Friday 25 September 2015

Practice

Practicing
- All Students are reminded that instruments should be going home and practiced!   Regular practice will ensure improvement.  

Reminders
- Students who are playing school instruments are reminded to return their rental contract forms.
- Students who have not paid the online transportation fee, are reminded to do do so
- Jazz Band began this past week.   Grade 7 and 8 students who are still wishing to be in Jazz band are still welcome.   Rehearsals are Tuesdays or Wednesdays from 4-5p.m. at Campbell.

Congratulations! 
-Congratulations to all students who came out to the first jazz rehearsals!   We are looking forward to a great year!


In Grade 6 Band this Week
(Massey, McVeety, RCS, Perry and Grant Road)
This past week the Grade 6's continued to work on building their embouchures and developing their music reading skills.   Students practiced learning a short piece by ear, identified the musical intervals of a major second and a major third, and wrote their own composition using their first three notes.   Students also learned their fourth note.   During our full band class we discovered that tempos change and that the length a note is, is determined not only by the kind of note we are playing, but also the tempo.   We had some Grade 6 guest conductors try conducting.   Our guest conductors changed speed regularly and the Grade 6's had to adapt.    They did a great job of this!   Grade 6's were asked to practice Page 6.   Some students had mastered this page already and so have moved on to page 7.

In Grade 7 Band this Week
(Massey, McVeety, RCS, Grant Road and Perry)
The Grade 7's are continuing to work on not only playing with very good tone, but also with balance and blend.    We will be doing several mini exercises to practice this.   This week the Grant Road and Perry Grade 7's practiced a "scramble."   This is where students find a new spot in the band room and figure out what they hear that is different.   We are working a great deal on long tones and changing dynamics.   To do this we are using the piece Sanctus.   The Grade 7's did a great job on The Forge of Vulcan.   The Massey, McVeety and RCS Grad e7's are going to begin work on Riders to Stonehenge.  The Grant Road and Perry Grad e7's will begin some work on Night.   All the Grade 7's are reviewing Concert Bb, and Concert Eb scales and working on our chromatic.   They can expect a playing test on our chromatic scale soon.

In Grade 8 Band this Week 
Grade 8's have been working on the piece Rippling Water Colours by Brian Balmages.   They are doing quite a bit of work on the Circle of Fourths.   Students are reminded they will be tested on their Circle of Fourths this coming up week.

At Hawrylak, Jack MacKenzie, Wilfred Hunt, Wilfrid Walker
Congratulations on first rehearsals this week!   Mr. Adelman is looking forward to a great year!

Saturday 19 September 2015

And We Are Off!

Reminders:
- The band transportation fee should be up and available for payment
- If your child is playing a school instrument, if the online payment has not appeared, it will in the next few weeks.    Please return the rental contract.
- Reminder that jazz band will start this coming up week.  Tuesday or Wednesday (you choose!)  from 4-5p.m.   Students who are coming are asked to meet at the music office.   We will show you where the jazz room is.  

Congratulations!
Congratulations to Hawrylak, Jack Mackenzie, Wilfred Hunt, and Wilfrid Walker Grade 6 Band students on a great headstart clinic.    We are looking forward to a great year with you.  

Congratulations also to the those students who came out to play at Junior Winds!  Excellent sight reading!  You are off to a great start.

Thank you!
Thank you to all the Massey Grade 7 and 8 students who volunteered at the headstart clinic.   Your time and expertise was greatly appreciated.  

This Past Week In Grade 6 Band 
(Massey, McVeety, Grant Road, Perry, and RCS)
This was the first week of having our instruments in band class.   It was quite exciting and energetic!
Students this week were asked to give their instruments a name, find a favourite note, and use their first three notes to write their own composition.   We practiced three different ways to play music - by ear, by note name, and by reading notes.   We practiced writing our first note and when we wrote our composition we did it in the way we were most comfortable.   Students were reminded to use proper posture, proper playing position, lots of air, and lots of focus.   Students were given a specific playing assignment.   We circled their assignment in their book.   Most students are practicing on Page 4 with the note names and trying the beginning of Page 5 with music notes.    Students who master their practice assignment are invited to go ahead.  We had an excellent first full band!   Congratulations Grade 6's!

This Past Week in Grade 7 Band 
(Massey, McVeety, Grant Road, Perry, and RCS)
We are excited to have a very large Grade 7 group.   We have 95 students registered in Grade 7 band and we are still growing!    The Grade 7's did some very nice work this week.    We reviewed the Concert Bb scale, and we worked on the Chromatic Scale.   We discovered that even when we know something there is always a way to make it more challenging.   Students challenged themselves by playing their scales in eighth notes, and sixteenth notes, and some students even tried thirty second notes.   Clarinet players are dealing with crossing the "break" right now.   This is a tricky concept for clarinet players and requires a bit of patience and persistence.    Students are starting to work on The Forge of Vulcan and Sanctus.    Students were asked to work on measures 1-8 of this and 57 to the end.   Students were also asked to practice measures 1 to 27 of Sanctus.  Sanctus is tricky.   It is 3/4 time and has many long tones.   It is a great way to get back into shape.    Massey students also began working on Riders of Stonehenge.   Massey students were asked to practice Riders to Stonehenge.  Nice work Grade 7's!

