Farnsworth Middle School Orchestra

Final Exam Schedule

2010-05-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

Take note of your final exam time. I will have passes available 1 day before your assigned playing time, and it is important that you check with your teacher during homeroom so that you will not be late. Bring all required materials with you as you will not have an opportunity to go to your locker during that time.

All day and time requests were honored. Students who did not choose a time for their exam were put into the remaining available time slots. If you have a field trip or other exam conflict, please notify me immediately. I will do the best I can to reschedule.

6^th Grade - A/C

Ryan Adkison 6/21 @ 10:10

Alex Beams 6/2 @ 2:00

Bridget Bellanger 6/11 @ 9:30

Michelle Burmistrova 6/21 @ 11:30

Ryan Dillon 6/17 @ 2:00

Bill Dong 6/17 @ 10:50

Katie Gonick 6/9 @ 2:00

Delaney Guntert 6/10 @ 11:30

Sara Kogelmann 6/17 @ 10:10

Cynthia Leonard 6/6 @ 11:30

Gretchen Long 6/11 @ 2:00

Matthew Lurie 6/7 @ 9:30

Eva Mazzella 6/3 @ 2:00

Michaela Mazzeo 6/9 @ 10:50

Britany Nauman 6/9 @ 11:30

Ahna Pearson 6/21 @ 11:30

Elizabeth Reedy 6/3 @ 2:00

Alfredo Salazar 6/4 @ 10:50

Elaine Santos 6/11 @ 11:30

Catherine Seita 6/11 @ 10:10

Sera Song 6/8 @ 10:50

Nora Stevens 6/11 @ 10:10

Aurora Trainor 6/9 @ 2:00

Rebecca Tucker 6/9 @ 9:30

Michael Zhu 6/3 @ 11:30

6^th Grade - B/D

Rachel Cardiff 6/7 @ 11:30

Marko Crnkovic 6/14 @ 10:50

Matthew Darby 6/3 @ 9:30

Megan Govin 6/3 @ 10:10

Sarah Hanlon 6/10 @ 4:15

Claire Hill 6/10 @ 9:30

Nataleigh Huber 6/11 @ 9:30

Winsor Jewell 6/18 @ 1:20

Jacob Kelley 6/10 @ 10:50

Matthew Krieg 6/14 @ 9:30

Lucas Laing 6/10 @ 1:20

Alana Lake 6/17 @ 10:10

Annie Lin 6/10 @ 11:30

Sydney Marotta 6/10 @ 1:20

Sabrina Milks 6/8 @ 9:30

Cory Parker 6/2 @ 9:30

Sophie Patka 6/2 @ 9:30

Joseph Petitti 6/4 @ 11:30

John Piechowiak 6/4 @ 10:50

Catherine Rafferty 6/14 @ 11:30

Allison Reiner 6/3 @ 9:30

Eliana Rowe 6/8 @ 1:20

Gabrielle Sanza 6/10 @ 9:30

Alexander Selsley 6/14 @ 9:30

Paul Trichilo 6/10 @ 10:50

Katie Yang 6/8 @ 1:20

7^th Grade

Markos Abebe 6/4 @ 11:30

Arianna Barnum 6/7 @ 10:50

Naila Brown 6/7 @ 10:50

Alicia Chen 6/17 @ 2:00

Elijah Clemente 6/21 @ 2:00

Vivian Dai 6/9 @ 10:10

Curtis Ericson 6/8 @ 11:30

Madeline Farry 6/17 @ 9:30

Thomas Fortune 6/4 @ 2:00

Emily Gunther 6/4 @ 2:00

Shaddai Henry 6/11 @ 11:30

Hannah Hernandez 6/21 @ 10:50

Jennifer Hoffmann 6/9 @ 10:10

Sazeed Huq 6/21 @ 9:30

Heather Krofft 6/3 @ 11:30

Rosemary Leicht 6/18 @ 10:50

Kristina Marinopoulos 6/18 @ 2:00

Allyson McAuliffe 6/7 @ 9:30

Christina Morawski 6/4 @ 9:30

Carrie Rose Mulligan 6/14 @ 1:20

Jo Ann Mulligan 6/14 @ 1:20

Walter Nyangaga 6/18 @ 11:30

Nihaal Pabba 6/9 @ 9:30

Natasha Permaul 6/14 @ 11:30

Amir Rastegar 6/9 @ 10:50

Jacob Rosenberg 6/21 @ 9:30

Gianluca Russo 6/17 @ 11:30

Gerardo Salazar 6/4 @ 9:30

Sophia Schermerhorn 6/21 @ 10:50

Rachel Swyer 6/18 @ 10:50

Erin Templeton 6/17 @ 11:30

Emily Toffenetti 6/14 @ 2:00

Rebekah Wolanski 6/14 @ 10:50

Michelle Yu 6/17 @ 9:30

Kevin Zeng 6/3 @ 10:10

Alana Zervos 6/21 @ 10:10

8^th Grade

Elise Burby 6/18 @ 8:50

Sarah Byerly 6/3 @ 8:50

Sydney Campbell 6/18 @ 11:30

Laura Chevalier 6/4 @ 8:50

Julia Chong 6/4 @ 8:50

Ali Gohlke-Schermer 6/10 @ 2:00

Courtland Ingraham 6/21 @ 2:00

Pranav Kannan 6/7 @ 8:50

Abigail Kedik 6/18 @ 9:30

Josh Lamb 6/7 @ 8:50

Andrea Long 6/11 @ 2:00

Mary Jean Mulligan 6/18 @ 9:30

Emma Pearson 6/19 @ 2:00

Karthik Ramesh 6/8 @ 8:50

Katie Randorf 6/8 @ 8:50

Joe Sipzner 6/8 @ 9:30

Naomi Tenenini 6/7 @ 11:30

Amy Toscano 6/10 @ 2:00

Michael Trichilo 6/9 @ 11:30

Mathilde Warren 6/14 @ 2:00

Andrew Xu 6/8 @ 10:50

Final Exam Times/Dates

2010-05-22T03:55:00.000-07:00

I've decided that with all the testing, field trips, and other disruptions to the daily schedule, it would be better for me to give you the opportunity to sign up for the most desirable final exam time.

