Rehearsal Monday, 7:30 pm in the APR

The rehearsal agenda has been posted. I have a particular vision for entering the stage for this debut performance at Diller, and will explain how this will work along with the flow into the Star-Spangled Banner. I have discussed this with the board, and I will explain it to the full ensemble at the rehearsal on Monday.

Ads due on Monday

Ads help fill our program book, generate easy income, and help our visibility. All ads run in all three season concert programs.If you are taking an ad, or submitting an ad on behalf of a business, please be sure to download and return the 2026-2027 Ad Form along with payment. You can give the ad form, paper ad copy, and payment to Tom Sweezey, principal alto sax. If you are submitting ad copy digitally, please send it as an attachment to westsymwinds -at- gmail.com, and use the subject line Ad Submission.

Rehearsal on Monday, October 26 – Winter program music

This rehearsal will move away from the Fall program, to give us a headstart on the Winter concert. Planned for January 31 to work within the Hackley schedule, the Winter concert is scheduled earlier than usual and there is always the chance of weather issues. October 26 is not a full concert read-through (that will be on November 30), but it will include the Shostakovich, both Mackey works, and possibly more. The Shostakovich parts are ready now. I’ll announce when the other parts are ready.

Reminder – feel free to use the multi-colored music stands at rehearsals in the APR

Using the multi-colored music stands frees up a lot of traffic to/from the basement and makes it easier for the percussion to move more quickly and safely. So feel free to use these stands. Just put them back where you found them at the end of the evening. You are also welcome to bring your own stand if you wish.

Everyone else, please use the WSW-owned stands stored in the basement next to the percussion. Return them as well to the same location at the end of rehearsal.

Rehearsal on Monday

As noted on our schedule, we are rehearsing this Monday, in the APR, even though it’s Indigenous People’s Day. The rehearsal plan is posted here, and I also copied it into the #general_band_chat channel on Slack.

The rehearsal is in the APR again. Isn’t it wonderful not to drive all over Westchester County from week to week for rehearsals?

Membership dues

Please remember to bring your dues on Monday.  They are $125 cash, check or pay by Zelle to treasurer [at] westchestersymphonicwinds.org. We need to tie this up as announced by this coming Monday.

Ads are due next Monday, 10/19

Please give ad forms and payments to Tom Sweezey. Send ad copy to westsymwinds [at] gmail com. There is so much excitement about our first concert in Diller, and so we’re expecting the ad impact to be greater than usual. Keep in mind that all ads appear in all three concert programs for the season.

WSW Finance Presentation

Thanks again to Marge and David for their financial presentation last week. David posted a summary of the presentation on Slack, in the #general_band_chat channel. Please refer to it as needed.

Winter rep

As announced last week, it is likely that I will dedicate one rehearsal before the Fall concert (date yet to be announced) for reading/rehearsing a portion of the Winter concert. The Fall cycle is long, and the Winter cycle is short by comparison. Plus it’s winter, and we’re more likely to have rehearsals cancelled if Hackley closes (a new dimension we’ve never had to coordinate before!).

I don’t have all the parts ready yet, but the Shostakovich Finale is ready here. This will definitely be the prime target to address at such a Winter rehearsal before the Fall concert. I encourage you to consider downloading the Shostakovich sooner than later!

Rehearsal Monday

We’re back in the APR in the Lower School at Hackley this week, starting at 7:30 pm. Please review the rehearsal plan here.

Program ads — please support our program journal!

Click here for the 2026-2027 Ad Form. Ads will be due Monday, October 19. Email graphics to westsymwinds@gmail.com, hand ad forms/payments to Tom Sweezey. Please remember to complete and return the ad form! It has critical information that is important to the program graphics designer (which happens to be me!).

State of the Band

We are starting on Monday evening with a financial report from Marge & Dave. This has been something in development for several years, and I’m glad it’s coming to fruition. In the spirit of transparency and our united efforts, this is an important report. I’m grateful to Marge & Dave for putting this together.

See you Monday!

Stay safe!

I hope everyone is safe and dry. Please make good choices when traveling, especially if you have to go near the shoreline!

Huge thanks to Ed Herko!

The board has been perturbed by the rising costs of storage for our library at Cubesmart in White Plains for several years. Ed learned about 501(c)(3) discounts at Westy’s recently, and spearheaded a project to move our library. This move will save us thousands of dollars each year going forward, and our treasurers will share some of those figures at our rehearsal on October 5. In the meantime, huge thanks to Ed for tackling this project and moving everything this past Friday!

Sectionals on Monday

The rehearsal plan is ready. Assuming that we do not need to build an Ark by then, we will hold sectionals on Monday at Hackley. Here are the sectional locations, along with parking and driving directions. Since this is our first time using these spaces, please allow extra travel and setup time so we can still start at 7:30 pm.

Click on the photo to enlarge!

Hackley Campus (Google aerial photo is out of date, does not reflect current Diller Hall)

Woodwinds in Hackley Chapel – BRING A FOLDING MUSIC STAND. If you usually need additional light in low-light situations, consider bringing a stand light; I haven’t seen this space at night yet. Rehearsal is in Hackley Chapel. You have two choices to get there/park:

CHOICE #1 – Enter Hackley campus as usual, but go right at the fork instead of left to Diller. Go about 600 feet and bear right/downhill into the lot that is closest to the chapel. Be careful to note GUEST and RESIDENT spaces; they love us so far and we want to keep it that way. If you can’t find parking there, park at Diller, and follow instructions below for Choice #2. PARKING IS NOT ALLOWED IN THE CIRCLE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE CHAPEL.

CHOICE #2 – Park at Diller Hall. NOTE: You can park in the upper gravel lot to save some steps up from the lower lot! Walk to Diller, then take the stairs on the right side of Diller to the top of the hill (photo 1). Keeping the building on your left, bear to your right toward the chapel (photo 2). Continue around the circle and enter chapel on your right (photo 3).

Brass in Diller Orchestra Room (2nd floor) – There are music stands in this room, but it might be good to bring a folding stand just in case there are not enough. Lighting is more than adequate in this room.
Park at Diller. NOTE: You can park in the upper gravel lot to save some steps up from the lower lot! Enter Lobby and take stairs to 2nd floor (there’s also an elevator at the far end of the lobby). Once on the second floor, you’ll find the Orchestra Room in the hallway adjacent to the audience left wall of Diller. Please be aware that we must return this room to its original setup on departure! 

Percussion in APR. You know what to do!

Jessica, Kathy, and I will rotate between spaces after the first hour. We’ll assess these spaces before committing to them for the sectionals in December.