[BBCB-Mail] NO REHEARSAL TONIGHT 2/14/07
Ed Schwartz
ed.schwartz at vt.edu
Wed Feb 14 14:59:35 EST 2007
Greetings All!
As most of you are already aware, the Montgomery
County schools are closed today, so we will be
unable to rehearse. The high school is closed.
Please take a few minutes tonight and take your
horn out of the case and play for at least 30
minutes to keep your chops in shape. We are seven
weeks into the new year and your endurance should
be to where you can play for the entire
rehearsal. Missing two weeks of rehearsal is not
good, but we do need to make the best of it, so
please play for a bit tonight. Barring any more
weather-related closings, we have only five more
rehearsals for our spring concert.
Here is a good practice routine for wind
instruments to try. You can easily do this in 30
minutes with five minutes in each of these steps.
If you have more than 30 minutes, put it into
step number 5 (practicing music for the concert).
Please notice that one of the big things to focus
on throughout all of these is listening to your
intonation and your sound. The act of listening
to yourself is very important.
Thanks for your patience with the weather and
please keep in-shape so we can hit the ground
running next week to get rehearsals back on-track
quickly!
- Ed -
P.S. I had a few folks ask about information that
was in previous band e-mail and they indicated
that they had deleted the message. Remember that
you can get to old band e-mails by going to our
Archives page at our listserv site. Check it out!
http://listserv.bburg.bev.net/pipermail/bbcb/
=======================================================
Suggested Practice Routine
1. Warm up with long tones for good sound production
5 minutes
Warm up with long tones from the low notes into
the high range of your instrument. As you are playing,
listen to each note to make sure that it is in-tune and has
a well-centered and good sound. Start soft and get louder
as you warm up.
2. Play Chromatic Scale adding agility to sound production
5 minutes
Play the chromatic scale from the bottom of your range to
the top (or most comfortable high note). As you are playing,
listen to each note to make sure that it is in-tune and has
a well-centered and good sound. You don't need to do this
real fast, play at a comfortable speed. Your sound is critical.
It is also critical to "feel" the placement of each note on your
instrument.
3. Practice agility of tonguing for technical passages
5 minutes
Exercise your tongue with some scales. Start with quarter notes,
(i.e. do, re, mi, etc.), then eighth notes
(i.e. do, do, re, re, mi, mi, etc.),
then sixteenth notes (i.e. do, do, do, do, re,
re, re, re, mi, mi, mi, mi, etc.),
getting faster. Play as fast as you can without losing rhythm or
a good sound. Concentrate on steady rhythms good sound and the
movement of one note to the next. Use a metronome if you have one.
4. Practice technical agility for precision in technical passages
5 minutes
Play a few scales (ones that you are comfortable with) in more than
one octave, and come back down as well. Start slow with quarter
notes (i.e. do, re, mi, etc.) and get faster a little at a time. Continue
to get faster with specific focus on rhythm, sound and accurate
attacks on the notes. Economy of motion is critical. You don't need to
flail around as you get faster, stay relaxed. Use a metronome if you
have one. Remember, the key is to move your fingers (or arms with
trombones) as accurately as possible in coordination with your
tonguing, air flow and embouchure position for the best sound.
Don't play so fast that you sound bad, you want this to be precise,
not sloppy. The key is to progress a little at a time.
5. Practice actual concert music or etudes for precision and musicality
5 to 30+ minutes
If you have your folder, you can rehearse the needed sections in
our music, otherwise, if you have some etudes or other music to
play, read through a few of them. Concentrate on sound and
musicality. Remember, music is more than right notes and right
rhythms. This is a good place to start, but music is much more.
Put some attitude in your playing. (Ideally, attitude that matches
the rest of the band.)
6. Warm-down with long tones for embouchure relaxation
and good sound production
5 minutes
Take a few minutes to warm-down. Go back to your long tones
at a soft volume. Try to make your embouchure feel as good as
you can so you don't walk away with a sore mouth. Concentrate
on your embouchure, playing the notes in-tune and with a
well-centered and resonant sound.
=======================================================
Blacksburg Community Band
18th Annual Spring Concert - Tentative Music
March 25, 2007 - 4:00 pm
The Wizard of Oz - Harold Arlen, E. Y. Harburg, arr. James Barnes
Prayer of Saint Gregory - Alan Hovhaness
Anzio - Steven E. Brown
Kellie's Song - John R. Howell
Finale "From the New World" Symphony - Antonin Dvorák, arr. Erik W. G. Leidzén
Intermission
Radetzky March - Strauss, arr. Alfred Reed
Song Of The Nightingale - F. Filipovsky, arr. L.P. Laurendau
William Byrd Suite - arr. Gordon Jacob
Bye Bye Birdie - Charles Strouse, arr. John Cacavas
=======================================================
CONCERT CALENDAR
1 - SUNDAY MARCH 25
Spring Concert - Blacksburg High School Auditorium
4:00 pm
2 - SATURDAY MAY 19
ARMED FORCES DAY CONCERT
Claytor Lake Concert and Pot Luck Picnic
Time TBD
3 - THURSDAY MAY 24
XYZ Blacksburg United Methodist Church
6 p.m. dinner; 7:00 pm concert.
4 - MONDAY MAY 28
American Legion Memorial Day Celebration,
10:45 am downbeat
5 - WEDNESDAY JUNE 6
Warm Hearth Retirement Community Summer Concert
Karr Actvities Center
7:00 pm
6 - WEDNESDAY JULY 4
Blacksburg Independence Day Parade and Celebration
4:00 pm Parade - 6:30 pm Concert
7 - SATURDAY JULY 14
Ruritan Fish Fry
5:00 pm
8 - SATURDAY AUGUST 4
Steppin' Out, Downtown Blacksburg
Noon
--
Ed Schwartz, Director
Blacksburg Community Band
Blacksburg, VA 24060
http://arts.bev.net/blacksburgcommunityband/
http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/
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