Large Ensemble Rehearsals

Happy Friday!

We have had another great week in Freshmen Band.  The students continue to work diligently in rehearsal and I am very pleased with their progress so far.

This week, we began to have rehearsals for our brass choir, woodwind choir and percussion ensemble.  (Click here for the Ensemble Rehearsal Schedule.)  In order to provide the students with instruction on their specific instruments, the band directors regroup the students by instruments and prepare these ensembles to perform at our holiday concerts in December and at Solo and Ensemble Contest in February.  For these events, the Freshmen Band has been paired with the Gold Band students to create these groups.

In the large ensembles, students are able to work on issues directly related to their family of instruments.  During these rehearsal, we not only focus our attention on learning a piece of music, but on how to improve our range on brass instruments, our intonation on woodwind instruments, alternate fingerings and trills, etc - things that we are not always able to work on in great detail in a full band setting. . Additionally, this time allows percussionists the opportunity to work on developing their skills in a setting where they all can play all of the time - something that is not always possible in band.  Be sure to ask your son or daughter about their experience this week in these ensembles.

Finally, I have still not received all of the band contracts from the students.  If you need a copy, click here and look for the Freshmen Band Handbook.

Have a great weekend!

A few updates . . . .

By now, you have hopefully seen a copy of the Freshmen Band Handbook.  All students were given a copy of this document, including the contract.  This contract needs to be signed and returned to school as soon as possible.  This is my way of knowing that you are aware of the performance schedule.  If you need a copy, click here and look in the box labeled 'class files'.

Later this week, we will begin to adjust our band schedule for woodwind choirs, brass choirs and percussion ensembles.  Students will receive a schedule in band on Tuesday, November 13 to follow on the select days.  I will post a copy here as soon as I have it put together.    

Many thanks for taking the time to check this blog.  As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments or concerns.

Happy Monday!

We made it through our first rehearsal together!  The students did a nice job adjusting to the new schedule and all of the logistical challenges that we face.  I am looking forward to an even smoother start to our class tomorrow.

All of the students received a handbook today full of information about performances, grades and expectations.  There is a parent signature document that needs to be signed and returned by Friday.  If you are reading this, I am guessing that your student brought the paperwork to you!  Here is a link to the documents on line.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.  Thanks for stopping by and check back often! :-)

Just a quick note . . . . . .

I am posting a link here for you to visit a page where all of the documents for Freshmen Band are available.  I know that it is a hassle to check two places, but I am new to this blogging thing and can't figure out if I can actually post a document here.  So, I will post links here for you to get the information you need.  

In the 'Class Files/Links' box on the page, you will see a copy of the Freshmen Band handbook as well as a quick reference list for all of our performances for the remainder of the year.  

I hope that you find this helpful! :-)

Welcome to the Freshmen Concert Band blog!  I am excited to use this as a tool for better communication between myself, students and parents.  I will do my best to update the blog with weekly announcements about what we are doing in class, upcoming events and performance details.  Please take a moment to subscribe to the blog so you can receive an email alert whenever there is a new post.

Thank you so much for visiting - stop by again soon!