacency
      • Increased Level of Cooperation
      • Commitment to Self-Improvement

    • ​Vivace offers a Premium Package where this West Chester Leadership Weekend can be paired with the following 4-Day Marching Band Workshop program where student's skills in Guard, Percussion, Instrumental, Twirling or Drum Majoring is further developed.

      If you are looking for the 4-Day Drum Major Academy program that is a session available at our Marching Band Workshops held at West Chester and Kutztown Universities.  Please go here for more information about those sessions.
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Other Useful Music Websites

Beginning Band Bootcamp:  https://bandbootcamp.wixsite.com/bandbootcamp
  • ​The mission of the Beginning Band Bootcamp website is to provide a basic crash course for band instruments:  Learn how to put instruments together appropriately, the proper care & maintenance of instruments, how to read music, and how to create good sounds on your instruments.

Tuba Christmas:  www.tubachristmas.com/readtcloc.php?TCState=NJ
  • The annual TubaChristmas event is held across the country at different times.  It is an exclusive event for Tuba, euphonium, baritone, and other like instruments.  These instrumentalists gather to play holiday music in public venues, most famously on the Rockefeller Center Ice Rink in New York City

  • For the past several years, Randolph Middle School and Randolph High School students have participated in local Tuba Christmas events in Morristown and Ridgewood!  If you're interested in attending a Tuba Christmas event, reach out to Mr. Norell who can help you find more information.

  • Picture of Randolph folks at a 2019 Tuba Christmas event in Morristown!
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Randolph Visual & Performaning Arts Websites and Social Media

​District Visual & Performing Arts Pages:
RMS Visual & Performing Arts Pages: ​
The Bands of Randolph High Scholl Pages: ​
District Pages:
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Do you have any other suggestions of things that should be included on this Resources Page?  Email Mr. Davidson ([email protected]) with your suggestions!

Did you encounter a link that's not working or out of date / incorrect information?  Please contact Mr. Davidson via email ([email protected]) to let him know.  Thanks!