Tag Archives: WSW

Brass warmups demystified

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Before I get to the topic mentioned in the headline, please allow me to remind you that we are back at the Music Hall on Monday night. The rehearsal order for this and all remaining rehearsals is posted on the Rehearsal This Week page. About a dozen NVOT students will be joining us for the Kalinnikov rehearsal this Monday. I think it will be a great experience on both sides of the aisle. Depending on the final count, I may or may not need to reorganize the seating for the first hour of rehearsal. Please be ready to be flexible.

This past Friday, I rehearsed the antiphonal sections of the Finale with students reading the brass parts out in the hall. It was a great eye-opener for the kids, who until this point, had only imagined what the cumulative effect would be. The experience made it a lot clearer. I also got a better opportunity to consider the ending, especially the effect of directional instruments close to audience members, and how we can make the final measure even more substantial in the Music Hall.

Barbara will be coming to work with us again for a second rehearsal as well on Monday. After my students leave, we’ll move the piano into place.

Last week I decided to make a program order change; I sent my suggestions out to the Board and received overwhelming approval for my choices. I have found over the years that my first instincts regarding the placement of the works in order often changes after we’ve lived with the pieces for several weeks. This was indeed the case this time. There were two things I didn’t like: I was concerned about starting this important concert with a 20th century work which many audience members would not find approachable, and I was finding that I didn’t like the idea of following the Kalinnikov with anything at all. So I moved the Sousa to the top of the program, moved the Persichetti to the end of the first half, and moved Mallory’s Galop to the second half. Now we have a great beginning and ending, and we still have one soloist and one guest conductor on each half of the program. You can see this all laid out for you here.

Lastly, Chris Wilhjelm from the Ridgewood Concert Band sent me this video of the Boston Symphony Brass. It details the complexities and rigors of the daily brass warm-up, and also shows what can happen when you allow brass players to use a video camera without adult supervision. See you Monday.

Rehearsal plan for October 15

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A new season, a new look for our poster!

As posted earlier, Jeff Grogan will be visiting on Monday evening for his first rehearsal with us on the Hearshen, After “The Thunderer.” Please be especially prepared for this rehearsal.

I have uploaded rehearsal notes from last week. Please click here to download the notes from October 8. In an effort to get the most important notes to you for tomorrow night, these notes contain only thoughts and reflections for the Hearshen, Smith, and Ward. I will follow up with notes on the other pieces rehearsed last week; however, we won’t be rehearing any of them tomorrow night, so I’m prioritizing the most immediate notes first.

Please take a look at the rehearsal plan for October 15. Please note that we’re starting with the Gulino piece for brass/percussion only. Everyone else should arrive so we are set up and ready to roll with Jeff at 7:50 pm.

And don’t forget to click on the poster above to download your copy. Email is free! Attach and send it freely and often!

NJSO comes to WSW

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A new season, a new look for our poster!

Jeff Grogan, our guest conductor for the Fall Concert, will be rehearsing the Hearshen this coming Monday night. This will be the first of two rehearsals (plus the dress rehearsal) he’ll be attending. You may remember that Jeff is one of the assistant conductors of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and it is a special privilege to have him working with us.

Jeff will be arriving fresh from a weekend at University of Michigan, where he served as Assistant Director of Bands. They are presenting him with a distinguished alumni award at the football game tomorrow. Congratulations, Jeff!

I’ve taken direction from the Board to re-design our concert posters. You see the result above. Click on the poster above to download your own copy to distribute electronically or print and post. Remind friends and family that they can purchase season tickets and save $15/ticket at www.seatyourself.biz/westchestersymphonicwinds – just tell them to click on November 4 and they can purchase their season tickets from that date.

I’m still working on rehearsal notes from last week. It’s especially important for the Hearshen notes. I will post those notes tomorrow so you can read them before Monday’s rehearsal.

Have a great weekend and don’t forget to practice!

It’s October already!

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And that means the Fall Concert is next month! Please plan your weekly practice so you’re keeping up with rehearsals. The rehearsal plan is posted on the Rehearsal This Week page.

Tomorrow, please remember to bring (checks payable to WSW or exact amount cash):

  • Payments for the 2011-2012 Season Compilation CD’s ($30 for each 2-disc set). We decided to increase our order quantity because of pre-order sales! If you did not pre-order, it is likely we still have a CD set for you.
  • Season dues – $100.00. Remember that our dues are our main dependable financial resource.
  • If you have ads, please bring the ad forms and payments in sooner than later. All ads must be submitted with completed ad forms and payments. Yes, the ad form is important — it’s the only way I have to accurately keep track of all the submissions. Without a hard copy of each ad form, it’s likely that I will miss someone’s ad.
    Thank you to Matt, Jim, and the volunteers who have been making phone calls to “pound the pavement” for new ads. It’s making a difference!
See you tomorrow evening!