Monday, October 27, 2014

Carnival 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 THIS Wednesday, 10/29.
Clearly state which area you are discussing--tone, intonation, rhythm, technique, or musicianship.
Use at least TWO specific examples from our concert music to show us how you contributed in the area you selected.  
For your area of growth, include TWO 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 (11/5), 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.

Optional:  You may include reflections on what went well with the Carnival, what we could improve on and/or what we could add for next year.

Be respectful in your comments and interactions with others.

144 comments:

  1. I contributed to the carnival concert by playing my best and having a good attitude that I think the kids appreciated.

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    1. I think you need some more here....you should work on it add some more! :)

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  2. Laura Lehman

    This year for the carnival concert, I think I contributed most to the band by playing the correct dynamics and articulation. To do this, I listened to the directors comments, along with my private instructors feedback to know when the clarinets have the melody, and when to let another instrument have the spotlight. I worked hard during band and outside of band to make sure my articulation was correct. Something I could have improved upon would be my outside practice time. I usually practice two times a week outside of my private lesson, and for the next concert, I want to increase that time. I will achieve this by recreating my practice chart from last year. This included my practice times, what I did each day, and if I achieved my weekly goals.
    Overall, I believe that the Varsity Band did very well at the carnival concert!

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    1. It's really awesome that you listened to the director and took his direction to heart, and knowing when you have the melody is a good skill to have as well!

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    2. Great idea for making a practice chart. Practicing is something I also need to increase.

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    3. Great idea to receive help from your private teacher outside of rehearsal to have another persons' opinion on the piece!

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    3. Nice job Laura! I think that it's a great goal to fit in more practice time, and creating a chart will definitely help! :)

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  4. Monday, October 27, 2014

    Carnival Concert reflections

    I believe I contributed to tone the most in our performance. Tone is something I have have been trying to improve on in practice and I did a good job during Highlights from Frozen. Also I think that the band as a whole could really improve on our dynamics. I feel like our lack of dynamics was very evident during William Tell overture. Sometimes its hard for me to control my dynamics because, being the only Tenor Sax I feel like am never heard so I play louder making the dynamic contrast worse. To improve on this I really just need to resist my urge to play louder all the time.

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    1. Saxophones sounds great during Frozen!!

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    2. I agree that the band could improve our dynamics, especially when we need to play pianissimo. I thought the saxophones sounded really nice in Frozen and you did an overall great job!

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    3. I think you did a great job at the concert especially since you were the only one in your section!

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    4. I agree with you about dynamics. Especially in Fick, it is hard to play quietly so it can be something to work on. You sounded awesome in all the songs! :)

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  5. I think that Carnival Concert was a success. I contributed the most to the Carnival concert with my rhythm. In Frozen at measure 89, I played the rhythm correctly. Also, in William Tell Overature, at the main melody parts I played the rhythm correctly. For both pieces, I listened to recordings to see what I was playing wrong as well as to others in the band and what the director told me to do.I want to improve in the area of intonation and technique. I am going to practice getting better by using smartmusic.
    I also think that the carnival part of the concert was a success. I worked in the instrument petting zoo. It was hectic with all the kids coming in and trying to grap the instruments. I talked to a few parents, and they thought it was a great idea for their kids to have the opportunity to see and play some of the instruments they would see during the concert.

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    1. I like how you listened to the recording to improve rhythms you were doing incorrectly, I'm defiantly going to do that for next concert! Also, I thought you played 89 very well in Frozen, and smart music is another smart idea on how to improve.
      (Sophie DuPont)

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    2. Matlida, I think you did really well for your first concert on your new instrument! You also did really well working with the kids at the petting zoo! As I was going around taking pictures, I noticed that the kids were always having so much fun with you! Way to go!

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  6. I contributed most to the band with my dynamics in places where the low reeds were especially exposed. I felt that my intonation was also good but I mostly just compared how tuned I was with other low reeds when I really should be comparing it to the whole entire band. My articulations were also good, but I could improve my efficiency with 16th notes especially in William Tell. Along with articulation, I would also like to avoid squeaking when going above the break and trying to have longer phrasing as I am on a new lower instrument. I can improve my articulation for next concert by practicing sixteenth notes on every note on my instrument and to tongue lighter. Also, I can avoid squeaking by having good breath support and making sure I have a good position of my mouth piece. By simply do the breathing exercises in class, I can improve the length of my phrasing. All and all I think the concert went really well and I'm very pleased with how we did.

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    1. I think that you did a GREAT job! It was really fun to play with you! I also think the way you want to improve not squeaking is good. I think I am going to try to improve my phrasing too.

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  7. I believe I contributed to the carnival concert by putting forth my best effort and attitude toward making the concert great. I made sure I used correct techniques during the cadence. I believe I can work on rhythm in pieces such as Syncopated Clock. The ART book has been helping me notice different rhythm patterns. Writing out counts on new music could help me notice changes in rhythm. Overall my performance can always improve but I believe I did a good job on Saturday.

    Ellie Kewitsch

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    1. Cant wait to hear you improve Ellie!!

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    2. Good luck with reaching your goals! The cadence always sounds great!

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    3. Good job Eleanork!! I'm glad the ART book can help us with those tricky rhythms!

