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.
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, 10/28.
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 (11/4), 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.
I thought all of the songs were very fun to play, and listen to. The saxophone trio was probably the only time I've heard a saxophone being played beautifully. My favorite song was how to train your dragon because of how we played it. I thought the flute solo and the French horn solo were played fantastically.
ReplyDeleteYou played awesome Peter! Nice job on snare for how to train your dragon!
DeleteI feel like I contributed the most to our concert by setting a good example. It's hard for me to not be fidgety and talkative and I've been working on that a lot, and I feel like you could really tell at the concert. I was good about not having side conversations and not fidgeting with my trumpet during rests. I want to work on balancing with the band and not playing out. To achieve this, I will know the music better so I can focus on the dynamics, and I will also learn to listen to the rest of the band as I am playing.
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy that the concert was received as well as it was!! Also, props to Abby, Annika, and Lindsey for Viva la Vida. That was straight up awesome.
I agree that you set a good example for everyone! Also good idea about doing the macarena dance durning carnival!
DeleteI loved your jokes! hope you liked the improvisation by the percussion with the snare and cymbal solo!
DeleteI think that I contributed the most in terms of technique. I played all of the key signatures and the notes accurately. Also, I tongued all the fast tonguing for Fantasia. I think that I could improve the most on rhythm. In the future I will practice with a metronome. I could also review rhythm in the back of the fussel book.
ReplyDeleteGreat job! I hope you can continue to hit all the note correctly and that rhythm practice will help you!
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ReplyDeleteI feel like I contributed to the concert in the sense that I used good dynamics in the music which helped emphasize some of the parts of the music and enhance the overall sound. One example of this is in Humgarian Dance when the dynamics change frequently making it necessary to stress them. Also during Comedians Gallop when the trumpets were the melody and were background, I played them very different.
ReplyDeleteAn area of growth for me for the next concert is the rhythms knowing that the future songs will have harder rhythms, I can fix this by practicing more often at home on my own, and also doing the exercises in the Fussel book to help me get better at rhythms in general which will benefit in the next concert.
It's great that you play much differently depending on who has the melody and if you're in the background. It might be helpful to try to subdivide the counts when you practice to understand the rhythm, and you could try using a metronome.
DeleteI agree with you that rhythms are often the hardest part of learning a new song, I think that using the Fussel book would be a good way to improve this. I sat next to you during Comedians Gallop and I thought that you didn't play out enough considering that we had the melody almost the entire song
DeleteAnother book that's really good for rhythms is the H.L. Clarke book. There are lots of difficult rhythms and warm ups that help.a
DeleteThe area that I feel I contributed most to was being prepared on the music and transitions. Although I think I could improve my enthusiasm with the vamps and dancing portions of the concert. I believe I used good tone and musicianship in Hungarian, which had really nice harmonies for my part and had the rhythms down for Fantasia. To grow before the next concert I think I should practice sooner before the concert to get the technique down and then work more on my musicianship closer to the concert. Another way I could grow would be to not give up on a measure if it's very tricky and work harder on improving it.
ReplyDeleteI agree Libby, your preparation and flawless transitions were impeccable. In terms of working on your enthusiasm, fake it 'til you make it.
DeleteI agree with your comment about pep because in some of the songs that we sat during I forgot to smile when I wasn't playing. Also I think that I need to focus on one trouble measure until I get it instead of giving up!
DeleteI feel like I most contributed to the concert through my musicianship because I payed attention to the dynamics and how they fit into the rest of the piece by playing less when I didn't have the melody. Two examples from the concert are Hungarian Dance with the repetitious off beats, and Fantasia with featuring the lows. An area that I can improve is technique, and two ways I can reach this goal is through practicing syncopation within rhythms, and working on the fluidity of my chromatic .
ReplyDeleteI agree that you brought good musicianship to the songs, nice job!
DeleteI also need to work on my technique, and I can work on this by putting in the time and practicing my music more outside of band class.
DeleteI think that the part where I contributed my most to the band was in the softer moments, I worked on being as quiet as I could while still playing to the best of my ability.
ReplyDeleteSome areas that I struggled with playing during the concert, was a lot of the triplet parts in HTTYD, and by next concert, I can improve on triplet work by taking them much slower at first, and working up to concert tempos in order to work on both the notes, but also the articulations involved.
I agree that we can all work on dynamics as a band
DeleteI agree that the triplet part in HTTYD is hard with the accidentals, articulations, and tempo. Something that helped me was to aim for the first note of each set of triplets so you know where you are and also to practice at a slower tempo and then work it up to concert speed. But you did a great job on your solo! It sounded great!
DeleteI agree that the triplets were super hard in How to Train your dragon! Also, I loved your solo you did fab
DeleteI agree that the triplets were challenging and I like your plan for how to approach triplets in the future!
DeleteCarnival Concert
ReplyDeleteI feel as though I most contributed through sound quality and tone, as well as rhythm- especially in Fantasia and the melody of HTTYD, which I felt was better than normal for me. I'd like to grow by making sure I sound as "musical" as possible, Hungarian Dances was a little blatty for my taste. I've been taking lessons and will study my music harder to achieve this goal.
My parents said the carnival was very good and the little kids seemed to love it.
My parents also thought the kids loved the concert! You had great sound quality!!!
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DeleteThank you, Erik!
DeleteI am discussing musicianship for this comment.
ReplyDeleteIn chicken dance me and the other bassoon focused on making sure that we were quiet during the recorder sections in order to let the main instruments shine. Also, in all of my music I marked notes and rhythms to make sure that I can play the best possible during the concert when I tend to forget key things.
My goal for next concert is to improve the ways I am a good musician. I will work on participating and focusing more in class and while I practice I will mark my music so it more personally help me for the next concert.
My sister really liked being able to get up on stage and be able to look at our music and she felt like she was in the concert. My parents thought the best part of the concert was the hula hoop concert because they thought it was fin and refreshing,
Great idea to mark your music more! I think that's a helpful thing we all don't do enough of.
DeleteThe ways that I contributed to the concert included the way I had a positive attitude, was fun on stage and also the tone I had while playing the pieces. In certain songs like carnival in sao paulo, I made sure to do all of the specific moves while having a fun time and "jamming" out when we were suppose to! The music was very important but making sure the audience stayed involved mattered a lot for this piece. The next area that I did well was tone in the pieces, I made sure to tune with others while maintaining a quality tone throughout. the two ways that I can work on include working privately on the music much more and working on speed with my technique. First off, I should contribute to the band by working on my own, specifically at home for the next winter concert. Also, some songs had hard rhythms that were very fast and by working on my technique I will be able to go much faster. For next year I think we could make the carnival about 45 minutes to let the kids have more of an opportunity to go through all of the games!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had fun! When you have fun so does the audience! Practicing is tough to make the time for, but once you do you will notice the changes! Happy playing! :-D
DeleteI also think it was important for the audience to be involved. I agree that we should make the carnival part a little longer next time, too!
