Friday, March 21, 2014

March 20th Concert

Using our usual areas of assessment (tone, intonation, rhythm, technique, musicianship, etc.), discuss how you feel you MOST contributed to our performance and also discuss the area where you would like to make the most growth before our next performance.  The two areas must be DIFFERENT.
Guidelines:
Post your response by Wednesday, 3/19.
Clearly state which area you are discussing--tone, intonation, rhythm, technique, or musicianship.
Use at least THREE specific examples from our concert music to show us how you contributed in the area you selected.  
For your area of growth, include THREE ways you feel you can achieve your goal before the next concert.  (Please note: “practice” is not an acceptable answer, because that is a given.  HOW are you going to practice?  What resources can you seek to help you reach your goals?  What questions do you have about your plan?)
Before next Wednesday (3/19), read everyone else’s responses and respond to two of them with cheerleading and/or practice tips based on their selected area of growth.  Respond to someone who has not received a response yet so everyone can receive some feedback.

Be respectful in your comments and interactions with others.

100 comments:

  1. I think all of the pieces that we played challenged us in different ways, and we stepped up to all of those challenges. As an ensemble we have grown exponentially, and I am extremely excited to see where we end up by the end of the year.

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    1. I thoroughly enjoyed your solo in Alegre. It was very saxy.

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    2. Yes your solo was great from all those years in jazz band. Keep it up

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  2. What I added the most to the concert was keeping intonation in check. I did this one by having the French horns tune before hand in a practice room to match critical notes. Two I new where my part would fit in the chord and how emphasised my part is for example in Americans We when the trio hit I new how to play soft while staying in the chord. Three I new when to express certain lines such as the horn 2 soli in American Elegy. What I need to improve on the most is rhythmic quality. Three ways I could improve rhythmic quality is through one being decisive with individual rhythms such as the Alegre French Horn beginning. Two, what I need to improve on is confidence on rhythms knowing that I can play certain rhythms and not breaking down under pressure. Three what I need to improve on is listening for similar rhythms that would make it easier to play knowing were my part rhythms parallel.

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    1. Jack! All throughout the concert you could hear the french horns and their awesome intonation, especially in American Elegy. Keep it up! Confidence will come with practice:)

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    2. Sounds like you have a great practice plan!

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    3. What can I say except for, wow! You guys totally nailed it. I could totally tell that you guys had your part down and were well prepared for this concert, especially in American Elegy! Nice Job!

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    4. You and the entire french horn section sounded amazing in American Elegy! The song would not have been a success without the masterful french horn soli.

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  3. I contributed to the concert most in the area of rhythm. Especially during the first 54 measures of Ride, I worked to master the changing time signatures and the syncopated rhythms. In Americans We, I practiced playing the competing rhythms. In Alegre, I made sure to play the heavily syncopated rhythms correctly.
    I can improve the most in the area of musicianship. In Alegre, I could have definitely played with more stylistic influence for the piece. In general, on American Elegy, I will work on bettering my tone in order to be able to convey the emotion of the piece properly. I can also become more confident with the technique of the instrument by practicing scales, and thus being able complete complex runs in a much better fashion (Ride).

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    1. Wes way to be strong in American Elegy when all instruments cut out and you could only hear the bassoons. Also good job with mastering "Ride". It definitely is our most challenging piece. The band's progress on that piece was due to individuals stepping up and putting in the necessary practice time and that's just what you did. Keep up the good work!

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  4. I contributed correct rhythms and musicianship to our performance and played with emotion in the passionate pieces in this concert. Especially in Gettysburg. Playing the 3rd clarinet, the low notes need to be played out and I feel like I accomplished that goal to help the band's balance. I showed the most musicianship in American Elegy when playing the slow sections. I accomplished this by following the articulations, watching the director for tempo changes and thinking about the shooting while I was playing. Rhythmically, Alegre was my strongest piece. It was crucial to correctly play the rhythms and count the rests. Before our next concert, I would like to improve on clarity - especially in the clarinet's throat tone range. To achieve this I have already pulled out my barrel to stay on pitch but feel like it could still improve. Before the next concert I will ask other clarinets how to achieve throat tone clarity. Also I will visit a music shop to make sure all of my keys are working correctly and no extra air is leaking. I can compare my throat tones to other clarinet recordings and see how they compare after I make these changes and obtain more information.

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    1. Claire, great job in the concert! Especially in American Elegy and Gettysburg I really heard your part and it sounded really great, and you did really well in balancing with your section and with the rest of the band!

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    2. Great work and ideas Claire! It is a great idea to ask other players how they do certain things on the instrument. I find that is one of the best ways to improve. Learning from others and teaching others really cement in the technique!

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  5. The area I believe I most contributed to for this concert was indeed rhythm. Since I'm a percussionist, this is the area of music is where I can help the whole band the most. Three areas I helped with this was Alegre, American's we, and Ride. In Alegre, I played the quads and helped keep a solid rhythm during the solos and the end of the piece. Then, in ride, I played the bells and played a pivotal role in the solo section by maintaining a fast pace.
    Lastly, I made a difference in rhythm during Americans we. In order that the band keeps tempo and gets that March feel, the snare provides a since of speed and intensity to maintain the pace and go with the director.

