Happy Thanksgiving!

Reminders:
- Grade 8 Retreat forms are now due
- Grade 7 and 8 Woodwind days forms need to be returned next week


Coming Up
Wed. Oct. 12 - Grade 8 Retreat at the University
Wed. Oct. 19 - Woodwind Day at the University in the morning
Sat. Oct. 22 - Junior Winds workshop with Dr. MacKay meet at 10:00 at Riddell Theater  and leave and will be done at 11:40a.m.  
Nov. 23 - Jazz Band and Junior Winds Band Room Concert 7:00p.m.
Dec. 5  - Grade 7 and 8 Concert
Dec. 6 - Grade 6 Concert


Grade 6 Band
This week in Grade 6 Band we practiced our first five notes.   Each instrument has its own challenges with this.   Flutes tend to struggle with moving fingers quickly, clarinets usually find it awkward covering holes and saxophones sometimes struggle with not hitting the side keys and not using too much mouthpiece.   Brass students tend to struggle with either their low notes or high notes.  Percussionists usually find it tricky at first seeing notes on the bells.   All of these struggles are normal and take a little time.    We also worked on music reading.   To do this in our composition books students practiced writing their first five notes.     We will continue to use our composition books regularly.  
Students were asked to practice:
1.  Lines 1.16, 1.17. 1. 18. 1. 20 from our blue book.
2.  Practice writing our first five notes.
3.  Try listening to a clip of our instrument from a you tube video.
4.   We listed a song for fun that students could experiment with.


In Grade 7 Band
This week in Grade 7 band we worked on 3/4 time, solfege, the chromatic scale, and subdividing.   To learn 3/4 time we worked both from our orange book and worked on Clouds 46-end.  To learn the chromatic scale we used our fingering chart and followed each fingering as it moved up beginning on our concert Bb.   We have continued to work on our balance and our blend, and are continuing with the Breathing Gym to work on our air. 
Students were asked to practice:
1.  Clouds 46 - end
2.   Chromatic Scale using our fingering


In Grade 8 Band
In preparing for our clinic this Wednesday, the Grade 8's have been working on shaping phrases.  We've discussed and marked in our music places to breathe and the dynamics that should be used, even if they aren't marked.  Everyone has played through their circle of 4ths test.  Now we need to focus on the ends of the pieces and the transitions.