DeleteI feel that what I contributed was tone, I feel that on how to train your dragon and on fantasia I contributed a good tone to the two songs. The area where I need practice and I need to grow in is rhythm. A way to improve on rhythm is to try and clap or sound out the rhythms in a song so I can get it right. And I will also try and make sure I get the rhythm down as I am sight reading music so I can form a muscle memory.
ReplyDeleteI also find it really helpful to subdivide the notes while I'm working on counting.
DeleteI also thought your tone was fantastic! the mm tah tah technique always helps me with conquering tough rhythms and totally agree with you!
DeleteAnother way to improve your rhythms would be the way we learned in class with tapping your fingers.
DeleteI agree that taking the time to really focus on the rhythms even without playing can greatly help learn the piece of music better.
DeleteI thought I did a good job with my musicianship. For example, I paid close attention to the articulations in Carnaval in Sao Paulo to make it more exciting, and in the middle section of How To Train Your Dragon I thought I did pretty well on having dynamic contrast. For the next concert, I will practice making the music even more interesting. One thing that I will do to accomplish this is to listen to the pieces before the concert to get a better idea of how they should sound.
ReplyDeleteArticulations were important in Carnaval, glad to hear you worked on them! I like your idea of listening to the pieces before the next concert, that's a great idea...
DeleteI think another way to make a piece more interesting is by listening to other people's parts and creating a good blend between instruments.
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ReplyDeleteI think the horns did a really good job of not chipping notes in this concert and I could almost always hear you during the pieces which I feel like is a big improvement from past years!
DeleteRhythm:
ReplyDeleteI contributed to rhythm in Hungarian Dance No. 5 by looking up at Mr. Richter during the tempo changes from really fast to really slow. I made sure to feel the rhythm very clearly and I think the rest of the band did to stay together as one even during interesting cut offs and the slow notes. I also paid close attention to rhythm during HTTYD when we the clarinets had triplet rhythms that were difficult to count. We all listened to each other to stay together and had to pay close attention to rhythm. My goal for the next concert is to bring a metronome into the practice room when working with pieces early on. I want to be more of a leader when it comes to playing correct rhythm instead of listening to others and understanding it later on.
I want to work on being more of a leader when it comes to rhythms too! I think I can achieve this by practicing earlier more and paying attention to counts.
DeleteThe area I feel I contributed the most was balance. For most of the pieces we had 3 altos on 1st part and 1 on 2nd part. For Hungarian Dance I was able to switch to 2nd to even out the parts. But for most of the rest of the pieces I soloed on 2nd part. I tried to balance with the 1sts and worked to play the piece accurately. This was especially true for Fantasia, 2nd part has a lot of harmony to what the 1st part has so I worked to make sure I played well.
ReplyDeleteThe area I felt needs to be improved for next concert is technique. I wasn't able to work on the pieces as much as I would have liked to for this concert, meaning I wasn't always perfectly accurate. For next concert I practice by slowing the piece down and work on getting the fingerings correct before speeding up again. My private teacher moved this past month so I'm hoping to find a new one soon. This will provide me a good resource.
I absolutely agree with you. I think we lacked restraint and balance and just kinda slapped people with music. I love that you commented on that, and acknowledged what we're failing at.
DeleteI feel that during this concert I contributed by playing the correct rhythms. I worked to master the beginning of How to Train Your Dragon, which contained many fast triplets. Similarly, I practiced The Sorcerer's Apprentice to conquer the triplets there.
ReplyDeleteBefore the next concert I want to improve my tone. Some notes sounded bad to my ear during this concert and I want to fix that. I will do this first by working on vibrato, which can make tones warmer. I will also practice with a tuner more often, learning how to adjust my pitch by ear so that corrections can be made. I will work with my lesson teacher to achieve this goal and use my tuner more often.
I think the carnival was very fun for kids, but the concert seemed to drag on a little too long for some kids to stay engaged. I thought the concert was a fun break from our usual format.
I agree with your comment about the carnival and the concert. We should do more interactive things in our other concerts.
DeleteI like how specific you are about how to improve your tone and how you want to be able to correct your pitch by ear. Also, I agree that the carnival was really for kids, and that the concert may have been too long for little kids to listen to.
DeleteMusicianship: I contributed especially in Arabian Dance of Fantasia by following the dynamics of the bass clarinet. I also contributed in How to Train Your Dragon in playing a darker sound to complement the trumpets in the beginning of the piece. In terms of area of growth, maintaining my embouchure and agreeing on dynamics with my peers. I would improve maintaining my embouchure by playing longer music with not many rest. Also, I think talking more with my peers after each piece would be helpful (maybe sections can work on pieces individually during class for one day a week?).
ReplyDeleteI feel that I contributed good musicianship and gave the band a solid tempo. For our next performance I want to work on my triangle rolls and make them louder and faster. I will do this by working on how to roll faster and make it sound better. My favorite song was how to train your dragon because the french horns played amazing and everyone sounded together. I think it was an overall awesome concert and everyone seemed to enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI think that the percussion did really well at keeping the tempo in this concert! Good job!
DeleteI contributed to the band with my great rhythm and intonation. More specifically, I think my rhythm skills shined most in Fantasia. In addition, my intonation was highlighted during Hungarian Dance. Two things I'd like to improve on before our next concert include my technique and musicianship. I plan to work on my technique by discussing ways to improve with my fellow clarinets. I will work on my musicianship by listening to all of Mr. Richter's comments to the band, not just our section's.
ReplyDeleteI agree that you had great rhythm and intonation, I think a good way to work on improving technique if you feel it is necessary would be to practice more and collaborate with other clarinets. Also to improve musicianship, just simply listening to other instruments parts will help you know how to fit and blend.
DeleteI also need to work on my technique and musicianship. I think you have some good ideas when it comes to improving your musicianship, and I think another thing that could help you would be listening to the music beforehand to get the feel of it.
DeleteI feel that I most contributed by trying to keep my dynamics softer than how we had been practicing. In Hungarian Dance, there are multiple measures where the flutes are expected to be softer and I tried very hard to keep the volume down. In How to Train Your Dragon, there are a lot of dramatic dynamic drops that I lowered my volume for. I feel like an area of growth for me is tuning, especially because we didn't tune before the concert. I'm going to tune myself on my phone every class as well as tuning with the whole band.
ReplyDelete-Katie Mollison
I decided that I needed to improve on tuning as well. I had an idea that maybe each section could just do a quick 2 minute tuning-sesh with each other beforehand so we don't take a ton of group time to tune.
DeleteI believe what I contributed most to was rhythm. I put in a steady beat, trying to stop other people when they rushed. Times when this happened was during How To Train Your Dragon towards the end, and during part of Hungarian Dance. What I need to work on would be technique. During Hungarian dance, there were many moments when I was unable to play the notes, and during the last segment of Fantasia. I will work on this by practicing the music slower, to make sure i get the rhythm, then going on to faster tempos.