The list of available days and times has been posted on the storage closet doors in the orchestra room.
Please consult your A-pad planner before signing up for a time.

No 8:50am/Mod 1 times have been listed, but they are available if anyone is interested. Activity Period exams can also be arranged, but students should come talk to me about this ASAP.

Helpful Hint: Do not wait until the last minute to sign up for a time. Also, do not put off your final exam until the last possible date in the event of a last-minute conflict.

Students who are not signed up by Wednesday afternoon (this Wednesday -- May 26th) will be assigned a time and responsible for changing it with me at least 2 days before the exam if there is a conflict.

Please come prepared and ready to play!

Final Exam Excerpts

2010-05-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

6th Grade

Violin A
Fiddles Out West: m29-37
Edelweiss: m37-44
Sea Song Suite/I. Drunken Sailor: m41-end

Violin B
Fiddles Out West: m13-16, m52-end
Edelweiss: m37-44
Sea Song Suite/I. Drunken Sailor: m41-end

Viola
Fiddles Out West: m13-17, m29-37
Edelweiss: m45-end
Sea Song Suite/I. Drunken Sailor: m41-end

Cello
Fiddles Out West: m13-29
Edelweiss: m1-12
Sea Song Suite/I. Drunken Sailor: m41-end

Bass
Fiddles Out West: m13-29
Edelweiss: m29-39
Sea Song Suite/I. Drunken Sailor: m41-end

7th & 8th Grade

Violin 1
For the Star of County Down: m41-49; m158-166
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 "Second Movement": m15-24
Viva la Vida: m9-16

Violin 2
For the Star of County Down: m49-57; m117-125
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 "Second Movement": m9-17
Viva la Vida: m9-16

Viola
For the Star of County Down: m33-41; m117-125
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 "Second Movement": m9-17
Viva la Vida: m9-16

Cello
For the Star of County Down: m57-75; m108-117
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 "Second Movement": m9-17
Viva la Vida: m9-16

Bass
For the Star of County Down: m90-104; m142-150
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 "Second Movement": m17-24
Viva la Vida: m9-16

6th Grade Assembly Concert

2010-05-20T04:02:00.000-07:00

The FMS 6th Grade Assembly will take place on Thursday, June 24th in the Cafetorium.

The 6th Grade Orchestra, Band, and Choir will perform at this assembly, so students should plan on bringing their instruments to school that day.

Any student renting an instrument from school should plan on playing that instrument in the daytime performance. They can return their rental that day.

Chamber Strings

2010-05-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

Our concert is less than 2 rehearsals away! Wednesday, June 9th -- the Dessert Concert @ FMS!

For this concert, we will play: O Mio Babbino Caro, Be Boppin' Bourree, and Dance of Iscariot.

Today, we played all three pieces in their entirety and rehearsed sections from O Mio Babbino Caro and Be Boppin' Bourree. I was happy to hear that our dynamics discussions from last week's O Mio rehearsal stuck and made this week's music more beautiful! Also, kudos to the cello section who restrained themselves from pushing the tempo forward (as is so easy when playing staccato or pizzicato) in Be Boppin'. I am hardly concerned with the fact that it is not perfect yet, but rather, am happy that you have realized -- and begun to address -- that weaker area.

Next week I WILL start with Dance of Iscariot. So many good things are happening with this piece! Among them:

dynamics (especially impressive in 1st violins)
bow location (thanks for staying in the lower half with those dotted/accented 8th notes violas)
accents (yay 2nds!)
tempo considerations (both maintaining and changing when indicated -- great, cellos!)

In attendance today were:

Alicia Chen

Gretchen Long

William Wang

Bill Dong

Marko Crnkovic

Karthik Ramesh

Catherine Rafferty

Andrea Long

Naila Brown

Katie Yang

Excused because of Earth Science field trip:

Joe Sipzner

Emma Pearson

Absent:

Katie Gonick

Erin Templeton

Arianna Barnum

Gianluca Russo

Rachel Swyer

Cody Ingraham

Students who have missed 2 or more rehearsals should come see me to arrange a time to play excerpts. Because our concert is coming up so quickly and we have had so few rehearsals, it is important that you be keeping up with your share of practicing even when you are absent. A satisfactory performance of the following excerpts is necessary to participate in our concert:

Violin 1:

Be Boppin' Bourree - m5 (take 2nd ending) - 11; m 21-1st ending

O Mio Babbino Caro - m5-9; m57-end

Dance of Iscariot - m29-38; m44-52; m59-67

Violin 2:
Be Boppin' Bourree - m5-12; m16-19

O Mio Babbino Caro - m45-53 (counting rests!); m59-end

Dance of Iscariot - beginning; m38-49; m67-76

Viola:

Be Boppin' Bourree - m11-15; m 23-end

O Mio Babbino Caro - m21-25; m59-end

Dance of Iscariot - m29-38; m42-49; m59-76

Cello:

O Mio Babbino Caro - m17-25; m35-49

Be Boppin' Bourree - m5-13; m23-end

Dance of Iscariot - m29-35; m44-50; m86-end

Lesson Group Updates - Monday/Tuesday

2010-05-10T15:33:00.000-07:00

2 lessons so far (5/3 @ 8:50, 5/10 @ 10:10)

