Practicing!

Reminders:
- Grade 7 and 8 Woodwind Days permission forms are now due
- Junior Winds needs to meet at the University at 10:00a.m. on Sat. Oct. 22 at Riddell Theater.   They will be finished at 11:30a.m.    -


Coming Up
-Woodwind Days - Oct. 19 - Grade 7 and 8 flute, bassoon, clarinet, bass clarinet and saxophone players will be bused to the university at 9:30a.m. on Oct. 19.   Students need to bring a lunch.   They will participate in clinics, and be treated to a concert.   Students will be bused back at 12:30p.m.  
- Junior Winds Clinic - Oct. 21 - 9:30-10:30a.m. at Campbell. 
- Junior Winds at University Sat. Oct. 22 - 10:00 meet at Riddell, will be finished at 11:30a.m. 


This Week in Grade 6 Band
We are continuing to work on our breathing, and continuing to work on our first five notes.   Brass players are working on lip slurs.  Woodwind players are working on long tones.   Percussionists are working on sticking on mallets.    Everyone is working on rhythm reading.   We have read whole, half, quarter, eighth, and some of us even have tried sixteenth notes.    When we first begin  reading music is an obstacle for some students.   We are using our composition books to practice writing and naming our first five notes.    Students who found this very easy were asked to instead write their own composition using the first five notes.   We practiced composing using scale numbers and volunteer composer/conductors came up to do an on the spot composition.    We also learned the twelve bar blues and started learning the jazz standard C Jam Blues. 


Students were asked to:
1.  Practice - 1.21, 1.22, 1.23, 1.24
2.  Experiment - by looking at their fingering or rudiment chart on p.55
3.  Create - their own composition using 5 notes


This Week in Grade 7 Band
We are working very hard at subdivisions.    Many of us seem to struggle with keeping the same pulse!   Students are encouraged to download a free metronome app to help them keep a steady pulse.   We also began working on chromatic scales.   We explained the importance of chromatic as practicing these not only helps with hand position, but it reminds us of fingerings.   We began practicing the chromatic scale first by using our fingering charts and moving up one "box" in our chart at a time.  We have also been experimenting with matching sounds.   Students were asked to take ownership of bringing their section in, and then attempt to create a unison pitch.   Students are in the process of playing 40 - end of Clouds for us.   We are getting ready to move on to new music and so students need to make sure they have Clouds and Daybreak learned. 
Students were asked to:
1.   Practice 40 - end of Clouds
2.   Practice their chromatic scale


This Week in Grade 8 Band
This week we had a great clinic with Mr. G at the U of R.  Mr. G talked about adding emotion to the music as well as shaping the phrase and we sounded really good by the end of it.  Both pieces are coming along nicely but we still need to work on the fine details.

The next piece we are going to start on is Resplendent Light.  This piece is not technically too difficult but is incredibly hard in regards to the emotional element.

The next playing test is on the first 26 measures of Canticum.