Friday 30 October 2015

Happy Halloween!

Reminders:
-Please pay the t-shirt fee online or for RCS students please return a cheque or cash
- Please pay the band transportation fee online (RCS students please pay by cheque or cash)

In Grade 6 Band
(Massey, McVeety, RCS, Grant Road, and Perry)
This week the Grade 6's added notes 6 and 7 to our repertoire.     When we tried putting all the notes together in the order that we learned them, we discovered that we have a scale.    For those students who studied music previously the 7th note is low.   This is because in the beginning ranges, this note is much more accessible as a low note rather than a high note.    Some very determined Grade 6's tried playing their 7th note high and their first note an octave higher.   This is high note is not expected right now!

Grade 6's this week continued playing the Blues, and also continued working on our ear training.   We discovered that when two people play a major second a part at the same time, we can get a bit of an eery feel.   Many of us used this interval as we composed some "spooky"  music.    Most students were asked to practice lines 2.3, 2.4, and 2.5.   If students had already practiced these, they may move on.

In Grade 7 Band 
(Massey, McVeety, RCS, Grant Road, and Perry)
Grade 7's are continuing to work on articulations.   Specifically we are looking at accents and how they are played on our instruments.   Students were reminded that an accent means there is space before and after a note.    Grade 7's have been working on Concert Bb, Concert Eb scales and we are beginning work on working on our Concert F scale.    Flutes, clarinets, and saxophones have learned the Concert Eb scale in two octaves.   We worked in our orange books this week as well.  We worked in 2/4 time.  As we worked in 2/4 time we realized that the time signature does not mean how fast or slow a piece is.  It is the tempo markings that do this.   We reviewed the terms andante and allegro.    Perry students were asked to practice either their Concert Eb or F scale (depending on the group they were in), line 1.12, and 41-53 of Night.    McVeety Grade 7's were asked to practice page from their Orange book.   Grant Road students were asked to practice 41-53 of Night.    RCS students had their first sectional with Ms. Howell this week.   They should be working on Concert Eb scale and continue working on Riders.  Massey students did not have sectionals this week.   They should be practicing Page 5 from their Orange Book.  

In Grade 8 Band
(Massey, McVeety, Grant Road, and Perry)

This week in Grade 8 Band we had a full band rehearsal as well as our clinic with Mr. G.  In the clinic we spent a lot of time working on Rippling Watercolors.  We focused on our sound, pushing air through the instrument and listening for the important parts.  By the end we were sitting in a circle playing and it sounded much improved.  We ended the clinic working on As Winds Dance.  This piece is very rhythmic and needs precision in order for it to reflect the style.  This week we started working on Spania.  Students are to learn their notes and rhythms for our full band rehearsal on Monday.

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