On Friday, YHS Wind Ensemble students had the opportunity to spend time with Grammy Award winning Recording Engineer Chris Sclafani (YHS Class of ’06, WE President). Mr. Sclafani told his inspiring story of starting at the bottom of the industry, dealing with challenges, his rise to success, and the awesome experience of working with Ed Sheerin to create his Divide album. All along the way his message centered around the principles of hard work and being good to everyone. It was fascinating to hear about the industry from someone who has succeeded at the highest level. So very proud!
The YHS Band and Orchestra Citrus Sale is a 17-year tradition; many families (current and alumni) have reached out to ask us if it would still take place.
After much thought, we have decided to host a contact-free sale, with zero student involvement. Monies raised will be used this year, to help continue our end-of-year traditions and awards.
Participation is totally voluntary.
All orders will be placed online, paid for on-line, and shipped directly to the customer.
If you or anyone you know is interested in supporting our group, please share the following information.
YHS Band online store: https://shop.floridaindianrivergroves.com/ecommerce/498649
Customers place their order and pay online
Orders are shipped directly to the address provided
Each box is a flat rate of $6.95 to ship
Our sale is open today through 12/4
Every order benefits the entire YHS Band program
Our next video assessment will take place the week of 11/23, and will focus on the students ability to build on skills outlined in our first assessment. Specifically, students will be using the Upbeat app to perform notes, rhythms, tempo and musical concepts correctly with a backing track.
Below is a list of this week’s sessions. All take place p.9 via Zoom. Check your e-mail for the link. Huge thanks to our awesome upperclassmen leaders for hosting!
Monday – Jazz trombone with Colin, Jazz Alto with Swaroop, Jazz Tenor with James
Tuesday – Saxophone with Alissa
Wednesday – Percussion with Mark and Robbie (focus on bells), Jazz Trumpet with Michael
Thursday – Clarinet with Sarah
Friday – French horn with Alicia, Clarinet with Kayla, Trumpet with Michael, Flute with Chinmay
Thanks for braving the cold this week at rehearsal! Our ensemble made some nice progress thanks to your work at home and in sectionals. Keep this going!
It is our goal to perfect the last sections of Critical Mass and Africa to be ready for this Thursday’s rehearsal. Pull apart each measure to ensure you are playing the correct notes/rhythms – use the A-ccompany app to help you!
REMINDER: small doses of practice each day are more effective than one marathon session per week.
Our next rehearsal is Thursday 11/19 from 2-3pm (it will be via Zoom and Upbeat).
As we get ready to prepare a virtual winter concert, Ms. Kluga wanted to review what we will be wearing. At YHS our ensembles wear ALL BLACK professional, dressy attire. Below she lists all the items required, in hopes that at some point this year we will be performing in person! For your video, you will need to be dressed in concert black from the waist up. Let her know if you have any questions.
Ladies: Black dressy shirt. No sleeveless shirts or spaghetti straps. Appropriate necklines, please. Black dressy pants or skirt (below the knee when you sit down) and black dress shoes.
Gentlemen: Black dressy button-down long-sleeved shirt with a collar. Black dress pants. Black dress shoes. Black socks.
To be successful, students need:
1. A device with working audio and video
2. Headphones
3. Power cable for your device
To be successful, here is what students will need:
1. A device with working audio and video (so Ms. Kluga can hear them when they play and see their posture and finger/stick technique).
2. Headphones
3. Power cable
Early this year, Trevor Griffiths (Junior, WE Vice President) came to me with an idea of how our students could continue to create a feeling of community, despite being apart. Using Discord (a social/gaming platform where students can chat via text, voice, and video) Trevor built a site for our band students. Trevor’s goal is “to use the YHS Band Discord to help members connect socially across CB and WE.” Thank you, Trevor, for your time creating the site and for thinking of a creative way to foster a feeling of Band Family among our students.
As a disclaimer, Ms. Kluga felt it was important to let families know that this platform is out there for students, however, she also wants to be clear that the YHS Band Discord is not monitored by her and is not part of our classroom activity. Ms. Kluga encourages you to take a look at the platform with your student to see if it is something that you would endorse.
Below is a list of this week’s sessions. Huge thanks to our awesome upperclassmen leaders for hosting!
Monday – Jazz Trumpet with Michael, Saxophone with Alissa
Tuesday – Low Brass with Colin
Thursday – Clarinet with Sarah
Friday – Trumpet with Michael, Clarinet with Kayla
Have all notes and rhythms for Critical Mass and Africa learned for next rehearsal.
Use the A-ccompany app! It is the best way for you to gain confidence in your part and sound your best! Take one measure at a time and work on it until you are confident, then move on to the next measure…then put a small section of measures together, and so forth until you know the entire tune!
To build muscle memory, small doses of practice each day are more effective than one marathon session per week.
Thursday 11/12 from 2-3pm is our next rehearsal. Practice your music so you are confident in all of the notes and rhythms, then we can have fun putting it together!
This year our band students have the opportunity to work with a new online rehearsal platform called Upbeat. Last week, our WE students finished their first project, the YHS fight song “Stand up and Cheer.” It is attached. Hope our music brightens your day! More to come.