ReplyDeleteI think another thing that would help you for practice is not only going slower, but also playing the tough section segment and segment, getting fast and faster each time you get it right. That always helps me!
DeleteI'm discussing tone, and examples of where we were lacking in songs that got particularly loud not because of dynamics, but rather because of the band's excitement of lack of constraint. An example of this was we got really loud in how to train your dragon, and in that we lost control of our tone frequently. The same happened in both of the carnival themed songs. Two ways we could improve our tone as a band is by improving dynamics, as those go hand-in-hand. We could also work to improve on focusing on individual tone quality and balancing the band to the best of our abilities (focus on who has the melody, and make sure nobody is over or undershooting volume so their tone isn't sacrificed).
ReplyDeleteI think you're definitely right that we need to work on balance and dynamics more! I think we all get swept up in everything when we were on stage and forgot that we can't just overload the audience with volume.
DeleteI agree!!! We were all very excited to play HTTYD, Fireball and Uptown, which caused us to play way too loud. My brother was covering his ears during Uptown because of how loud we were!!
DeletePreach.
DeleteI completely agree with you! We could improve our tone significantly if each of us just made minor changes.
DeleteI feel that I contributed most with my rhythm, especially in How to Train Your Dragon when we have challenging rhythms. In Hungarian Dance, we stayed on tempo and my rhythms were accurate throughout the piece. The area in which I want to make the most growth in is my tone, and making sure I have a full sound with each note I play. One way I can achieve my goal of tone by the next concert is by doing different exercises and scales while focusing on my tone. Another way to work on my tone is by making sure I have enough air to support my sound.
ReplyDeleteI think that the trombones did a great job with the rhythms! Good job! A way to help with air support could be to practice the breathing exercises we do in class at home.
DeleteI agree, my tone could have been better as well. I also think the entire band could have been a little more in tune which would have helped.
DeleteI think I contributed tone and musicianship, and I can improve with musicianship before the next concert. I can do that by practicing with others on the music we play for the concert, so that we can learn from each other and help each other to improve. Also, I can use the books we use in class as well as the actual music we play, because the books help with technique and basics. For the concert, next time I think we should make the carnival part a little longer. Also, I think that how to train your dragon was the favorite for a lot of people who came, so I think we should continue to use videos in the back during some songs.
ReplyDeleteI think that your goal is good, but maybe be more specific with the goals your setting for yourself within that category? For instance, what part of your musicianship would you want improve (dynamics, style)? Otherwise your methods for practicing were practical!
DeleteI think our rhythm and intonation was very strong. I would like to improve on my tone quality and musicianship. I thought in Hungarian Dance we didn't have very good tone quality and our musicianship could have improved a lot. We can improve this by listening to more music from the time period of the piece and more pieces by the composer. To better prepare myself for the next concert I will focus more in class and try to listen to the band and blend my tone more. Also I will try to being home my instrument and work on the areas I need to improve on.
ReplyDeleteI think you definitely played very strongly! I think another possible way to improve musicianship could just be listening to other instruments part to get an idea of the piece as a whole.
DeleteI think you're an amazing clarinet player!! Listening to other pieces by the composer would definitely interest me as well.
DeleteI agree that we did not have good tone in Hungarian dance. However you did help me fix my tone in that song and appreciate you for doing that to ensure that we had the correct tone for the pieece
DeleteI think I most contributed to the performance through rhythm. For examples, I worked on the quick rhythms throughout Comedian’s Gallop to make sure that they were accurate and in time with the quick tempo that was in 2. I also worked on making sure the triplets in How to Train Your Dragon and also playing those in time.
ReplyDeleteI think my area of growth is technique. I think to better improve my technique I need to get more familiar with alternate fingerings, esp. the left Eb on the oboe. Another way I can improve my technique is to learning how to tongue faster and double tongue – I think this will come with more practice with my private teacher on this skill.
Very specific goals you have for yourself. Nice!
DeleteI feel that I contributed tone the most because I have a low instrument. I can improve on my tone by making sure I'm always in tune. I would like to improve on my articulations and dynamics for the next concert by marking music and ensuring that I make note of all of the articulations. I think that keeping all of the kids engaged in the music and events was very successful.
ReplyDeleteI think you played really well and your tone was excellent!
DeleteI think I could improve on dynamics and accents. In Fantasia, I missed a few notes, and I also missed a couple accidentals. My goal is to not miss any notes next time. I plan on achieving this by writing in my music more often and being more attentive to the key signature. I would also like to be more mindful of my breathing and working on the places I breathe. I enjoyed the concert, and I think the band played well.
ReplyDeleteI think the aspect that I contributed most to was rhythm. I had some weird rhythms in H2TYD but I stayed strong and didn't get swept up into the other parts. During Fantasia I made sure to look up at Mr. Richter a lot so I wouldn't get off during all of the tempo changes.
ReplyDeleteThe aspect I want to work on is balance. I'm going to improve by listening closely to both the recordings of songs and us actually playing them. I'm also going to work on dynamics right from the start of getting our new music.
Looking at the director - nice detail! Listening to the songs before the concert is a great idea.
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ReplyDeleteI feel like I got all the rhythms down for the songs we played especially in HTTYD where we have the melody for a good part of the song. I feel like I can improve on my tone. There were a few notes that didn't come out as full as I would've liked them to sound. An example of this is in Fantasia where I had very low notes and I missed a few of them.
ReplyDeleteAnother way to improve your tone is by practicing different scales and exercises listening to your tone.
DeleteSitting near you, I can say for a FACT that your rhythms were truly impeccable, a brilliant improvement from when we first began learning the songs. Tone is difficult, especially on some of those pesky low notes we had to play! You played great, Erik, and don't let anyone tell you differently!!! <3 Sam
DeleteI feel I most contributed in tone during the one player part in Dance of the Hours as I maintained a strong tone at pianissimo. I also showed good tone in Russian Dance as I maintained a good sound while being that loud and high on the baritone. Before the next concert I would like to improve in rhythm. I will achieve this by writing out the counts for rhythms I do not understand as well as paying close attention to those notes during rehearsal.
ReplyDeleteI think I most contributed to the performance through my balance. In songs like How to Train your Dragon where the french horns have either the main melody or a supporting counter-melody, I made sure to play out. But, in songs like Hungarian Dance where the French horns only play on the off-beats, I made sure to let the melody be featured.
ReplyDeleteI could improve on my intonation. I didn't take out my tuner and do some tuning pitches, so that is something I will Improve upon for next concert.
WOW Emily. You are such a great addition to the band. I'm also going to take out my tuner more to improve the quality of my sound.
DeleteYou sounded super good I thought you were über tuned! Well done, Emily, well done.
DeleteI think that I contributed by playing my parts to the best of my ability and making sure I had the key in check and had good pastier. All aroung we had a great concert and all had fun I hope.
