Short Weeks

Reminders:
-Junior Winds and Jazz Band - Band Room Concert Thurs. Nov. 19 at 7:00 p.m. in the band room at Campbell.

Please Note:
Monday Nov. 9 is Day 1
Tuesday Nov. 10 is Day 2
Wednesday Nov. 11 - no school and no jazz band
Thursday Nov. 12 - Day 3
Friday Nov. 13 - Day 4


In  Grade 6 Band 
(Massey, McVeety, Grant Road, Perry, and RCS)
This was an exciting week in Grade 6 Band, as it was the first time that we received sheet music.   As we began working on our sheet music we explained that it is like a groups of our lines from our band book put together.   The hard part is building the endurance in our face muscles to play it beginning to end.   The other hard part is that we play in harmony instead of playing in unison.  When we learn sheet music we learn it in sections.    We worked on 33 - end of Let's Go Band, and worked on the common sections of Theme from Beethoven's Ninth.   These included measures 1-13, 29-33, and 37-end.

The grade 6's also worked on our concert Bb scale.   The Grade 6's have been writing some very interesting compositions.   Grade 6's are encouraged to continue writing their own songs.   This is not only helping our music reading development, but also creating opportunities for students to ask questions about new notes and experiment with they sounds they otherwise would not discover until later.   Most of the Grade 6's were asked to practice 2.7 and 2. 10 (Jingle Bells).    Students who already have practiced these were asked to move ahead in their book.

In Grade 7 Band
(Massey, McVeety, Grant Road, Perry, and RCS)
The Grade 7's have been given the scale challenge.    Students have been working on their chromatic scale, Concert Bb, Concert Eb scales, and Concert F scales.  This week we added Concert Ab scale.   As we have been working on these scales we have also explained that there are different kinds of scales, depending on the pattern.  Some students prefer to hear the scale first, some prefer  to see it, and some prefer to just try it.   We have attempted to explain these scales in all of these ways.  Students are encouraged to look at page 50 and 51 in their orange book if they need reminding of the scale they were working on.    Some students have gone the extra step and are learning some of these scales in two octaves.   This is great as it will help to continue to develop the range.

We are in the process of handing out new music.    Massey, McVeety and RCS students will be receiving a piece called Incantation and Ritual.   Grant Road and Perry students will be receiving Tu Ungane.   Massey, McVeety, and RCS students are asked to continue work on their scales.  Grant Road students are asked to work on Night.   Perry students are also asked to continue their work on their scales.

In Grade 8 Band
(Massey, McVeety, Grant Road, Perry)

This week we've begun to add Spania to our repertoire.  Students should have the notes and rhythms figured out so that we can work on all the tempo changes.  This piece also gives us a few great opportunities to work on our forte-piano's.  We also continue to fine tune Rippling Watercolors.  It keeps getting better and we need to focus on every minute detail for it to come together.  Lastly, in As Winds Dance we are working on emphasizing our articulations.  You can never do too much!