All Concert Band and Wind Ensemble students, mark your calendars for this rehearsal. We will use the auditorium to practice the logistics for our Spring Concert patriotic grand finale.

Attached are two documents I made to help you study our festival music. They are filled with musical tips to help you focus on each section of each song. 

Please use them to:
1. Mark your music – Writing this info on your pages will help you play more musically.
2. Guide your personal practice – Go section by section, follow the musical tips.
3. Guide your active listening – Take 10 minutes and listen to the recording while watching your sheet music, and your markings. Finger along to help work on muscle memory. YouTube recordings are attached.

I’m excited to hear our progress this week! Happy practicing!

Wind Ensemble students – Please fill out and return the attached photo release form.

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. I am also always available for help by appointment

Please mark your calendars.

4/24+4/26 (Wed+Fri)  ’24-‘25 Wind Ensemble Auditions

4/26-27 (Fri-Sat)        Up-County NYSSMA Solo Festival @ Chappaqua  HS

4/29 (Mon)                 WE Festival Dress Rehearsal p.9

5/3-5 (Fri pm-Sun)      Wind Ensemble Festival Trip to Ithaca College

5/10 (Fri)                    CB+WE Concert Finale Rehearsal p.9

5/11 (Sat)                   YHS Music Dept Festival trip to Six Flags Great Adventure

5/14 (Tues) @ 7pm     YHS Spring Band Concert

5/27 (Mon)                 Memorial Day Parade and Annual YHS Band BBQ

5/31 (Fri)                    First Nighters Senior Celebration

5/31-6/1 (Fri-Sat)       NYSSMA Piano Festival at Ardsley     

6/14 (Fri)                    Jazz Band performs at Relay for Life

6/22 (Sat)                   YHS Band performs at YHS Graduation

Our music, recordings, and the HW assignment are posted on Dashboard. A reminder that including this week’s rehearsal, we only have 3 meetings left until our concert. Happy practicing!

Please join me before school (from 7:10…or whenever you get off the bus… until the first bell) to practice soloing. Help yourself develop your skills, and a plan for success!

FYI

Attached is a list of excellent local and regional summer music camp opportunities. Happy to answer any questions!

Flyers are attached for your review and listed below. Some interesting musical opportunities for our students!

·      Bassoon in the Wild concert

·      GWYOA Auditions (Greater Westchester Youth Orchestra)

In celebration, our YHS musical Beauty and the Beast was this weekend, and I sincerely hope you were able to catch one of their brilliant performances. BRAVO to the cast, pit, and crew!  I am so proud of our students, and so thankful for our awesome YCSD music program and the opportunities we are able to offer!

A reminder that we will spend some class time each week studying professional recordings of our NYSSMA solos and festival music. Please pack headphones so that we can all listen effectively. Thanks!

Here we are in March…but spring will be here before we know it, and so will our fun performances and opportunities! Please mark your calendars.

3/27 (Wed) @ 6pm     YCSD District Band Festival (Bandapalooza)

4/23-4/26 (Tues-Fri)  ’24-‘25 Wind Ensemble Auditions

4/26-27 (Fri-Sat)        Up-County NYSSMA Solo Festival @ Chappaqua  HS

5/3-5 (Fri pm-Sun)      Wind Ensemble Festival Trip to Ithaca College

5/11 (Sat)                   YHS Music Dept Festival trip to Six Flags Great Adventure

5/14 (Tues) @ 7pm     YHS Spring Band Concert

5/27 (Mon)                 Memorial Day Parade and Annual YHS Band BBQ

5/31-6/1 (Fri-Sat)       NYSSMA Piano Festival at Ardsley     

6/14 (Fri)                    Jazz Band performs at Relay for Life

6/22 (Sat)                   YHS Band performs at the YHS Graduation Ceremony

On Wednesday, March 27th the YCSD Band Program will host our 9^th Annual District Band Concert from 6:00 – 7:00 pm in the YHS Gym.  All band students grades 5-12 will participate. 

Our goal is to create a successful and inspiring experience for our YCSD band students and their families; fostering positive relationships between all levels, and allowing our youngest band students and their parents to see the full progression of our band program.

Parent and student volunteers will be needed, please, to make this event a success. Parents, look for an e-mail next week with how you can help.

Students, please see the classroom sign-up sheet. Set up help: 1:30-5:00pm. Clean-up help: 7-8:30pm

·      STUDENT LEADERS arrive by 5:00 – be on time so we can be ready.

·      JAZZ BAND be set up and ready to play by 5:30.

·      CB & WE arrive by 5:30 – plan ahead, parking will be an issue. Report to your WU room. Be in your seat, warmed up, tuned and ready to play, by 5:50.

When you arrive, please put your cases and belongings in your warm up room. Please respect these classrooms – we are visitors.

CB WU Room: Husker Discovery

WE WU Room: Writing Center

CONCERT ATTIRE: YHS Band Polo, black pants, black socks, black shoes.

BRING: Folding music stand w/your name on it, water, your sports/activity jersey (see below).