ReplyDeleteI think I most contributed to the concert by playing musically and with good tone. I would like to make more growth in my technique area. In the concert I showed good musicianship by playing to the style of the pieces and by exaggerating and dynamic shifts. Two ways I can improve my technique is by working on each note transition so I don't chip notes as often. Additionally I can improve any technically fast notes by starting slow and gradually increasing the tempo.
ReplyDeleteThats a good idea to practice transitions to not chip notes! I agree with you that you played with really good tone because I could hear you and you sound great
DeleteI think your idea of practicing fast notes is a really good one!
DeleteI contributed to the concert by putting a lot of energy into the songs that required moving around, like Uptown Funk, Carnival, and Fireball. I also tried to balance my sound with the rest of the band as well as possible. ( Maybe we should tune before the next concert). Some areas I struggled in during the concert were memorization, and getting the fast songs up to speed. I found it hard to stand up during Carnival and play the music at the same time, so next time we play a song with a lot of movement I should memorize it more. In Comedians I had a hard time getting the notes up to speed without compromising the articulations, especially during the sections where double tonguing was needed. I can fix both of these areas for the next concert by practicing the music more, and focusing on the music that needs more work instead of focusing on my favorite songs.
ReplyDeleteBruh same. Legit same exact thoughts on Carnaval Sao Paulo and the struggles with standing up and moving but looking down at notes. I also STRONGLY agree that we should tune before we go on.
Delete-Annika
I totally agree that we should tune before the next concert! Nice specific goals for improvement, too. Also, for pieces where we have to move I don't think you necessarily NEED to memorize? Maybe just practicing with the movements would make it easier and reduce the amount you need to memorize.
DeleteThe songs we played were fun to play, and exciting to listen to. My little cousins had a lot of fun going to the concert. My favorite song was How to Train Your Dragon because I like the song in general and I thought we nailed it. I thought the tone and mood we made was cool also nit was well balanced. I could improve on my technique and musicianship, be more focus then i was and that would help both.
ReplyDeleteI agree, nice job!
DeleteYeah, I agree that H2TYD was one of the concert favorites, and I also think that the video aspect really brought the concert to another level.
DeleteIn Fantasia I thought I had good dynamics and my tone was pretty good. My tone and dynamics were with the conductor and I tried to watch him the whole time during the first section. I struggled a little on technique during that song when we played sorcerers apprentice with my regular fingering and the flats. When I practice I will pull apart the piece that I am struggling on and take it really slow and then work my way up to the tempo we need to be at. My Rhythms also were a struggle in that I couldn’t keep up with the tempo then I forgot what my rhythm actually was. I will work on my rhythms with my private teacher in order to improve all around when reading rhythms.
ReplyDeleteThis concert, my area of strength was my technique, especially my articulations and dynamics. I made much more of a conscious effort than I have in the past to play the staccatos, tenutos, and accents in all of the pieces, and very obviously in Carnival in Sao Paulo. When it comes to dynamics, I was way more aware of my contribution to the volume of the band, purposely playing softer than I normally would in the areas that were too loud for the audience. Because How to Train your Dragon is a song we all know, it got pretty loud, so I held back when needed throughout the piece.
ReplyDeleteAs for my area of growth, I believe I could improve on my rhythms. When we combined with the trombones from hour 3, I realized that I had been misreading some rhythms on both the Chicken Dance and Hungarian Dance no. 5. To improve, I will pull out the books we use in class (Fussell, FFSP) as well as some rhythm books I have at home and try some new rhythm exercises I have never tried before. I could also find a website similar to the one we tried out in class that could quiz me on my sight reading. One question I need to answer is, how long and how many times should I do this? Every day? Twice a week?
My friends and family loved the concert. Afterwards, my mom told me repeatedly that she couldn't believe how tight we were. The carnival went just as well - I got the impression that kids were very enthusiastic about being there. I would have made it 10-15 minutes longer, however. One idea I had to improve the instrument petting zoo was to maybe have stickers of the various instruments on the tables. Then, after a kid tries and instrument, he can put a sticker of that instrument on his/her shirt to show everyone that they tried it out and loved it.
I agree with your comments regarding the concert and the carnival. I definitely think that many people really enjoyed the concert especially the kids. I also think that the carnival should have gone longer. Doing the face painting, I only had time to paint 2 kids' faces and the last one was a bit rushed.
DeleteI'm going to talk about musicianship and how I think I contributed by doing that...
ReplyDeleteI think I played the dynamics in Hungarian dance well. I only had the melody like twice so I basically played mp the whole time, knowing if I lost sight of my dynamics the altos and the band could deafen small humans. Also, not exactly in the concert as a whole band, but I think I did okay on Viva La Vida. I tried to go somewhere with the dynamics and make it swell up and then decrescendo. And then when I go like: F G# G F G# G. I tried to bring that out and jazz it up.
Also I'm just gonna say that HTDYD was awesome. Playing it on stage I was like "lol that happened" But listening to it, it took me a second to realize that that was US playing. We sounded so good. Yeah it got overwhelming at times with the volume but if I closed my eyes I listened it felt like I was listening to a LEGIT BAND. Like a professional one for just a moment.
Honestly my intonation was crap. I wish we tuned as a section and a band because playing Fantasia with 3 alto ones was AWFUL for me. I love that song but in Arabian dance when we were like: F(half note) F#(dotted half note) We were out of tune and it was noticeable. I'm making it a goal to tune everyday before class starts. And I would also like to just practice with my section maybe after school or before school because it's more help to me than just playing alone and hoping I sound good.
-Annika
I thought you did an amazing job on the trio, you definitely used really good intonation and phrasing, and the whole thing came together really well between the three of you.
DeleteI thought you and the other two saxophones did a great job on Viva La Vida. It added a cool element to the hula hoop contest.
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ReplyDeleteI think I most contributed to the concert in respect to musicianship. I really tried to balance the sound of the band and if higher instruments were overpowering I backed off to the point that I could barely hear myself. Also if I know a problem area that I marked off for tone, I focused on getting a deep breath before and having air ready to go so my sound didn't chip or fall flat or sharp.
ReplyDeleteI would like to better my technical dexterity the most before the next concert. I want to be able to play every rift hitting every note rather than hitting 5 out of 6 of the notes of whatever it was. I will try to do this through my lessons. My teacher has given me rhythm books which I will practice slowly until I can speed it up and play perfectly. Scales will also help my ability so it becomes more natural to quickly go from note to note. Additionally, my teacher said that I would start working on double tonguing which I hope will improve my ability to play the quicker measures.
I really like your goals. I want to work really hard and that's great! It's good that your being hard on yourself.
DeleteYour goals are very specific and I believe that you will be able to achieve them. Keep up the hard work!
DeleteFor musicianship I worked really hard to blend and to do dynamics. I also worked hard to do every movement and to show excitement.