    Although I preformed well in the rhythm of the pieces, the area where I can improve the most is technique. Throughout the pieces my roles were not the best so I can practice these during warm up and be deliberate in them when not preforming. Another way I can practice this is work with watching the director and music while letting my hands do work and play notes without looking at them. Lastly, I can improve technique by stressing dynamics both loud and soft during performances. All these things will help me become a better musician.

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    1. I think the percussion section was a very vital key for success in this concert. You guys did really well and helped keep the tone for the whole band to follow along with. Great Job!

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    2. I enjoyed your cricket in American Elegy

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  6. I believe that I contributed the most through general intonation and rhythm. As a low section it was very important to maintain the steady pace in the backdrop and then have good tone when playing out more. This large variety of playing can be reflected throughout most of music selected through this concert.

    The area in which I believe I can improve upon the most is articulation. Although we played with generous musicality and achieved a great sound to each of the pieces, I believe that with better articulation the pieces could have sounded much clearer and remained much more distinctive. To improve on this I can maintain a steady practice schedule and work upon drawing out each individual note with good intonation.

    Thanks for an awesome concert guys :)

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    1. Thanks for maintaining the steady pace in the backdrop and then have good tone when playing out more, Annika! Good luck with your articulation. I agree that the band would benefit as a whole in working on articulation, especially when we play in Fick and our sounds somewhat mush together.

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  7. Robbie Muehlbauer

    I think that I contributed through keeping Gutysburg powerful and sounding like a battle. I did this by using drastic dynamic contrast. I can improve by watching the conductor to get cues and execute precise timing. I also think I can do my best to blend in with the rest of the band, and finally, I can improve my musicality and expression

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    1. I agree that your dynamics were drastic and they added to the pieces. 

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    2. I definitely think your performance made the piece sound like a battle, great job to bring the piece to life!

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    3. The percussion in Gettysburg sounded just like real cannons firing, great job! Also, I agree that watching the conductor for cues is key to precise timing.

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  8. I feel that the area in which I most contributed was tone quality. I feel that for Americans We I was able to succeed in playing notes that were both short, but still with good tone. I also feel that in Gettysburg I had the appropriate tone quality, especially for the part where the horns were meant to be the "fatal thrust".. I also feel that in An American Elegy I achieved a very clear and clean tone.

    The area in which I need the most improvement is intonation. My ear training is not particularly strong. To improve this, I plan to practice interval identification at home. I also plan to look up pitch tendencies for my instrument at home so that I can identify notes that I need to be on guard for in terms of tuning. I also plan to work with a tuner to identify my own personal pitch tendencies.

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    1. I agree, the horns had very good tone, especially in Gettysburg! In Americans We, the audience could for sure hear the separation between the notes. Good job Kirsten!

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    2. The French Horns definitely did sound good! Great job! I too have trouble with intonation. I find it helpful to learn pitch tendencies but also playing notes (on the piano for example) and comparing it to the notes I play. Great ideas!

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  9. The area where I believe I contributed the most to the ensemble was in musicianship. An example of this was in Allegre. I used the pointers that Mr. Evett gave us about dynamics to bring contrast to the piece and the different sections in it. Another example of this was in Gettysburg. During the sections were we slowed down and speed up, I worked really hard to show the contrast not only with the timing but also the dynamics. I think this really added to the piece. Also in Gettysburg, I watched Mr. Richter to see what dynamics he wanted exactly. Finally, in Americans We, I changed my tone and was of playing depending on what section we were in. For example, I played different in the slow part than I did at the beginning.

    An area where I need to work is Tone. Having nice tone is a challenge for me, so to improve in this area I will pin point exact notes that have the worst tone (and with that intonation). I will practice getting nice tone on those notes right away. Another this I will do is work on strengthening my embouchure. This will help my overall tone. Finally, I will look on pitch tendencies and memorize exactly which notes need work.

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    1. Dani, thanks for your contributions of musicianship during the concert. I could definitely hear the musicianship of many individuals throughout several sections and I thought the band's musicianship was one of the best parts of the concert. Good luck with your tone. It seems especially hard as an oboe to have a perfect embouchure and good tone.

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    2. Your musicianship really added to the performance! You really did a super job of watching the conductors and keeping with the tempo and contrasting your dynamics. Great job Dani!

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    3. Dani, you sounded amazing during the concert! I also struggle with tone a lot and what I've been told is that I need to have a relaxed yet firm embouchure, so maybe that will help! Good job and keep up the good work!!

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  10. I think I most contributed to the concert with my rhythm. I didn't mess up any rhythms throughout the concert so I guess that should be the logical choice. Rhythm was especially important in Ride and Americans We when there were fast, tricky rhythms that could easily be messed up resulting in people losing their place in the music. Allegre was also an important piece to have correct rhythms because though it was an easier piece, a single individual messing up a rhythm would have made the piece sound not as clean and not as good. The worst aspect of my playing last night was my tone but I think what I need to work most on is my technique. Especially in Americans We, there were a lot of technical elements that I struggled with. There are a couple spots in Ride that I still can't play. Technique is different from rhythm in that I know the rhythms very well, it's just in moving my fingers and tonguing/ double-tonguing quickly enough that I struggle. I will continue to work on my technique in flute playing by practicing technique exercises and circle spots and reinforcing my techniques through repetition.

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    1. Rachael that's awesome that you nailed your rhythms! There were definitely some tough ones that I struggled with especially in Ride and Americans We. Great job at the concert!