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  8. At this concert, I most contributed by mixing my sound with my section and the whole band. I also felt like I was able to use better air flow which I practiced in my Personal Learning Portfolio work.
    In Night On Bald Mountain, I made sure not to play too loudly when I wasn't the melody. Also, in William Tell Overture, I needed to use breathing techniques that I learned to help me phrase my measures and also have good sound for the high and low notes. To achieve my goals for next concert, I will continue to work on my breathing and how to have good air flow and good sound while playing high and low notes. Also, I will continue to work on my musicality by listening to other higher class bands and hear how they play with good musicality.
    Finally, I thought the carnival part of the concert went well. Especially at the popcorn station :)
    We needed more popcorn cause it was such a hit!!!

    Emma Walgren

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    1. Lets work on our goals together :)

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  9. Tempo: I contributed to the tempos of William Tell and Night On Bald Mountain by staying with the set tempo. Previously, I had lacked behind a little, but during the concert, I kept the tempo.

    Tone: This is my area of growth. I could try practicing with more emotion in order to actually send a feeling to the audience for each piece. I could also try emphasizing different dynamics in order to create contrast.

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    1. Great job in the concert! I think you did well in improving your tone! Way to go!

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    2. good job Phil the whole section sounded great, especially on frozen!

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  10. I feel like we could have a much better tone. I feel as if i could work on breathing techniques to help phrasing through some SPF exercises. Also, I think that I could improve by tuning and adjusting to the people around me as the songs change. I think I did a good job contributing good rhythm on Night on Bald Mountain. I believe my ART books as well as PLP did a good job making me work on intonation. Also I did a good job on rythm on Concerto Gross with in contrast to kazoos

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    1. I need to work on my breathing techniques to and getting more air into my instrument when I play. Good job on the intonation and rhythm!

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    2. Good job Grace. i think you did great just keep practicing and follow Richard when in doubt!
      ~tascha

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    3. Great Job! I think working in your method book would absolutely help!

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  11. Monday, October 27, 2014

    Carnival Concert - Reflection

    - In this concert I contributed most by playing with proper rhythm. The two best of examples were in William Tell Overture where I had to play the exact rhythm as the 1st alto (Kenrick) except I was supposed to play this rhythm a whole beat off of him. Another example would be in Frozen, when we (alto's) had to play in time with the french horns.

    - I feel as though I could improve my musicianship, specifically my dynamics. Some instances that I feel could use work were in William Tell Overture and in concerto gross, both of which I could have added some dynamic contrast to improve the performance. To practice, I am going to actively practice playing with correct dynamics during our rehearsals to get into the habit of playing with contrasting dynamics. I don't believe I will need help playing with dynamics, however if I do I can ask Mr. Richter for help.

    - Michael Skubitz

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    1. I think the altos off beat rhythm in William Tell sounded great. Nice work playing with confidence on the off beat.

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    2. You an Kendrick sounded great in William tell overture! tough it is hard to play off beat especially when you are standing next to who you are playing off beat from you pulled it off.

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  12. I contributed the most to the carnival concert in rhythm. In songs like William Tell, I had to keep a steady beat and make sure that the band stayed together. On Concerto Gross while playing snare I also helped keep the rhythm of the song constant.

    I will attempt to improve on tone for the next concert. I will do this by making sure I understand what the music is calling for during certain sections of the song. I will ask my private teacher for help on this.

    Nick Swanberg

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    1. I thought the rhythm section was great during Concerto Gross especially with the multiple that had to be taken care of. We stayed on tempo and there was a solid steady beat.

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    2. This is a good response, Nick. You did a great job at the concert especially with those key rhythms that held the band together!!

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  13. Carnival Concert Reflection

    In this concert in contributed the most in my musicianship. I really worked on playing dynamics correctly and letting the melody shine through (play quieter when other sections had it and play louder when I had it). Also, part of my PLP was to follow the natural contour which translated will into all the songs that we played in the concert. This was evident in Syncopated Clock. For the whole first page, (I was clarinet 1) I had the melody so I played out. In the one measure with the jazzy rhythm I followed the natural contour to make it sound even better. On beginning the second page the trumpets took over with the melody, so I quieted down to let them shine through. For the next concert, I am going to work on the speed I can tongue. I barely eeked by with the quick tonguing in William Tell, and though I was able to do it by the concert, I didn't feel that I really had it down. Since we're keeping this song, it is a great opportunity to practice it. I will start out playing it slowly, and then over time gradually increase the tempo until it's up to concert tempo. I will also be more intentional about singling out speed of tonguing by itself, so that practice will be more meaningful.
    Everyone that I invited to the concert loved it - from my 4th grade brother and his friends to both my parents - I think it went great!!!

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    1. By Molly Mendel

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    2. nice job on letting the melody shine molly! you rocked it :~) keep up the good work

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    3. Great job playing the melody! It's important that you let in come through!

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    4. I admire your ability to practice musicality! You really know your own strengths and weaknesses. The band as a whole can follow your lead on dynamics and letting the melody be heard. Great job!! L)

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  14. I feel I most contributed to the Carnival Concert by trying to follow Mr. Richter's musicianship directions as best as possible. When I was directed to play quietly, I could barely hear myself and I also tried to follow the phrasing that he laid out for us. For example, in Frozen, I had a continuous air stream so there would be a constant flow of music and in the Syncopated Clock, sometimes I could not hear myself in order to highlight the certain section that needed to be emphasized. For growth of the next performance, I hope to be able to learn the music more quickly so I have more time to improve upon the musicality of my own playing. I will bring my music home when I first get it and master the notes and rhythms so we don't have to spend class time doing that. I will master the notes by starting a slow speed and then increasing as I become more familiar.
    In regards to the entire concert, it was one of the most enjoyable concerts I have played in. The interaction with the audience at the beginning and end was so much fun and I think this is a great tradition

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    1. It’s definitely easier to learn the parts faster if you bring them home to practice, and you can focus on how you sound individually. I need to start doing that more too!

