We’re coming down to the wire here, folks. I have published the rehearsal plans for all remaining rehearsals on the home page. Please focus your practice accordingly.

If you have not yet responded to the Reception Form (only 28 members have done so!), please please please respond by Monday! Click here for the Reception RSVP Form.

Here’s the flyer for the 30th Gala Concert, which you can also find on the Resources page:

• Hi-res version for printing and posting
• Lo-res version for Facebook, emails, etc.

On that Resources Page, you’ll also find:

• Spring Gala Concert Press Release
• 30th Gala Media Bulletin
• GoFundMe link for donations

We are grateful to those of you who have sat with Stan & Gina for the interviews. If you haven’t done so yet, please speak to them about a time.

Be sure to check the rehearsal plans, and practice accordingly. See you Monday!

Frank Korach

I’m immensely saddened to report that Frank Korach, former principal oboe and President of WSW, died on Wednesday. Frank was a prominent figure at Boosey & Hawkes Publishers for many years, and was a energetic proponent of the wind band movement. Frank attended our Lincoln Center performance in 2010 and was very proud of the growth of the ensemble. I don’t have any further information, but will pass it on as I learn about it. If you have a Facebook account, visit Frank’s page to leave a memorial message.

Rehearsal on Monday

We will devote the entire rehearsal on Monday to Lincolnshire Posy, tackling each movement one at a time, and concluding with a run-through. Please have solo and ensemble parts prepared for a thorough rehearsal. This will be the only rehearsal I can devote entirely to the Grainger before the concert.

Dates for 31st and 32nd seasons

After considerable negotiations, we finally have confirmations for all concert dates for the next two seasons. These dates will also be posted on the homepage of this site, in the right column.

• We’re trying to keep ahead two seasons from now on to insure our presence in the TMH calendar.
• We had to agree to a Saturday night Winter concert in 2019 and 2020 because there are no Sunday afternoons available within the prime target timeframe for this concert.
• Some dress rehearsals may be moved off-site because of TMH availability, but please reserve the dates now to plan school concerts accordingly. This will also enable us to attract the finest guest artists.
• We are booking Wednesday and Saturday dress rehearsals for the next two Fall concerts specifically because of guest artists visiting from out of town (like we did with Steve Cohen).

• Fall concert – Sunday, November 11, 2018 at 3:00 pm; dress rehearsals on Wednesday, November 7 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, November 10, 2018 at 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.
• Winter concert –  Saturday, January 26, 2019 at 8 pm; dress rehearsal on Wednesday, January 23, 2019 at 7:30 pm
• Spring concert – Saturday, May 11, 2019 at 8:00 pm; dress rehearsal on Wednesday, May 8, 2019 at 7:30-10:00 pm

• Fall concert – Sunday, November 10, 2019 at 3:00 pm; dress rehearsals on Wednesday, November 6 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, November 9, 2019 at 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
• Winter concert – Saturday, January 25, 2020 at 8 pm; dress rehearsal on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at 7:30 pm
• Spring concert – Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 8:00 pm; dress rehearsal on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 at 7:30-10:00 pm

Gala reception

Thank you to the 10 members who replied to the Reception RSVP form. If you have not done yet, please reply by April 23.

Trombone Recital on Sunday

As announced last week, Rich Williams is giving a trombone recital on Sunday, April 15 at noon at the Larchmont Avenue Presbyterian Church. See flyer below!

See you Monday!

I hope you all enjoyed my little April Fool’s joke. This week: no serial music by Sousa, no Mr. T. I promise! But this post does include:

• 30th Gala update
• Reception info and RSVP form (due April 23)
• West Point Band concert at TMH on April 18!
• Smile.Amazon has been simplified!
• Monday’s rehearsal – Caramoor

30th Gala update

The Gala Concert is just a little more than a month away. The handout that was distributed before the week break has important information, and we need your help:

• Click here for another copy of the handout (face it, we all lose things!)
• If you have archival materials to share (photos, programs, unusual audio/video), speak/share with Barton Green.
• If you have photos of you with other band members, or audience members, or other photos that could be used in the Gala video, or a special story, speak/share with Gina & Stan Serafin.
• Copy and edit the recommended donation letter and send to family and friends. This is the time to ask them to support all the time and effort you’ve given in support of this fine ensemble! Share the link for our 30th Gala GoFundMe page with friends and family:
  https://www.gofundme.com/wsw30
  GoFundMe is the easiest way for us to solicit donations, which will support our future percussion equipment purchases, guest artists, library maintenance and purchases, commissions, and more. Remind friends and family that many companies have matching funds programs, which will double their donation.
• Take a look at the Story Starters list in the handout, and volunteer to be interviewed for the Gala video. Gina & Stan are eager to add your story!
• We rarely ask for an “ALL HANDS ON DECK!” approach, but this milestone anniversary is such an occasion. Please dig in and count yourself among those who are making a difference!