Materials: Seitz excerpt sheet, Major Scale Sheet, Orchestra music

Notes: all have begun to record major scales as part of their final exam submission

Most recent assignment: Bb Major scale in 2 octaves; Memorize excerpts #1 & #2 from Seitz sheet; Learn notes, rhythms, and bowings from excerpt #5; Special attention to "Second Movement" m15-18

2 lessons so far (5/3 @ 11:30, 5/10 @ 2:00)

Materials: Allegro sheet, Major Scale Sheet, Orchestra music

Notes: significant absences; Gerardo has begun to record scales for final exam submission

Most recent assignment: finish memorizing Allegro (last week's assignment was to memorize the first/second/last line); review key signatures of major scales

2 lessons so far (5/3 @ 9:30, 5/10 @ 10:50)

Materials: Minuet in G excerpt sheet, Major Scale Sheet, Orchestra music

Notes: our biggest obstacle is intonation! Pay attention to your tapes, and use solfege to find starting pitches; Kristina, Nihaal, and Rachel have begun to record scales for final exam submission

Most recent assignment: Memorize excerpts #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 @ quarter=60-80bpm for the next lesson. Remember to chant the steady rhythm before using your bow. Continue to practice the F Major scale, and look at Brandenburg "Second Movement" m15-17

2 lessons so far (5/3 @ 10:50, 5/10 @ 8:50)

Materials: Minuet in G excerpt sheet, Major Scale Sheet, Orchestra music

Notes: generally good with key signature identification and finger placement! Practice in front of a mirror to improve posture.

Most recent assignment: Bb Major scale in 2 octaves; Minuet in G excerpts #1, #2, #3 @ quarter=60-80bpm; Minuet in G excerpts #4 and #5 at a comfortable tempo

2 lessons so far (5/3 @ 1:20, 5/10 @ 9:30)

Materials: Allegro, Major Scale Sheet, Orchestra music

Notes: need to develop the back, shoulder, and abdominal muscles needed to hold instrument horizontally. Pitch suffers as a result of poor playing posture.

Most recent assignment: Eb Major scale; finish memorizing Allegro

1 lesson so far (5/4 @ 10:10) and one tomorrow

Materials: Seitz excerpts, Orchestra music

Notes: focus on intonation! Sometimes the "half steps = fingers touching" rule does not always apply. Use your ears to listen for intervals!

Most recent assignment: Bb Major scale; Seitz excerpts #1 & #2 @ eighth=84-108; Brandenburg "Second Movement" m15-16

1 lesson so far (5/4 @ 8:50)

Materials: Fiocco Allegro, Orchestra music

Notes: some students have begun to record scales for final exam submission; Shifting excercises in Brandenburg must be done s l o w l y or else you'll just be practicing incorrectly. Practice doesn't make perfect -- perfect practice makes perfect.

Most recent assignment: Bb Major scale in 2 octaves; Fiocco Allegro m36-39 @ sixteenth = 80-120; m18 in Fiocco Allegro @ eighth=80-120; Brandenburg "Second Movement" m15-25

1 lesson so far (5/4 @ 2:00)

Materials: Bartok Folk Dances/Duets, Gavotte from Orchestral Suite #3, Orchestra Music

Notes: great attendance and very good effort being shown by this lesson group! Remember that accidentals carry through the measures. In Gavotte II, hear sol-mi-do in the key of A major (use do to find mi -- tune mi and sol for double stop), and keep 2nd finger down

Most recent assignment: Eb Major scale in 2 octaves; Gavotte II: m16-18; both parts of Maypole Dance (No. 2, Andante, G Major, cut time)

Chamber Strings

2010-05-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

Our spring Chamber Strings performance will be on the Dessert Concert on June 9th. On this concert, we plan to play:

Be Boppin' Bourree

O Mio Babbino Caro

Dance of Iscariot

Today, we worked mostly on Be Boppin' Bourree. When playing in the jazz genre, it is fun to break some of the "rules" of classical music. Some of these rules include:

Not adding glissando (slippy-slides) between notes that call for use of the same finger.
Playing 8th notes as straight du-de's that can be futher divided into du-ta-de-ta's.

However, in order to break the rules, we must know how to follow them properly. As an ensemble, we had great difficulty playing our parts to a metronome set at quarter=80bpm. As Be Boppin Bourree consists only of eighth notes and quarter notes, playing with a slow metronome tempo should be an easy task. Remember: tempo is in YOUR hands. I can conduct, I can tap, I can count out loud, but what it comes down to is that you must be able to know where you are, where you're going, and how long it takes to get there. Practice with metronomes! I want to be able to break some rules really soon!

In contrast to the hurried tempos in and careless articulations in Be Boppin', O Mio Babbino Caro was really beautiful this week. Cellists are now getting a good sense of what I have been asking for in those measures with 3 notes slurred (and marked with tenutos). We discussed and tried a lot of dynamics in rehearsal. The piece doesn't have many dynamics marked, so we should ask ourselves:

Do few dynamic markings mean little change in dynamics?
Are phrases marked with dynamics or do we have to add them in?
How do I know what is a phrase? (Hint: watch the youtube video of Renee Flemming singing this!)
How do I get from one dynamic marking to the next? (crescendo vs. subito)
How does my dynamic compare to the markings in other sections?
How can my bow help me achieve a good sound at this given dynamic?
Is there anything I should write in to remind me of dynamics?

Speaking of bowing, we can also pay attention to when bow changes occur. Are you changing at the exact same time as your stand partner? As your section leader? As your friend in another section?

