- T-Shirt Money
- For those participating in the Marching Band, please bring back your permission forms
- Concert dates are December 9th for Gr. 6 and Junior Winds and December 10th for Gr. 7 and 8
In Grade 6 Band
In Grade 6 Band this week we had several discussions about how the cold weather affects our instruments. Students were reminded not keep instruments in cars over night and not to leave them outside. Brass students were reminded that all of their valves will probably dry out more quickly and that their slides will need more grease. Woodwind students were reminded that their corks will dry out more quickly and so will need more cork grease and that reeds will dry out more quickly. This is fixed by making sure reeds are wet when they are used. Several students commented on how different it felt playing their instrument. Many students lips and skin also dry out in the cold weather and as soon as students "wet" their lips they found it much easier to play.
Grade Sixes are now starting to focus on the music we will be playing at our concert on Dec. 9. Students will be performing Jingle Bells, Let's Go Band, and Beethoven's 9th. We began playing the Concert Bb scale together, and some of us began playing it up and down. Several of our students asked this week to review the notes for "Green is the Colour" so they could help cheer on the Riders this weekend. Once again we have circled in books what to practice this week.
In Grade 6 Band this week we had several discussions about how the cold weather affects our instruments. Students were reminded not keep instruments in cars over night and not to leave them outside. Brass students were reminded that all of their valves will probably dry out more quickly and that their slides will need more grease. Woodwind students were reminded that their corks will dry out more quickly and so will need more cork grease and that reeds will dry out more quickly. This is fixed by making sure reeds are wet when they are used. Several students commented on how different it felt playing their instrument. Many students lips and skin also dry out in the cold weather and as soon as students "wet" their lips they found it much easier to play.
Grade Sixes are now starting to focus on the music we will be playing at our concert on Dec. 9. Students will be performing Jingle Bells, Let's Go Band, and Beethoven's 9th. We began playing the Concert Bb scale together, and some of us began playing it up and down. Several of our students asked this week to review the notes for "Green is the Colour" so they could help cheer on the Riders this weekend. Once again we have circled in books what to practice this week.
In Grade 7 Band
In Grade 7 Band this week we spent a fair amount of time discovering different articulations. These included staccatos, tenutos, accents and a "normal" note. Students were quite critical of themselves as they tried to match exactly with their groups each of these articulations. Percussionists quickly discovered why it is we have so many different kinds of mallets. They found mallets to match with each of the styles we were trying to play.
Grade 7's are getting geared up for our concert. They will be performing O Tannenbones, A Song For Peace, Incantation and Ritual and Spirit of the Wolf. These are practice priorities, with the specific goal of playing the proper articulations.
In Grade 8 Band
This week we got a new piece for our concert on December the 10th. It's Drums on the Housetop and it is a percussion feature. The other pieces we've been working on are Chesapeake Serenade, Chant and Tribal Dance, and Spania. We've been concentrating on using the articulations that we worked on with Dr. Lonis as well as emphasizing beats 1 and 3. Have a good weekend.
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