January Almost Done!

Reminders:
- For those Grade 8 students participating in Junior Select Band - Registration begins on Thurs. Jan. 29 at Martin at 12:30.   Please let us know if transportation there will be difficult.

In Grade 6 Band

This week in Grade 6 band we have been working at longer phrases, have continued with the breathing gym, and have been introduced to Concert Eb scale.   We have many Grade 6's who love a challenge and so they were presented with the challenge to try to figure out all 12 major scales.   This is not an expectation - just a challenge for those students who like challenges.   All students were asked to play their concert Bb scale up and down, and at various speeds.   All grade 6's were reminded that as we try to go faster we will need to keep fingers close to our keys and percussionists need to keep wrists loose.

Grant Road and Perry Grade 6's worked on measures 1-19 of Two Canadian Folk Songs.  This has a different key signature and so we spent time working at this.   Students are now asked to practice measures 1-19.   We also worked on Highlands March.   Many students figured out the form and discovered that by practicing measures 18-26, they also know 10-18, 30-38,   and 42 -end.   Students are now asked to practice 42-end.   They are also asked to practice their concert Bb scale up and down.

Massey, RCS, and McVeety students are working on Ayre and Dance.   They are asked to work on 57-65 and 49-57.   In Midnight Sky, they are asked to work on beginning to 17.   These students have been working hard at playing softs and louds as well watching so that we can speed up and slow down.  Since Ayre and Dance is in Concert Eb they have spent time working on their Concert Eb Scale.  

In Grade 7 Band

This week Grade 7's started a new piece called Whirlwind.    It is a percussion feature and we will be creating some of our own instruments to use in it.   This piece is written in a new key and so we spent time figuring our our new key signature.   We have worked a great deal on notes and rhythms of Song For Friends.  All Grade 7's will be asked to play it for us during our sectional time.    Grade 7's were also asked to practice measures 1-27 of Colliding Visions.

In Grade 8 Band

This week we worked mainly on Joy.  Country Wildflowers should still be worked on so that it is memorized.  We also started adding in Whale Warriors and will start to build on that piece as well.

Schedule

Monday - Day 1 - Jan. 26
9:30-10:30 - Massey Grade 7's
10:35-11:35 - Massey Grade 8's

12:45 - McVeety Grade 8 Sectional
1:30 - McVeety Grade 7 Sectional
2:30 - McVeety Grade 6 Sectional
*Curiosity Club

Tuesday - Day 2 - Jan. 27
9:30 -10:30 - Perry, Grant Road, McVeety Grade 8 Band
10:35-11:35 - Perry, Grant Road, McVeety Grade 7 Band
12:45 - Massey Grade 6 horns, saxophones, clarinets and flutes
2:15 - Massey Grade 6 trumpets, trombones, eupohnium, tubas, percussion
*Jazz BAnd 4:00-5:00

Wednesday - Day 3 - Jan. 28
7:30 - 8:30 a.m. - Junior Winds Percussion Sectional
9:30-10:30 - Grant Road and Perry Grade 6 Band
10:35-11:35 - Massey, RCS, McVeety Grade 6 Band
1:30 - Grant Road Grade 7 Sectionals
2:30 Grant Road Grade 7 Sectionals
4:00-5:00 - Jazz Band

Thursday - Day 4 - Jan. 29
No Massey Grade 7 and 8 sectionals due to Presentation
PM - No Grant Road Grade 6 Sectionals due to Select Band
12:30 - Registration for Select Band (a handful of Grade 8's are representing our area)  at Martin Collegiate
1-7 - Select Band  for our Grade 8 Representatives

Friday - Jan. 30 - 
Select Band for our  Grade 8 Representatives

Saturday Jan. 31 - Select Band