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    2. I didn't think of following conductor cues until I read your comment, and now I realize how important it is! I think this is also an area that the whole band can work on, especially with things like dynamics and tempo changes. That sounds like a good plan for mastering the music quickly!

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    3. I also tried following Mr. Richter's conducting but I might have gotten a bit carried away at times. Bringing copies of my music home really helped me with some of the more difficult areas in the pieces, and helped me concentrate on the more technical aspects of the music.

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  15. I think I contributed to the band by playing with improved phrasing and dynamic contrast. My PLP was focused on these techniques. A good example of this would be in Frozen, where there are many different styles of music (lyrical and fast) where I had to change my phrasing and dynamics to fit the style. Another good example of this is Night on Bald Mountain, where the trumpet part switches from background to melody. It was especially important to alter my dynamics in order to feature the trumpets or a different section and certain times.

    My next goal will be to get better at intonation and staying in tune with the rest of the section, especially when the trumpets are featured. I think a place where we really needed to work on intonation was in Frozen at the very end, when the trumpets have a short lick that is on high E flat, F, and D. These are all notes that are naturally out of tune so it was very important to have good intonation in this section. One way I will try to improve is to tune before practicing and use a tuner when playing notes that are naturally out-of-tune, such as low D, C# and high D, E flat and E. I will listen more to the people around me during band rehearsal and also listen down to the tubas, who I will adjust to.

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    1. I thought that the trumpets did a great job of balancing with the band and highlighting the certain parts that needed to be heard. However, when the trumpets needed to be heard, they did a great job of projecting.

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    2. I agree - tuning would be a great thing to work on for the next concert! However, even if you're in tune the rest of the section could be off. With this concert I noticed that we didn't get a chance to tune because of the Carnival beforehand, so we should make sure to tune our section before our next performance.

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  17. I think we did well on rhythms. In Frozen, there were some tricky rhythms that we worked hard at to achieve. In William Tell, it wasn't exactly rhythms but we had to practice the 16th notes, notes and tonguing quickly. Something we need to work on is tuning and intonation. I can use my tuner app on my phone and find something on the internet to listen to the 135 chord and train my ears. I think the carnival went really well; it was fun to see the kids enjoying themselves. :)

    -Madie Groat

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    1. I thought the Oboe's sounded really nice in Frozen! Good work.

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    2. Nice job Madie!! I noticed your good rhythm counting in Syncopated Clock too :) Keep it up you are a stellar oboist :))))))

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    3. The oboes sounded really good at the concert and I really enjoy their sound!

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  18. I think that I mostly contributed with my dynamics. I knew that Mr. Richter had really emphasized that we needed to be quiet when he gave us the hand and I tried really hard to pay attention to that and provide a contrast of dynamics. Examples of this are during the "First Time in Forever" section of Frozen when the chamber parts are supposed to play quietly so you can hear the 1st clarinets and altos and during Night on Bald Mountain when the clarinets are supposed to play out at the end.
    I think that I could work on improving my accuracy with articulations. I'm going to work on this by setting aside time at home to specifically work on improving this. I'll also work on it with my private teacher and ask for tips.

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    1. Good job Ava! I am going to try and work on dynamics for next concert.

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    2. Nice job with your dynamics Ava!! You did great in the concert :)

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  19. Josie Wilde

    Something that I did to contribute to this concert would be my work on faster tonguing. I did this for my PLP and I believed this helped with out piece William Tell Overture but also Night on Bald Mountain and little parts in our other pieces where fast tonguing was needed. Something I hope to improve on for our next concert is working on softer dynamics in the higher register. I hope to do this by working with my private teacher and have her giving me advice on how I can do better. Also to improve on this I want to work on faster air to make playing easier.

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    1. Nice job on improving on your tonguing Josie! I know you worked hard on that and it definitely helped us maintain a fast pace in William Tell.

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    2. Nice Job! I should also work on that for the next concert, tonguing really fast is hard in the upper register.

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  20. I contributed to technique by correctly playing the chromatic scales in Night on Bald Mt. and by playing the riffs in William Tell up to speed. My chosen area of growth is Tone. I will work on improving my tone by using more air and by using the greatest volume. My private lesson teacher will be able to access me on my tone. -Mara Schumacher

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    1. Good work Mara! I learned that for improving tone it is best to start by working on the lowest octave and working your way up. I’m not sure if it’s different for clarinet, but that’s definitely helped me!

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    2. Nice job! I'm impressed that you could play the riffs in William Tell up to speed because I personally struggled with that.

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  22. I contributed the most to the concert by playing with great dynamics. One example was in might on bald mountain. This song requires dramatic changes in volume like at the beginning we had to play extremely soft and i worked really hard to make sure that happened. Another example was in concerto gross there were a lot of times where we had to be extremely soft and quickly to loud and i felt like i executed that. One of two areas that could use improvement would be fast fingerings. In order to improve this i plan to use my etude books. many of the exercises have awkward fingerings so if i speed up the tempo this could help greatly. Another growth area would be rythem. I have always struggled with this and what i have been doing to improve is etudes that have difficult rhythms. I start at a very low tempo and slowly get faster. Overall the concert was amazing!!