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  12. I think I added most to the ensemble with musicianship. One place was in the low notes at the beginning of American elegy. Though they sometimes didn't come out super clear I think I added in musicianship. As well as the chords at the end. Another place is Gettysburg. I think my counting allowed for musicianship to shine through in my cutoffs. 
    I think the biggest way I can grow is in tone. Especially with quiet playing. I can help improve this with quiet practicing, using my embouchure to improve tone, and testing different types of reeds for different types of music. 

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    1. I thought you had a great solo Jackson! It is easy to see how musical you are. Keep up the great work!
      -Drew Sanda

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    2. Your solo in Alegre was awesome. The trading twos with Alex sounded really good and you came up with some cool stuff.

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    3. Although I am not a woodwind player, your idea of experimenting with different types of reeds sounds like a great idea that would definitely help! I think that you sounded awesome during the concert, especially during your Alegre solo! You have amazing improv skills and your technique is always flawless!

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  13. I think I contributed most to the concert through musicianship. In American Elegy, during the part where the flutes start and its like a round between the other instruments, I really tried to be aware of how we played and how we set up for the other instruments. Also during Gettysburg, towards the end when the woodwinds have the melody as the "war" ends I tried to bring out vibrato and make it very musical. And finally in Ride, even in a fast piece I tried to make it musical by paying attention to dynamics, and hitting the rhythms. Something I need to improve on is intonation. One way I can do this is tuning, all the flutes should have tuned together before the concert. Another way I could improve my intonation is by sitting up on long notes, instead of holding them and then they go out of tune when I let go of them. And a third way is to take a tuner and play different notes and see which notes my flute tends to be flat or sharp in so I know when to sit up on notes in a piece or sit down on them.

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    1. You did well at the concert! I can understand how tuning is an issue because during some parts of American Elegy, clarinets struggled with it too. I agree that it's very helpful to check the entire section with a tuner before the concert.

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    2. Katie, I agree that we definitely should have tuned before our concert. But great job on trying to be more musical and bringing out vibrato. Your piccolo part sounded amazing!

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  15. I think I added mostly to the musicianship. During songs like Gettysburg as well as American Elegy the bass section was needed to contribute to a lot to that song and I thought, that is where I helped out a lot with the Contra. I also thought Alegre was a good song that musicianship was needed by all of the basses and players like the trombones, bass clarinets, bar. Saxes and tuba had contributed a lot to the song with a low bass sound for support.

    I think the area I could mostly improve on would be the rhythm of the songs. I feel like for this concert, Americans We and Ride were a little slow for me as I played through them. To achieve a more in rhythm feel with the band, I could use a metronome for following along with the beat. I could also use SmartMusic to grasp the rhythm that the song is going for and finally make sure I watch all of the counts from Mr. Richter.

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    1. I thought that you, along with the rest of the bass section, did a great job in bringing out your sound when necessary. I really felt that you guys helped balance out the band. Great job, Brennan!
      -Drew Sanda

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    2. I agree that the bass section did a fantastic job at the concert. Although we could use more cohesion, we're getting there! —Ariana Song

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    3. Brennan, I agree that you really added to the bass section. Having the clarinets really brings out a different sound that is unique to the bass section. Without that distinct sound that you provided, the bass section would not be the same.

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  16. I think that I most contributed to the concert with musicianship. When we played American Elegy I tried my best to put emotion into the piece. In Gettysburg, I think the trumpet section as a whole sounded like one, we all had great musicianship and listened to each other. Finally, in Americans We, I made sure to watch Mr Richter to know when to change dynamics, to keep a good tempo and stay with the trumpets.

    The area I need to work on is technique. When we played Ride there was still a run of sixteenth notes that was difficult for me, so next time, I will play runs over many times, slower, to get the fingerings down before speeding up. Also, I will work more on double tonguing for the next concert because I struggled a little in Americans We with how fast we needed to tongue it. I'm going to work on a steady tempo, during American Elegy sometimes I would get ahead a few beats, so I'll use a metronome when practicing.

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    1. Awesome job in the concert! and it is an amazing idea practice with a metronome to keep the beat

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    2. Great job throughout the entire concert!!! Trumpets rock

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  17. I think that I contributed most in musicianship. In Gettysburg, I focused heavily on differentiating the beginning, middle, and end of the song. During the beginning, I tried to blend in the background while the higher pitched instruments played out. In the middle, I played out each melody as the battle of the war raged, and by the end of the piece, I focused on listening for the low voices. In Americans We, I used musicianship during the legato section, where higher woodwinds had the melody. I really felt that I was watching Mr. Richter and it helped me shape each phrase. Lastly, I felt that I showed musicianship through An American Elegy in the Rubato section, along with the very beginning of the piece. I listened to all other sections to guide me into each crescendo and decrescendo, and felt that it allowed for a solid intro into the piece.

    The area I think I need to work on is technique. On occasion, I find myself with difficult sections to finger and fall into. I can improve this by spending more time on each scale, spending more time on trouble-sections by slowing down and playing through them repeatedly, and becoming more used to the alternate fingerings for quick rifts of notes.
    -Drew Sanda

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    1. Good job at the concert! Sometimes technique was an issue for me too. When practicing, I find it helpful to play through difficult phrases slowly and then increase the tempo to match the piece.

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    2. Good jod Drew! You did such a great job! You are so musical I agree that Gettysburg is a powerful song! Great job expressing that!

