China Grove Middle School

"Red Devil" Band

"A Commitment to Excellence in Music"

Welcome to Mr. Kirk's Band Webpage! This site will detail information about the CGMS Band program in regards to practice schedules, concert events, and contest information. Please check this site weekly to be updated on events for our band. The China Grove Middle School Band Program consists of over 150 students in grades 7 - 8 and focuses on excellence in instrumental music. In addition, our 6th grade students enroll in "Introduction to Instrumental Music" classes throughout the first year into middle school. Students who successfully fullfill the requirements in 6th grade will be chosen to play in our 7th grade band.

Mr. Kirk's Biography: Mr. Kirk is entering his 13th year as a teacher at China Grove Middle School and has taught in Cabarrus County prior to working in the Rowan-Salisbury School System. He graduated with honors from Catawba College in 1994 with the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education (K-12) and was a student teacher at Northwest Cabarrus MS and Northwest Cabarrus HS in 1994. He is currently the assistant marching band director and marching percussion director for The Jesse C. Carson High School "Cougar" Band as well as composer and instructor for numerous high school bands over the past ten years. Mr. Kirk taught the percussion sections of East Rowan HS, Mount Pleasant HS, Northwest Cabarrus HS and South Rowan HS from 1993 to 2003. He is also a marching band judge in North Carolina and judges throughout the state each fall. His percussion sections received consistant "Superior" ratings at band contests. While at Catawba, he served as the college's college president in the music department and received the John Philip Sousa Award for excellence in band.

Mr. Kirk has many years of experience in the marching band and concert band venues. He graduated from Central Cabarrus High School in 1988 and the award winning marching "Viking" band won "High Percussion" at the Bands of America Grand National Championships in Pontiac, Michigan as well as placing 7th place in the nation with North Carolina's highest marching band placement in the late 1980's.

He also has performed with two premier Drum and Bugle Corps in North America; playing in the drumline. In 1989-90, he was a member of the Florida Wave Drum and Bugle Corps from Miami, Florida and performed at the 1989 DCI World Championships in Kansas City, Missouri and the 1990 DCI World Championships in Buffalo, New York. In 1991, Mr. Kirk was a member of the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps from Canton, Ohio and "aged out" in the elite "top twelve" Drum Corps at the 1991 DCI World Championships in the Cotton Bowl (Dallas, Texas). He has also been an instructor for the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps (Charlotte, NC) teaching the Bass Drum Section in 1992 with their division II finals status at the DCI World Championships in Madison, Wisconsin (The University of Wisconsin-Madison).

In 1999, he was awarded the Time Warner Cable "Star Teacher" plaque by a student in the Rowan-Salisbury School System for excellence in teaching.

Mr. Kirk's professional memberships include MENC (Music Educators National Conference), SCDBA (South Central District Bandmasters Association) and Drum Corps International Alumni Association.

Currently, Mr. Kirk is on the Praise and Worship Team at Grace Covenant Church in Kannapolis playing the drumset. He has performed at the Foursquare Men's Advance in Myrtle Beach, SC in 2007 through 2009 with the South East "District" Praise and Worship Team (again playing lead Drumset at the conference).

Mr. Kirk resides in Kannapolis, NC with his wife Beth and their two daughters: Jordan and Katelyn.

6th Grade Introduction to Band

The first quarter of class with the 6th graders has been very successful.  Students will be chosen for the instrument that suits them the best.  The final exam for the quarter will occur on Wednesday and Thursday.  Look for a letter from your child about joining the band for 7th grade during the 2nd semester.

Phone:  1-865-382-3107

E-mail:  bobfrye3107@carolina.rr.com

Office location:  47343 Paradise Lane, Norwood, NC  28128

Owner:  Mr. Bob Frye

If you need ANY repairs made to your instrument, please contact Mr. Frye.  He is an excellent repair technician with over 15 years experience and was educated at The University of North Texas (B.S. Degree in Music Education).

Congratulations to the 7th and 8th grade bands for a fantastic opening concert to the school year!  I appreciate your dedication and talents more than you'll ever know.  We missed several students due to the flu and hope those folks will recover soon. 

"ALL COUNTY HONORS BAND UPDATE"

Currently, the 8th grade and select 7th grade band students are learning their scales and solo requirements for the All-County Band audition.  The date of the audition is Thursday, November 12th at Knox Middle School.  Parents will need to provide transportation to and from Knox.  We will leave CGMS after school by 3:30pm and the auditions will begin at 4:30pm.  A letter was sent home this week (October 28th).

"A look ahead to our next concert" 

As we approach the second quarter of school, preparations have started in learning the concert songs for our annual Winter Program.  The challenge for our students is to learn five new songs (per grade level) within 4 1/2 weeks.  The months of November and December are always packed with workdays and holidays that prevent us from having normal five day weeks.  Students will need to "step up" to the task that is set before us and work for our goal.  Look for the concert agenda letter before Thanksgiving break.

CGMS "Red" Percussion Class:  The 8th grade percussion students are enrolled in a special class at the end of the day designed specifically for learning advanced percussion techniques and performance.  The students will learn a variety of different styles of percussion music, rudiments, "chop building" and plan several different percussion concerts throughout the school year and at our district's Solo and Ensemble Festival held in the spring at The University of North Carolina-Charlotte. 

The 8th grade percussion ensemble has been introduced to their UNC-Charlotte Solo and Ensemble Festival piece entitled "Antiphon".  It is an extremely challenging piece of music and it is going to take the entire year to learn and master the piece. 

You can view a performance of "Antiphon" by going to YouTube and typing in "Antiphon Percussion Ensemble".  There is a high school percussion ensemble from Missouri playing the piece.......very impressive!!

"TECHNOLOGY UPDATE"  

Through the generosity of our school, we received a projector for the band room.  This will be a fundamental tool for my students to learn from music education websites and have tests, quizzes and daily agendas visible.  Thanks again for moving our school into the "21st century"!

Thanks for checking this website and feel free to contact me at school, home or by e-mail if you have any questions or comments.

Musically,

Mr. Kirk