    ~Natascha Balafas

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  23. At the Carnival Concert, I contributed most by playing with musicianship focusing on dynamics. One example of this was in Syncopated Clock. I played between pp and mp for the entire song to help balance out the volume of the flute section. Another example would be Night on Bald Mountain. I played very quietly at the end to help maintain the balance of the band. I would like to improve my articulation for the next concert. I plan to reach this goal by practicing double tonguing exercises in my method book. I also plan to practice breath control which will help me execute correct articulation. Finally I think the carnival concert was a success :)
    Celeste Schumacher

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    1. way to go Cele! its good to hear that you listened to your section and understood when you needed to back off to help the balance of the band...Keep up the good work!

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    2. Musicianship is really hard to master great job!! Articulation for me is also very difficult so I understand the struggle. Good job and good luck!

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  24. I think I did the best on musicianship, and tone, specifically in the songs Frozen, Concerto Gross, and Syncopated Clock. In Frozen, I had good phrasing, and good vibrato The area I could work on more is rhythm, because some of the rhythms in the songs were challenging . The song William Tell Overture was the song I found the most challenging, because of the speed of the song and having to learn how to double tongue. What I could work on for the next concert is to continue to work on double tonguing and vibrato, and to practice more, especially on the hardest parts of every song.

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    1. Nice job on focusing on musicianship in the concert! This can help the band as a whole sound more mature.

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    2. William tell was the most difficult by far and was a challenge for me too. Good luck on your pacticeing and good job on the concert!

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  25. I thought the Carnival Concert was a success. I think the kids really enjoyed the carnival games and everyone liked the variety of music. Personally, I think I contributed to the concert's success through my technique. In Night on Bald Mountain, I focused on varying my dynamics to help the band as a whole have more dynamic contrast. Also, in Frozen I tried to emphasize the articulation to make the piece more interesting. For the next concert, I want to improve on my rhythms. For example, in Frozen there were some rhythms that I wasn't very comfortable with. To improve on this I can isolate parts that have difficult rhythms. I can then slow down that section until I master the rhythms.

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    1. Good job with your dynamics Rachel! In Night on Bald Mountain the french horns have some key parts and your technique and dynamic contrast really helped in making that piece sound great.

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    2. great job on technique rachel. keep up the good work. :-)

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  26. Megan Hussey
    I think I most contributed to the carnival concert music with dynamics and rhythms. Even though I was not able to be there for the actual concert, I contributed in practices. For dynamics, I think I played them most accurately for Night on Bald Mountain and was able to have a noticeable contrast between loud and soft. This was especially helpful because my PLP for this quarter was focused on dynamics. I think that I played rhythms most accurately in William Tell Overture because I spent quite a lot of time practicing those and perfecting them.

    Something I would like to work on for next concert is my tone. I have been working on this for the past year, and I am already starting to see improvements. I plan to practice this by continuing to do tone exercises before I practice. My private lesson teacher gave these to me, and they have proved to be extremely helpful. I will also continue to use vibrato to help my tone improve. That being said, I will continue to use my private lesson teacher as a resource for when I am needing help.

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    1. I've also tried to work on my tone recently and I found that my private lesson teacher was a great resource also. Additionally I found that maintaining a strong, steady airspeed helped my tone to improve.

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    2. Good job with dynamics and rhythms! Help from a private lesson teacher will really help improve your tone good luck!

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    3. Nice work on working on dynamics! I know I need to work on that, hopefully your teacher will help!

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  27. I feel as though the Carnival Concert went really well, and was an overall success. The carnival part before had such a great, energetic atmosphere. I thought that the bowling and cupcake walk were nice additions this year, and that the fortune teller, face painting, and popcorn added an authentic carnival element. A suggestion for next year could be adding a spin art station. I know that some carnivals have this, and it seems like a fun and creative activity that gives the kiddos something to take home and remember the night by. The petting zoo was very informative, and engaged students in the musical part of it. As for our musical performance, it went exceptionally well. As a group we stayed together the whole time with on point rhythms and good tone, as well as created noticeable dynamics. For me personally, I played very closely to the best I ever have. The part in which I most contributed to the group was tone. I had such a full sound, and great tone. This could be heard in the roundness of my notes, particularly the steady low notes that keep time, and the held notes that were not wavering. Also, I finally made it over the register key the night before at the rehearsal, which was perfect timing. This allowed me to play those few high notes in Syncopated Clock that I wasn't getting before. However, I still need to improve on my playing speed. There were a few measures in which I sat out because I couldn't quite move my fingers quickly enough. Completing a Personalized Learning Plan in which I play the music that we play for class would be very beneficial for me in this area, as it would encourage me to really focus on those few tricky measures and work them out. Also, it would be very fun to hear all the improvement that I make on the music throughout the quarter. Another way I could tackle speed would be starting off slowly, and then gradually increasing the tempo each time that I play it, until I'm able to play it a little bit faster than it needs to be.

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    1. Beautiful response....so long and well written. I agree with everything you have to say. Well done! :)

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  28. I think that for this concert I did good on musicianship. While I can always improve, I thought I did good in Frozen at Let it Go, when the trombones were featured so I had to play extra good. Also in Night on Bald Mountain, I think I had good tone and emotion at the end and at the faster parts earlier in the song.
    I definitely need to work on my tone and intonation and breathing. I plan to work with a private teacher soon, so I will work with them on my tone and intonation on different pieces, as well as work on breathing in band class, because I need to work on using more air when I play our songs.
    Kelly Jessen

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    1. Good job during Frozen! It is definitely a skill to be able to play quietly but with good musicianship. When is comes to breathing, your plan sounds awesome. Breathing excercises can make a night and day difference in your playing.

