ACB performance

This is a big week, with rehearsals on Monday at 7:30 pm (TMH), Wednesday at 7:15 pm (New Rochelle HS, because TMH is booked), and Saturday at 2:00 pm (call time at the Hilton Woodcliff Lake).

Here is the link to the directions to New Rochelle HS. Remember, don’t use your GPS!

The rehearsal plan for the week is posted.

Rep Bracket Challenge

I’ve computed all the votes and moved the winners forward to the next round, the Thrilling 32. I believe I caused confusion with the original bracket I posted. Instead of filling out the entire bracket (like many of you do annually to anticipate the entire NCAA tournament), the intention of the posted bracket is just to show the nominations and the progression of the winners in each round. So instead of trying to edit the bracket, you just want to click the link to VOTE.

• Here’s what the bracket looks like now, with the 32 winners (and the voting percentages) posted. (It includes a link at the top to go to the voting form for the next round.)
• Here’s the link to go directly to the voting. The recording links are still included, if you want to listen.

Please vote when you have a few minutes to devote to the project. I’ll keep this round open all week, at least until April 29. The next rounds will have fewer choices, and we’ll be able to move them along quicker, especially because everyone will be familiar with the remaining choices by then.

Spring Concert publicity

With Bethany Larsen’s help, we’ve enlisted the assistance of Ryan Ratelle and RRR Creative public relations. They helped craft a press release that has been blasted from here to Timbuktu. Click here to see the version published in Broadway World. Greg Governale also sent this out to all our regular media contacts. We’re getting great press!

Happy Passover! Happy Easter!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend. See you Monday at TMH.

This just in: If you’re interested in attending the ACB welcome breakfast on Thursday, the keynote lunch on Thursday, the banquet on Friday, or the farewell breakfast on Saturday, here’s the link to reserve your spot.

Please note: reservations are due tomorrow, April 16.

Upcoming rehearsals

Remember that we have no rehearsal tomorrow evening. When we regroup next week on April 22, we have two rehearsals, then the ACB performance. Then we have three rehearsals, and the May performance. It’s all going to happen quite quickly. So we all have to stay on top of our game.

Please read the rehearsal schedule carefully, and note that our rehearsal on Wednesday, April 24 is at New Rochelle, starting at 7:15 pm (starting 15 minutes early, as we did the last time). Unfortunately, TMH took another booking on that evening. Thanks in advance for planning ahead.

The Bracket

So far, about 1/3 of the band has voted in the first bracket of our repertoire project. If you haven’t so, I hope you’ll consider voting. The link is on this homepage. If you tried to vote but the form asked you to sign in to Google, please go back and try again; I edited the settings so that is no longer a requirement. It was not my intention to do so. Apologies if this was an obstacle!

I’ll keep this first round of voting open until this Wednesday, April 17.

Have a good week!

Rehearsal this week

The rehearsal plan is posted. Todd Nichols, our guest conductor for ACB, will be here this week to rehearse Metroplex. So, please be ready to rehearse that piece with him. The first half of the rehearsal is ACB, the second half is May. (May-only players, please arrive ready-to-play by 8:45 pm.

It’s ready! Click here for the Repertoire Bracket Challenge!

The Super 64 voting is ready. I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback about this project, and everything is ready to go. Click on the link above to see the bracket lineup (the link is also posted on my homepage along with the rehearsal plan). You can listen to as much or as little as you like — each title is a link to a recording. Or you can check out Chris Carbone’s Spotify playlist if that’s easier for you. Thanks to Chris for putting this together! However you approach it, once you’re looking at the bracket, click on the link at the top, and that will take you to the Google Form for the Super 64 to vote. You can only submit once, but you can save and return to the voting as often as you would like. Just click Submit, then note the link to Edit Your Response. In addition, if you elect “Send me a copy of my responses” right above the Submit button, you’ll receive an email with your submission, and a link to update/complete the bracket voting. That makes it really easy.

I’m hoping to get at least 40 responses in this first round, so please consider participating. I’ll keep the Super 64 voting open through April 15, so you will have plenty of time to consider the choices before we tally the votes and move on to the Thrilling 32, when you’ll have only 16 choices to make. My hope is to finalize the winner by the concert on May 11, which is very doable, because the next rounds will only have 8, then 4, then 2, and then one final choice to make.

Another band podcast

Many of you have remarked that you’ve enjoyed Mark J. Connor’s podcast, Everything Band. If you haven’t caught them yet, there’s are recent episodes featuring interviews with Robert Sheldon and Viet Cuong.

Ian Vlahoviç asked me to also recommend the podcast broadcast by his former teacher at Mahwah, Tim Rausenberger. Called Getting It Done, Tim has episodes on a number of topics. Please check it out. You can find it through several means:
YouTube
iTunes
Soundcloud

Arrival/soundcheck info for ACB

I’ve received our warm-up schedule for our ACB performance on April 27. Please note and copy into your calendars:

2:00 pm – Arrive on site at Hilton Woodcliff Lake, 200 Tice Boulevard, Woodcliff Lake, NJ. Check in with David Church outside the Amphitheater. Here is a map of the hotel.
2:30 pm – Access to Amphitheater. Warm-up and tuning.
3:45 pm – Assemble outside Grand Ballroom, take places for performance.
4:00 pm – Performance
5:00 pm – Post-performance celebration – room TBA

IMPORTANT: Please plan to bring a folding stand to the warmup. None will be provided. Also, there will be no percussion in the warm-up room.

We’ll discuss all this in person in the upcoming rehearsals.

See you Monday night!