Superior teamwork!

I’m so very, very proud of your work yesterday. The concert felt solid from start to finish. We had a large, receptive crowd, and good weather. It all added up to a successful day, of which we should all feel proud.

I spent a good deal of time today thinking about why yesterday was such a great experience. Too often we spend most of our energy following a performance analyzing our mistakes and how to improve. Right now, I think it’s a good idea to recap the extraordinary, collaborative characteristics we shared that made the performance so outstanding:

• Individual members of the ensemble were extremely focused.
• The ensemble came in visualizing success.
• The ensemble gave latitude to the conductor, guest conductors, and soloist to allow the music to breathe, expand, and feel buoyant in the moment.
• Individual members radiated empathetic energy for one another, especially in moments of quiet, reflective repose, when it was most needed.

Please think on these things, and bring them along with you as we continue on our path together through the performances in March, May, and July.

Bob Bennett’s Buoyant Big Band Blast!

If you’re available, please remember Bob’s jazz concert tomorrow, Tuesday at 6 pm at The Shrine, 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Boulevard, Manhattan. Go to http://shrinenyc.com/ for more information (scroll down through to January 31 to see Bob’s listing). Click the graphic for a full-size version of his flyer.

R-13 Clarinet & spinet piano for sale

I have information about a Buffet R-13 Bb clarinet and spinet piano for sale. Contact me directly for more information.

More info for NYSBDA

I’m waiting for answers regarding WSW members attending NYSBDA workshops, family/friends attending the concert, plus making arrangements for carpools between our hotel and the conference center. All this will be forthcoming. We will also be asking everyone making the trip to confirm their transportation, arrival & departure times, and lodging (if you’re staying overnight) so we can account for everyone as needed.

Caramoor tickets

I’ve requested our discount code, but no one has responded yet. Although you are welcome to go and pay full price at www.caramoor.org, you might want to hold out a bit to get the discount.

No rehearsal tonight

Next rehearsal is next Monday, February 6 at New Rochelle HS. I’ll resend the directions at the end of the week.

Thanks again, all, for a fantastic experience yesterday!

We are set to go with our dress rehearsal tonight, 7:30-10:00 pm, at TMH. Please come energized and ready to focus on our important work together.

We will take a few minutes at the beginning of rehearsal to give an opportunity for members to remember and honor Rocco Polera, and review the details for his funeral tomorrow. Prior to rehearsal, at our 6:15 Board meeting, we will discuss some options for honoring his memory at the concert on Sunday.

There are many factors this week that could potentially pull us down and keep us from actualizing our potential. It turns out that the “Determination & Grit” theme for this concert is most apropos on many levels. Let’s keep that in mind as we gather tonight and on Sunday.

The Board agreed to cancel rehearsal tonight. All members were notified by direct email.

Our dress rehearsal, on Wednesday, January 25, will proceed as planned, from 7:30-10:00 pm.

This week – IMPORTANT!

Please read all of this and every post (not just the excerpt which appears on your phone), and use the menu links on the main page at wsw.ebernet.biz to find important membership information. The concert is a week away, and as I said last week, we lose money on every concert. One well-attended concert never guarantees future attendance. Please print, post, and share our concert flyer (click directly on the graphic for the downloadable PDF), and invite neighbors and co-workers who have never attended to come to this concert. See Rachel for additional Friends & Family half-price discount tickets. There’s no limit to the number you may sell (although we ask everyone to sell at least 6 across the entire season), and they are good at all TMH concerts through May.

We have our last working rehearsal on Monday and our dress rehearsal is Wednesday, both at 7:30 pm in TMH. As usual, please be prepared to work until 10:00 pm as needed at our dress rehearsal on Wednesday. The call on Sunday will be 1:00 pm for the sound check, so please plan on arriving by 12:30 pm to help with the last minute details of setup, and prepare your instrument/warm up. We’ll stop by 2:00 pm and the concert downbeat is 3:00 pm.

Future rehearsal notes

• There is no rehearsal on January 30 (day after the concert)
• On February 6 & 13, we will rehearse in the New Rochelle HS Band Room again (TMH is not available)
• There is no on February 20 (Presidents Day)
• On February 27 we return to TMH for our final NYSBDA rehearsal

Songcatchers Board position posting

Ulysses Torres sent me this part-time job posting for the Executive Director of Songcatchers, Inc. in New Rochelle. Uly has served as a board member and mentor of this non-profit organization that offers music training and enrichment services in the Hudson Valley. For more information, please click here for the job description, and share this with anyone you know who might be interested.

Caramoor

The Members Sale for Caramoor tickets ends this weekend. I expect to hear that we’ll have a Friends & Family discount once again this year, and I’ve requested the discount code and link, and will share this as soon as possible. In the meantime, here is the season information sent by Caramoor to share:

Get ready to fill your summer with music! With many artists making their Caramoor debuts including Daniil Trifonov and Sutton Foster, the return of American Roots Music Festival and Jazz Festival Presented in Collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center, two featured Artists-in-Residence, soprano Angela Meade and guitarist Jason Vieaux, six performances with our resident Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and so much more, you’ll want to be sure you get your tickets early. Public on sale begins January 23.

See you Monday — get psyched for a great week!