Dress rehearsal Monday at TMH

We have our final rehearsal on Monday, and I hope you’re getting excited for our second trip together!

On Monday, we’ll rehearse some selected spots in all pieces, take a 10 minute break, then play through the entire program without stopping, and finishing with closing notes, questions, and announcements. Remember that we are back in Tarrytown for this Monday’s rehearsal. The rehearsal plan is posted.

Syracuse weather for next weekend looks decent, with no precipitation forecast for Friday or Saturday. Sunday we might see some rain or snow showers on departure. Cross your fingers!

Emily!

This past week I had the wonderful opportunity to conduct a clinic rehearsal with Aerophone, a community band based in Wappingers Falls. I met the director, Rich Holod, this past summer at the Temple Conducting Workshop. The next evening I drove back up to observe the guest conductor for his Festival of Winds — Emily Threinen! It was wonderful to see her, and she wanted me to pass on to you her greetings and best wishes for the NYSBDA performance.

I’ll see Emily again in March at the CBDNA National Convention in Kansas City. Her vibrancy and energy is palpable. We are so lucky to have had two opportunities to work with her!

Enjoy this beautiful weather — and I’ll see you on Monday!

As scheduled, no rehearsal tonight. Enjoy the Presidents Day holiday, and we’ll see you next Monday evening in Tarrytown for our NYSBDA dress rehearsal.

Also, please note that there is no rehearsal the Monday after NYSBDA, March 6, as posted. We’ll start the Spring cycle on March 13 in Tarrytown.

Rehearsal at New Rochelle

We are back at New Rochelle on Monday. It’s likely that the “Faculty Only” doors which you come to first will be open, rather than the doors at the far end (past the greenhouse and keyhole).

Please plan ahead to arrive in plenty of time to set up and warm up. Emergencies happen, but we really need to start promptly on Monday evening, beginning with a discussion of goals for the end of the night. As I wrote on Friday, we did not earn a positive rating last week, and this cannot happen again.

Recordings

I’ve made these recordings available, via Dropbox. Give these a listen as we near the NYSBDA performance.

• January 29 concert: Galante, Maslanka, Holmquist, Nelson
• Resource recording of Hazo

Just click on the links to go to the Dropbox folder, then select each tune and click the “play” button (right-facing triangle).

Our purpose and presence

As I tried to explain last week, it’s really critical at this point that we re-gain the sense of purpose and presence that gave us such musical strength when we traveled to Chicago and performed in Stamford. I am eager to sense our professional identity rejuvenated as of Monday. Arrive in plenty of time, stay focused, listen intently. Remember that all these NYSBDA professionals are eager to hear you!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend. See you Monday.

Rehearsal site on Monday

Please remember that we have rehearsal this Monday at New Rochelle HS. Follow this link to see the detailed driving directions they supplied. Please do not use the school address coordinates on your GPS; this will not take you to the right part of campus. Instead, aim for the corner of North Avenue at Braemar Avenue. Drive onto campus at Braemer. Drive in past the tennis courts and park in the parking lot at the north end of the “new wing,” labeled the Museum of Arts and Culture. Walk along the length of the lake side of the wing, passing the doors that say “Faculty Entrance Only” and continuing to the far corner of the building. Go around the greenhouse and head for the “keyhole” arch. Walk through the “keyhole,” and look for the double doors on the right. The Band Room will be inside, first doors on the left. Please allow enough time for travel so we can start rehearsal on time.

Goals for Monday:

• Share and review highlights from the concert.
• Thoroughly rehearse the two new pieces, Boerma & Hazo.
• Review spots of concern in the other works.
• Collect travel, lodging, carpooling offers/needs and information from all for our trip to Syracuse. Please come prepared to complete a short questionnaire detailing your mode of travel, when you intend to arrive, if you’re staying overnight and where, if you can offer or need a carpool ride to Syracuse, and if you can offer or need a carpool ride on arrival between our hotel and the conference center.

If you wish to reserve a room at the Comfort Inn & Suites, where we have negotiated a $89.00 rate, the deadline is this coming Friday, February 10. The reservation rate expires on that date. For more information about the hotel, conference, and performance, click here for the WSW NYSBDA Bulletin. I have updated this bulletin with more information about WSW members attending NYSBDA workshops, friends/family attending the concert, and more.

We had a great concert — I’m looking forward to another spectacular performance with you at NYSBDA!