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  29. I think I contributed to the carnival the most through intonation and balance. For example, in the last chord of Night on Bald Mountain I really listened to everyone around me. Also, in Concerto Gross, I backed off when playing so that the melody could be heard.
    I think that I could improve on my endurance as my area of growth. With getting my braces off recently, playing high for an extended period of time has been harder, like in William Tell. I can improve on this by using my private teacher's advice in using her "pressure reducing" device during warmups and practicing consistently every day.
    Overall, I think the carnival went really well! All the kids had such a fun time!

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    1. I think we sounded great on Night on Bald Mountain! I agree that intonation and balance are some things that we can really keep working on in band. I also think that I need to work on endurance as well. It is one of my weak spots and I think I can build up endurance by practicing a little longer everyday.

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  30. I contributed the most by playing the correct dynamics and using a well supported tone throughout the concert. The dynamics I played best was during syncopated clock, playing soft when the teachers were on the kazoos. Overall as a section the clarinets did well carrying the melody in the song.
    Something I would like to work on for the future is the technique of double tonguing. It was a skill needed during William Tell which I struggled with. I would like to work on and improve this for the future.

    The carnival was a success. The kids looked like they were having fun. A suggestion for next year is if the fishing pond is used as a game use a stronger string and cut it a little shorter. It kept getting tangled and most lines got torn and we had to keep retying them slowing the process down.

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    1. I agree! Double tonguing would have been a good skill to have I hope you reach your goal!

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    2. If you're looking for a method to practice double tonguing without having to buy a method book or find exercises, try double tonguing up and down a scale that you know well. Maybe C Major to start - 4 sixteenth notes on C, four on D, four on E, and so on. Then when you're comfortable, you could increase tempo or make your first 4 notes C-D-E-F instead of four on a single note. I tried this to increase my rate and accuracy and found that it helped a lot!

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  31. Jake Robinson
    I believe I contributed most to the concert through my use of rhythm and technique. In William Tell, I had to play the timpani which requires different techniques in the use of sticks and where you hit the drum to play right. In Frozen, I had to use my rhythm skills when I had to counter melody part in Let it Go. I believe I could grow in my musicianship even more than I already have. I could talk to Mr. Kimball about wanting to improve my musicianship, and use method books and solos to assist me in my skills.
    I believe our carnival was fantastic for students and kids alike, and the concert was the same! There are no improvements I could think of for this.

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    1. Good job Jake on your contributions to the band

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    2. Good idea. I thought you played really well in Frozen.

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  32. Raegan Hinrichs

    For the carnival concert, I believe I contributed most through rhythm. For example, in Frozen, during 'The First Time in Forever', the rhythms are challenging and required me to clap and count the rhythms. This helped me stay on track and improve my counting for this song. Second, during William Tell Overture the challenging rhythms with the fast tempo required me to think fast, but I believe after practice it helped me master the rhythms with the tempo. For the next concert I hope to improve on my technique of double tonguing. After practicing for a few times at my lessons I learned how to, but would live to be able to dictate the notes more in order to improve this skill. This will require me to practice through help and resources from my private teacher and also practicing gradually speeding up the double tonguing in order to master it.

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    1. I also had trouble with the rhythms in First Time In Forever, but it sounds like you did a much better job of tackling the problem than me. Good job at the concert!

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  33. I feel like I contributed rythm to our concert because I reviewed the rhythms slowly until I got the timing down, then I slowly sped them up. One example of this is in Night On Bald Mountain at M when we had three groups of triplets. For some reason, these were hard for me, so I worked for a long time using a metronome to practice those-for these instead of going slow I went fast and then slowed them down (I practiced this before I learned about it being a duet). Another example is again on Night On Bald Mountain, at the beginning of the song (measure 5 I think), I practiced really slowly because I needed to be able to play that quickly with the right timing and right dynamics. I feel like I need to work on tone more because I heard a lot of air, especially during the songs William Tell and Night on Bald Mountain. I'm going to start warming up with a chopstick in my mouth to help improve my breathing, and I have some practice books at my house that I will continue to use.
    Caroline Dooley

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  34. I think I contributed to correctly reading rhythms. The first example of rhythms is in frozen when the trombones had a soli. When we were sight reading it, we all seemed to struggle with the counts of the triplets. So I focused on practicing that part of frozen. In addition to frozen, I spent time on measures 86-94 in William Tell Overture. My goal for next concert is to be able to have better articulation on staccato or accented notes. To improve upon my articulation, I plan on working on different tonguing techniques with my private lesson teacher, and working on more fast or contrasting note rhythms.

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    1. Nice work leading the trombone section through a tough rhythm.

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    2. Good job with reading rhythms! If you want to get better at articulation, try an etude book. I found those really helped!

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  35. I feel I most contributed to the concert in the area of musicianship. In “Highlights from Frozen,” I feel like I did a good job playing more quietly when the flutes did not have the melody in the second half of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” I also feel like I did a good job of playing short and detached during “Syncopated Clock.” I feel I need to improve technically before our next concert. I can work on this by practicing scales and also by playing the more technically demanding parts of the music slower first and then gradually speeding up.

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    1. I also agree that I want to work on your point made of needing to practice hard parts slower and eventually speed them up. Also nice job in Frozen!!

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  36. Nicole Gates

    I think I contributed most through musicianship. As much as I probably should not have, I think it's fair to say that my additions to "Highlights from Frozen" on the orchestral bells, while entirely not written in the piece itself, added flavor to the music (though I'm only assuming as such because it passed by Richter unnoticed!). I also feel I did well in "William Tell," especially because I was playing crash cymbals almost constantly throughout the song and managed to keep up the volume and speed despite my arms hurting after a while. Band is strength, that much is true; I have always respected the cymbal ladies in marching band, and this only proves how strong they are!