ReplyDeleteI will grow in my musicianship by using the forte mezzo forte and piano warm up to practice my dynamics. I will work on my connection to the music so I can tell the story by putting emotion behind my playing.
~Lauren
Warming up every day in this way improving gradually over a period of time rather than trying to tackle it all at once sounds like a really good idea!
DeleteI think I contributed most in rhythm. During Carnival Sao Paulo I played my rhythms well, and contributed to the bands ability to play them. Also, in Hungarian Dance 5 I played the offbeats well and helped others do so.
ReplyDeleteMy areas of improvement is probably musicianship. The different styles of music require different abilities and I need to practice that. During the concert I lost focus and played Carnival Sao Paulo without some of the balance required. Also during Fantasia, I played with Articulations that didn't match well. I can improve this by writing reminders in my music, and listening to the pieces outside of Band.
I feel like the best thing to concentrate on for this concert is dynamics. We were definitely loud at the parts loud was required - How To Train Your Dragon, just after the slow part as the bass picks it up - but some of the parts that were supposed to be quieter needed a little bit of work - see Fantasia, Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy, and the drums during Uptown Funk. The best way I can think to work on dynamics personally (because if everyone works personally, the band will improve collectively) is to do so in conjunction with my flute teacher. She's been working with me on dynamic exercise from Tervor Wye's tone book, mostly dealing with being as loud and as quiet as possible on as large of a range as I can, crescendoing and diminuendoing in a controlled way over a set period of time. Continuing this will help me gain better contorl (which I am admittedly somewhat lacking) and also improve my intonation, which my teacher never ceases to comment on.
ReplyDelete-Caroline H
I agree, I think we had issues with our volume on some pieces more than over others, but overall I think we kept good tone quality throughout the concert.
DeleteI feel I contributed most the the concert with my musicianship. I played with a really nice tone in Hungarian Dance No. 5 when the trumpets play the slow part with the mutes. Also throughout the whole concert I played a lot of the dynamics correctly, when we had the harmony I would play softly and when we had the melody I would play out. Finally I played the last note of Fantasia really well, with the diminuendo and the crescendo.
ReplyDeleteTwo things I will try to improve for next concert will be my attention in class and my mute. I sit next to one of my friends in class and often don't pay attention, so I will try to improve this by sitting somewhere else. Also for most of the year so far I haven't had a mute, so I am planning to get one so I will sound better.
The last note of Fantasia was really good and sounded very in tune for such a high note.
DeleteI felt like overall my performance was pretty good but, as always, there is a lot of room for improvement. My rhythm and technique was pretty good especially in HTTYD and Hungarian. I worked really hard on my technique in both of those pieces and I believe that my hard work payed off. It's funny because I remember playing HTTYD in 9th and thinking it was the hardest thing ever but I've improved so much since then that the piece was really no big deal. Personally, I need to improve on my tone and also my counting of the music. I could have played the slow parts in Fantasia and HTTYD better because my tone felt a little unsteady. The steadiness of my tone has been something I have been working on with my private teacher and hopefully it keeps improving. Also, I need to count the rest better because there were a couple of times when I accidentally came in too early.
ReplyDeleteIt's cool to see your perspective on the same song after 2 years have passed! HTTYD was really a favorite of mine.
DeleteI'm going tot talk about musicianship and how I contributed overall in the concert. The first example I am going to point out is the clarinet parts in Hungarian Dance. The clarinets had a decent amount of melody and I played quietly enough so all the three parts were heard. This way none of the parts like third were overpowered by firsts or seconds.
ReplyDeleteThe next example I am going to talk about is Fantasia, specifically "The Dance of the Hours" section. The clarinets have the melody in this section, and I played so that I balanced my sound with the other clarinets playing this part. I also made sure to carefully count the rests in between each set of notes we had.
I know I have to improve on rhythm, I made a mistake in the beginning of Fantasia and came in a measure early along with a couple other clarinets. I also need to watch my key signature more closely, due to making a couple silly mistakes during Hungarian Dance when it begins to pick up tempo.
By Avery Corcoran^
DeleteI agree I think that the clarinets did not overpower each other in Dance of the Hours. Its good that you balanced your sound with other people, counting the rests in between does really help on staying with the tempo and accuracy.
DeleteI feel the area that I contributed to the most during the concert was with my rhythm and musicianship. I feel my rhythms were precise, and during the rhythms that were a little more complicated I remained consistent. I also think I had good dynamic contrast and I was able to follow the dynamic indications given by the music and the conductor.
ReplyDeleteFor the next concert, I will work on blending and balancing with the other members of the oboe section. I did not adjust to the different number of players as I should have since before the concert I was the only oboe player in my band section. To improve for the next concert, I will practice playing quieter than I normally would during the regular band period so I am more prepared for the concert. I will also listen to more recordings of the music so that when there
is more than one oboe part, I am familiar with the other parts besides my own.
- Jenna
I agree that the oboes did a spectacular job at musicianship and contributed alot in terms of dynamics and articulation to the band performance.
DeleteI did well in the musicianship area. The french horns were featured in how to train your dragon and played well, we also did not overpower the other sections on hungarian dance when we had offbeats. I could improve in the technique area, especially in comedians gallop, and in fantasia on rhythm in russian dance.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFor the concert I feel my area of specialty was my musicianship. I feel that I was always paying attention to what was expected of me at all points of the concert. I played all of my parts well, paying extra attention to rythems. I also did a good job of looking at Mr. Richter to look for cutoffs and tempo changes. Two things I could have worked on we're my tone, and my dynamic changes throughout the music.
ReplyDeleteThe band as a whole played the son how to train your dragon very well, I think it was our best song. Fantasia could have been a little bit better but we also didn't play it until we were on stage so that would have been fixed with practice.
-Owen Smalley
I feel that I contributed most to the tone and sound of the bass voices, adding a deeper sound and more darkness to the the sound. for example, on the "this is burk" part of How to Train Your Dragon, I added a much deeper note than had been before, which added a whole new dynamic (not the volume) to it. Also in Fantasia, Night on Bald Mountain, the darkness of my instrument helped a whole lot to add to the spookiness factor, which was very important to that song. I really need to improve on my control of the notes and not squeak on notes. Despite the fact that it is a different instrument, it is still a clarinet and plays basically the same as the bass clarinet, and I should not be making such carelss mistakes. Also the octave key needs to be fixed. I need to have tighter embouchure and press the keys much harder.
ReplyDeleteGood comment about the dark tone of your instrument. It added an element that our band didn't have when nobody played the contrabass. I could actually feel the floor vibrate during "Night on Bald Mountain."
DeleteMusicianship was probably my area of strength for the concert. I paid close attention to phrasing, especially during the parts where the horns had the melody. For example, in How to Train Your Dragon I kept consistent phrases during the 3/4 section where the horns were featured. I also emphasized dynamics while listening to the other sections in order to keep a good balance. In Fantasia, during Dance of the Hours and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (and also parts of How to Train Your Dragon), there were parts where the dynamics were forte or fortissimo, but the horns were not meant to have the melody. During these sections, I made sure to play relatively loudly, but not so much that my part overpowered the melody.