In attendance were:

Joe Sipzner

Katie Gonick

Alicia Chen

Erin Templeton

Gretchen Long

William Wang

Bill Dong

Marko Crnkovic

Rachel Swyer

Karthik Ramesh

Catie Rafferty

Andrea Long

Naila Brown

Cody Ingraham

We're sorry we missed:
Arianna Barnum

Gianluca Russo

Emma Pearson

Katie Yang

Chamber Strings

2010-05-04T23:24:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to all the Chamber Strings musicians who participated in the Presidential Awards ceremony on Wednesday by playing the National Anthem! I received many compliments on your performance, and the faculty, staff, and ROTC members who were involved in the ceremony were happy to add live music to their event. I am grateful for your participation, preparation, and the maturity you showed during the performance, and I am impressed with the speed and ease at which you added this new piece to your repertoire.

Monday's rehearsal began with a quick rehearsal of the Star Spangled Banner, moving to O Mio Babbino Caro, and ending with a bit of Be Boppin Bourree. First violinists should start to look at some of the fingerings that are marked in O Mio Babbino Caro as they shift into 3rd position. We use 3rd position in some of our lesson music and in the new Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 ("Second Movement").

Why do we shift? There are a couple reasons why shifting is a necessary skill for string players:

To reach higher notes. As we shift "up" (closer to our bridge and further from our scroll), the notes get higher in pitch.
To make fingerings more comfortable. In certain keys, notes are more easily achieved somewhere other than 1st position. Think about the biggest stretches you have to make in 1st position. When you move "up" on the fingerboard, the intervals (whole and half steps) get closer together, so we don't have to stretch as much.
To achieve a desired tone. As a violinist, I love my E string. It is a bright, vibrant, loud, and exciting string. However, as an orchestral player, the E string just doesn't fit in. It can be too icy, too piercing, and just too different from the strings on the viola, cello, and bass. As orchestral players, our job is to blend: we should strive to create a similar sound, tone, timbre, and quality as the other members of our section and our orchestra. Shifting to achieve a desired tone is what we do when we stay on a particular string for a passage instead of changing to a brighter/darker, thinner/thicker string.
To minimize string crossings (or eliminate them completely). When dealing with complicated or confusing bowings, sometimes it is easier for us to shift positions so as to keep our arm level and bowhair contact on the string the same. Shifting to avoid string crossings becomes a special concern when using ricochet or other advanced bowings.

Lessons: May

2010-05-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

Lesson Groups
**Please note that there are small changes in lesson group assignments**

M1: Vivian Dai, Carrie Rose Mulligan, Walter Nyangaga, Michelle Yu, Jo Ann Mulligan
M2: Arianna Barnum, Shaddai Henry, Sazeed Huq, Gerardo Salazar, Kevin Zeng, Josh Lamb, Katie Randorf
M3: Kristina Marinopoulos, Nihaal Pabba, Gianluca Russo, Rachel Swyer, Alana Zervos
M4: Markos Abebe, Madeline Farry, Christina Morawski, Pranav Kannan
M5: Elijah Clemente, Allyson McAuliffe, Natasha Permaul, Amir Rastegar

T1: Mary Jean Mulligan, Amy Toscano, Andrew Xu, Mathilde Warren, Erin Templeton
T2: Ali Gohlke-Schermer, Joe Sipzner, Naomi Tenenini, Alicia Chen
T3: Laura Chevalier, Karthik Ramesh, Michael Trichilo

W1: Heather Krofft, Rebekah Wolanki, Elise Burby
W2: Curtis Ericson, Rose Leicht, Emily Toffenetti, Jacob Rosenberg
W3: Naila Brown, Jennifer Hoffmann, Hannah Hernandez, Sophia Schermerhorn
Q: Michael Zhu, Bill Dong, Ahna Pearson, Katie Yang

Th1: So Yeon Kim, Sera Song
Th2: Delaney Guntert, Claire Hill, Eliana Rowe
Th3: Sydney Marotta, Joseph Petitti, (Katie Yang)
Th4: Cory Parker, Sophia Patka, Alfredo Salazar, Alex Selsley, Cynthia Leonard, Rebecca Tucker
Th5: Matthew Krieg, Catie Rafferty, Allison Reiner, Michelle Burmistrova

F1: Sarah Byerly, Julia Chong, Andrea Long
F2: Cody Ingraham, Abigail Kedik, Sydney Campbell

Lesson Schedule - May

Monday, May 3rd BD
8:50: Dai, Mulligan, Nyangaga, Yu, Mulligan (Absent: Walter -- made up 5/6)
9:30: Marinopoulos, Pabba, Ruso, Swyer, Zervos (Absent: Nihaal)
10:50: Abebe, Farry, Morawski, Kannan (Absent: Markos, Pranav)
11:30: Barnum, Henry, Huq, Salazar, Zeng, Lamb, Randorf (Absent: Arianna, Shaddai, Sazeed, Gerardo, Kevin, Josh, Katie)
1:20: Clemente, McAuliffe, Permaul, Rastegar (Absent: Elijah, Natasha)

Tuesday, May 4th AC
8:50: Gohlke-Schermer, Sipzner, Tenenini, Chen (Absent: Naomi -- came 10:50-11:10 on 5/7)
10:10: Mulligan, Toscano, Xu, Warren, Templeton (Absent: Mary Jean, Amy, Andrew)
2:00: Chevalier, Ramesh, Trichilo

Wednesday, May 5th BD – Math Testing
Mod 4: Ericson, Leicht, Toffenetti, Rosenberg (Absent: Curtis, Emily, Jacob; Curtis & Emily missed last week)
Mod 5: Brown, Hoffmann, Hernandez, Schermerhorn (Absent: Naila, Hannah, Sophia; Jennifer missed last week)
Mod 11: Krofft, Wolanski, Burby (Absent: Heather, Rebekah, Elise; all missed last week)
Mod 12: Zhu, Dong, Pearson, Yang (Absent: Ahna, Katie; Ahna is out of the country)