    For growth, I think I need to focus most on technique and dynamics. Both of those things are challenging to do on snare drum and mallets, not to mention on the other percussion toys we have lying about, and it's about time I worked on my snare drum technique. I will do this by talking with my private teacher and practicing the articulation and technique sheets he printed out for me as well as checking out different ways (read: correct ways) to perform. Dynamics, on the other hand, I will improve by circling in my music and actively engaging in the warm-up we have at the beginning of class, where we have to let one instrument section stand out.

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    1. Good Job Nicole on your contribution to the Band.

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  37. Matt Whear

    I contributed the most to our music by playing with good tone. I almost always played with a full, strong sound and rarely chipped any notes. While playing the trombone soli in frozen and the quick eighth notes on William Tell, I played with a full sound and did not chip any of the notes. For our next concert I want to improve my intonation. It is sometimes challenging on the trombone to hit an exact pitch because the trombone is basically one big tuning slide. In order to improve my intonation I can listen to perfectly pitched notes in order to be able to hear the notes before I play them. I can also improve my intonation by using a tuner when I play so my instrument is set closer to perfect tune. With a tuned instrument it will be easier to use my ear to hit notes. Overall I thought the carnival went great. Everyone I saw was very impressed and the young kids really seemed to enjoy it. I also heard very good feedback from audience members.

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    1. Good idea playing with a tuner. I might use that too.

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  38. Riga Moettus
    I feel like I most contributed to the concert through my tone. Since this year I am the only tuba in my band class, I had to work a lot more on playing much louder while still having good tone. Because of this I feel like I improved greatly on my tone. Two examples in the concert where I contributed to the band through tone are during the songs Night on Bald Mountain and Concerto Gross. In Night on Bald Mountain, much of the song is very base oriented and there are a lot of parts with heavy base. During these parts I feel like I did a good job playing loudly with a good tone. In the song Concerto Gross, the bases at different times had the melody. When they did I played each note fully and loudly with good sound and tone, helping bring out the base melody. One area I want to improve on for the next concert is my musicianship. I have always been able to play the notes as they are written, but I want to work on playing the notes more musically and thoughtfully. One thing I am going to work on to achieve this is I am going to practice a lot more my scales and fingerings, so that they come much more naturally. Once I am able to play the fingering without even thinking, then I can start focusing more on how I am playing the notes. Also I am going to work on being able to hear the note first before I play it. To do this I am going to practice first singing a note then playing it to tune the note. I am then going to listen to how the note should actually sound. Once I can hear the notes better then I think the musicality of them will improve as well. After being able to know the fingerings of notes and what they sound like better, I can play with better accuracy and I can focus more on playing more musically.

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    1. Great job, Riga!! The tubas sounded stellar!

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  39. this year during the carnival concert i supported my section during the sections of pieces when we all had to play staccato eighth notes. usually people play staccato by starting it by tounging and then cutting it off by tounging, which created an abrupt and weakish sounding ending, but i focused on tounging to start and the letting the note fade quickly after i played it so it ends naturally and sound more full.

    secondly i helped my section during a section when we had to play an F on top of the staff out of the blue with no build up. So that i could play this accurately and strongly i played a scale that looked like this, C-F-C-G-C-A-C-B-C-and so on and so forth, this helped me learn how the notes feel before i play them so i can play them correct right away with out chipping them.

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    1. Hey Noah,
      The exercise you talk about sounds like a good one, I should give it a try for myself.

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    2. Noah....you.....sounded.....amazing. The trumpets sounded stellar during William Tell Overture, and during the other pieces.

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  40. I think that I contributed most to the carnival concert through my tone. I've been working on it recently and I feel like I've improved. Specifically, in Night on Bald Mountain there were times where the clarinets had to be quieter, but still maintain good sound. I found this challenging, but through maintaining a steady stream of air I feel like I was able to contribute to the whole band. Also, in Frozen there were a few parts that featured the clarinets, in "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" and "Let it Go" in particular. In these moments where the clarinets were more exposed I was able to maintain a strong sound through a steady, but fast stream of air. In this way I think I most contributed to the concert.
    One thing that I think I could work on is tonguing faster. Especially in William Tell Overture my weaknesses in tonguing were brought to light. In order to improve the speed of my tonguing I could play each note of a scale as eight sixteenth notes at a certain tempo. Then, once I feel like I've mastered that tempo I can increase it until I reach my desired target. Another thing I could do is to practice etudes that focus primarily on fast tonguing.

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    1. I agree that you and the clarinets sounded great in Frozen especially during the songs "Do You Want To Build A Snowman?" and "Let it Go" as you stated. I also need to work on tonguing faster, also shown by my weakness in William Tell. Nice job at the concert!

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  41. I think I contributed to the band by playing my dynamics well. In Night on Bald Mountain the beginning of the piece I played both soft and loud, but not loud enough to damage the tone of my sound. In Concerto Gross I played soft enough to allow the Kazoos to be heard, while I could still be heard by the audience. I think for the Carnival Concert next year they should extend the carnival part of the concert.

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    1. OMG MATCHING USERNAMES and yeah playing softly is really necessary for delicate pieces such as concerto gross when you're highlighting a section, nice job!

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  42. I think I most contributed to the band by consistently counting out the rhythms in each measure and trying to do all of the dynamics. In the next concert I would like to improve on listening to other sections to see how it fits into the song. In the song, Night on Bald Mountain there was a part where it was just the bassoon and oboe and I counted each measure while I played it to make sure it sounded correct. Also I did the dynamics that were printed in the couple measures that I counted. Two ways that I can improve in my goals are, during band practice I will listen more to the other sections and how their part incorporates with others into the song. Also I would like to improve on my breathing skills and not taking a breath every other measure. I will work on this by trying out breathing exercises when I practice my instrument.

