Fall semester - September 20th, 2009

Excellent 1st full rehearsal! We're going to have a great year...

Reminders:
-please complete & return the gray form to me
-please complete & return the yellow packet to the manager, Julia, or me
-leaving the rehearsal room during snack time is NOT permitted except to use the rest room

New Info:
-as we are in the lounge now, we have been told that snacks can take place there. This will not continue if crumbs are left...
-October 11th is a very important day. We will NOT have any rehearsals, & therefore there will be no need for snacks, but EVERYONE is expected to attend some part of the Artistic Director interview/audition. I strongly suggest that you attend the Family Q & A & it would be good to see some of the orchestra audition time. If you think about it, given the average time span for a Artistic director, current students of my groups could be playing in the YO for the chosen candidate. In addition, the Artistic director has the capacity to enhance or diminish the experience of the GBYO for everyone-including the newest member of the Sinfonietta. They are our advocate to the Board, which is a very important thing for us.


Rehearsal/Homework - Sinfonietta

Notereading class:
-both Damontae & Carlos attended & have made significant strides over the summer! I am very pleased with their work.

Herb Round:
-this piece is going to be used to work on basic ensemble skills. We can work on this in unison which allows us to focus on looking @ the conductor as we play. We can also focus on the basic rhythms which occur.

Regal Procession:
-I was disappointed that so few students had listened to the recording that they were given last week. Many of the students study the Suzuki method & so have already seen the value of listening to a piece that they are going to play. It provides a huge jump in ease of studying the piece. Ask "Do I want my life to be easier or harder?"...
-I was pleased with how quickly the group came together at this first rehearsal. It seems that the biggest issue is going to be rhythm. Start counting & clapping NOW.

Rehearsal/Homework - Sinfonia

Handel Little Fugue:
-we began this piece by having each section of the orchestra play the Fugue theme

Skaters' Waltz:
-this piece gives me the greatest concern in terms of pulling it together... surprisingly it is already starting to sound like the piece. EVERYONE needs to take this piece to their teacher & ask for some guidance concerning the bowing style of spiccato-it is key to playing this piece. Violins 1 & 2 must work on m44-55.

White Christmas:
-the difficulties of this piece are chromaticism & rhythm. Everyone must figure out their notes.

Thanks everyone, Louise :)