Thursday, May 6th AC – Math Testing
Mod 3: Guntert, Hill, Rowe, Marotta, Petitti (Absent: Delaney -- came Mod 6), Sydney, Joe, Katie; Sydney, Delaney, and Joe were absent last week)
Mod 5: Song, Kim, Parker, Patka, Salazar, Selsley, Leonard, Tucker (Absent: So Yeon, Cory, Sophie, Alex, Cynthia; Sophie and Cory were absent last week)
Mod 12: Krieg, Rafferty, Reiner, Burmistrova (Absent this week and last: Michelle)

Friday, May 7th BD
8:50: Byerly, Chong, Long (Absent this week and last: Sarah, Andrea)
1:20: Ingraham, Kedik, Campbell (Absent: Abigail -- came at 9:30, Cody, Sydney; Absent last week: Cody, Sydney)

Monday, May 10th AC
8:50: Abebe, Farry, Morawski, Kannan (Absent: Markos, Pranav, Christina; Christina came @ 10:50)
9:30: Clemente, McAuliffe, Permaul, Rastegar (Absent: Elijah, Natasha)
10:10: Dai, Mulligan, Nyangaga, Yu, Mulligan
10:50: Marinopoulos, Pabba, Russo, Swyer, Zervos (Absent: Gianluca)
2:00: Barnum, Henry, Huq, Salazar, Zeng, Lamb, Randorf (Absent: Arianna, Shaddai, Sazeed, Gerardo, Kevin, Josh, Katie)

Tuesday, May 11th BD
8:50: Mulligan, Toscano, Xu, Warren, Templeton (Absent: Amy)
9:30: Chevalier, Ramesh, Trichilo (Absent: Michael)
11:30: Gohlke-Schermer, Sipzner, Tenenini, Chen (Absent: Alicia -- made up at 8:50am)

Wednesday, May 12th AC
8:50: Ericson, Leicht, Toffenetti, Rosenberg (Absent: Curtis, Emily)
10:10: Krofft, Wolanski, Burby (Absent: Elise)
11:30: Zhu, Dong, Pearson, Yang
2:00: Brown, Hoffmann, Hernandez, Schermerhorn (Absent: Sophia)

Thursday, May 13th BD
8:50: Guntert, Hill, Rowe (Absent: Delaney - came @ 9:30, Eliana - went to nurse)
9:30: Song, Kim
10:50: Marotta, Petitti (Absent: Sydney)
11:30: Krieg, Rafferty, Reiner, Burmistrova (Absent: Michelle - went to nurse)
2:00: Parker, Patka, Salazar, Selsley, Leonard, Tucker

Friday, May 14th AC
9:30: Ingraham, Kedik, Campbell (Absent: Cody, Abigail, Sydney)
2:00: Byerly, Chong, Long (Absent: Sarah, Andrea)

Monday, May 17th BD
8:50: Marinopoulos, Pabba, Ruso, Swyer, Zervos (Absent: Kristina, Nihaal)
9:30: Barnum, Henry, Huq, Salazar, Zeng, Lamb, Randorf (Absent: Shaddai, Sazeed, Gerardo, Kevin, Josh, Katie)
11:30: Clemente, McAuliffe, Permaul, Rastegar (Absent: Elijah, Allyson, Natasha)
1:20: Abebe, Farry, Morawski, Kannan (Absent: Maddy, Pranav -- both made up during AP on 5/18)
2:00: Dai, Mulligan, Nyangaga, Yu, Mulligan

Tuesday, May 18th AC
9:30: Gohlke-Schermer, Sipzner, Tenenini, Chen (Absent: Joe)
10:10: Chevalier, Ramesh, Trichilo (Absent: Karthik, Michael)
2:00: Mulligan, Toscano, Xu, Warren, Templeton (Absent: Mary Jean, Amy, Andrew)

Wednesday, May 19th BD
8:50: Krofft, Wolanski, Burby (Absent: Heather, Rebekah, Elise)
10:50: Zhu, Dong, Pearson, Yang
11:30: Ericson, Leicht, Toffenetti, Rosenberg (Absent: Curtis, Emily, Jacob)
1:20: Brown, Hoffmann, Hernandez, Schermerhorn (Absent: Sophia)

Thursday, May 20th AC
8:50: Parker, Patka, Salazar, Selsley, Leonard, Tucker (Absent: Sophie, Rebecca -- came @ 10:10)
9:30: Marotta, Petitti (Absent: Sydney)
10:10: Krieg, Rafferty, Reiner, Burmistrova (Absent: Catie -- came @ 8:50)
11:30: Song
2:00: Guntert, Hill, Rowe (Absent: Claire, Eliana)

Friday, May 21st BD
10:50: Ingraham, Kedik, Campbell (Absent: Cody, Abigail, Sydney)
11:30: Byerly, Chong, Long (Absent: Sarah, Julia, Andrea)

Monday, May 24th AC
8:50: Barnum, Henry, Huq, Salazar, Zeng, Lamb, Randorf
10:10: Marinopoulos, Pabba, Ruso, Swyer, Zervos
10:50: Clemente, McAuliffe, Permaul, Rastegar
11:30: Abebe, Farry, Morawski, Kannan
2:00: Dai, Mulligan, Nyangaga, Yu, Mulligan

Tuesday, May 25th BD
9:30: Mulligan, Toscano, Xu, Warren, Templeton
11:30: Chevalier, Ramesh, Trichilo
2:00: Gohlke-Schermer, Sipzner, Tenenini, Chen

Wednesday, May 26th AC
8:50: Zhu, Dong, Pearson, Yang
10:10: Ericson, Leicht, Toffenetti, Rosenberg
10:50: Brown, Hoffmann, Hernandez, Schermerhorn
2:00: Krofft, Wolanski, Burby

Thursday, May 27th BD
8:50: Krieg, Rafferty, Reiner, Burmistrova
9:30: Guntert, Hill, Rowe
10:50: Parker, Patka, Salazar, Selsley, Leonard, Tucker
1:20: Marotta, Petitti
2:00 Song, Kim

Final Exam Information

2010-04-28T03:58:00.000-07:00

Final Exam Information

Information regarding the final exam was distributed in classes this week. The following post just reiterates what was announced in class.