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  43. I helped the band in the area of tone, my tone was imperative to help the band in night on bald mountain when I am one of only 2 brass members to be holding a note (an f) whale the saxophones had the melody. The tone was important to help lay a base for the rest of the band to build off of, as well as color and pitch of the note. I would like to work on making every note "sing" and make phrases "pop out" instead of having them just feel like notes on the page. An example of this is in Frozen I felt that the trombone soli did not "sing" and feel human but rather it seamed cold and devoid of emotion and did not add to the musical and "human" factor of the piece. Two ways that I can achieve this goal are to watch how professional bands do phrasing and add emotion to pieces. (ie chicago symphony or the New York Philharmonic). I also will simple acknowledge that phrasing and feel is important and focus on making every note (Especially the long ones) go somewhere, whether it is up or down, notes should never stay stagnant.

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    1. I like your thoughts on listening to professionals in the New York Philharmonic.

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  44. The Carnival Concert was really fun and I think it went really well. I think I contributed most with rhythms. In Highlights to Frozen I nailed the rhythm at measure 89. Also in concerto gross I played the right rhythm. I played the eighth note rhythm instead of adding sixteenth notes that weren't there. Before our next performance I would like to improve on my tone. Also as a whole band I think we should improve our range of dynamics. I will work on my tone by having faster airspeed and by making sure I am using the right form. I will work on dynamics by practicing playing extremely soft to really loud while keeping a good sound and at the right tempo. I think the carnival part of the concert was a huge success. A lot of people ended up coming. I loved helping out at the fishing station and it was a big hit. There were always kids coming up to try it. I think it worked a lot better over the balcony. For next year just make sure there are transition people for every station. Overall I think our performance at the carnival concert was great.
    Kristine Allinson

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    2. I think the base clarinets sounded really good during the concert! Great job!!!

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  47. I contributed most to the carnival concert through my rhythm. Songs such as William Tell Overture, and Night at Bald Mountain had harder rhythms. For these songs in particular I had to practice sections at a time. Until I felt comfortable playing the rhythms at the right tempo. In the next concert I want to work on musicianship and tone more. I need to work on playing the right notes along with keeping a good sound. By working on musicianship I need to try and listen to the band. Balance with specific instruments who are being highlighted in the songs. Also try and tell more of the story the song is asking for. Instead of just playing the notes and rhythms.

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    1. It sounds like you really helped us during the concert Natalie! And you have very clear plans on what you want to improve on.

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    3. Good job in the concert Natalie!! That sounds like a good goal

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    4. Practicing individual sections at a time is a really good idea to improve. Good job Natalie!

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  48. I think my biggest contribution to the Carnival concert was my tone quality. Because I am part of a slightly larger section that is inclined to play loudly, I was thinking about the volume of not just me but the people around me, and adjusting up or down to help the overall dynamic match the one on the page. When I had to increase the dynamic I made sure I did so without over-blowing so my tone stayed full and rich. For example, on Night on Bald Mountain, the crescendos at the beginning and continued fortissimo dynamics throughout required me to be really careful about how loud I was playing so the overall sound wouldn't be too obnoxious. Also, on Concerto Gross where I don't often have the melody, I had to be sure I wasn't overpowering the instrument that was carrying the song.
    I think my biggest area of improvement is range - on William Tell, some of the higher notes became tiring near the end of the piece, especially when they were repeated. I could hit the notes, but they didn't always sound as fully as I wanted them to. To improve this, I will work on increasing both range and endurance through playing upper register etudes and expanding scales.

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  49. Kjell

    I contributed to this this concert with my musicality. In Night on Bald Mountain I focused on the smaller dynamics and less on the more powerful dynamics because I felt that the lighter dynamics cause more of a contrast with our large band, especially on that piece because of the entire contrasting nature of the piece. I also contributed in Frozen, by contrasting the different sections within the piece. I contrasted them by playing to their different feels and styles.
    To improve I will make sure to slow down any trouble spots I have in the music and make sure I have it 100% before moving on. The other improvement I could make to my process of learning is using my fellow section mates, if I don't get a rhythm, I can ask one of them.
    One comment I would make about the carnival, would be to move the instrument petting zoo to the side closer to EPAC and where most of the audience comes in. This would be because the instruments would be more visible to the kids and more could come try them out and lead even more kids into joining band.

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    1. Good point about the soft dynamics in a large band!!

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  50. I feel like I contributed the most to the performance with my ability to follow the correct tempo. For example, during Night on Bald Mountain, with all the crazy chromatics, I was for the most part able to stay on beat. Also, on the ritardandos from Frozen and Night on Bald Mountain, I paid attention to Mr. Richter’s conducting to make sure that I followed the tempo correctly.
    The area that I need to improve on is probably double tonguing. I was never formally taught double tonguing so it could help for me to get some help by my private lesson teacher. I could also get tips online or from other bandies on the best way to double tongue and to practice double tonguing.

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  51. I feel that I contributed to our concert the most through musicality. For example, in Night on Bald Mountain I focused on dynamic contrast to make the piece come alive. I made sure to distinguish between the "evil" parts of the piece and the "resolution" of the piece. Also, in Concerto gross, my part was not very eventful so I had made it more interesting with dynamics, phrasing, and clear tonguing.

