This is the beginning of spring break week in the public schools, but for many there is no break in sight on the front lines battling the pandemic. As I write this, I am mindful of the members of our communities — including many of your own family members — who are putting their essential duties ahead of their own safety, as they serve as medical caregivers, first responders, workers in the grocery industry and delivery services, and more. By supporting you, I am hoping to support them.

I’m offering several diversions this week:

1. We’ll have another Zoom Meet & Greet on Monday night, this week at 7:30-8:30 pm. I will send out the Zoom URL info in a direct email. Starting this week, I’m inviting a special guest to join us every week to check in, say hello, and reflect on how they are dealing with this situation with their own ensemble. This week’s guest will be Dr. Robert Ambrose, who was our guest conductor in November, 2018. I hope you’ll join us to say hello to Robert.
   In addition, if you’d like to have a Zoom session for just your section, or any kind of group within the band, independent of the Monday evening sessions, write me an email and I’ll set you up with a Zoom meeting from our WSW account.
2. We’re launching our first collaborate performance project – a chorale by Bach in F major. Many music educators are giving this kind of project a shot as part of their distance learning plans, so it feels right for us to give it a try. I will supply PDF parts and a click track. Select one of the SATB parts, play the click track, record your part and upload it to the Dropbox folder link. I’ll assemble it all in a sequencer and hope for the best. The process is more important than the product; please participate if this will give you a practice goal and a performance outlet. Find the instructions and files you need here. We’ve test driven this, but if there are glitches, please notify me.
3. A suggestion that came from last week’s Zoom: Upload some of the recordings from the February concert, especially those that are programmed for reprises at Caramoor. So, below are excerpts from our Winter Concert 2020. Enjoy — and I hope to see many of you on Zoom on Monday evening.

Shooting Stars, by Richard Saucedo, conducted by Nathan Brewster

Graceful Ghost Rag, by William Bolcom, conducted by Trish Cornett

Steampunk Suite, by Erika Svanoe
I. Charlie and the Mechanical Man Marching Band

II. The Strange Case of Doctor Curie & Madame Hyde

III. Bertie Wells attends Mr. Verne’s Lecture on Flying Machines

IV. Barnum & Tesla’s Tandem Bicycle