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    3. Drew, I believe that you contributed a lot by blending with the higher woodwinds, like us clarinets. Nobody stood out and the sounds really meshed together, which was really cool to hear in Gettysburg.

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  18. Three areas I was happy with my performance at the concert was intonation during some of the long notes clarinets held during American Elegy. I was also happy with the technique I had to play some of the fast phrase of Ride. Finally, I was happy with my ability to play with different emotions as the two pieces Gettysburg and American Elegy required. In the future, three areas of improvement for me would be rhythm because sometimes I had trouble counting and coming in at the right time with the band. I will practice my pieces on Smartmusic so I have a better idea of the rhythm for all of our pieces. Also, I had trouble with staying focused for long stretches of time during the concert because my lips grew tired during playing my clarinet. I will improve this by practicing future concert pieces in one sitting to better accustom myself to playing so long. Finally, I feel that I could grow in the area of sound quality. During some songs, such as American Elegy, I had trouble holding my breath for entire phrases. I can improve this with Remington breathing exercises and trying to identify and play through entire musical phrases during my practicing.

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    1. Hey, awesome job in the concert! Another strategy would be to play in front of a mirror, to better your posture, and to play long tones with a tuner so that you can increase breath support and tone

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  20. I believe that the area I most contributed to was in my rhythm, I've been working a lot on my rhythm and subdividing for the past few months and I think that it showed in the concert because I was in time and with the rest of the band for the duration of the concert. For example in Ride I was in time in measures 78 to 100, with the fast fingerings. Also in Gettysburg I initially struggled with not playing on the right beat but during the concert I was very aware and played it correctly. Lastly in American Elegy, I held the notes to their full value and came in on the right places. I think the area I most need to improve on is with my intonation. I've never had a very good ear and I was trying very hard to listen to the rest of the band and tune to them, but it seemed as if I just got more out of tune. So I definitely need to work on hearing whether I'm sharp or flat compared to the rest of the band and learning how to make a quick adjustment in order to lock in quickly. I plan on doing this by working with adjusting my embouchure and using my air in order to stop lower notes from going flat and high noted from going sharp. In the future, focusing on my intonation would be the area I would hope to most improve on.

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    1. As I was sitting next to you during Alegre, I was noticing your great rhythm. You did a fantastic job at the concert and I can tell you worked hard!

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  21. The area I am focusing on technique. In Americans We, I played all of my notes accurately and in tune. In Gettysburg, I played all of the techniques correctly. Finally, in Ride, I played all the correct sticking and rhythms that were printed and suggested.
    I will also work on bettering my technique. In Ride, I missed the 3rd and 4th rimshots near the end of the piece, so I will work on and practice hitting rimshots on non-marching snares. Also, I am not satisfied with how I did some of the sticking in Gettysburg, so I will work on right hand lead etudes and paradiddle exercises. Finally, I will work on all rolls (double and triple stroke along with buzz rolls) by playing roll exercises from snare books, so that they are cleaner and more precise, as the end ish of Gettysburg (m. 145) was not as clean as I would have had it.

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  22. I believe that I contributed mostly in tone. I have been working very hard in my private lessons on how to get different tones for different pieces. I also expressed my musicianship in An American Elegy(beginning and end) and Gettysburg(middle) because I felt the power and sadness behind the songs. I really enjoyed playing them! I would like there to be more growth in the intonation category specifically on piccolo. To improve this, I will look up the pitch tendencies for the piccolo. I will also tune each note at home and use a tuner during the concert. I can listen to other instruments more than I play to get more in tune.

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    1. Your tone was amazing as always and you really added to the performance! Great job on the piccolo and I think it's great to look up pitch tendencies, they will be a huge help!

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    2. Tuning a piccolo is hard! I think it is smart that you plan to use both pitch tendencies and a tuner to tune the piccolo. It is very impressive that you play two instruments... in one concert!
      GO AL!!!!!!! Keep it up :-)

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  23. I feel I contributed the most in my rhythm. In Allegre it was very important to count the rests since we all came in at different times during the piece and each part was vital to the song as a whole and I felt I helped to keep the silence of the piece silent. Also in Americans We there were a lot of runs and fast sections of notes that it was easy to speed and/or slow down and I thought I helped keep others in time by playing the right rhythms and was able to stay in time despite the many fast notes. Lastly, in Ride I felt it was very easy to fall behind, especially around measure 90. I felt I did a good job at keeping up and playing the hard rhythms and notes, allowing the band to sound even better. The area of growth I want to improve in is tone, especially in the lower register and the very high, high register. In Allegre around measure 32 there was very low notes that we had to play fast and I struggled with that and also in Ride there was very high notes around the end of the piece that I struggled with as well and when I played them, they didn't sound the best, so I really want to improve on this. I will do this by practicing tounging really fast in the low register. I have been starting to work on this with my flute teacher. I can also practice scales that go all the way up to a high C and play then until each not has the best tone and doesn't crack like usual. Lastly, I want to be more patient and spend more time on the hard registers instead of skipping over them or putting them off until later.

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    1. From sitting behind you, you sounded great! Good job keeping all of us crazy flutes from running wild. Also I'll be working on my high tone along side you (We've got this!). I would recommend trying the long tone Vanamali gave us but in high and low registers.

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  24. You played great throughout the entire concert!!! Love all you rhythm accuracy and putting some spice within the flute section.

