Ending October

Reminders:
-Please pay the t-shirt fee online or for RCS students please return a cheque or cash
- Please pay the band transportation fee online (RCS students please pay by cheque or cash)
-Massey, McVeety, Grant Road and Perry Grade 8's - Retreat day on Wed. Oct. 28 - please make sure permission form is turned in.
-Massey Grade 7's will not have sectionals on Oct. 28 due to the Grade 8 retreat.

Please Note:
- We would like to welcome Robin Howell to our teaching team.   She will be working with the RCS Grade 6 and Grade 7 students.   RCS families are asked to note full band times remain the same, but sectionals will now be on Day 4 morning.   We would like to also welcome Bev Brander who will now be working a little bit with the Massey Grade 6's.


In Grade 6 Band
(Massey, McVeety, RCS, Grant Road, and Perry)
This week in Grade 6 Band we learned the 12 bar blues.    The 12 bar blues are made up of our first, our fourth and our fifth notes.   Once we learned the 12 bar blues, we learned the jazz standard - C Jam Blues (in Bb).   This piece is made up of only our fifth note and our first note.    This week as well, we checked Grade 6's to make sure students were comfortable with their first five notes, and with tonguing.   Some of the Grade 6's were ready to be introduced to their 6th and 7th notes.    We experimented a little with these notes.   Students were asked to compose their own song that was "spooky."   We heard many interesting compositions.     Most students were asked to practice 1.27, 1.31, and 2.1.   Students who had already mastered these lines were asked to move on.

In Grade 7 Band 
(Massey, McVeety, RCS, Grant Road, and Perry)
There were some very nice sounds coming from the Grade 7's this week.   We are continuing to work on balancing and blending.   To do this we have "scrambled" and we have tried to find the note that the low instruments are playing.    Grade 7 students are working on their concert Eb scale now.  Clarinets, saxophones, and flutes are learning it in two octaves.    Students are continuing to work in their Orange books.    Most students are about on page 5.    Massey, McVeety, RCS, students will be working on their articulations in Riders to Stonehenge.   They are asked to practice 56 to the end of Riders and their concert Eb scale.    Grant Road and Perry students were asked to practice 33-53 of Night.  They will be working on articulations this week.   All Grade 7 students can be expecting some new sheet music this week.


In Grade 8 Band
(Massey, McVeety, Grant Road, and Perry)
Reminder that the U of R clinic with Mr. Ghiglione is this upcoming Wednesday, October 28th.  Full Band is on Monday, October 26th.  Both Rippling Watercolors and As Winds Dance are coming along nicely.  Please be sure of your part so that we can get the most out of our clinic.  Once the notes and rhythms are learned, we can begin to make music.  This involves our articulations and dynamics.  If you haven't handed in your clinic form, please bring it to full band on Monday.