Video Submissions and Solo & Ensemble

SNOW!!!!

Hope you are enjoying it more than Everett is:

Playing tests for Concert Festival seating will start the day we eventually get back to school, but if you are able to record your test at home, that would be amazing.

Send me two emails, one for each playing excerpt, and title them with the name of the piece.  Take your time and record until you are happy with it.  You don't have that advantage at school!

Also, I will have Solo and Ensemble forms available to anyone who wants to sign up beginning next week both in class and on the forms section of my blog.  I need the forms and money back by Tuesday, March 4.  It will be held April 26 at Chesnee High School.  $5 per person per event.  Students may sign up for one solo, one ensemble, or one of each.

SC ASTA Violin/Viola Choir Workshop

We have an event coming up in February that is open to all 6th grade violinists and violists.  The SC ASTA Violin and Viola Choir Workshop is an optional opportunity for students of all ages and experience levels.  It is a day-long workshop taking place at Converse College on Saturday, February 1, 2014.  Students would participate in rehearsals, technique classes, master classes, and perform a group recital at the end of the session.  This is a unique event as students will be in classes lead by master clinicians with students from all over the state of South Carolina.

There is a registration form that must be completed and sent in along with the registration fee ($20 + $6.48 if eating lunch in the dining hall).  I have attached a PDF of this form as well as a link to the website for more information.

www.scasta.org

Workshop Registration Form

Winter Concert Seating Results

Here is the seating for the winter concert.

Winter Concert Seating

Pacem Noel Practice Parts

Here are the rehearsal links to the parts for Pacem Noel as promised.  Students can download their part to play along and practice.

Pacem Noel Violin 1
Pacem Noel Violin 2
Pacem Noel Viola
Pacem Noel Cello
Pacem Noel Bass

The Importance of Home Practice

I gave my students a short lesson this week:

If you open a bank account and invest $0, when it comes time to make a withdrawal, how much money will you get out of it?

Therefore, if you play an instrument and invest 0 practice time, when it comes time to perform, how much talent will you get out of it?

Home practice is where students make the biggest difference in their playing abilities.  2 hours a week is a great goal time.  If they take their instrument home on the weekends and invest only 30 minutes per day, it can completely change how confident they are in their music.  Students that can play with ease enjoy playing more.

If you are having trouble getting your child to practice, do some investigating.  Find out what it is they don't like about practice time.

Takes too long?  Break it up in to 10-15 minute sessions.
Bored with our music?  Get thee to a music store!  There are hundreds of fun pieces written for solo instruments within their playing range.
Music is too hard?  It won't get any easier unless you spend the time learning it.
Don't like playing alone?  Practice with a recording of your music (my favorite thing to do.)  Or get together with a buddy and play your parts together!  Orchestra jam session!

Here are links to our concert music if they would like a play-along track:
http://www.jwpepper.com/Miniature-Symphony/10050362.item
http://www.jwpepper.com/Saint-Nick%27s-Canon-on-the-Housetop/10008664.item
http://www.jwpepper.com/Pacem-Noel/10093772.item

Practice Tools

As we settle in to the new school year, I thought some tools to assist with practice time would be valuable.  I will permantly link to all of these in the Private Lessons and Practice section as well.

www.musictheory.net
For learning and practicing note names, key signatures, chords, etc.
My favorite feature is the Note Identifier.  Go to Exercises, then Note Identification.  Click on the Customization checklist in the upper right hand corner to change clef signs and set limits on the notes you see.  You can toggle note name helpers on or off and even include flats and sharps.  It gives you a percentage of correct answers when you finish.

www.musictechteacher.com
Games, quizzes, and lessons on music and music technology.
Under Quizzes, click on Quizzes/Games.  Try Fling the Teacher--it's a fun way to do musical math with a satisfying reward at the end.

www.smartmusic.com
The MOST useful practice tool I can recommend.
This website requires a subscription, but it is worth every penny when your child actually wants to practice.  Hundreds of pieces to play along with, including every piece in our method book.  Records and grades the performance and gives immediate feedback on what notes were correct.

Welcome Back to Orchestra!

As we begin our 2013-2014 school year, just a quick note to welcome all of my new and returning students.  I have a lot of fun activities planned for this year and SO MUCH new music it will make your fingers twitch.  I am looking forward to getting to know all of you better and hearing you play every day.

Check out the new features on the blog.  I have added a list of private teachers in the area that will be updated whenever I hear of a new instructor.  I am also adding links to every paper I send home just in case it gets "lost in a bookbag."

I can't wait to hear about your summer, see how much you've grown (that's right--I'm still not shrinking), and hear you play!