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  25. I feel that I contributed most towards tone. I tried my best to get in the middle of every note throughout all the songs. Since I played the 3rd part for a couple of the songs, they tended to have lower notes and whenever I played a D I would push the 3rd valve slide out to make the pitch in the center. During American Elegy, I mostly played whole or half notes and every time there was a new phrase beginning, I would really focus on my inhale and once I played to note really focused on blending the tone with the rest of my section.

    An area that I would need to work on is rhythm. I am not the best at double tonguing and so I think that the skill of being able to double tongue will help me play faster rhythms. I think that working on faster fingers would also help me with faster rhythms. When I practice, I will work on getting the tok-kah-tok-kah down with my tongue and give my tongue more muscle memory. To work on getting faster fingers I will first work slowly on a phrase that has a faster rhythm over and over until I can play it up to speed.

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    1. It sounds like you are creating great practice techniques and habits! Keep it up! I agree with double tonguing -that can be tricky and it's something I need to work on myself. Being able to double tongue opens up so many doors and allows you to play so much more repertoire. Mr. Kile showed me a technique to practice double tonguing and its been really helpful! Remind me- I'd be happy to show you sometime!

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  26. I think I contributed the most to the concert through my musicianship. In Gettysburg I really focused on the large dynamic contrasts, the changing tempo, and the differing articulations to create the overall feel of chaos and battle. In American Elegy I played with passion and used dynamics to express the emotion of the piece. In Ride, I tried to use dynamics and articulations to maintain the overall feel of the piece even though it was very fast.
    The area I can improve the most before next concert is technique. One way I can do this by practicing double tonging in my warm up every day since I could not keep up in some parts of Americans We. Another way I can improve my technique is to practice scales at a quick tempo with varying articulations. This will allow me to improve my ability to articulate. Finally, before next concert, I will spend more time working on fast runs so that I can play them perfectly.

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    1. The saxes sounded great in all the expressive sections; keep it up hotwheelz!

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  27. Kelly Anderson:
    I feel I most contributed to the concert with musicianship. One way I did this was by adding more emotion to my music instead of just playing the notes accurately. For instance, I put a lot of emotion into Gettysburg, which made me make more dramatic choices for dynamics, rhythms, etc. Another way was that I did well at following all the tempo changes. I watched the conducting carefully. For example, in Ride I had to constantly look up, not only because of the many time signature changes, but also because of tempo changes. The last way was that I adjusted things on-the-spot for certain pieces. For instance, if the band was playing louder or more quietly than usual, I would play more quietly. One of the times I did this was during Allegre when I adjusted the volume on the piano because it was too loud for the volume that the rest of the band was playing at.

    The area I need to work on the most is technique. I should practice playing the instruments with a bigger variety of mallets/sticks so I can figure out what sounds best with which instrument when playing certain types of music, etc. I should also practice sight reading more rhythms because there are some rhythms that I have received in past music pieces that take me a long time to figure out. I could use our two warm up books to help with that. Lastly, I should practice more advanced techniques such as using 2 or 3 mallets per hand etc. I can ask other percussionists for help on that because I know there are at least a couple that at every good at doing that.

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  28. I think that I contributed to the concert the most with musicianship. I shared background information with both classes about the details of the Columbine shooting, and I think that really helped the band understand the piece and play it with more feeling and emotion. Also, I tried to focus on picturing the battle of Gettysburg while we played Gettysburg. It helped me to better my interpretations of the dynamics and the articulations. I also pretended that I was on a roller coaster when we played Ride. Imagining a story or a detailed scene while playing a piece can really help enhance the emotion of it.
    For the next concert, I could improve on my technique. I felt that I was not 100% technically prepared for this concert, especially for Ride. To improve for next concert, I can make sure to circle places that I struggle with when we play in class, then go home and practice those specific places, or "circle spots". I can also ask others in my section for help with specific rhythms or fingerings that I am unsure about. Lastly, I can ask my private lesson teacher to help me with the pieces and ask her to show me the most efficient and effective ways to practice them.

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    1. Julie!! Thanks so much for helping the band understand what American Elegy was about. I think it really helped us create an experience and emotions that could only be told through music! You go girl!!! Great job on the concert!!

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  29. I first want to say that our concert was awesome and it was so clear that everyone put so much dedication and effort into making it great. I believe that how I contributed to the concert was through rhythm and tone. Especially in Gettysburg, in the “march of the soldiers” part, the bass clarinets defined the tone and made it sound dark and powerful. There were also parts in Allegre that focused on rhythm. I contributed to the syncopation and rhythm of Allegre by providing improv during the solo section. In American Elegy, I also feel that I contributed with a dark tone, to emphasize how tragic the shooting was.

    In the ways that I can improve, I do still think I can work on my rhythm, because every piece is different and as we progress into even harder music, the rhythm will become even more challenging. The ART Rhythm packets are a really good tool for practicing how to figure out the counting and rhythm for pieces, so I will continue to practice with those. I will also continue to go through the more difficult parts of my music with my private teacher. I will play along with the Smartmusic recordings so I can hear exactly how the rhythm is supposed to be played, and so it will stick in my mind.

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    1. I could definitely hear the bass clarinets during Gettysburg, and all of you, as you said, sounded incredibly dark and powerful, and you did a fantastic job on the solo section of Alegre! I think your plan to practice with SmartMusic is a really good idea, as once you hear how something is supposed to be played it is nice to be able to go from what you hear as well as how you think it's supposed to sound.

