Rehearsal this Monday

In the fall, we responded to the Delta variant by reducing the number of players for indoor rehearsals. With the advent of the Omicron variant, we will do the same for the next two weeks. We’re doing so with Ron MacKenzie’s endorsement and approval of the Board.

We’ll continue to assess how this variant is spreading and how vaccination contains it before making any predictions for the next rehearsals in January. We will also continue week-to-week assessment in January and February. TMH continues to require vaccination for all players using the Hall, and at this writing, masks during rehearsal are optional but not required.

For now, please plan on:

• Monday, December 6, 7:30-9:45 pm at TMH – Brass and percussion sectional
• Monday, December 13, 7:30-9:45 pm at TMH – Woodwinds and percussion sectional

My rehearsal plan is posted on the home page. 

Newspaper coverage

We received amazing coverage for the Fall Concert and Joe Greco’s award from the Rivertowns Enterprise. Ciick the photo or here for the article. Marge also has a hard copy of the clipping.

Joe called me the week after the concert to express his thanks once again, and asked me to pass that gratitude on to all of you.

Warm up scale for Beginning Band

Since we’re playing Randall Standridge’s Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, I thought I’d share his priceless Bb warm up scale (and unique sense of humor) for all those heroes among us who teach Beginning Band. Click the image for a PDF version. Look closely, especially at the trombone part. Enjoy!

Connecticut Symphonic Winds concert tonight

Lastly, our friends in the Connecticut Symphonic Winds are performing tonight at 7:30 pm in Fairfield. See details below.

I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday with family and friends. I felt fortunate to spend three days with my mother, Helen, in Lancaster County. She watched the concert in real time on November 14, and sends her congratulations to everyone.

We’re rehearsing as a full ensemble on Monday at 7:30 pm, the first of three Monday rehearsals before the holiday break. (The posted rehearsal plan is the first half of the program.) We are still waiting for confirmation from the school where we’ve made application to rehearse on the Mondays that TMH is not available (January 3, 10, 24, 31), but will advise everyone as soon as the plan is confirmed. 

Monday’s rehearsal has a late start again

We’ve learned that Random Farms has one final performance, on Monday. So we need to gather again at 7:45 pm outside the marquee entrance, stay out of the way of the doors as parents exit, and then wait for the all clear before entering the hall. Once parents are clear and we can enter the hall, please wait in the concession area until the TMH crew gives us the all clear to enter the seating area and set up the stage. 

The rehearsal plan is posted. Our goal is to read through the entire program, as we’ve done before. This is an exciting program with three new arrangements for solo accordion and band, written specifically for us by Barton Green. We’ll hand out new music to put into your folders. If you play from an iPad, you can find PDF parts to six of the pieces in this folder.  I’ll do my best to push us through all the pieces by 9:45, but please make plans to stay until 10:00 pm again if needed.

I’m still making decisions about the plans for the next weeks’ rehearsals (full rehearsal vs sectionals), and will announce these plans on Monday. Anyone who has family plans for first night of Hanukkah, on Monday, December 29, should advise David, as this information will help me create the best plan.

Marquee Records

Tarrytown Music Hall is happy to announce the grand opening of Marquee Records, coming soon! It will be located on the second floor of The Tarrytown Music Hall. They are now accepting donations indefinitely. All proceeds to benefit the Hall. Thanks for all your support. Please help them spread the word and follow them on social media. 

Kudos

“It takes a village.” I can’t think of a better example of that old adage than yesterday’s concert. So many moving parts, so many solos, so many tricky entrances and meter changes, all compressed in one afternoon with one goal — sharing our love of music — and accomplished with only one full rehearsal inside the Music Hall. When you have a chance, I recommend checking out the archived video on our YouTube channel. And I’m very eager to hear the final audio recording when produced.

I wish I could have thanked you all individually yesterday as we left the stage. Instead, this note of gratitude will have to do. Thank you to each and every one of you for your contributions to such a successful concert. 

Upcoming schedule includes some challenges

There’s no rehearsal tonight. We meet as a full ensemble next Monday, November 22 at 7:30 pm in TMH to read through the Winter Concert program. At that point, I’ll announce how we are proceeding through the next three weeks (November 29, December 6 & 13) before our winter break. In the meantime, if you have an association with a school that might be a potential alternate rehearsal site (must have chairs, stands, and percussion), please contact me. There are five Mondays that TMH is not available in January/February. We have two Saturday mornings reserved in January at TMH, but I want to avoid them if at all possible!

Enjoy the week — thank you again!