ROCK VALLEY Community school BANDs
ABOUT MS. ANDERSON-KAHL
Ms. Anderson-Kahl is in her eighth year teaching at Rock Valley Community Schools. Having grown up in rural southeastern Minnesota, she loves being a part of a smaller school district where teachers have the opportunity to make strong interpersonal connections with families, and where students are allowed the flexibility to be a part of many different activities.
As of 2018, Ms. Anderson-Kahl completed her Masters Degree in Music Education through the American Band College with Central Washington University. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Luther College in 2012. With flute as her primary instrument and voice as her secondary, she is certified to teach both K-12 Instrumental and K-12 Vocal Music.
At Luther, Anderson-Kahl participated in a wide range of ensembles including Concert Band, Orchestra, Jazz Orchestra, Vocal Jazz, Collegiate Chorale, Tango, and even started a whistling ensemble. She was also a member of the Luther College Women's Basketball Team. Her affiliations include Phi Beta Kappa and Pi Kappa Lambda. She is active member of the Iowa Bandmasters Association and serves as the Elementary Affairs Committee Chair for the Northwest District.
Ms. Anderson-Kahl completed her student teaching in the Twin Cities area. She taught 6-8 Band and Choir at Falcon Ridge Middle School in Apple Valley, Minnesota as well as PreK-5 General Music and Elementary Band at Emerson Spanish Immersion Learning Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Following her placements she served as the Long-Term Substitute for the 5-12 Band Program at Southland Public Schools in Adams, Minnesota. She completed her first year of teaching as 5-8 Band Director at the Eagle Grove CSD.
Other interests for Ms. Anderson-Kahl include fitness, being outside, and watching comedies. She also loves learning about music from other cultures and traveling. She has toured abroad with music ensembles to Brazil, Japan, England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, and Italy.
ABOUT MR. LYON
Mr. Lyon is in his 12th year of teaching with this being his second year in Rock Valley. He is originally from Wayne, NE where he was a part of an amazing band program under the direction of Mr. Brad Weber, a recent inductee to the Nebraska Bandmasters Hall of Fame. Mr. Lyon loves being part of school districts that appreciate the importance of students being involved in many activities as he was a part of band, choir, theater, football, and baseball during his high school years.
Mr. Lyon is a 2010 graduate from Wayne State College where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in K-12 Instrumental Education. His primary instrument is trumpet, but also excels at teaching all brass instruments, clarinets, saxophone, oboe, and percussion. While at Wayne, Mr. Lyon participated in two concert bands, jazz band, marching band, brass ensemble, two concert choirs, madrigal singers, and intramural activities. He also spent two years as the trumpet section leader in concert and marching band and served as choir president for one year and finished out his time in madrigals by representing them as the Madrigal King. His affiliations include Iowa Bandmasters Association, International Trumpet Guild, and the National Association for Music Education.
Mr. Lyon started his teaching career in Ravenna, NE teaching 5-12 grade instrumental music and 7-12 vocal music. After two years, Mr. Lyon took the position as the 5-12 grade instrumental music director in Holdrege, NE where he taught concert, marching, jazz and pep band as well as music theory and music history. In 2015, Mr. Lyon moved closer to family when he took the position of 5-12 grade instrumental music director at Westwood CSD in Sloan, IA working alongside thirty year veteran choral teacher, Mr. Tom Gerking. At Westwood, Mr. Lyon taught concert, pep, jazz, and marching band as well as Rebelaires' Show Choir Band, Recycled Percussion, and co-directed three musicals. In the years he taught at each school, the band program increased enrollment by 50% in Ravenna, 80% in Holdrege, and more than doubled the participation in band at Westwood. He is excited to be sharing his energy and passion for music to Rock Valley and work with Ms. Anderson-Kahl to bring an amazing instrumental music program to our community.
