I hope everyone has had a good holiday week. Some public school teachers were off last week, some are off this coming week. We are forging ahead anyway!

Rehearsal Monday

We’re rehearsing Monday at TMH (the rehearsal plan is posted), but then we have two Monday nights at White Plains High School on April 17 & 24. Please mark your calendars. Directions to WPHS are posted at the bottom of the home page.

Flyers and tickets

Our beautiful concert flyers are available for pick up at rehearsal. Friends & Family tickets at $10 each are available from our TMH Box Office page (enter the coupon code shared via email) or by request in person at rehearsal.

Reminder – absence notices

Please remember that Katherine Filatov is acting as our interim personnel manager while David is on leave. To report absences:

• Use our Absence Form to report long-range absences, up to 24 hours before rehearsal. This is the most efficient method of reporting your absence, because it pulls all the info into one place, including where we can expect to find your folder to pass on to the sub.
• 24 hours before rehearsal (typically, after 7:30 pm on Sunday), please contact Katherine directly by email or phone/text. Please avoid messaging David or me; the message may get lost in the shuffle and we won’t know about your absence.

Carmoor on July 2

We’ll dive into our Caramoor repertoire on May 22, including Highlights from La Cage aux Folles, a vocal medley of Lerner and Lowe favorites, and a reprise of Desert Sage pllus Stars and Stripes as our finale. Tickets are already available on the Caramoor site — click here for our WSW Box Office page. We have a coupon code again for the two lowest-priced tiers of tickets; it’s a new code, and I will announce it at rehearsal Monday.

Last year, it seemed that tickets were prohibitively expensive. But they have restructured pricing to make seats more affordable for 2023. Part of that plan appears to be making the center seats in each section less expensive (the two aisle seats are priced one tier higher than the center seats). So tell your friends that they can find less expensive seats if they are willing to crawl over the patrons seated at the end of the row!

Back at TMH

Thank you for the successful sectional rehearsals last week. I’m indebted to Ben Acrish, Andrew Hill, and Marc Tartell for preparing the sectional scores and running extremely effective sectional rehearsals, and to Eric Milkie and the percussion section for an extremely productive percussion sectional at TMH. And a big thank you goes to Marge Hone for retaining the Irvington Presbyterian Church for this purpose.

This week, former WSW member Mislav Forrester will be sitting in with the trumpets. Please make him feel welcome! The rehearsal plan is posted.

Our upcoming rehearsals/sites in April are:

• Monday, April 3 at TMH
• Monday, April 10 at TMH
• Monday, April 17 at White Plains HS
• Monday, April 24 at White Plains HS

Tuba soloist

Unfortunately, Rachel Hertzberg had to withdraw from her solo tuba performance with us on May 13. But fortunately, she took the steps necessary to retain the principal tuba with The West Point Band, SSG Keith Kile, so Keith will be going us to play the Beckel Concerto and Kling duo. We’ve updated all of our press materials. I’m looking forward to introducing all of our guests to you in May.

Commission composer confirmed

After starting with a long list of composers who I thought would be perfect for the new commission project, I narrowed it down to a short list, and then identified my first choice. After several emails and a wonderful phone call with them, and I’m thrilled to announce that the 15th Anniversary Commission Project composer is . . . going to be announced Monday night.

Desert Sage at Lincoln Center

This Sunday is the New Trier High School Wind Ensemble performance at Lincoln Center. Conducted by Matt Temple, the band will be performing Michael Markowski’s Desert Sage (all movements) on their tour program at David Geffen Hall tomorrow evening, Sunday, April 2 at 7:00 pm. Marc Tartell and I are joining Michael Markowski for the performance. This concert is open to the public; you can purchase tickets here. FYI – Tickets range from $20-$100.

Register anticipated absences

Thank you to everyone who has been using our new Google Form for WSW Absences to register anticipated absences and how your music folder will make its way to the sub. This is particularly important now, while Katharine Filatov is stepping in as Interim Personnel Manager. For reference, the link is also posted on this blog’s home page.

Sectionals for woodwinds/brass at Irvington Presbyterian; percussion at TMH

Woodwinds and Brass will meet at the Irvington Presbyterian Church, 21 North Broadway, Irvington. Woodwinds will meet in the annex building behind the church, brass will meet in the Parlor (the reception area in the main church, at the end of the building farthest from North Broadway). There is parking available in the church parking lot. Be sure to bring a music stand to Irvington! I’m grateful to Marc Tartell, Ben Acrish, and Andrew Hill, who will conduct the woodwind and brass sectionals. Please be prepared to rehearse the Beckel, Fukushima, and Cuong with them.

