Administration
This week we said good bye to our awesome interim band leader Heather Flinn. A big thank you for a wonderful six weeks of rehearsals and lots of fun music. Next week Angela Blackwell will take over as band leader for the remainder of the session. She has asked that we all bring our Broadway Favourites and Traditions of Excellence to rehearsals. Angela will be distributing new music as well.
This Week’s Rehearsal
Heather opened by discussing how to practise efficiently. Start with a plan, including how much time you have available to practise and how long you can play your instrument without a break. For wind instruments, this is probably about 45 minutes. It is easy to lose track of time so setting a timer can help to focus your efforts. There are a variety of ways to warm up including practising scales or exercises or sight-reading fairly easy pieces of music.
Next play one of your pieces of music through once without stopping. Identify and analyze your mistakes. For example, are they mistakes in rhythm or notes, or do they arise from lack of breath, or fear of an upcoming difficult section? Don’t waste time practising (and repeating) your mistakes. Correct the mistake and play the section slowly, then link it to the parts before and following the section causing the problem.
Take time to sight-read. Select music that you have not played previously, is well within your ability to play and work through it without stopping. Your brain is a wonderful thing and can work ahead of what you are physically playing.
We started our rehearsal with Earth, Wind and Fire, working through each section and polishing the parts played by each group of instruments (the alto saxes are amazing!) and focussing on the rhythms. Next we played The Thunderer – watch the dynamics. We then worked through Balladair, paying attention to tuning and dynamics. We then turned to Three Folk Miniatures. Make sure to keep the third movement moving along. Finally we played through John Williams: Movie Adventures which Heather tells us is sounding great.
This week we said good bye to our awesome interim band leader Heather Flinn. A big thank you for a wonderful six weeks of rehearsals and lots of fun music. Next week Angela Blackwell will take over as band leader for the remainder of the session. She has asked that we all bring our Broadway Favourites and Traditions of Excellence to rehearsals. Angela will be distributing new music as well.
This Week’s Rehearsal
Heather opened by discussing how to practise efficiently. Start with a plan, including how much time you have available to practise and how long you can play your instrument without a break. For wind instruments, this is probably about 45 minutes. It is easy to lose track of time so setting a timer can help to focus your efforts. There are a variety of ways to warm up including practising scales or exercises or sight-reading fairly easy pieces of music.
Next play one of your pieces of music through once without stopping. Identify and analyze your mistakes. For example, are they mistakes in rhythm or notes, or do they arise from lack of breath, or fear of an upcoming difficult section? Don’t waste time practising (and repeating) your mistakes. Correct the mistake and play the section slowly, then link it to the parts before and following the section causing the problem.
Take time to sight-read. Select music that you have not played previously, is well within your ability to play and work through it without stopping. Your brain is a wonderful thing and can work ahead of what you are physically playing.
We started our rehearsal with Earth, Wind and Fire, working through each section and polishing the parts played by each group of instruments (the alto saxes are amazing!) and focussing on the rhythms. Next we played The Thunderer – watch the dynamics. We then worked through Balladair, paying attention to tuning and dynamics. We then turned to Three Folk Miniatures. Make sure to keep the third movement moving along. Finally we played through John Williams: Movie Adventures which Heather tells us is sounding great.
Next Week’s Rehearsal
From Angela: We will be sight reading 4 new pieces. Do not panic about having even more music thrust upon you! We will be using our 2 books to prepare each piece, for key or style or rhythm, so the new music will seem familiar when we sight read it. We will also be doing this the following week so you feel comfortable with all the pieces going into march break.
Important Dates
Thursday March 15: No band rehearsal, March break
Sunday April 15 at about 2:00 at Woodroffe United Church: Our spring concert
Thursday April 19 at 1:30: Community concert at Embassy West Retirement Centre
Listening Links
Balladair:
Earth, Wind and Fire Dance Mix:
John Williams: Movie Adventures:
Three Folk Miniatures:
The Thunderer:
The Thunderer:
