Hello Bytown Musicians,
In this email:
- Dates, Events: *Potsdam Trip (October 29) Info – LAST CALL, email Leslie at scott@bell.net by Sunday October 22!
- Note and tip of the week.
- Rehearsal notes for October 18
- What is scheduled for October 24
- Saturday October 29: Day Trip to Potsdam, NYThe annual excursion to Potsdam, New York will take place next Saturday, October 29. 19 Ottawa musicians will join the Potsdam New Horizon’s Band, Montreal NHB and a couple of musicians from the Oswego NHB around 12:30 (for a 1 pm start) to play music (level 1.5 (like Crusade) – 2.5), followed by a fabulous potluck dinner at 5 pm provided by the Potsdam musicians. Carpooling is encouraged. The drive to Potsdam takes under two hours. There is no charge for the afternoon. Remember you must have a current passport to cross the border. So far, 65 musicians will be gathered in one room, reading (not polishing) about 9 pieces! There is room for a couple more!
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Please copy/paste, fill in the following details, and email to Leslie (bass player in EE and CC bands) (note L is the first letter!) l.scott@bell.net
Name: _______ Instrument: ______
I need a ride ___ OR I can offer a ride to # people: _____
I live in WEST /CENTRAL / EAST / ?
Phone number to facilitate ride arrangements: ______
Tell your friends and family to save the date!
Wednesday December 7 at 7:00pm
ONHB CONCERT at DC featuring all 6 bands!
2 Everyone is looking and sounding so much more confident! The first five notes were a real stretch in week 1, and now you are probably finding they are not quite so tough! It is still tricky to play the notes in any sequence, but continue reviewing the notes in order (line 147 is the Concert Bb scale…practice it up to note 6… or the whole thing, if you can!), as well as working between two notes, back and forth (consecutive notes D-C-D-C-D, and leaps C-G-C-G-C-G… work on the hardest combinations!) Also, use your metronome (invented in Beethoven’s day to give composers the ability to indicate the tempo they had in mind!) or a metronome app like Simple Metronome, to keep your practicing techno – steady! Eighth notes tend to speed or be uneven on beats three and four, so be prepared to fight this tendency with your metronome by your side!
3 Rehearsal Notes for Oct 18:
This week, we reviewed EE lines 17, 25, 28 (adding in the rest of the piece, playing by ear) and 30, and read line 41.
Sanctus: we read through ignoring the dynamics and aiming for a strong, steady stream of air and smoothly changing notes precisely together.
Crusade mm 20-50 focus. In mm 22-23 (and 52-53), the accented fp (forte-piano or sforzando) is most easily performed by playing as softly as possible, but making a strong, articulated attack on the front of the note. This is followed by a crescendo. Mark your music between measures 21-22 for a BIG breath to support the crescendo! Hanging Tree We concentrated on the middle of the piece this week. Please remember that the forte at mm 25 should be a beautiful, full sound (trumpets and alto saxes change the forte at 25 to mezzo forte, as here the tune shifts to the flutes, oboe, clarinets, tenor sax, and horn.– save some forte energy for later in the piece… pieces usually build gradually towards measures close to the end of the piece, if not the end itself.
Calypso Bells We played from mm 1 -listen for the tune (flutes, oboes, and clarinets at mm5-12, bass clarinet, bari sax, trombone, euphonium, tuba and mallet percussion have the tune from 13 – 21, mallet solo from 21 – 29, and flutes and mallets have the tune at mm 29… don’t outplay the tune!
4 For October 24 Rehearsal:
Please start with long tones as a warm up, to get your posture, embouchure, and hand position set correctly, and to get your air flowing freely and steadily with engaged lower muscles. It does take time to get the feel for this support, but keep remembering BIG breath below. Review lines 14,17, (18), 24, 25, 28 (have fun playing by ear, this and other simple pieces you know!) and keep working on 30, 31, 34, 36, 41,43 and (new note! ) 49. Go online http://www.halleonard.com/ee2000Band.jsp or using the CD so you will hear an example of playing in tune with a beautiful tone, with a steady beat, and the correct rhythm patterns. Keep all eighth notes very even and equal in duration! Use your metronome!
Sanctus: Continue to work on a beautiful, full tone, ignoring the dynamics but playing right on the beat (especially measure 3 beat 1). Then practice the first four measures over several times with attention to shaping the phrases, and dynamic range, and moving exactly on beat 1 in measure 3. Keep the support in the p section. Make sure to prepare a good breath! Between mm 4-5 you need a big breath again, but practice taking air in super quickly, with a quick, big sip of air and expand the lower muscles outwards, down front and in the lower back. Flutes, clarinets and mallet percussion should focus also on the ending, from 61on.
The Hanging Tree: Practice slurring (tongue only the first note), and keep your air flowing strongly! We will focus especially on 33 to the end
Crusade: Read through the piece, checking your fingering for b naturals and B flats, etc. Focus on a couple of measures that you find challenging, practicing them in “ a loop” – over and over.
Calypso Bells: Listen to the piece to get the Calypso feel, and for pure enjoyment! Sing along with your part! Do the articulation (rhythms to “ta”) along with the recording. On your instrument, focus on the last four bars. If there is time, we will also work on mm 36 – 39, and 39 – the end.
It is a great weekend for indoor activities…..Happy Practicing!
Cathy and Felicia
