Daily Archives: February 8, 2022

Tomorrow, Staff Sergeant Hopkins – a percussionist with the “President’s Own” Marine Band – will present a zoom clinic titled Reading Music Like an Engineer, to our Wind Ensemble students (period 8). Interested Concert Band students are also welcome to attend, e-mail me for more information. We are thrilled to have this opportunity!

REMINDERS FOR MONDAY:

·       Please assemble your instrument Monday morning and place it in the back of the auditorium.

·       Please arrive to the auditorium by 12:35 to take your seat and warm up.

·       Make sure you have a pencil, headphones, and a device to login to the Zoom.

·       You will need 2 music stands – one for your device and one for your sheet music.

·       Our clinic will begin at 12:45 and end at 1:30.

Will take place this week. Specific instructions were reviewed in class. Videos are due by Sunday 2/13.

As a fun team building activity, we are bringing back this pre-COVID YHS Band tradition. All students will be randomly assigned a secret valentine this week. Your job is to keep your valentine a secret and to plan to do something nice for them on Monday 2/14.

Some suggestions for your secret valentine are: perform a song, write a poem, draw a picture, or give a small gift ($5 max). All must be school appropriate.

Gifts will be given in class on Monday 2/14 and should be anonymous. In the past students have left the gift on the person’s seat, or have had someone else deliver it.  Songs and poems will be performed for the entire class. The fun will be in the guessing and eventual “reveal” of the gift giver, which we will go around the room and experience together.

7:00pm in the YHS GYM.  More details to follow. Please save the date.

A group of band parents and Ms. Kluga will be meeting via zoom this Tuesday, February 8th to plan the details of this event. If you are interested in being on this planning committee, please e-mail Ms. Kluga. 

7:00pm in the YHS Auditorium. Please save the date. 

Offered weekly and hosted by our junior and senior band members. Thank you! Students who lead or attend a session receive 1 point of extra credit. Sessions are held period 9, unless noted otherwise. Ms. Kluga is also always available for help by appointment.

Jazz Band’s next rehearsal is Thursday 2/10 from 6:50-8:30. Members’ homework, professional recordings, and sheet music are posted on Dashboard. There were some trouble spots that need attention – Jazz Band members should arrive with their music prepared.

Was reviewed in class last week. The NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) solo festival is a wonderful opportunity for your student to grow as a musician! As of now NYSSMA will be in-person.

To participate, students prepare scales (or rudiments for snare drummers), a solo and sight-reading.  At the festival, students perform for a judge who will give them a score and comments. 

Next week, all YHS Band students will begin learning a NYSSMA solo as part of their lesson homework; so if they are interested in participating in NYSSMA, or auditioning for Wind Ensemble (see below), they will have the necessary tools to do so.

Information and forms are attached. NYSSMA forms are due by Wednesday 2/16.

In addition to the musical opportunity NYSSMA provides, students are able to receive honors credit for Concert Band or Wind Ensemble by earning a score of 95 or above on a level 6 solo/ensemble, or a score of 97 or above on a level 5 solo/ensemble. 

Auditions for the 2022-2023 Wind Ensemble will take place at the end of April.  Students wishing to audition should review the audition information sheet (attached). Ms Kluga strongly suggest that interested students also participate in NYSSMA.  The Wind Ensemble audition information sheet/permission slip is attached and is also available in the band room.