30th Gala Reception

Everyone in the band is invited to join us after the May 12 concert for a wonderful reception on the stage at TMH. We need a count of all members and guests who expect to attend, to be able to order enough food and soda (a cash bar with beer and wine will also be available).

Please complete this short form to RSVP for the reception. We need to get an accounting of members (no charge) and guests ($15 per guest) in order to confirm details with the caterer. Please complete by April 23. Complete the form below, or access the form directly through this link.

West Point Band Concert at Tarrytown Music Hall on April 18!

This is a great opportunity to hear this fine ensemble — free of charge! — and see many of our friends in the band who have performed with us over the past several years.

Tickets are free, general admission, but you must reserve seats to attend. Click this link to go directly to the TMH ticket page to reserve seats. Click the “I’m not a robot” box, and you’ll be led to the ticket reservation page.

If you decide to attend, please inform Chris Larsen. We’re trying to put together a group outing for this evening.

Do you shop with Amazon?

If you use Amazon regularly, you can help WSW earn donation support simply by designating WSW as your Amazon Smile charity!

1. Go to http://www.smile.amazon.com. You MUST use the link with the smile prefix. Depending on your settings, Amazon may log you in automatically.
2. Look at the top of the page, under the URL address. If you’ve already chosen a charity it will be listed. If you have not (or if you’d like to change it to WSW), click the appropriate link, search for Westchester Symphonic Winds, and confirm.
3. This is simple, easy, and adds no cost to your orders. You just have to bookmark smile.amazon.com and shop from that link. Otherwise, your purchases do not generate the donations.
4. Share this with family and friends. Although the per purchase donation is only 0.5% of the total purchase price, it’s “found money” for us. And the more people who sign on, the more donations we generate!

Thank you to Eric Milkie for his efforts to update the smile.amazon link so Westchester Symphonic Winds is easy to find!

Rehearsal Monday – Caramoor personnel and repertoire

Remember that Monday’s rehearsal focuses on the rep for Caramoor. Only players who are playing for Caramoor should attend, and players who only play Caramoor should definitely attend!

The rehearsal plan is posted. Significant works on this program include:

• Barton’s new arrangement of selections from The Music Man
• Matt Podd’s new arrangement of selections from West Side Story
• Philip Rothman’s new arrangement of America the Beautiful
• 1812 (of course)

See you Monday!

First of all — Happy Birthday today to David Church!

No rehearsal on April 2

We have no rehearsal tomorrow, because of public school vacation week. Rehearsals resume next Monday, April 9, at 7:30 pm at TMH, with the Caramoor reading rehearsal. This rehearsal will dedicated to Caramoor rep only. All Caramoor personnel should attend; if you’re not playing Caramoor, you do not need to come to this rehearsal. Spring cycle rehearsals continue again on April 16.

Important and exciting news!

I’m very excited to announce that we have been able to secure an important and historical work for band, never performed since its publication in 1929, which I will add to our 30th Anniversary Gala program for May 12!

The work, by John Philip Sousa, was written in the early 20th century when Sousa’s band traveled through New Jersey. At the time, the largest audiences gathered to hear Sousa at the bandshell in Paramus, and he planned to premiere this work there to coordinate with their annual downtown summer sidewalk sale. (These preceded the famous malls in Paramus and were the main reasons for their construction.) Unknown by many, Sousa was fascinated with the serial (12-tone) works of Schönberg, and employed this technique in this particular composition. With our successful performance in February, I know our audience will love this piece!

Composed specifically for the town named in the title, Music for Paramus utilizes Schönberg’s serial techniques for the full instrumentation, but also utilizes the special effects sounds of cash registers and the busy chatter of townsfolk negotiating with vendors. And the best thing of all — the score and parts were a real bargain at less than $20!

Click here to see the parts and hear a recording of Sousa’s Music for Paramus – $19.68.