6th Grade PLC!

Hello, and welcome to our 6th Grade Band Rehearsal!

I am very excited for today's rehearsal. Today I want to make sure that EVERYONE who wants to try out for a solo has a chance. Today's rehearsal and next two rehearsals are the last three days we can effectively do auditions.

Today we'll be working on all three of our wonderful songs! Last rehearsal we learned that Radetzky March was not quite as strong as we thought! We are going to run through that one first after warming up to make sure our learning from last rehearsal "stuck." 

These may be of help: 

Pirates: http://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/media-player.jsp?&type=audio&productID=10034521

Radetzky March: http://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/media-player.jsp?&type=audio&productID=10032893

The Hanging Tree: http://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/media-player.jsp?&type=audio&productID=10521227

Lesson Plan:

1) Sign in

2) Warm up - Tradition of Excellence Book 2. You should all have the book. Today we are going to be talking about lip slurs, long tones, the chromatic scale, the Bb major scale, and the concept of a chorale. We are going to learn the entire first chorale. Drummers we are going to be working on playing multiple bounce rolls softly. 

3) Just like last rehearsal we will run through an imaginary concert to see what needs work. We will make mental notes of what it is we need to practice, and just let the "train wrecks" happen (if there are any). Do you have everything you need for each song? If not, now is the time to get it. 

4) After run through discuss: what needs the most work and why? Is it Radetzky March, or did we remember everything from last rehearsal?  Based on our discussion we will decide what piece we are going to focus on first. 

5)   This will be our third time doing steps 1-4. Hopefully we get through the concert quickly because today I want to hear as many auditions as possible. 

6) Discussion. Was there growth? If yes, why? If not, why not?

7) Exit ticket and closure. 

7th Grade PLC!

You will need your instruments and music. Today we will be working on Les Miserables, Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park, our three chorales and a new steady beat / rhythm game.

Our goal today is to keep Les Mis polished and start polishing Lord of the Rings, and Jurassic Park.

We will be covering 3 major scales and the chromatic scales in warm ups, and making sure we have Smart Music and Embouchure / technique goals set for everyone, and that you know what those goals are! There is a TON to do. Drummers, we need to make sure our 6 essential rudiments are memorized and that our multiple bounce rolls sound "tight" and controlled.

This may help:

Our Plan:

1) Welcome!

2) PACK and Band! (review)

     a) BRIEF review of our norms

     b) IMPORTANT. Is there anything you need today to be successful.

3) Yale New Haven Trip - What did you like? What would you change? What did you learn? Brief discussion of what I learned..

4) Warm Ups and Tune - "Tradition of Excellence Book 2 - Page 2 and page 42. Explain Bb, Eb, and F Concert major scales, the chromatic scale, the chorales.

5) Run entire concert. Discuss strengths and weaknesses. Prioritize agenda based on agenda.

6) After we discuss agenda and begin rehearsal techniques will include direct instruction, teacher modeling, and sectionals.

7) Run entire concert again. Was there growth? If yes, why? If not, why not? Use feedback discussion to drive next rehearsal.

8) Email Mr. Akter for exit ticket.

6th Grade PLC

Hello, and welcome to our 6th Grade Band Rehearsal!

I am very excited for today's rehearsal.

Today we'll be working on all three of our wonderful songs! I want to begin with the songs we are excellent at already (The Hanging Tree and Radetzky March) and focus our energies on Pirates after we warm up with the stuff we know well. We will be beginning and ending today's rehearsal with a run through of the entire concert!

These may be of help: 

Pirates: http://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/media-player.jsp?&type=audio&productID=10034521

Radetzky March: http://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/media-player.jsp?&type=audio&productID=10032893

The Hanging Tree: http://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/media-player.jsp?&type=audio&productID=10521227

Lesson Plan:

1) Sign in and field trip discussion. What did you think of the trip? What did you like? What did you not like as much? What did you learn? Sharing of the band blog and the lesson I learned. 

2) Warm up - Tradition of Excellence Book 2. You should all have the book. Today we are going to be talking about lip slurs, long tones, the chromatic scale, the Bb major scale, and the concept of a chorale. 

3) Just like last rehearsal we will run through an imaginary concert to see what needs work. We will make mental notes of what it is we need to practice, and just let the "train wrecks" happen (if there are any). Do you have everything you need for each song? If not, now is the time to get it. 

4) After run through discuss: what needs the most work and why? Is it Pirates that needs the most work again, or did we remember everything from last rehearsal?  Based on our discussion we will decide what piece we are going to focus on first. 

5) We did not get to this agenda item last rehearsal so we need to get it to today: we are going to be using student conductors to practice Pirates by section. I also have a challenge for you on student conductors. Can we use student conductors on this song for concert? Why or why not? 

6) Continue solo auditions where solos are available. 

7) Run the concert again. Was there growth? If yes, why? If not, why not?

8) Exit ticket and closure. 

Trip to the NHSO and Yale University!

This week the bands and orchestra at New Fairfield Middle School went to see the amazing Daniel Bernard Roumain perform at the historic Woolsey Hall in New Haven with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. It was an amazing performance!

After the performance our students were treated to a wonderful lunch at the Yale Commons Dining Hall.

We were very well taken care of by Yale University's dining services. After an amazing lunch in a beautiful setting we were treated to tours of Yale University courtesy of Yale Visitor's Center. Our tour guides were all current Yale undergraduate students!

You can find pictures of our tour below, but I wanted to take a moment to share with all of you the words of wisdom from one of these Yale tour guides that struck me. One of the students in my tour group asked "isn't this school very hard to get into?"

Our tour guide gave the most amazing and powerful answer:

"Here's my advice. First, apply. Everyone who gets in here feels like they aren't really good enough to be here. Don't sell yourself short. But you need to do three things first. Are you ready? You do these three simple things, you can get into Yale.

Three things:
1) Go to class. Don't miss. Be alert and attentive while there. Just show up. That puts you ahead of 50% of your classmates right there. Sounds harsh, but it's true.

2) Do all the work assigned. All of it. That puts you ahead of 75% of your classmates. You guys know that's true, right? So show up, and do the work.

But if you really want to get in here and be ahead of 90% of your classmates you have to do one more thing. Ready?

3) Ask for help when needed. Advocate for yourself and ask for help when you need it.

That's it.... That's all it takes.

Oh... And be PASSIONATE about something. And then actually do that thing. Don't just be passionate about engineering, build something. Don't just be passionate about music, write some and perform it."

This answer struck me as so profound and important that I wanted to share it in this blog along with the pictures of our tour. It is great advice, not just for school, but for work and life as well.

I need to thank  Mrs. Baldelli for her support and encouragement of us every year and for all the flexibility she shows in allowing us and helping us participate in these enriching activities. Mostly, though I need to thank the parent chaperones who worked very hard on this trip. The Yale University leg of this trip was new, and parent chaperones shouldered a lot of responsibility in helping keep our students safe and having a good time. It is a labor intensive trip and their efforts are very much appreciated!