Rehearsal January 16

Don’t forget that we are rehearsing at NVOT this week, because TMH withdrew our use of the stage for this Monday. Directions can be found in direct email sent separately, and below. The band room is adjacent to the rear parking lot. Use the doors closest to the Auditorium.

I’ve posted the rehearsal order on the Rehearsal This Week page. See you then!

Directions to NVOT:

Directions From the Garden State Parkway Heading South:

Take the Garden State Parkway south to Exit 172.
Exit Parkway and go left onto Grand Avenue. Continue on Grand until you cannot go any further–this will be River Vale Road.
Make a right onto River Vale Road. Follow to Poplar Road approximately 1.5 miles and make a left onto Poplar Road. (There will be a Firehouse on your left right before Poplar.)
Follow Poplar to the first traffic light and make a left onto Old Tappan Road. Follow Old Tappan Road to the first traffic light and make a right onto Central Avenue.
Northern Valley Regional H.S. at Old Tappan is on Central Avenue approximately 300 yards down on the right side.

From Garden State Parkway Heading North:

Exit 168 – go right at exit (Washington Avenue, Route 502 East) through Hillsdale to Westwood, across railroad tracks, continue straight on Westwood Avenue (main shopping street in Westwood), bear right at “5 corners” (Fire statue), through River Vale to Washington Avenue, Old Tappan. Left on Washington Avenue (route 17N) Old Tappan, to Old Tappan Road. Right on Old Tappan Road to Central Avenue (opposite Bi-State Shopping Plaza). Right on Central Avenue to school on right.

From the Palisades Interstate Parkway:

Take the Palisades to Exit 5 South (Tappan, NY) to Route 303 South.
Go south on Route 303 through several traffic lights through Northvale, NJ. Route 303 is now called Livingston Street. Continue to follow into Norwood, NJ.
Make a right on Broadway (at TD Bank) and follow thru one traffic light, one blinker, one more traffic light, across RR tracks, to the gas station at the “Y” in the road.
Bear left at the fork in the road, which is Central Avenue. Follow 1/4 mile on Central Avenue to the school, which is on the left side.

From the George Washington Bridge:

Take Palisades Interstate Parkway north to exit 5 south – Tappan NY. Go south on Route 303 through several traffic lights through Northvale, NJ. Route 303 is now called Livingston Street. Continue to follow into Norwood, NJ.
Make a right on Broadway (at TD Bank) and follow thru one traffic light, one blinker, one more traffic light, across RR tracks, to the gas station at the “Y” in the road.
Bear left at the fork in the road, which is Central Avenue. Follow 1/4 mile on Central Avenue to the school, which is on the left side.

From Tappan Zee Bridge:

Follow thruway to Route 303 south, through Blauvelt and Orangeburg over Palisades Interstate Parkway. Route 303 is now called Livingston Street. Continue to follow into Norwood, NJ.
Make a right on Broadway (at TD Bank) and follow thru one traffic light, one blinker, one more traffic light, across RR tracks, to the gas station at the “Y” in the road.
Bear left at the fork in the road, which is Central Avenue. Follow 1/4 mile on Central Avenue to the school, which is on the left side.

From New Jersey Turnpike:

Take Route 80 west to Garden State Parkway North. Follow directions above from Garden State Parkway.

Site changed for January 16

Thank you for your dedicated work last evening at the rehearsal with Matt. He came away energized, and I appreciate your rehearsal with him.

The Music Hall has received a paid booking for next Monday, January 16, and therefore, in accordance with the arrangement we have with them, we must yield the space. Because it is a legal holiday, and because of the late notice, we cannot go to Pelham High School. In light of this unusual situation, I have been able to secure the use of my own Band Room at Northern Valley-Old Tappan High School for this rehearsal. The address is 140 Central Avenue, Old Tappan, NJ 07675. It is about 15 minutes from the Tappan Zee Bridge. Enter by the signboard, drive straight alongside the building to the back, and park in the back. The door closest to the Auditorium will be open. Walk in, take the first right, and the Band Room is ahead on the right at the end of the hall.

We will rehearse at the regular time, 7:30-9:45 pm. Most of you have visited NVOT last year when we had our clinic with Mallory Thompson and John Lynch. If you need help with directions, click the link below. I find the most direct route from the Tappan Zee Bridge is down 9W, to Highland Avenue, then Washington Street, which becomes Old Tappan Road into Old Tappan. Please contact me if you have specific questions about directions.

I will post the rehearsal plan for January 16 later this week.

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Next rehearsal – January 9

Our next rehearsal is with the full ensemble on January 9, 7:30 pm, at TMH. Check the rehearsal schedule to note what is scheduled for the rehearsal. Matt will be conducting this rehearsal, while I am at the Bergen County Band festival rehearsal. I’ll return next week for rehearsal on January 16.

I know that this next rehearsal falls on the Martin Luther King Day holiday. Please support my decision to hold rehearsal. This is due to my unavoidable absence on January 9, and our need to finalize rehearsals as we head toward our concert, only a month away!

Have a great rehearsal with Matt — I’ll see you next week!

Sectionals on January 2

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope that you all enjoyed your holidays and that you are excited for the spring events ahead.

Tomorrow, January 2, we will hold sectional rehearsals, rather than a full rehearsal, as announced in December:

  • Woodwinds – will rehearse at the Irvington Presbyterian Church, 25 North Broadway, Irvington. The church is on Route 9 (same as Broadway in Tarrytown), about 1 mile south of the Tappan Zee Bridge. Rehearsal will be in the social hall, behind the main church. Woodwinds must bring music stands!
  • Brass – will rehearse at Tarrytown Music Hall. You will use the regular chairs and music stands.
  • Percussion – will have a separate sectional, offsite at a time convenient to the five percussionists.

Curt will rehearse with the brass, Matt with the woodwinds, then switch locations halfway through the rehearsal, so both get to rehearse with both sectionals.

Rehearsal repertoire:

  • Curt will rehearse Copland and George at both locations.
  • Matt will rehearse Hazo, Grainger, and Mailman at both locations.

Thanks, and we’ll see you tomorrow!