When: beginning in June (in place of lessons)

How: recorded submission (to be done in school at assigned time)

What: Scales, Excerpts, Solo Piece

Worth: 35% of your 4th quarter grade (Combines performance, preparation, and lessons)

Scales: I will ask you to play scales from the following list: C, G, D, A, E, B, Ab, Eb, Bb, F (7th grade: C, G, D, A, E, Eb, Bb, F; 6th Grade: C, G, D, A). You may not use any materials to help you play these scales. I will choose what scales I'd like to hear. Know your key signatures!

Just like at NYSSMA, scales should be played at a comfortable, steady tempo with the best tone possible.

Scales will be graded as follows:

Correct Key Signature Yes No 10pts

Accuracy of Pitch 5 4 3 2 1 (x2 = 10pts)

Correct fingerings 5 4 3 2 1 (x2 = 10pts)

30pts total

Excerpts: An excerpt is a small section of music. I will choose 1-2 excerpts from our 4th quarter music for you to play. Your excerpt will be played with a metronome within a designated range. You must bring your own music to use. The excerpts that I will choose from will be announced in advance so that you can prepare them to the best of your ability.

Excerpts will be graded as follows:

Rhythm 5 4 3 2 1

Pitch/Notes 5 4 3 2 1

Dynamics 5 4 3 2 1

Articulation 5 4 3 2 1

Phrasing 5 4 3 2 1

Preparation* 5 4 3 2 1

*Came with all music, played from memory, ease of playing/familiarity with music, etc

Solo: You may choose any of the pieces we have worked on in lessons this year. Solos do not have to be memorized, but students have to provide their own music. If you went to NYSSMA this year, you can play that solo, and if you study privately and would like to play something that you worked on with that teacher that is fine!

Pick a solo that highlights your abilities. A harder solo played poorly will not showcase your musicianship skills as well as a slightly easier one that is performed with comfort and proper technique.

Solos will be graded as follows:

Rhythm 5 4 3 2 1

Pitch/Notes 5 4 3 2 1

Dynamics 5 4 3 2 1

Articulation 5 4 3 2 1

Phrasing 5 4 3 2 1

Preparation 5 4 3 2 1

The final exam is worth 100pts: 30 for scales, 30 for excerpts, 30 for solo. The last 10 points are to be earned through correct and appropriate posture.

Orchestra Update

2010-04-27T03:57:00.000-07:00

As of today, all 6th graders have received practice music for the remainder of the year. In their packets are: Edelweiss, Fiddles Out West, Sea Song Suite, and Black and White. Students should focus their practicing this week on Fiddles Out West and the first parts of Sea Song Suite.

In 8th grade, information about the final exam was distributed along with new music. The concert review/NYSSMA reflections are due back to me on Thursday. Be specific with your responses! I am very interested in the depth of your reflections and your understanding of our spring repertoire. This assignment will be graded for quality of answers.

In rehearsal, we looked at very very small sections of two of our new pieces: Star of County Down and Brandenburg No. 3 ("Second" movement). Attention should be paid to m49-57 in Star of County Down and the first 9 measures of Brandenburg. Take everything very slowly so as to catch all those notes and accidentals, then work up to a comfortable tempo.

Final Exam Information

2010-04-26T18:23:00.001-07:00

This week, 6th, 7th and 8th graders are receiving information about their final exam. The final will be worth 100 points and has 3 main parts:

1. Scales

2. Excerpts

3. Solos

All information, including requirements, procedures, and grading rubrics can be found on the handout they received. That information will be posted online later this week. Students should take some time this week to review the requirements and evaluate what elements of the final exam have already been mastered.

Chamber Strings

2010-04-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

Today we worked on two songs: Dance of Iscariot and The Star Spangled Banner. Our national anthem is a new piece that they received today because we have been invited to play at the President's Achievement Awards ceremony on May 5th at 3:30pm. Chamber Strings will play right in the beginning, and they can leave right after our performance. Unfortunately, because it is a Wednesday, there are no late buses. Students should arrange to have their parents pick them up on this day.

In Dance of Iscariot, we touched upon a number of items:

1. Dotted/Accented eighth notes as seen in the 2nd violin and viola parts: Play these as low in the bow as you can get! Right next to the frog, with a slight bounce. To play in this location for any length of time in a consistent tempo is tiring. Only diligent practice with a mirror and a metronome will develop the muscles needed to maintain this character.

2. Accidentals between m56 and 76 in 2nd violin and viola parts and how to achieve them: We wrote in 2 sets of fingerings in these sections. The first stays in what we call "half" position because we set our fingers behind the tapes that they usually fall on. When we play this passage in half position, we can hit all the notes, but it makes for awkward string crossings. Instead, I highly recommend that the 3rd position fingerings be used (shifting to 2nd finger on the A# in m63 and staying in 3rd position until beat 4 of measure 65).