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  30. I thought I contributed most on my rhythm this concert. Last concert this was an area I struggle a bit on but with my practice i thought I was on with my section and fit into the piece nicely.
    For the next concert I would like to work on my tone in my upper register. To do this I will continue to work my teacher on my embouchure and jaw position as well as work on these things at home during my practice time.

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  31. Ariana Song~

    My area of strength is musicianship. American Elegy was one of my favorite pieces, and I used dynamics and vibrato through the long notes to really make the expressiveness of the piece come out. Similarly, Gettysburg had a unique character that needed to be emphasized, and all the trombones did a great job accenting the tenutos and strong quarter notes, especially in the section after the percussion cadenza. I also worked on my musicianship in Ride by playing up the alternating playfulness and intensity of the alternating time signatures. It was tough to count in the beginning, but stressing the asymmetric beats with expressiveness seemed to help.

    I would like to improve my intonation, especially in expressive pieces like American Elegy. One tool I can use is Smart Music, which can measure the accuracy of the pitches I play along. Another way is to make sure I listen to the rest of my section and other sections as well to tune our chords and harmonies. Finally, I can pay more attention to which pitches tend to be sharp or flat on my instrument, and learn to counteract that.

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  32. I think my area of strength is musicianship. This is probably because it is my favorite area of focus, I enjoy thinking about how the music should be played with emotion, rather than the rhythms. In American Elegy I enjoyed having such a strong story behind the music, so it was much easier to bring out the feeling of the piece. I worked hard to picture what the families affected by the Columbine shooting feel, and put that into the music. In Gettysburg I thought it was fun to have a change of emotion, because horns usually are better at not-angry pieces, but I think the horn section did well in taking on the different emotion.

    One are I think I can improve on is rhythm. I struggled with the hard rhythms in Ride especially. I can improve this by practicing the ART rhythm more, and sight reading harder rhythms. I think I also could have more areas of focus when I'm practicing to take a trouble spot in the music and work specifically on those rhythms.

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    1. I think the ART rhythm technique is helpful for a lot of people. In general when I practice rhythms I find that it's best to slowly figure out what the rhythm is supposed to sound like, and the context of it, and then to gradually bring the surrounding rhythms up to speed. Then I try to repeat the "circle spot" several times until I feel secure in my playing ability. I hope that helps!

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  33. The area that I feel I most contributed in was musicianship, specifically in An American Elegy. I tried by best to watch for ritardandos (and just tempo changes in general) throughout the song. Overall, I did my best to listen to the parts that other instruments were playing while being aware of the “baton passing” moments and for the instruments playing before me I could match their dynamics and style. This was especially important in the 4-part canon section of An American Elegy. Finally, I also feel I contributed in Gettysburg, most notably the beginning, when the first clarinets have few measures of held notes I made sure that my cutoffs for those part were especially clean, but that I also didn’t cut those notes off early. In general I tried to pay special attention to dynamics and keeping sustained notes “moving” by properly supporting them.

    I would like to make the most growth in my tone next concert. To tie tone in with intonation I would like to be as in tune as possible with the rest of my section and then band which would involve tuning myself, my section, and listening carefully to the band before the concert. For the best tone and intonation I have to make it a goal of mine to just play with more air in general and to continue to strengthen my embouchure. From there I can also work on making sure I use the best reeds/break in new reeds at home so I can play on a reed that is not too hard or soft.

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    1. It's a great idea to play with more air - as far as embouchure goes, I have heard that spacing out playing so that you play for a little while a few times a day instead of one long practice time can improve the endurance of your embouchure. Good job on the canon section especially!

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  34. I think I contributed most greatly with rhythm. In Ride, I played the rhythms correctly and practiced the transitions between time signatures so that I was able to keep a consistent and accurate tempo. I also practiced double tonguing, so that the sixteenth notes in Ride and Americans We were clean and precise. And in An American Elegy, I worked on subdividing the notes in my solo in order to keep them consistent within the variations of the rubato tempo. For next concert, I'm going to work on musicality. I'll use lip slurs and pitch bending to improve my vibrato; play duets at my lessons to learn characteristic styles; and expand the range of my dynamics.

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    1. Yes, your rhythm was impressive, especially in Ride! Keep it up! Some advice for musicianship would be listening to lots of different classical music. Maurice Andre is a great trumpet player to listen to.

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    2. You did do really well on your rhythms Erin!! Great job on your solo too!

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  36. I think my attribute that most contributed to the performance was musicianship. In American Elegy, I crescendoed and watched Mr. Richter to connect phrases. In Gettysburg, I played with lots of air and I tried my best to use my trumpet to contribute to the sounds on the battlefield. I tried changing the color of tone I was making as well. In American We, I definitely added musicianship by having the march style. For next concert, I hope to to increase my technical skills. By doing so, I will practice all 12 scales with Arpeggios. I believe the Arban's book for trumpet also has a lot of tidbits for me to increase my technique. Finally, I will attempt to do the routine my private lesson teacher gave me. It challenges my range and my technique. By doing this every day, I will definitely become a better trumpet player as well as my technique.

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    1. Great job in the concert Luke!! I think the trumpets sounded really good! keep up the good work and good luck with practicing scales and with your routines!!

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    2. I agree with Jenae! The trumpets sounded absolutely amazing in the concert. I hope you keep up the good work and keep on improving!

