Welcome October!

Reminders:
-Junior Winds Retreat on Tues. Oct. 7 - return permission forms
-Grade 8's Retreat permission forms need to be handed in

In Grade 6 Band

We worked a great deal this week on the importance of using air.    We used a birthday candle to demonstrate how direct our air has to be in order to effective.   Mr. Wilkinson demonstrated an air horn and how air feels when it moves.   We asked students to try to copy this feeling when they were putting air into their instruments.

During our sectionals we work on more instrument specific issues.   All brass players are working on lip slurs, percussionists are mostly working on mallets and discovering some of the auxillary instruments.  Flutes are working on "high -lows" (using the same fingering to point air high and low) and clarinets are discovering their lower register.  All brass and woodwind students are working on tonguing  and percussionists are working on grip.   Students have 5 notes that we are comfortable with and we have been working on long tones with these.   All students have circled in their book what to practice.  


In Grade 7 Band

Students have begun playing their chromatic scale individually for us.    Right now they are using their books to help them.  (They play from their fingering charts.)    In a few weeks we will have this memorized and we will begin playing it by memory.    As well Grade 7's have been working on long tones - but playing them quietly.   This takes a great deal of control and is hard!   We will keep working at it.  

Grade 7's are continuing to work at listening for ensemble balance.   We have "scrambled" during band classes.   This means we find a different spot in the band room and try playing AND listening for the low sounds in the band.     Grade 7's were asked to practice Dance Celebration - 37-end and melody sections in Largo as well as their chromatic scale.   We will begin working on In the Court of the King this week.

In Grade 8 Band

We are doing our playing test on the circle of fourths this week.  This has to be for memory at any tempo.  We are also working on the first 14 measures of Joy.  Be sure to get your Permission Form in for our Grade 8 Band Retreat at the U of R this week.  We will be going to the U of R on October 24.  

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

Monday Day 5 - Oct. 6

9:00 - Perry Grade 7's and 8

9:45 - Perry 8's

10:00 - RCS Grade 6's

10:45 - RCS 7's

10:45 - Grant Road Grade 8's

12:45 - Perry 6 clarinets

1:30 Perry Grade 6 trumpets and euphoniums and percussion

2:30 - Perry 6 flutes and saxophones

3:45 -4:30- Curiosity Club (at Campbell)

Tues. Day 1 - Oct. 7

9:30 - Massey 7's

10:35 - Massey 8's

12:45 - McVeety Grade 8's and McVeety 6's

1:30 - McVeety Grade 7's

2:10 - Bus begins pickups for Junior Winds Retreat

No Jazz Band

6:00 - Pickup at Riddell Center for Junior Winds

Wed. Day 2 - Oct. 8

9:30 - Perry, Grant Road, McVeety Grade 8's

10:35 - Perry, Grant Road, McVeety, RCs Grade 7's

12:45 - Massey Grade 6 saxophones and trumpets

1:30 - Massey Grade 6 flutes, french horns and low brass

2:30 - Massey Grade 6 clarinets and percussion 

3:45 - Jazz Band 

Thurs. Day 3 -Oct. 9

7:30 - Junior Winds

9:30 - Grant Road and Perry Grade 6 

10:35 - Massey, McVeety, RCS Grade 6

1:15 - Grant Road Grade 8 Percussion

1:30 - Grant Road Grade 7 Mr. Benjamin and Ms. Sklar

2:30- Grant Road Grade 7 Mr. Sweeney

Fri. Oct. 10 - PD Day - No Band Classes