Welcome to the 2014-2015 school year!

Welcome to the first post of the new school year! Lots of exciting things are happening in the music department at KML, and we're so glad your family is a part of that. This blog serves as a place for me to keep parents and students up to speed with what we did in each rehearsal and upcoming events on our calendar. Check back often, or even better, sign up for updates emailed to you when I publish a new post.

Tonight (9.29.14) I handed out a folder to each student with 2 new pieces of music. We will be working on learning "Symphonic Variants" and "American Spirit March" for the December 6 concert. If you were not at rehearsal tonight, Mr. Amundson and I will bring your folder to your next lesson.

The order forms for the fundraiser are due today. If you did not bring yours to rehearsal tonight, please send it along to your lesson this week. Thanks!

Since band camp this summer, I have been insistent in always following 2 rules while we are together for practices. The 2 rules of the rehearsal are:

1. Always play with good sound. No unnecessary loud noises, no playing into another player's ear, and so on.

2. When I am standing on the podium (the step that I stand on to be elevated), all playing and talking stops. Either we're going to start playing or I have directions to give. This is the one we have the most trouble with remembering.

Let's work together to make rehearsals a fun and productive time!

Colt Band is off next Monday, October 6. See you in two weeks!

Question of the Week

Here's your question of the week. Answer in the comment section below and leave your initials and instrument as your signature.

Of the music we've played this year so far, which has been your favorite?

Rehearsal Notes 4.14.14

Last night we had a great rehearsal! We spent the entire session working on "Breakdown Blues." You blew me away with how well you played it, seeing as how we haven't worked on it in a couple of months. We also worked on learning how to play a jazz improv solo - a solo that's made up on the spot. Many of you were very brave and tried it in front of everyone in the room. Great work! We will have more opportunities to try it in the coming rehearsals if you decide you want to give it a shot. Below you will find the pitches we used for your instruments. Happy Easter! See you in 2 weeks.

Flute, baritone, trombone, bells - Bb, C, Eb
Clarinet, trumpet - C, D, F
Saxophones - G, A, C

Rehearsal Notes 3.17.14

 At Monday night's rehearsal, we went fast and furious through a good amount of music. The rehearsal started with the normal stretching, breathing, and rhythms we always use. 

The music we started practicing first was Wyndham March, where we changed the rehearsal plan up a bit from usual. We started in the middle of the song and worked toward the end, instead of starting at the beginning. Many little rhythm issues were addressed, including parts that have a rest on beat 1. If you have any parts that have a rest on beat 1 in that song, make sure you are counting that rest correctly!

We watched a short video where a trombone player sneezed through his instrument during some quiet music. Awesome and gross!

The last part of the rehearsal was spent with Camptown Clarinets. This song is really coming together! Thanks for all of your work in learning your own parts to make it great together.

The most important thing to learn from Monday's rehearsal is that I have high expectations from you, and you, as a band, can meet them. Rise to the occasion! You are now 3/4 of the way through your first year of band, and you are not the newbies you were in August or September. I'm so proud of all of the progress each one of you has made as a musician, and I want our band to perform as well as we possibly can. Attention in rehearsals, working together, playing with good sound, listening to instructions - it all adds up to a great band, and each one of you can do your part to make us better. Thanks for a tough and great rehearsal. Enjoy your spring break!

Rehearsal Note 2.3.14

We finally had enough technology working to watch a video! Click the link here to watch The Veggie Orchestra.

The playing portion of our rehearsal started with "Cathedral." We merely used a part of it as our group warm-up.

We then turned to "Wyndham March," focusing on the layers of rhythms in a few sections. In many places, groups of instruments play rhythms together and layer those on top of other groups with different rhythms. Do you know who your section plays with in each part of the song?

We ended rehearsal by working on "Camptown Clarinets," and we focused on getting the rhythms together. Percussion worked out how to fit their rhythm with the clarinet melody. We also worked on who plays together with similar rhythms in the same places.

As the time together went on, we talked about how we are all on the same team and how we need to work together to make great music. Work with us! Stop playing when I ask you to stop, because I have something important to tell you. Playing with a gross and/or uncontrolled sound is drawing attention to yourself and not helping us sound better. Let's work together!

There is rehearsal next week, though I will be on my way to Texas to attend and present a session at the Texas Music Educators' Association conference in San Antonio. Mr. Wendland will lead rehearsal!

Welcome!

To those of you who are new to this blog, welcome! This is the blog for the KML Colt Band. Starting now, I will post a weekly recap of the Monday night rehearsals and some practice goals for the week. On 11/18, we met in the PAC auditorium for rehearsal. Here are the highlights: 1. We made some changes to our songs for the December concert. "Jingle Bells" from the red lessons books was added. "Castles and Kings" will end at the end of measure 32. "Christmas Chant" will end on beat 3 of measure 38. 2. Warm-up time for the concert on December 7 is 6:15 p.m. Where you will meet will be announced soon. 3. Concert dress: White long sleeve shirt/sweater, black pants or skirt. Black shoes. No athletic shoes. Ties for the boys are optional. We had a great rehearsal on Monday, and I'm excited to see you all again in two weeks! (If you tell your lesson teacher that you read this blog post, you get 2 awards points.) Happy Thanksgiving!

2 Rehearsals Left!

This coming weekend is the second last rehearsal of the year! You're almost finished with year 1 of your band career, and next year you'll be so experienced compared to those little Colt Band kids :)

Last week we focused a lot of the rehearsal time on Cool Blues. It's starting to come together, and I think some of you are starting to like it...even if you wouldn't admit it out loud. Rests are as important as notes in this song, so we spent a good amount of time working on staying out of the way of the low brass' glory. If you were there, you know what I mean :)

See you Saturday!