ReplyDeleteTone is the area where I need the most work, especially on the more technical sections. It’s harder for me to keep a good tone quality during these sections because I’m more focused on getting the technique correct. To improve this, I will focus on practicing the technical sections slower at first so I can keep the same tone quality as I would have on a more lyrical section. It would also be helpful to incorporate more long tones into my warm-up every day. I can also talk to my private lesson teacher about how to improve my overall tone quality.
My family had great things to say about the concert. My dad was amazed by how much we have improved at playing How to Train Your Dragon since 9th grade. The only negative comment came from my brother, who mentioned that I was awful at doing the macarena during Carnaval in São Paulo. I think the younger kids really enjoyed being able to come onto the stage and watch us play.
I agree with your brother. But I also agree with your father when he said that we had improved greatly upon HTTYD since ninth grade, and I think that one of the reasons that it has gotten better was because the horn section greatly improved upon the middle section, and I believe that you greatly helped with that.
DeleteI think that you did a really good job at listening to who had the melody and playing under or playing out as necessary. Although I am but a (not at all) humble trumpet player, I think that your tone is quite good. Still work on it though and strive to raise the bar from "good" to "awesome"! Also, always remember to be peppy (which you do a good job at already)!
DeleteI believe that my rhythm needs a little improvement as well as my technique in the way I play mallets. I think the way I can contribute to the growth of this band is to work on my rhythms, whether it be with a snare or mallets. I also believe that I can contribute to this bands growth by practicing the mallets, because that is what I would like to play most this year.
ReplyDeleteRhythms are musical aspects that many people struggle with. One hint that I have is to look at the rhythm practices that we received last year and the work we did with them. In addition, I would suggest that you clap difficult rhythms before playing. Count out loud the rhythm and clap simultaneously. These techniques will boost your playing skills.
DeleteI think that one of the things that I struggled with the most was musicianship, especially after we talked about becoming quieter. Playing softer and blending goes along with musicianship, but I think I was focusing too much on individual phrasing and not doing enough listening. For example in Carnival São Paulo, we had a lot of difficulty not overpowering other sections, because flutes were somewhat high and there were a few different harmonies going on at the same time that we forgot to listen outside of our section. Additionally, I think I could have done a better job making the styles different in varying sections, especially in Fantasia, as I think I focused too much on what the music literally said to do, and not enough on interpretation of that particular piece of music.
ReplyDeleteI like what you said about musicianship. I also need to work on playing quieter and listening to the band. I think overall, you could work on trying to listen to the melody, and pay close attention to what is going on around you. Great job at the concert, especially with the pep!
DeleteI like how you are specific in what you want to improve. I think its a great goal for you to work on blending, balance and interpretation of music! From what I heard it sounded like the flutes had very good tone quality throughout the concert.
DeleteI felt that I contributed rhythm and tone to the performance. I have been working on tone throughout the year, and I make sure to keep a steady and clear tone while playing. I had a pretty clear tone in How to Train Your Dragon during my solo. I have also focused on rhythm and will continue trying to improve working on tricky rhythms. I worked a lot with rhythm in How to Train Your Dragon, especially on the first page. I can improve on dynamic contrast, but I did try to focus on playing less loud during this performance, especially in Fantasia. I think I need to work a lot more on trying to improve my technique and articulations. With a faster tempo, I find that the quality of my technique goes down, so I will try to work with my private teacher on different exercises to improve. For instance, I will try to work on expressive scales with different articulations and tempos. I can put more focus on dynamics while practicing.
ReplyDeleteI think for next year, we could allow around fifteen more minutes for the Carnival portion. I really enjoyed playing Uptown Funk and Fireball because it made the concert more interactive and gave the kids a preview of what marching band is like.
I like what you said about improving your rhythm and tone. I also like what you mentioned about showing kids what marching band is like. You did very well on your solo and im glad that you stayed confident in yourself!
DeleteI think I contributed to our performance most with tone. For example, in How to Train Your Dragon, I played with a focused, solid, centered tone when the French Horns were featured. I think I also did a good job blending with the other instruments. Another example is in Carnaval in Sao Paulo during the Horn feature.
ReplyDeleteAn area I could improve on before the next concert is intonation. During Fantasia, there were parts when I missed some of the higher notes. I want to use my practice sessions to focus on range by playing higher notes. I also want to work on stamina by playing for longer periods of time so I can last through the whole concert.
Also, this is David Ha.
DeleteRhythm was the area that I contributed the most to the performance. Out of the five songs we played, only a few rhythms posed a struggle. However, I worked through those tricky measured and felt prepared for the concert. For example, in How To Train Your Dragon, measures twenty-two to twenty-five were difficult. I practiced them and could play them well by the concert. In addition, Carnival in Sao Paulo, the solo opportunity at measure thirteen was difficult because of the bobbing movements that went along with the playing. By the concert, my movements with the playing had improved drastically. My rhythm contribution was what stood out to me the most.
ReplyDeleteFor the next concert and further concerts, I strive to improve my musicianship. Playing musically to match the style of the piece is difficult and is an area that I could improve. For example, in Hungarian Dance No. 5, the switch in tempo from measure thirty-nine to forty was a different style change as well. I could work on my musicianship during that change.
To improve on my musicianship, I could listen to the audio of the piece we are playing to detect the musicality so I could incorporate that more into our concert. In addition, I could attend more concerts and look at their style and the way the professionals exhibit their musicality. Being exposed to more music with inevitably increase my musicianship.
Not that you are not doing this already, but I think playing through your heart could really help you with your musicianship. When you see this music, think of the mood of the song, and try to express this mood through your playing. Also, be creative! Experiment! Try different dynamics, articulations, etc., and decide what style would fit best. In short, just have some fun playing! If you have fun, you will be great!!!
DeleteI most contributed to the band with technique. I worked hard on learning the music and I only messed up once, during the later part of Comedians Gallop. Other than that, I came in at all the right times and thought it went pretty well. The thing I need to work on is intonation. I did notice a couple times that I sounded a little different than the person next to me.
ReplyDeleteIntonation is an area that can be adjusted and corrected. One hint that I would give you is to use a tuner to help you play the right note without being too sharp or flat. In addition, using a tuner before class starts throughout your section would greatly reduce the amount of times you sound different from your stand partner or other students in your same section.
DeleteIn regards to my intonation, I feel like due to the fact that I desperately need a new reed I was kind of out of tune. I was able to make it work, but sometimes when I would use a lot of air I would over blow my reed and come out a little bit flat. I would fix it and I don't think it sounded too bad but I could definitely hear it happen a couple times. I contributed to this area by listening and working extra hard to stay in tune and I also tried to play softer when I thought I could. Two things that I could work on for the next concert is to practice the harder parts in the songs more often and I will also work on quick technical scales. I am also going to get new reeds and probably start private lessons again. I think that overall the carnival went very well and the concert went even better!
