Senior Band_Listening Assignment Apr. 10th

Posted on April 11, 2015 | 29 comments

***PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTION CAREFULLY***

INSTRUCTION:

Compared to the professional recording “Pirates of the Caribbean” in the “Intermediate Band” Page, please point out at least 2 success YOU’ve achieved and 2 mistakes YOU’ve made in our own recording (also write down which bar it is), and give corresponding solutions FOR YOURSELF to improve (4 corresponding solutions in total). Also, please leave your comments (Apr. 10th Listening Assignment) only under this post.

PURPOSE:

By doing this assignment, you will be able to solve musical problems individually and play notes and rhythms more accurately in the band! TRUST ME!!! This is one of the best ways for us to get better without using too much class time, so that we can play more music during the class! I’m looking forward to seeing your reflections!!! (If you have no idea how to write it, please see me on Monday to discuss. )

DEADLINE:

The deadline for this assignment is Thursday, April. 16th – midnight.

 

Pirates of the Caribbean:

29 Comments

Posted in Senior Band

RSS Marching

Posted on March 29, 2015 | 10 comments

Hi All,

Hope you all had a great spring break!

I uploaded this to the YouTube, please do not share this link to others without permission. Thank you.

Also, I added in annotations as well.

Enjoy!!!

Looking forward to seeing you all!!!!  😀

https://youtu.be/wmSYWZDVnnU

 

A little bit history and information about Mardi Gras, which we didn’t have time to go through. You can see the reason we collaborated with the French department.

The city New Orleans is named after the Duke of Orleans, who reigned as Regent for Louis XV from 1715 to 1723, as it was established by French colonists and strongly influenced by their European culture. It is well known for its distinct French and Spanish Creole architecture, as well as its cross-cultural and multilingual heritage. New Orleans is also famous for its cuisine, music (particularly as the birthplace of jazz), and its annual celebrations and festivals, most notably Mardi Gras, dating to French colonial times. The city is often referred to as the “most unique” in the United States.

Mardi Gras (meaning “Fat Tuesday”) is an annual Carnival celebration in the Southeast United States in New Orleans, LA.

1972 was the last year in which large parades went through the narrow streets of the city’s French Quarter section; larger floats, crowds, and fire safety concerns led the city government to prohibit parades in the Quarter. Major parades now skirt the French Quarter along Canal Street.

In 1856 six businessmen gathered at a club room in New Orlean’s French Quarter to organize a secret society to observe Mardi Gras with a formal parade. They founded New Orleans’ first and oldest krewe, the Mystick Krewe of Comus. According to one historian, “Comus was aggressively English in its celebration of what New Orleans had always considered a French festival. It is hard to think of a clearer assertion than this parade that the lead in the holiday had passed from French-speakers to Anglo-Americans. . . .To a certain extent, Americans ‘Americanized’ New Orleans and its Creoles. To a certain extent, New Orleans ‘creolized’ the Americans.

n 1875 Louisiana declared Mardi Gras a legal state holiday. War, economic, political, and weather conditions sometimes led to cancellation of some or all major parades, especially during the American Civil War, World War I and World War II, but the city has always celebrated Carnival.

10 Comments

Posted in Beginner Band, Intermediate Band, Senior Band

Video

Senior Band_”Go To The Mardi Gras”

Hi all,

Here is the original Video:

 

Here is the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (MANY GREAT SOLOISTS):

 

* Please leave a positive musical comment below to confirm you listened to this.

 

For Pirates of the Caribbean, check out the Music Jokes page.

17 Comments

Posted on March 8, 2015 in Senior Band

Beginner Band_Listening Assignment (Feb. 26th)

Posted on February 28, 2015 | 18 comments

***PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTION CAREFULLY***

INSTRUCTION:

Compared to the professional recording “Air For Band” in the “Intermediate Band” Page, please point out at least 2 success YOU’ve achieved and 2 mistakes YOU’ve made in our own recording (also write down which bar it is), and give corresponding solutions FOR YOURSELF to improve (4 corresponding solutions in total). Also, please leave your comments (Feb. 26th Listening Assignment) only under this post.

PURPOSE:

By doing this assignment, you will be able to solve musical problems individually and play notes and rhythms more accurately in the band! TRUST ME!!! This is one of the best ways for us to get better without using too much class time, so that we can play more music during the class! I’m looking forward to seeing your reflections!!! (If you have no idea how to write it, please see me on Monday to discuss. )

DEADLINE:

The deadline for this assignment is 1:25 on Mar. 2st (right before your class).

 

The Calypso Kid

18 Comments

Posted in Beginner Band

Intermediate Band_Listening Assignment (Feb. 26th)

Posted on February 26, 2015 | 24 comments

***PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTION CAREFULLY***

INSTRUCTION:

Compared to the professional recording “Air For Band” in the “Intermediate Band” Page, please point out at least 2 success YOU’ve achieved and 2 mistakes YOU’ve made in our own recording (also write down which bar it is), and give corresponding solutions FOR YOURSELF to improve (4 corresponding solutions in total). Also, please leave your comments (Feb. 26th Listening Assignment) only under this post.

PURPOSE:

By doing this assignment, you will be able to solve musical problems individually and play notes and rhythms more accurately in the band! TRUST ME!!! This is one of the best ways for us to get better without using too much class time, so that we can play more music during the class! I’m looking forward to seeing your reflections!!! (If you have no idea how to write it, please see me on Monday to discuss. )

DEADLINE:

The deadline for this assignment is 11:21 on Mar. 2st (right before your class).