Outside of the band room, Mr. Lyon enjoys working out, being outdoors, hiking, playing sports, participating in theater, playing board games and card games, and cooking amazing food for friends and family. He is a big Star Wars and Avengers fan. He is a fan of baseball, football, and volleyball. He currently lives in Rock Rapids with his wife, Amy, who is the HS Spanish teacher at George-Little Rock CSD.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
5th Grade
In the fall of 5th grade, all students come to the band room in pairs to try the instruments. We take notes on their natural aptitude for each instrument and their top three choices. After compiling information, invitations are given to students to participate in band on their recommended instrument.
Using Essential Elements as their lesson book, students focus on building the foundational skills of playing their instrument, reading music, instrument care, and playing in a group setting.
Rock Valley starts around 90% of 5th graders in band. They meet every Tuesday & Thursday for 45 minutes and perform two official concerts at night and two unofficial concerts during the school day.
6th Grade
These students continue to use their Essential Elements lesson book and focus on reviewing and further developing their foundational skills. These students will become more independent as a musician through a deeper understanding of rhythms, playing music that is written with more parts, and performing a solo with piano accompaniment and/or participating in a small group ensemble.
6th Grade Band meets Monday, Wednesday, and every other Friday for 42 minutes. They perform at three concerts and every student performs at our local solo contest in the spring.
7th-8th Grade
If finished with Essential Elements, these students will continue on to a more advanced lesson book and/or prepare a solo to be played with piano accompaniment. Students at this level are refining the skills they have learned on their instrument, playing more independent music, and developing a greater sense of ensemble skills, such as playing with balance and blend.
7th-8th Grade Band meets Tuesday, Thursday, and every other Friday for 42 minutes. They perform at three concerts and every student performs at our local solo contest in the spring.
High School
All 9th-12th graders are in high school band together. In the fall, the primary focus is reviewing fundamentals and Pep Band music. The group performs at a variety of home athletic events. In October, the group transitions to Concert Band literature.
The band performs four concerts at home, including Graduation, and competes at the State Large Group Contest. All members perform in small groups at Christmas time and at Small Group Contest. Students also have the opportunity to perform at State Small Group Contest and audition for District Honor Band, All-State, and Jazz Band.
Jazz Band
Jazz Band is a select group that meets two-three times per week outside the normal band class. The primary focus is learning to play in a swing style, but the group also explores other styles. The middle school jazz band performs at the District Festival in February. The high school band competes there as well as several other festivals and each performs in at least one of our home band concerts.
Standard jazz band instruments include saxophone, trombone, trumpet, piano, bass guitar, and drumset. Often times students will learn a secondary instrument to participate in Jazz Band. Talk to your lesson teacher if that is something that interests you.
Lessons
Each student receives an individual or small group lesson during the school day once a week. These lessons are extremely important for individual progress, as it is here we are able to teach instrument-specific concepts and provide consistent individual feedback.
Community Pep Band
Community members, alumni, and friends are invited to play pep band at the last home game before Christmas break. If you don't have an instrument, we will find you one!
PHILOSOPHY
It is the intent of the Rock Valley Band Department to have all students develop their learning skills in the following areas:
1. Kinesthetic Learning – This is the physical aspect of learning to play a musical instrument. Kinesthetic involves such things as breathing, blowing air, manipulating valves or fingers, moving sticks or mallets, reading music, tapping your foot, watching the conductor, tone production, and listening.
2. Cognitive Learning – This is the “thinking” part of learning music and how to play an instrument. Cognitive skills that students will utilize include how to read music notes, staffs, clefs, music terminology, retention of note fingerings, and mental recognition of higher order concepts such as intonation, embouchure, and balance/blend.
3. Affective Learning – This is the emotional side of learning. Students will create certain moods and feelings through their playing of a musical instrument. They will also be asked to convey historical events and social ideas through the sounds that they create. Students will also be able to identify aesthetics in music.
It is also the intent that through their participation in instrumental music, students will improve their organizational skills, self-discipline, responsibility, perseverance, and citizenship by caring for an instrument, regular practice, lesson attendance, working towards goals even when they become difficult, and practicing polite band etiquette during a large group rehearsal.
Through these types of learning and skill development, our band students will become better overall students and citizens for our society!