ReplyDeleteThe Carnival Concert was probably the best-first concert of the high school I could have asked for. I'm glad I took the advice from Jake Robinson for this concert. "Do something for the carnival concert, anything, it is so fun." Not quite accurate on what he said, but that's basically what he said. I've played in Fick before for a concert for the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony (gtcys) about two years ago or so, and this was a way different experience. Now to the pieces:
ReplyDeleteHungarian Dance: This piece went really well and I think it was a great opener, the one thing I would say about it though is that we could have been more together in certain areas of the piece. I could've also spent more time before the concert practicing the more technical lines of the piece.
H2TYD: This piece was one of my favorite pieces. It went really well. It still gives me chills listening to it in class here, how it connects with the video so well. I think we could do better on tone and tuning on the longer notes we had. I could have done better one these things as well. I did will on many of the rhythms and notes of the technical sections towards the beginning of the piece.
Fantasia: I think this piece was good as well. We were able to have some restraint during the Sugar Plum Fairy and Arabian Dance making it sound great. The only thing that didn't really go well for me is that we didn't have enough spots for us clarinets it seems so I ended up needing to sight read a Clarinet 2 part which wasn't exactly the best. Though, I loved playing this piece. It had a great ending to it too.
Comedians' Group: This piece was great with all the kids coming up on stage with us as we played. Musically, I need to improve on sharper articulations.
Carnaval in Sao Paulo: RESTRAINT. We were LOUD. Other than that, lots of people really enjoyed this piece. The choreography, though difficult to intertwine with our playing (at first), was worth putting the effort in. It was really fun and great to have the opportunity to be a part of it all.
Overall, I love this concert. I did most technical rhythms really well along with dynamics. I need to improve on better articulations and tuning in with the band.
I will practice these things with the next pieces we play in Varsity Band along with some songs I'm currently playing in the pit orchestra.
The thing that I think I most contributed to the band was my musicianship. There were certain songs that required there to be a contrast in emotion and apply that to the way that I felt the music to be. In How to Train Your Dragon, each distinct section of the piece had a different mood and feeling surrounding this. It required me to think about how the composer thought that this section should sound like. This would include ideas of articulation and style. I had to apply these ideas to the song. Another song that showed by musicianship was Fantasia. This was a song that again had distinct sections and different moods and styles. This required me to again think about what each section's goal was. I had to embrace the articulations, style, and dynamics in order to achieve this. I would take mental and physical notes in order to make sure that I could do this every time that I played this piece. When we combined as an entire band, I had to use my ideas I had make sure that my ideas matched what the ensembles goals were towards understanding the music.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I could grow in is intonation. This is something that requires work. We as an ensemble could also work on this as well. I noticed in certain parts where I was not in tune with the rest of my section or even my part. This allowed for me to take note of this and fix it. I would listen more closely to my part, then section, than ensemble as a whole to make sure that I was doing the right thing. However there were certain parts that I messed this up, causing there to be a lack of intonation on my part. One thing that I could do to help me grow is ask private teacher to help me strive for playing the right note but in tune. This would require me to ask questions and listen to what the note should sound like when it is in tune. This would contribute to the band's overall sound by knowing that I am playing the note in tune. The final thing that I could do is have a tuner with me while playing the music at home. This would allow for me to understand which notes require me to pay more attention to and make sure that they are in tune when I am playing them.
I feel that I contributed the musicianship of the concert. I payed a lot of attention to dynamics and featuring the melody. I think that I did this well in Hungarian Dances during the slow chords. During this part I memorized the notes so I could watch the conductor for note changes. During Fantasia I though I did a good job of playing the style of each piece as well as playing part of a solo for a trumpet that didn't show up.
ReplyDeleteI think I need to improve on technique. To practice articulations I need to do the "De, Dit, Doo, Dah" exercise and write the articulations in my music. I think playing in jazz band will help me with articulations. To work on playing them correctly I should listen to music where technique is prevalent and ask for help from my private lesson teacher.
Dude, good job with the whole memorization aspect of this wild and crazy ride of musicianship--that, for sure, is not an easy task to accomplish. It also adds a whole new level of expertise and quality to your playing that shows dedication in both the observant eyes of the audience and the director. And, on the note of the trumpet solo, that really shows your versatility as a young musician--a skill that, I'm sure, will only grow in the coming future. Keep up the good work.
DeleteApart from calling forth my innermost peppiness, I feel that I contributed musicianship the most to the performance. For example, in HTTYD, I tried to play dynamically across different articulations to bring out the thrill of the dragon attack and the awesomeness of riding a dragon for the first time. For Uptown Funk, I tried to embody the electric vibe of the song by playing slightly accented and with energy. I could grow in having good tone in the upper register by doing exercises that cover a large range of notes in both the upper and lower register. I could also work on intonation by focusing on playing fully and darkly rather than on relying on volume to fill up the room.
ReplyDeleteI think one way to help you make a more dark sound would be tonguing with your bottom teeth to make an "o" sound. Usually, most wind musicians tongue with their top teeth, making an "a" sound. I learned this technique from Mr. Robert Dorer, a trumpet player of the Minnesota Orchestra. Let me know if you have any questions and/or comments!
DeleteI think where I contributed most was in showing musicianship--though not exactly in exactly the manner in which most people are interpreting it. Since I was not here on the day in which we assigned ourselves to our Carnival Booths, I was stuck with the conundrum of not having a place. So, in an attempt to give people a personal feel for what it feels like to be a part of our "band family" I just spent time before the concert talking to people--whether it be talking about life, or talking about music--I just talked with the families. All to drive the idea into the audiences minds that, even as talented of musicians we are, we're still just people.
ReplyDeleteI think that our intonation was very strong. In Hungarian Dance we had good intonation around measure 60. Another example is in Fantasia during The Sorcerers Apprentice. I personally would like to improve on my tone quality. In order to improve my tone quality I should take in more air and breath more more often. Also I will work on more scales and long tones to improve my tone quality. To improve the concert next year I would make the carnival a little longer, I liked the in between stuff but I would maybe try something different for peanut butter jelly time. I think the carnival was very fun for kids and I think that they really enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteI liked your comment of "taking in more air" to improve tone. Make sure that when you are doing this, you are keeping the phrasing of the piece. I mess that up a lot.
DeleteI liked that you not only had multiple examples of how you did well, but also multiple examples and descriptions of exactly how you can improve! I also agree that the carnival part of the concert could have been longer.