This Past Week in Grade 8 Band
(Massey, McVeety, Grant Road, Perry)  
The Grade 8's are off to a great start.  They are beginning by learning the Circle of Fourths.   They have several pieces in his folder.   They have begun working on As Winds Dance, Spania, as well as a new Brian Balmages piece called Ripping Watercolours.

This Past Week at Hawrylak, Jack Mackenzie, Wilfred Hunt and Wilfrid Walker
Mr. Adelman has enjoyed getting to know students this week.    We look forward to starting full band this week.    Mr. Adleman will be e-mailing band schedules to parents.    

Sunday 13 September 2015

Thank you and Congratulations!

Congratulations!  

Congratulations to all Massey, McVeety, RCS, Grant Road and Perry Grade 6's on a wonderful headstart weekend.   We are looking forward to seeing you this week.   Please remember that when you practice, to practice for short periods of time (10-15 minutes)  to help build your muscles.   When we see you this week we will give you something specific to work on.  Until then, please continue working on some of the things your clinician worked on you with.  Please remember that learning an instrument is not a race.   Please put your instrument together carefully and ALWAYS use two hands when holding your instruments.  


Thank you to all the Massey, McVeety, RCS, Grant Road, and Perry Grade 7 and 8 band students on a great startup.  Welcome to the students who are new to the area.   We are looking forward to a great year.   Many of the Grade 7 and 8 students found their lips hurting a little bit after playing.   This is normal after a summer vacation.   We will be working at building our endurance.

Junior Winds will begin this Thursday at 7:30a.m.   Jazz Band will begin Tues. Sept 22 and Wed. Sept. 23.

Thank you!
A huge thank you to all of the Grade 7 and 8 students who helped us at the headstart clinic.   You were outstanding leaders.  

Welcome!
We are looking forward to beginning band classes this week at Wilfred Hunt, Wilfrid Walker, Hawrylak, and Jack Mackenzie.   Grade 6 Band students at these schools we are looking forward to your headstart clinic next weekend.

Times are Fri. Sept. 18 - 6-8p.m. at Campbell
                 Sat.  Sept. 19 9:30-12:30 at Campbell

Tuesday 1 September 2015

WELCOME!!

Welcome to the 2015-16 Band Year! 

We are looking forward to a wonderful year.    We would like to welcome all our new and returning families and extend a special welcome to our new schools.  These include - Hawrylak, Wilfred Hunt, Wilfrid Walker, and Jack MacKenzie.    As well, we would like to introduce Scott Adelman - the newest member of our band teaching team.    Mr. Adelman will be teaching at Hawrylak, Wilfred Hunt, Wilfrid Walker, and Jack MacKenzie.   Mr. Wilkinson will be teaching at Massey, McVeety, Grant Road, and Perry Grade 8's, as well as at Hawrylak and Jack MacKenzie.   Ms. Anderson will be teaching at Massey, McVeety, Grant Road, Perry, and RCS.  

We will be coming to visit classrooms and answer any band related questions in the next few days.  Band Classes for Massey, McVeety, Grant Road, Perry, and RCS will begin on Wed. Sept. 9.  (Grade 6's will not need instruments until their headstart on Sept. 11.)    Hawrylak, Jack MacKenzie, Wilfred Hunt, and Wilfrid Walker will begin classes on Sept. 15.   We will be handing out schedules as we go around to schools.  

Headstart Times
Massey, McVeety, RCSGrant Road, and Perry Grade 6 Students
Fri. Sept. 11 - 6:00-8:00p.m.  - at Campbell - all students meet in the auditorium
Sat. Sept. 12 - 9:30-12:00p.m - at Campbell
 Sat. Sept. 12 - 12:15p.m. - Parent Presentation in the Auditorium at Campbell  

Hawrylak, Jack MacKenzie, Wilfrid Walker, and Wilfred Hunt Grade 6 Students
Fri. Sept. 18 - 6:00-8:00p.m. - at Campbell - all students meet in the auditorium
Sat. Sept. 19 - 9:30 -12:00p.m. - at Campbell
Sat. Sept. 19 - 12:15p.m. - Parent Presentation in the Auditorium at Campbell

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.
Kathy Anderson - katherine.anderson@rbe.sk.ca
Travis Wilkinson - travis.wilkinson@rbe.sk.ca
Scott Adelman - scott.adelman@rbe.sk.ca