Quarter Two Week Five

This week we continue to prepare for our winter concert, which will be on Sunday, December 7th in the high school auditorium.  In addition to working on this music we have continued in the method book with numbers 54-60.  We will have a playing quiz on number 50 next Monday.

On Friday the battery took a trip to Indianapolis for drum line battle and to see some of the other aspects of PASIC, a huge percussion conference held in Indianapolis each year.

Also on Friday we had a couple of high school students come in and talk to the class about high school band.

On Sunday, Indiana Bandmasters Associations is having its All-Region concert.  Three of our 8th grade students were invited to perform with this group:  Olivia Johnson, Tia Martin, and Abby Porter.

Just another note, entry forms for ISSMA Solo & Ensemble will be due next Wednesday, November 26th.  Please get these in if you wish to participate with a solo or an ensemble.

Quarter Two Week Three

This week has been spent primarily working on Christmas music for the upcoming winter concert.  The pieces selected that we will be working on are Ding Dong Merrily on High, A December Triptych, and Runaway Sleigh.  We have also continued working through the method book, this week going over numbers 50-52.  Along with these book exercises we have discussed chorale style, dark tone production, and 8th rests.

Quarter Two Week Two

This week we warmed up using our minor scales in the key of g.  We reviewed the types of minor scaled and did some ear training exercises with them.  In the book we went through numbers 43-47, and also took a quiz on #41 on Tuesday.  This week we also passed out the Christmas music that we will be preparing for our winter concert.

A couple of announcements, this Saturday is the Marching Band awards day.  Students are welcome from 10am to 8pm.  We invite parents to join us at 6pm for the awards banquet.

Quarter Two Week One

This week we passed out winter concert music as well as the seating quiz for the next quarter.  We played through numbers 37-45 in the method book.  Along with these we discussed all forms of the minor scale, and other small music theory work.

A reminder, the marching band is performing at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday for the BOA Indy Super Regional.  Field trip forms were handed out last week and are due this Wednesday.

Quarter One Week Eight

We spent this week preparing for our concert on Tuesday October 8th, outside the front of the middle school weather permitting, at 7:00 pm.  Report time for the intermediate band is 6:30.  We will be performing two different pieces, Wind Quest and the The Tempest.

Quarter One Week Seven

This week we reviewed page 4 in the book.  We took a playing quiz on #12 "Skill Builder" on Thursday, which overall went very well.  We have been working on our concert selections, "The Tempest" and "Wind Quest".  This week we also spent a great deal of time working on the Eb concert major scale, and worked on selections from the book that are in that key.  We discussed chorale style, and worked on musicality and individual tone in #15 "Old Hundredth".  We also have an assignment this week, the students need to complete #24 "Excellence in Ear Training" by this upcoming Friday.

REMINDER - We have a concert next Tuesday - October 7th, at 7:00pm.  Report time for Intermediate Band students will be 6:30pm. It will take place on the steps outside of the the middle school main entrance.  Please bring lawn chairs and/or blankets to sit on.

Quarter One Week Six

 We have been focusing on page 3 in the book this week. We've reviewed how chords are formed, and have begun discussing and working in the key of F Major.  We continue to work on music for the upcoming concert and have also begun discussing what to focus on during sight reading.

Next week we will be having a playing test on #12 Skill Builder (Tempo:  Quarter note = 100) on Thursday.
The marching band will have a community performance of this year's show on Saturday, September 20th at 11:00am at the OVHS Football stadium. Come a check it out before the Apple Butter parade!