3. Accelerando in m84 for violins: We only have 1 measure to get to our Presto tempo at m85. As much as I'd like to be consistent, accelerandos have potential to be different every time. Practice pushing the tempo faster at varying degrees so that you will be comfortable no matter what happens.

4. Presto section: mark in your part how many repeated measures you have. Violin 1 plays the B-A-B-A-B-A-B-A figure for 8 measures (or 7 measures with the 8th measure accented). Violin 2 plays G-F#-G-F#-G-F#-G-F# for 4 measures before switching to the double-stopped section. Viola also has 4 measures before you change.

In attendance were:

Joe Sipzner

Gretchen Long

Alicia Chen

Katie Gonick

Erin Templeton

Arianna Barnum

William Wang

Bill Dong

Marko Crnkovic

Gianluca Russo

Karthik Ramesh

Catie Rafferty

Andrea Long

Cody Ingraham

We missed:
Rachel Swyer

Emma Pearson

Naila Brown

Katie Yang

Lessons for Last week of April

2010-04-25T18:06:00.001-07:00

Attention 7th and 8th graders: please check here for updates on the lesson schedule this week. There will be a lot of changes due to ELA and other testing because I have to be in other places to help out. Lessons on Thursday should be normal, but Monday-Wednesday lessons could be mixed up quite a bit. I apologize for any confusion!

Congratulations!

2010-04-17T13:56:00.001-07:00

This has been an exciting week for the musicians at Farnsworth! Congratulations to all 7th and 8th graders on their excellent performance Thursday night -- you looked and sounded wonderful!

I am very proud of all the students who participated in the NYSSMA Solo Festival this weekend in Ravena. I could not have asked for a better representation of our string program! The solo and small ensemble performances by Farnsworth orchestra students could not have been possible without the significant focus, determination, and preparation that you showed. I hope you are all very very proud of yourselves!

Hiawatha 7

2010-04-14T19:34:00.001-07:00

Hiawatha 7 will be visiting the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center during science class (10:10 to 11:30) next week. Each class will go one day. Students in perf music will not miss their music class.

Please contact me this week if you are a member of this team and will be on the field trip on Tuesday, April 20th. We have a sectional from 9:30-10:10 that day, and I want to make sure that everyone who is scheduled at that time will be able to attend.

Chamber Strings

2010-04-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome to a new month of Chamber Stringing!

The bulk of today's work was from Dance of Iscariot. We began with m38-52 and addressed the huge amount of notation found in the parts (such as: articulation, dynamics, and bowing). Each element of notation contributes to another and makes the general intention of the musical phrase more meaningful and easier to accomplish. Do your best not to become overwhelmed by everything you see on the page. Break it down using this process:

Rhythm Be able to chant all rhythms while keeping a steady beat. The rhythms in Dance of Iscariot are not challenging, but they may become confusing when heard with other parts.
Notes Check out any accidentals that occur. They are not outrageous or irregular, but they are accidentals! Once all notes have been learned, stick 'em alongside your rhythm chanting. Chant and pluck, chant and bow.
Bowings & Articulations Bow direction concerns are not usually my next recommended step, but they are important for steps to come. Use the breath markings as reminders to lift your bow and control direction. Those down bows should be taken at the frog to avoid any unpleasant sounds. Watch for accents, dots, and other articulation indicators and remember what we discussed about bow location.
Dynamics Once you've figured out the bowings and articulations, you can start putting them to use. Dynamics are what this passage is all about, and the bowings and articulations serve the greater dynamic purpose. Be careful of the subito changes!

Backing up, we skimmed m29-38. This piece is all about character and atmosphere and ideas, and this is a great passage to think about. Upper strings, while not necessarily playing melody, should be sneaky and smooth. Continue to use broad strokes in the middle of your bow, but release pressure to keep the volume low. Cellos continue the short, half step motive with a sinister sound.

Aaaand then we get to the fugual section! Entrances are broken down like this:

52-59: 2nds and violas

59-67: 1sts

67-76: cellos

Let's aim for more of a capoiera approach instead of the musical fighting we discussed :)

We ended with a bit of "B" Suite for Strings, of which we will only play I. Be-Boppin' Bourree. Cellos, for now, take the dots off those notes. We will do a lot more work on feeling the microbeats so as to keep a steadier pulse. In the meantime, practice without dots and with metronomes so that we can later establish a feeling of carefree, relaxed lightness in that opening.

Some things to think about when practicing:

Slurred half steps: slide! gliss between notes! jazz it up!
Practice taking different endings and repeating
Use the bowings to help with those picky dynamics!

In attendance were:

Joe Sipzner

Katie Gonick

Alicia Chen

Arianna Barnum

Gretchen Long

William Wang

Bill Dong

Marko Crnkovic

Rachel Swyer

Emma Pearson

Catie Rafferty

Karthik Ramesh

Andrea Long

Naila Brown

Cody Ingraham

We're sorry we missed:

Erin Templeton

Gianluca Russo

Katie Yang

Limited number of NYSSMA Lessons Available!

2010-04-11T16:20:00.001-07:00

If you do not already have a NYSSMA lesson scheduled for this week and would like one, come see me during homeroom tomorrow to take one of these available times:

Monday 4/12 AC

11:30

Wednesday 4/14 AC

11:30

NYSSMA Solo Festival - Times & Information

2010-04-11T10:47:00.000-07:00

Festival Site: Ravena Coeymans Selkirk HS
ID:30 Zone:7
Address: Route 9W Ravena, NY 12143
4/16/10 & 4/17/10

**Please plan to arrive 45min - 1 hour prior to the time you are scheduled. This will allow you time to park, find the gym to warm up, locate your room, and fill out your forms.**

No photocopies are allowed at the NYSSMA festival. I have highly encouraged students to memorize their solo pieces so as evidence for full preparation. If you are still experiencing difficulty with your memorization, please discuss your concerns with me and/or contact John Keal Music to order additional copies of the original music.