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  37. I felt I most contributed to this concert in rhythm. Some of my parts were very loud and important, so it was crucial that I played the rhythms accurately. Especially in Gettysburg, I felt that my accurate rhythms added a lot to the overall performance of the piece--I played snare drum, and especially on some of the march-like parts of the piece, I felt that I was accurate and in control of my rhythms which was necessary of my part. Also, in Ride, I played China cymbal, and I had some very big crashes at the end, some of which were syncopated. I practiced these rhythms and felt that it paid off. Finally, in Alegre, I played the maracas, and so I had a really loud part and played various rhythms throughout the entire song. My rhythms were especially important in this piece because it was such a percussion-heavy piece.

    The area that I would like to focus on is musicianship. One way I can improve this is by listening to professionally played music, because that will help me to distinguish what is "good music." Another thing I can do is to listen to actual recordings (YouTube, JWPepper, SmartMusic) of the songs that we are playing in class-multiple versions, if possible-to pick up on different dynamics, contrasts, and styles that other bands are employing. Finally, I will challenge myself to take musical risks while I play, because I think that will help me to develop good musicianship.

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    1. Leah, it was so fun playing with you for Allegre! Great job on rhythm and technique. My area of focus is also musicianship– I will also try to take risks and make more new choices. Keep it up!!

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  38. I believe that each piece challenged the whole band in different ways. American Elegy helped us use tone in music and allowed us to express emotion through music. Our musicality was truly exposed and I think we did really well. Personally I worked very hard on the musicality because I wanted to show the emotion of the song. Ride and Americans We challenge us with rhythms and worked us to create an experience. Both these piece were difficult for me but I worked hard to achieve better quality sound. The rhythms didn't come to me at first but as I practiced more I got better. Coming together as a band I think we supported each other and that helped us achieve very good sounding songs. For the next concert I plan on working more with my private lesson teacher to make sure that each piece is great. I want to feel very confident with each song before the concert and know that as an individual in the band I will be able to excel and help the quality of our band.

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    1. Your solo for Ride and American Elegy were fantastic! You improved so much from the first time you got your music and it sounded amazing. Great work!

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    2. Jenae. Wow. It's hard to believe you started playing the oboe only a year ago...you sound fantastic! Keep rockin' those solos and playing out because you have honestly grown so much as a musician. Whatever you're doing to practice - keep it up, because it's working!

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  39. I felt like I most contributed to this concert with musicianship, especially in Gettysburg and American Elegy. These pieces in my mind were very emotional and the band really needed to have a lot of musicianship and understanding to be able to play them and truly have an impact on the audience. I know I tried to play with a ton of musicianship during those pieces, playing the crescendos and playing softly leading up to playing super loud. Clarienets often times had to hold notes for a very long time and keep them in tune. The challenge of these pieces was not the rythms or the pace they were going. It was how we played it. So I feel like I definetely contributed muscianship to those pieces.
    An area that I need to improve on would for sure be intonation. I think that's something as a band we could use practice on as well. Especially in pieces that require long notes being held, I need to make sure those notes are in tune. To improve this, I will use a tuner daily when I practice at home and after school in the practice rooms. I will also tune with my fellow clarinets.

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  40. I think I most contributed to the band through controlled tone in Gettysburg. It requires both loud and brash playing in addition to quiet and controlled sound. I think the rest of the trumpets and I did fantastically in this regard. I also think I prepared well for the technical aspects of the concert, namely the fast double-tonguing in Americans We and the odd time signatures in Ride. I also think the rest of the trumpet section did an awesome job on this as well.

    For the next concert, I plan to practice more with Smart Music (when possible) so I can get a better idea of how my part sounds in relation to the rest of the band. I will also work more on double-tonguing, something I still struggle quite a lot with. I also will practice a controlled tone, as at times I felt like I got a bit out of control. Finally, I want to work on general endurance, so that I will be able to play at full ability through the whole performance.

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    1. I agree I thought the trumpet section did really well controlling our, sometimes overwhelming, sound. You sounded great and I agree that the double tonguing was and is hard to get under control. Great job!!

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  41. I feel I most contributed through musicianship in the last concert. Throughout Gettysburg, as well as American Elegy, I believe I portrayed the emotions that the composer intended for the piece. Specifically in Gettysburg, with drastic changes in dynamics (for example when the clarinets come in after the cannonade compared to the last few bars of the music), it was at first difficult to try and create the proper emotions; however, I believe that I was able to achieve proper dynamics and emotion. As for American Elegy, I feel myself, as well as the entire band, performed this piece with as much heart as we could give it. Specifically during the alma mater portion of the piece, we all used proper breathing, intonation, articulation, and followed Mr. Richter so that it was a highlight of the performance.

    For the next concert, I plan to work with my private teacher and various technique books to improve my finger flexibility with difficult notes and the throat tones. Secondly I plan to practice with Smart Music when available to me on as many songs as possible. This will help me greatly with my rhythms and tempo. Lastly, I plan on working privately on my overall musicianship. Specifically, improving portrayal of emotions, dynamic shifts, and breathing techniques. Through these actions I believe that I will improve greatly by the next concert.

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  42. I believe that I most contributed to the concert through rhythm.

    I’m just going to be blatantly honest, up until the beginning of this year I have had the rhythm skills of a 3rd grader.

    However, with in-class rhythm work (ART packet) and extensive out-of-class practice (MusicTheory.net) I have drastically improved on my rhythmic skills.