 

Air For Band (Feb. 26th)

 

 

24 Comments

Posted in Intermediate Band

Intermediate Band_Recording (Feb. 24th)

Posted on February 24, 2015 | 17 comments

* I know everything went pretty fast today,  thank you all for did your best on following my pace, I’m really appreciate that. Good job everyone!

Because of that, I decide to delay the listening assignment until Thursday as a reward. 😀 (I’m going to post a new recording on Thursday)

Please listen to the recording, and write “I love our band” under this post.

Recordings:

<Air For Band>: 

* This is Frank Erickson. One of the greatest composers and arrangers for wind band.

Erickson

17 Comments

Posted in Intermediate Band

Beginner Band_Listening Assignment (Feb. 19th)

Posted on February 21, 2015 | 18 comments

***PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTION CAREFULLY***

INSTRUCTION:

Based on the recording, please point out at least three mistakes YOU’ve made in the recording (also write down which bar it is), and give corresponding solutions FOR YOURSELF to improve (three corresponding solutions in total). Also, please leave your comments (Feb. 19th Listening Assignment) only under this post.

PURPOSE:

By doing this assignment, you will be able to solve musical problems individually and play notes and rhythms more accurately in the band! TRUST ME!!! This is one of the best way for us to get better without using too much class time, so that we can play more music during the class! I’m looking forward to seeing your reflections!!! (If you have no idea how to write it, please see me on Monday to discuss. )

DEADLINE:

The deadline for this assignment is 11:21 on Feb. 24th (right before your class).

 

Recordings:

Feb. 19th

A Little Night Music

* Young Mozart? 😀

Mozart

18 Comments

Posted in Beginner Band

Practice Tips For Percussion

Posted on February 17, 2015 | Leave a comment

FOR PERCUSSION:

– Rhythm:

  • Practice with Metronome!!!
  • Listen to all the recordings of the repertoires I uploaded online
  • Try to sing along the piece with recordings. If you can sing it right, you will have a greater chance to play it right.

– Articulation:

  • Pay attention on different attacks. (ties, accented, staccato, flam, buzz, etc.)
  • The position for holding the drum sticks

– Dynamics:

  • Watch for the dynamic markings, circle the one you always forget
  • Remember to Gradually crescendo or decrescendo
  • 8-Bars Practice technique
  • Different level: 4 levels of height (extremely important!!!) 

– Note Accuracy:

  • Practice with Metronome SLOWLY!!! (Not too fast please…I’m too old to respond in time if you are too fast)
  • Practice
  • Practice more
  • Practice a lot

  

* If you need my help, please tell me in advance and we can try to set up appointments during lunch time. Or just come by and say hi~

Leave a comment

Posted in Beginner Band, Intermediate Band, Percussion

Practice Tips For Brass

Posted on February 17, 2015 | Leave a comment

FOR BRASS:

– Tone Quality:

  • Practice mouthpiece buzz up and down everyday for 2 minutes
  • Practice long tones (nice and easy notes) everyday for at least 2 minutes
  • Warm up before the rehearsal
  • Nice posture

– Rhythm:

  • Practice with Metronome!!!
  • Listen to all the recordings of the repertoires I uploaded online
  • Try to sing along the piece with recordings. If you can sing it right, you will have a greater chance to play it right.

– Articulation:

  • Use Tongue to articulate instead of air or throat. (i.e. Play “Ta Ta Ta” instead of “hu hu hu or ku ku ku”)
  • Consistent Air through your instrument
  • Be careful with all the articulation markings!
  • Practice with Metronome!!! (example: Open it to BPM 60, play single notes or scales in quarter notes or eighth notes.)

– Dynamics:

  • Watch for the dynamic markings, circle the one you always forget
  • Remember to Gradually crescendo or decrescendo
  • 8-Bars Practice technique

– Note Accuracy:

  • Practice with Metronome SLOWLY!!! (Not too fast please…I’m too old to respond in time if you are too fast)
  • Practice
  • Practice more
  • Practice a lot

  

* If you need my help, please tell me in advance and we can try to set up appointments during lunch time. Or just come by and say hi~

Leave a comment

Posted in Beginner Band, Brass, Intermediate Band

Practice Tips For Woodwinds

Posted on February 17, 2015 | 2 comments

FOR WOODWINDS:

– Tone Quality:

  • Practice long tone everyday for at least 2 minutes
  • Use a working reed
  • Warm up before the rehearsal
  • Nice posture

– Rhythm:

  • Practice with Metronome!!!
  • Listen to all the recordings of the repertoires I uploaded online
  • Try to sing along the piece with recordings. If you can sing it right, you can play it right.

– Articulation:

  • Use Tongue to articulate instead of air or throat. (i.e. Play “Ta Ta Ta” instead of “hu hu hu or ku ku ku”)
  • Consistent Air through your instrument
  • Be careful with all the articulation markings!
  • Practice with Metronome!!! (example: Open it to BPM 60, play single notes or scales in quarter notes or eighth notes.)

– Dynamics:

  • Watch for the dynamic markings, circle the one you always forget
  • Remember to Gradually crescendo or decrescendo
  • 8-Bars Practice technique

– Note Accuracy:

  • Practice with Metronome SLOWLY!!! (not too fast please…I’m too old to respond in time if you are too fast)
  • Practice
  • Practice more
  • Practice a lot

  

* If you need my help, please tell me in advance and we can try to set up appointments during lunch time. Or just come by and say hi~

2 Comments

Posted in Beginner Band, Intermediate Band, Woodwinds