IMPORTANT – Preregistration for ONHB musicians is on. Please register for the bands of your choice now. Registration opens to the public on Dec. 11.
Dress rehearsal on stage Dec. 9. Please arrive between 5:50- 6:10 to get set up.
Social Outing after band on Dec. 9 to O.Brien’s on Heron.
December 13 Concert – an email with details is coming to all musicians on Sunday. Please read this carefully, and email me if you have any questions.
Thanks to all for pitching in to bring refreshments, and to those who signed up to help with set up and stage crew. You will receive a message directly from David Hooton, Stage Manager, and Hedy and Sarah, Refreshment Coordinators.
Dec. 2 Rehearsal Note – We played our program for Neil Bateman, guest band clinician. He loved our interpretation of Afro Blue – our hard work is paying off! Some areas of our pieces are still need some tidying in the rhythms, tone, and dynamics. He gave tips to make the music shine…..
Neils Tips:
Pointed Practice: Plan, execute, improve! At end of practice, you should feel you have improved in specific goals.
Rhythm is EVERYTHING! – in hard section, write all the rhythms doubled as an exercise – write out, play it at 2X length for accuracy (ex. dotted quarter becomes a dotted half, quarter becomes a half, eighth becomes quarter note, etc)
Dynamics– notes next to a rest are almost always accented
Soli Sections – First trumpet, alto, tenor, trombone is the lead, others listen and stick with lead, articulation, dynamics…
Articulation – No two notes will sound the same. Varied articulation and dynamics bring jazz music to life.
Long notes ALWAYS have a shape – examples: Attack, pull back, grow. Fade. Your Sound – your tone communicates feeling – develop a full, warm tone by listening to the greats and copying sound in exercises – long, sustained warm ups at pp, p, mp, mf, f in mid-range, then low, then high. Lester Young (sax), Chet Baker (tr), Count Bassie (rhythm section has to see this one – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvpQpvbVKbo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IjMcPCvmm0
Freddie Green (guitar)
Pieces:
Autumn Leaves – entries need to be correct rhythmically
-swing the “and”
-bar 29 – unison rhythm – everyone tight together
-long notes – beautiful singing tone, shape them (usually dying away)
-end notes precisely on rest – don’t play into the rests – silence is an important part of the music
Blue Bossa
-more tongue on articulations to start note on time (brass)
-bar 9 off beats, shape long note (attack, cut back, grow)
-bar 17 area needs more work
-bar 32 more tongue
Ain’t No Sunshine
-play like you are singing it!
-rhythm, tonguing precise
-stop air on rests, precisely
Afro Blue
-slow down to practice
-bar 16 – precise accents and rhythms- a note on “and”, nothing, then accent!