Here’s a photo of the exterior of the church, showing Broadway/Route 9 and the parking lot in relation to the building. Follow the red arrow along the south side of the building to enter the reception area/Parlor (brass) and to find the annex building (woodwinds).

Percussion will meet at the Music Hall, and I will conduct that sectional. We will be setting up in front of some musical theater set pieces, but our limited stage use is confirmed with Karina. (The White Plains HS reservation is cancelled and confirmed.) My plan is to leave the percussion sectional around 9:00, leave the remainder of the rehearsal in the hands of the percussionists, and make a run down Broadway to Irvington to hear the end of the the woodwind and brass sectionals there.

Further details can be found on the home page of this blog.

Rehearsals on April 3 & 10

Because of all the TMH conflicts throughout the spring, and the degree of uncertainty with some dates, I kept both April 3 & 10 on the rehearsal schedule. We intend to rehearse both nights. Some public schools are off April 3, some on April 10. If you expect to be away because of a spring break vacation, please log your absence in the WSW Absence Form as soon as possible.

Desert Sage performance on April 2 at LIncoln Center

New Trier High School Band, conducted by Matt Temple, will be performing Desert Sage on their tour program at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center next Sunday, April 2 at 7:00 pm. Marc Tartell and I are joining Michael Markowski for the performance. This concert is open to the public; you can purchase tickets here. FYI – Tickets range from $20-$100.

Rockland Summer Music opportunity

Danny Mui, NYC Ballet Orchestra clarinetist, is teaching in this Rockland summer music program for middle/high school instrumentalists. There are both in-person and virtual options. Click the graphic below for more information and registration.

• No rehearsal this Monday, March 20
• Sectionals on Monday, March 27
• Rehearsals on April 3 & 10
• Desert Sage performance on April 2 at LIncoln Center
• Promo materials for May 13

No rehearsal this Monday, March 20

As announced there is no rehearsal this Monday. TMH is not available, and White Plains is not booked.

Sectionals on Monday, March 27

We will have sectional rehearsals on March 27.

Woodwinds and Brass will meet at Irvington Presbyterian Church, 21 North Broadway, Irvington. Woodwinds will meet in the annex building behind the church, brass will meet in the Parlor (the reception area in the main church, at the end of the building farthest from North Broadway). There is parking available in the church parking lot. Be sure to bring a music stand! I’m grateful to Marc Tartell, Ben Acrish, and Andrew Hill, who will conduct the woodwind and brass sectionals. Please be prepared to rehearse the Beckel, Fukushima, and Vuong with them.

Percussion will meet at the Music Hall, and I will conduct that sectional (I’m actually still waiting for Karina’s confirmation; I have White Plains reserved as a backup.) Percussion – please be ready to rehearse all works on the program during your sectional.

Rehearsals on April 3 & 10

Because of all the TMH conflicts throughout the spring, and the degree of uncertainty with some dates, I kept both April 3 & 10 on the rehearsal schedule. We intend to rehearse both nights. Some public schools are off April 3, some on April 10. If you expect to be away because of a spring break vacation, please log your absence in the WSW Absence Form as soon as possible.

In addition, a great surprise — Mislav Forrester will be sitting in with the trumpets on April 3! Mislav played with WSW for several seasons before moving to Chicago, and now teaches music in Chicago and plays with Northshore Concert Band. Please make him feel welcome!

Desert Sage performance on April 2 at LIncoln Center

New Trier High School Band, conducted by Matt Temple, will be performing Desert Sage on their tour program at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center on Sunday, April 2 at 7:00 pm. I’ve written to Matt for ticket information, and Michael is flying out to Chicago this coming week to work with the group on his piece next week. I’m planning on going and will share ticket info as soon as I obtain it..

Promo materials for May 13

Ticket information has been sent to the Box Office at TMH. As soon as I have the Box Office ticketing URL and the Friends & Family coupon code, I’ll share them with you. The press release will go out as soon as I have the Box Office ticketing URL.

Please join me in thanking Rebecca, who designed both the concert logo and beautiful concert poster (below). We’ll print copies of the poster and have them available on March 27.