Week 6, October 24, 2017

Hello Bytown Musicians,

Week 6 is the end of the steep incline in learning, and you may notice that you are starting to play your instrument with more confidence and control.  It is like learning to ride a bike…(only more work for your brain… which is a good thing!)  Once you have developed some physical memory for the first few notes, you will find that the music starts to flow with less concentration on the basics and more time to enjoy the interpretation and feeling in the music. Your hard work is beginning to pay off!

SmartMusic and Essential Elements Interactive are two ways to really maximise progress on learning to read music.  https://www.essentialelementsinteractive.com/

If you have not yet registered, please see below for your ID number and try it out.

This week we:

– continue to practice excellent posture, with feet solidly planted on the floor, for a strong, steady sound, and watching the conductor, especially at the beginning and end of the piece, and hopefully being aware of the baton throughout the piece, out of the corner of your eye, in peripheral vision.

– quick, silent breath (brass clinic)

We read: EE 17, 24, 25, 29   (Congratulations to the September 2017 beginners, who proved they know their stuff by playing line 17 on their own, and were brave enough to do it!  They will sound like the September 2016 beginners (who also showed off in rehearsal) by this time next year.  When you hear the other bands at our concert in December, you will see what you can look forward to in just 2 years, 3 years, etc.,  not to mention the lifetime of challenge, rewards and joy of playing music with friends.

Next week:  EE  17, 25 (lightly), 28, 30, 31, and 41. We will be starting 2 hour band rehearsals in the music room. Be ready with a pencil at 6:30!

Please listen to the listening links this week for each piece, at least three times for each piece:

1. Once to make sure you have the feel of the piece, and know how it sounds at tempo, with articulations and dynamics.   2. Listen with focus to your instrument part      3. Listen and look at your music, with your instrument in your hands, doing the fingering/positions/sticking silently, not making a sound with your instrument… like lip-syncing along to a pop song.

Ogopogo:  We focused on some of the more tricky sections.  Some more experienced players started to try out the dynamics (piano p = soft,  forte    f = strong, loud). Starting at measure 9, the saxophones and clarinets are the center of attention.  If the eighth notes are too difficult to play quickly, then edit out the second eighth note for now. Practice slowly now…. Speed will come.  An efficient practice includes practicing just two eighth notes (as in measure 10) back and forth, to get the fingers used to making the change quickly and cleanly (all fingers snap into place together with military precision, so the sound is clear.) Practicing playing quarter notes and eighth notes with a metronome will help develop the inner metronome.

Autumn:  We didn’t play this in full rehearsal, but we continue to focuse on achieving a light, detached articulation. The half notes are played for their full value.  Aim to play slurs only where they are marked; some eighth note pairs are slurred and others are articulated.

Big Raven:   We focused on the last half of the piece, from 36 to the end, and experimented with the loon call (and a very realistic bird call which David might demonstrate next week for us). These sounds will be random, and not follow the beat. The low brass instruments are featured at 44, so play out with a big sound!

Upper wind instruments may choose to edit out the second eighth note, but by practicing just the two eighth notes (back and forth) a couple of minutes a day, will soon be able to add them into the piece at a slow tempo.

Twist and Shout  We didn’t play this in full rehearsal, but we will be looking at the piece on October 31, with an eerie slow tempo befitting Halloween.

1. Autumn Antonio Vivaldi (arr Douglas Wagner – the version that we will play a fast and lively allegro)

https://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/media-player.jsp?&type=audio&productID=10279765

2. Big Raven Vince Gassi (Toronto composer – inspired by the paintings of Emily Carr, the sounds of the forest, and legends surrounding the Raven)

http://www.alfred-music.com/player/AlfredConcertBand2009/31690/player.html

3. Ogopogo(Legendary Lake Creature of Okanagan Valley, BC)  Robert Buckley (Canadian)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKNOkBLUR8I

4. Twist and Shout 

 http://listeninglab.stantons.com/title/twist-and-shout/168521/

 OR

watch this young band perform  at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=042is5jmMn8

We have solved how to get registered to use Essential Elements interactive with your method book.  This incredible tool will help you to practice more efficiently and will support you through songs 1 – 100, with accompaniments. It is as easy as click 1,2,3,4! 

Go to www.essentialelementsinteractive.com

Step 1: Click on Students logo and click Enroll in Your Class

Step 2: Enter School Code: ___AdultNonPrBand43_____________________________

Enter Student ID: ____    (the number beside your name below)        _____

Step 3: Create your Username and Password* (For future reference, write down your username/password) Username: _________________________ Password: ___________________________

Step 4: Agree to terms and enter your EEi Student Activation Code**