    For this concert, I worked very hard on the complex and intricate rhythms of Ride. During individual practice, I started off playing through sections slow until I mastered that particular section. Then, every day (using a metronome) I increased my speed until I was comfortable at concert speed. I used this same method in parts of Americans We. I believe that marches need to be very clean and precise - and I worked hard to achieve that. In addition I worked on Allegre. Allegre didn’t have the most challenging rhythms in the world, but the rhythms required a sense of perfection. Just one off note could be easily noticed- so I worked hard on that aspect of Allegre. During the performance, I believed I nailed every section in every song that ever gave me rhythmic trouble

    For the next concert, I am going to commit to improving my intonation.

    Intonation is one of the musical elements that can be difficult to “practice”. But I intend to practice, and I intend to be successful.

    1. First of all, I will reform the way I practice. Before I even play a note, I will put my tuner on my stand and while practicing I will pay close attention to how I’m sounding.
    2. I will be conscientious of pitch tendencies (whether a particular note tends to be flat or sharp) and I will work with my private teacher on ways I can make those pitches more reliable.
    3. I will research, and ask my teacher about alternate fingerings. Some pitch issues can be eliminated by simply adding another finger here and there.


    Thank you, and great concert you guys!!

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    1. Mikkel, you did a wonderful job in this concert– your hard work definitely payed off. I've never heard of musictheory.net before, I'll have to check it out! And that's a great idea to use a tuner on your stand at all times. Keep up the good work!

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  43. I believe that I contributed most to this concert through technique. I worked very hard to keep everything as clean as possible– maraca shakes, bass drum hits, dynamic choices, etc.– in order to enhance the performance and create good sound. I played the maracas in Allegre, which was a significant part that needed to be perfectly executed in order to sound good. I used a practice pad (as suggested) to help me with this, and took the time to practice the rhythms slowly before speeding them up. It is easy to sound sloppy when playing the maracas, so I made sure that each of my strokes were short and clean. I played the large concert bass drum in Gettysburg. This was more challenging than most bass drum parts that I have played, because of the canon section. It was my first experience improvising during a concert. It was important to have good bass drum technique in order for me to play this song correctly. I switched between soft and hard mallets to audibly differentiate between the changing moods throughout the piece. For example, I used a hard, marching bass drum mallet for the canon section, and switched to a softer, concert bass drum mallet for the more mellow parts. Another song in witch I showed technical strength was Ride. This was my most challenging piece due to the nature of the timpani part. In order to play the entire song in tune, I had to retune each drum on the fly, sometimes with less than a measure of time. It took me all of the rehearsals prior to the concert for me to perfect the retuning system. Without being proficient in retuning the drums, I would not have played Ride successfully.

    The area in which I hope to make the most growth before our next performance is musicianship. It is easy to get wrapped up in the technique or rhythm of a song, and never think about the artistic aspect of the music. To help me improve my musicianship, I will continue to listen to lots of orchestral pieces, taking note of musicality, dynamic changes, blending, etc. I could do this through SmartMusic, J.W. Pepper, YouTube, iTunes, going to the orchestra, etc. By expanding my musical knowledge through listening, I will become a stronger musician.

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    1. You along with the rest of percussion did a great job keeping everything clean! The Gettysburg piece really sounded awesome!

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  44. I feel like i most contributed to the concert with regards to rhythm. In Alegre, it was very slow but there were a few odd rhythm sections that had to be practiced. I made sure to focus extra hard on these parts, seeing as it was key to the sound of Alegre. Another example of the use of rhythm was in Americans We. This song is very fast and requires you to focus on technique, rhythm and sound. The rhythm is very unique because it is so fast moving and I felt like I was able to get the rhythm, even if I missed some of the notes. Finally, Ride was another piece that required rhythm work. Like Americans We, it was very fast paced and required you to be spot on regarding the rhythm. I worked very hard on this piece to display a consistent rhythm and also worked on keeping my technique up to speed due to the pace of this song.
    An area that I can work on is regarding my technique. In Americans We, I sometimes would be sloppy because it is so fast and there are so many things you need to focus on at once. In order to improve my technique, I can focus on this area with my teacher and do certain scales to help with this. In addition to this, I can work on some staccato warm ups that cause you to have to really push your technique. Another thing I can do to work on this area is to take things a lot slower when practicing. This forces you to focus on your technique and take your time, which leads to success in the long run with constant repetition.

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  45. I think that I most contributed to the concert with musicianship. When we played American Elegy I tried my best to put emotion into the piece, to do justice and portray the emotions of the loss and tragedy that happened at Columbine. In Gettysburg, I think the trumpet section as a whole stayed together and had good intonation, we all had great musicianship and listened to each other. Finally, in Americans We, I made sure to watch Mr. Richter to know how he wanted the dynamics to go and to make sure that I stayed in tempo in order to keep a good tempo and stay with the rest of the band.

    The area I need to work on is technique. When we played Ride there was still a run of sixteenth notes that was difficult for me, so next time, I will play runs over many times, slower, to get the fingerings down before speeding up. Also, I will work more on double tonguing for the next concert because I struggled a little in Americans We with how fast we needed to tongue it. I’m also going to work on keeping good tone when playing notes quietly because in many pieces we are asked to “fade into nothingness” and as I get softer and softer sometimes my tone can suffer.

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