    I feel that I need to grow in my ability to tong fast. This isn't necessarily my PLP for next Quarter, but it was a challenge in William Tell and Night on Bald Mountain. To practice, I could play scales or exercises in method books and gradually increase the tempo. Or I could slow down a section of a piece that is fast (that we are playing in band), making sure I've got the rhythms and notes down, and then gradually increase the tempo.

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    1. I love the idea of slowing down this can really help you figure out some tricky rhythms!

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    2. Nice contribution to the Concert, Estee! Your goal sounds really good as well!

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  52. Overall, I thought the carnival concert went really well. As a band, I think we did a great job of balancing the fun nature of the songs while still playing with musicianship and technique. I feel that I contributed to the concert with correct rhythms, as well as musicianship. In general, the percussion parts had mostly simple rhythms, but they were still important in keeping the band together. Also, I think playing with a strong musicianship was key to making these pieces sound good. In both William Tell Overture and Highlights from Frozen, I did my best to play the parts with correct style. The auxiliary parts in Frozen added a lot to the fun feel of the piece, while in William Tell, the serious, classical tone was brought out in base drum and snare. For the next concert, I plan to continue practicing sight reading for any mallet parts. Also, I can use the ART book to help me practice advanced rhythms that appear in concert music.

    Katie Malcom

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    1. Nice Katie! You and the whole percussion section are really good at rhythms and keeping the band together! Great concert!

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    2. Nice job in keeping the band together and playing with musicianship! Good idea using the ART book for improvements!

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  53. Although I wasn't at the concert, I contributed to the band during class. I felt that I most contributed to the balanced sound of our ensemble. I helped bring out the low voices more. In Night on Bald Mountain and Frozen, the low voices have a couple of lines that need to be brought out more and I helped do that. In order to grow, I will work on both my intonation and my musicianship to perform the music the way it is meant to be performed. I will practice this by paying attention to Mr. Richter's motions during class to pick up on what he wants us to sound like.

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  54. I felt that as an individual I contributed most to the concert with my personal articulations. An example is when I played the fast moving notes in Night at Bald mountain which helped contribute to the overall movement of music and sound. The De, Dits, Doo, and DATS came in handy when tounging these notes and I could hear an audible difference when I applied these techniques. Another piece where this occurred was in Frozen where the oboe carries the melody and by using the correct articulations I was able to help contribute to the overall enhancement of our sound.

    As for an area in which I have room for improvement I will be discussing my intonation in the Carnival Concert. An example of when I struggled with this is in the piece Syncopated Clock, when the oboe was required to play a high B flat together, I was often out of tune and I needed to lock in with my fellow oboe. A way in which I can improve this is when I begin to practice I should remember to slow down and war-up with a chromatic scale, locking each note in the center of the pitch. Then I can play an active ear when I'm playing and listen for being in tune.

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    1. lol my username tbt to design and robotikz #glorydaze

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  55. I thought our concert was successful and a large amount of people enjoyed it. I will be talking about the musicianship in this blog post. The band really worked on their intonation, demonstrated in the chords played in Night On Bald Mountain. However, our dynamics weren't the best because they weren't exaggerated as much as they could have been. I noticed this in William Tell Overture. I tried to contribute to the musicianship of the band, by really holding back when I wasn't the melody, and exaggerating my pianos and fortes. However, we did really well in controlling our volume when we played Concerto Gross with the elementary school teachers. I want to achieve this goal of improving on musical expression. This will be done through doing tonguing exercises so I can improve on different articulations. Along with improving articulations, see how soft I can play a piano and how loud my fortes can be. Additionally, during band class, pay attention to who is the melody so I can train my ear to listen to it, and thus allow it to be heard.

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    1. Great ideas of how to improve on articulations! I agree with you, we did a better job controlling our volume during the concert by knowing to listen to the band as a whole to not be as loud.

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  56. My comment must have been deleted, but I thought the Carnival Concert went very well. I said we need to work on team work because each of us sound great and know how to play our instruments very well, but our next challenge is to be able to match and blend. We have greatly improved on dynamics aswell as dynamics. I really think that measure 89 of Frozen did not get the attention that it needed, but when we got to Let it Go we blew the audience away. I also really liked the fun aspect of the concert and I think all the kids did too. Personally, I need to working on meshing my sound as well as endurance. By the end of the concert I couldn't play anything higher than a upper C. Tuning will also be a something I can work on. During my practice time I plan to use a tuner and find out which notes are always out of tune so I remember to play them differently. Also, I will work with long tones to improve my sound and lip strength. All in all band is super fun and I love it and I think we got a lot of kids excited about it!!!

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    1. Good idea about working as a team! I think that is a really important in being part of a band. Good Concert!!

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  57. I believe the Carnival Concert was a huge success! One main area where I believe I contributed the most was musicianship. I really enjoyed most of the pieces we played and really felt the music along with using the appropriate dynamics and blended well with my peers. An example of this is in How to Train Your Dragon when we reached the slow portion of the song where the clarinets had easy rhythms, I was able to play very smoothly with precision to add to the dance like feel of the part of the song. Another example is in Hungarian Dance Number 5 where the whole band slowed down and sped back up, very suddenly, I knew to look up to Mr. Richter and be right on time with the new tempo. An area of growth I should focus on for next concert, is rhythm. A way I will be able to get rhythms down faster will be I can record what the rhythm should sound like (on my phone) then listen to it repeatedly while practicing and clap the rhythm and play it. I will also ask for help with tricky rhythms when I need it to make sight reading easier and go more smoothly. I will spend even more time outside of class practicing my part so I will be able to learn with other parts sound like during class while practicing as a full band.

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