DeleteI think I contributed equally the most in rhythm and musicianship. At home, I took time to listen to each of the pieces and really get to know how my part was supposed to sound and when I was supposed to come in. I feel this was shown during Carnaval in Sao Paulo, as I played my rhythms well, and contributed to the bands ability to play them. Also during Carnaval in Sao Paulo I tried to do many of the movements with as much enthusiasm as I could to try to invite others to do the same. For the next concert, I would like to make the most growth in listening to the band more. To do this I plan to really learn all the fingerings for each piece, so I can spend less time with my eyes on the page, focusing on myself, and more time watching the conductor and listening around me. I also plan to play quieter in general as I think it could overall benefit the band. Looking overall at the Carnival Concert, I think that the Carnival portion should go longer.
ReplyDeleteI contributed by showing up on time and adapting my tone and technique to having twice the size of band. Musicianship was a concern for all of the band. For me, during Comedians gallop I restrained myself from playing to loudly. I also played all the notes and rhythms to the best of my ability in Fantasia. In one part, I ran out of air and I had to slowly drop out. overall we did a good job making band seem fun to little children, however, we could use some improvement on musicianship. I wish we would have taken a pitch before we started playing because we were very out of tune. Also, people played blatantly wrong notes in the audience during the marching band parts of the Concert. Areas in which I could grow in is air intake. I still need to adjust to having a baritone saxophone again. Ways I could solve this is taking my Bari home and working on holding notes to my fullest extent. I also need to work on tone, because a lot of the notes i play are out of tune. Ways I could work on this is by getting a tuner and adjusting my notes to be in tune.
ReplyDelete- Xander Idrogo-Lam
Rhythm was the area that I contributed the most to the performance. Out of the five songs we played, only a few rhythms posed a struggle. However, I worked through those tricky measured and felt prepared for the concert. For example, in How To Train Your Dragon, measures twenty-two to twenty-five were difficult. I practiced them and could play them well by the concert. In addition, Carnival in Sao Paulo, the solo opportunity at measure thirteen was difficult because of the bobbing movements that went along with the playing. By the concert, my movements with the playing had improved drastically. My rhythm contribution was what stood out to me the most.
ReplyDeleteFor the next concert and further concerts, I strive to improve my musicianship. Playing musically to match the style of the piece is difficult and is an area that I could improve. For example, in Hungarian Dance No. 5, the switch in tempo from measure thirty-nine to forty was a different style change as well. I could work on my musicianship during that change.
To improve on my musicianship, I could listen to the audio of the piece we are playing to detect the musicality so I could incorporate that more into our concert. In addition, I could attend more concerts and look at their style and the way the professionals exhibit their musicality. Being exposed to more music with inevitably increase my musicianship.
I feel like my technique (as far as playing the correct rhythms, accents, dynamics and notes) were pretty good. I tried to put a lot of energy into every different type of articulation in Carnaval and I think that worked well. There were some places in fantasia that (when we initially got the piece) I was having trouble with rhythmically (dance of the hours in particular), but I had fixed it by the concert so that was good. I want to work on musicianship for next time- for me part of that is tuning:I think it would really help if we all sat down and tuned with our sections before the concert? Because there were a few places where the music sounded REALLY out of tune. I also want to make more of an effort to get the right rhythm out but still make the musicality really speak. I’ll accomplish this by thinking of how I want it to flow BEFORE I play it before trying it. As far as resources for this, I’ll ask other members of my sections to listen to me play certain sections and ask for feedback.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good idea to ask other members of the band for feedback. Having other people give feedback can really help improve someone as a musician. I agree with your thought about tuning, we could have all tuned in a section before or as a band to improve our overall sound!
DeleteTechnique. During the piece Fantasia, I tried to use different techniques such as articulation and dynamics to manipulate my sound, ultimately changing the over all mood of the different sections of the piece. During the Sorcerer's Apprentice part of the piece I used heavier articulation and separated my notes to give it a distinct sound. During Carnival, I had to use a lot of articulation related technique to correctly play the syncopated line and differentiate the staccato, accented, and tenudo notes. For the next concert, I need to improve my tone. During the Carnival Concert there were times that I felt my tone could have been much better. One way I can work towards improving my tone is through learning to take more air in, and being able to control the power of my air. I have found that the breathing exercises we practice in class help me have more air power, but I still have to work on controlling that power. Also I want to be able to control my tone in the high register, and while playing at a softer dynamic. To achieve this, I will keep playing in the high register through scales and pushing myself to play out of my comfort zone. Once I get the notes, I will keep playing them so the tone becomes controllable. Same concept applies to playing with a softer dynamic. I will just have to play notes as quiet as I can until I can manage the tone.
ReplyDeleteI think I most contributed the concert with my musicianship. I made sure to play not as loud when other instruments had the melody or if another part had it, but when my part had the melody I made sure to play out, really working on playing the dynamics correctly. I looked up at Mr. Richter to see when he was cutting us off and changes in the tempo. In Fantasia when it was the Dance of the Hours, clarinet one had the melody so I played softer so that they would be the most heard. Also in Carnival, I really tried to be enthustiastic while doing the movements and having the energy of the piece.
ReplyDeleteI definetly think I could work on my rhythms in some pieces. To reach that goal, I plan to practice more technical pieces that are more challenging, and also playing more scales.
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ReplyDeleteI contributed most to the carnival concert through my rhythm in each of the songs. I played very well in this aspect of each of the songs, which in turn helped my part blend into the band as a whole. An example of this was in How to Train your Dragon because this song has a lot of different rhythms in it for trumpets and I played them well. Also, during Fantasia there were a couple spots where the rhythms were a little unusual, and I felt like I played them well too. A place in which I can work on is definitely tone. For me, my range is not that strong or wide so when I got into some of the higher notes during Dragon my tone was not all that good. To make this better I need to practice with not only a clear tongue and such, but also with a lot more airspeed and support.
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ReplyDeleteI think I contributed to the concert most with my tone. I worked hard to have good air and the right notes in order to play my best. There were a few rhythms I could have worked harder with to be able to play faster yet accurate. For my tone, an example in Fantasia, there are many high notes around measure 109 that i did not realize when we first got the piece, but after looking at it again i realized it was flat. Also over the past few months Fantasia has been a helpful piece to me to stretch my range upwards of Bb. In order to get better before the next concert I am going to use FFSP and Fussel books to practice the rhythm studies along with taking more time in my practice to review the rhythms i need to practice
ReplyDeleteOne way I believe I contributed to the concert was by having a full and rounded tone. An example of this was I made sure to control my tone during Carnaval In Sao Paulo and made sure it had substance and balance so I did not overpower other sections. I also believe I contributed to the concert by having strong musicianship. One example of this was in HTTYD because I tried to fully immerse myself in the music and focus on creating the sense of flight from the music that was written. One area of the concert in which I could improve in was rhythm, especially in the part of Fantasia: The Night on Bald Mountain. I can improve my rhythm by making sure to practice with a metronome so I maintain a constant speed during parts with faster tempos. I could also work to improve my rhythm by clapping and counting challenging sections because that way I am just focusing on the rhythm and not the notes too.
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