Barnum, Arianna: Saturday 12:20pm Room S4

Burmistrova, Michelle: Saturday 2:15pm Room S2

Chen, Alicia: Saturday 11:05am Room S4

Darby, Matthew: Saturday 10:15am Room S2

Dong, Bill: Saturday 11:20am Room S4

Gonick, Kathryn: Saturday 10:20am Room S5

Krieg, Matthew: Friday 7:00pm Room S2

Lake, Alana: Saturday 1:55pm Room S2

Long, Gretchen & Andrea: Saturday 11:30am Room S5

Mulligan, Carrie Rose: Friday 7:10pm Room S4

Mulligan, Jo Ann: Friday 7:20pm Room S2

Mulligan, Carrie Rose, Jo Ann, and Mary Jean: Friday 4:35pm Room S4

Mulligan, Mary Jean: Friday 5:45pm Room S2

Pearson, Emma: Saturday 2:40pm Room S3

Rafferty, Catie: Saturday 10:15am Room S3

Russo, Gianluca: Saturday 2:35pm Room S5

Selsley, Alex: Saturday 1:45pm Room S5

Sipzner, Joey: Saturday 10:55am Room S2

Swyer, Rachel: Saturday 2:25pm Room S2

Templeton, Erin: Saturday 10:55am Room S4

Trainor, Aurora & Katie Gonick: Saturday 10:45am Room S2

Wang, William: Saturday 2:30pm Room S4

Yang, Katie: Saturday 10:45am Room S4

Yu, Michelle: Saturday 11:15am Room S2

Directions to Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School

Ravena High School is located on Rt. 9W, approximately ½ mile north of the village of Ravena, and approximately 12 - 13 miles south of Albany from exit 23 of the NYS Thruway.

From the north, east, west: Take NYS Thruway to exit 23 (Albany). Bear right onto Rt. 9W south. Travel approximately 12 - 13 miles. The school will be on the right.

From the south: Take NYS Thruway to exit 21B (Coxsackie). Bear right onto Rt. 9W north. Travel approximately 7 - 8 miles, through the village of Ravena. The school will be about ½ mile north of the village, on the left.

There is ample parking on the Ravena campus. Upon entering the campus, the High School is the building to the right.

1) Cars should park in either the large main lot on the left, or in the first lot on the right.

Both of these parking lots are adjacent to Rt. 9W.

2) Busses should park in the huge paved area straight ahead, between the High School (on the right) and the Middle School (to the left).

3) Percussion equipment may be unloaded at the gym entrance, which is closer to the percussion warm up area. Turn at the first right after entering the campus and go straight towards the football field and around to the left behind the building. Look for signs; someone will be there to assist you.

4) ALL PARTICIPANTS SHOULD ENTER AT THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE HIGH SCHOOL FOR REGISTRATION. (Except percussionists unloading equipment at the gym entrance.)

Dress Rehearsal & Sectional Schedules

2010-04-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

Review the dates for dress rehearsals, concerts, and sectionals and mark the times in your A-pads. Please also know the name of your stand partner and the approximate stand number prior to your arrival at the dress rehearsal. All dress rehearsals will be held onstage. Sectionals will be held in the orchestra room.

Bring your own copy of the music to all dress rehearsals and sectionals!!

Cellists and 6th Grade Bassists: due to the limited number of instruments available in our classroom, please make arrangements to bring your instrument from home on the day of your assigned dress rehearsal.

Monday, April 12, 2010
2:00-2:40pm: 7th & 8th Grade Orchestra Dress Rehearsal on Stage

Tuesday, April 13, 2010
8:50-9:30am: 6th Grade Orchestra Dress Rehearsal on Stage

Wednesday, April 14, 2010
9:30-10:10: 7th & 8th Grade Orchestra Dress Rehearsal on Stage

Thursday, April 15, 2010
6:45pm: 7th & 8th Grade Orchestra members arrive
7:30pm: 7th Grade Concert Concert (with combined 7/8 orchestra)

Monday, April 19, 2010 - 1:20pm - 7th/8th Sectional in Orchestra Room
Joe Sipzner, Walter Nyangaga, Gerardo Salazar, Shaddai Henry, Christina Morawski, Elijah Clemente, Naomi Tenenini, Alyson McAuliffe, Arianna Barnum, Katie Randorf, Michelle Yu, Rachel Swyer, Emma Pearson, Rebekah Wolanski, Andrea Long, Jennifer Hoffmann, Cody Ingraham, Sophia Schermerhorn, Curtis Ericson, Thomas Fortune

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - 9:30am - 7th/8th Sectional in Orchestra Room

Ali Gohlke-Schermer, Alicia Chen, Mathilde Warren, Erin Templeton, Pranav Kannan, Jo Ann Mulligan, Carrie Rose Mulligan, Josh Lamb, Sazeed Huq, Kevin Zeng, Amir Rastegar, Natasha Permaul, Laura Chevalier, Karthik Ramesh, Naila Brown, Sarah Byerly, Abigail Kedik, Jacob Rosenberg, Julia Manobianco

Tuesday, April 20, 2010
10:10-10:50am: 6th Grade Orchestra Dress Rehearsal on Stage
6:45pm: 6th Grade Orchestra members arrive
7:30pm: 6th Grade Concert

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - 8:50am - 7th/8th Sectional in Orchestra Room

Mary Jean Mulligan, Vivian Dai, Andrew Xu, Gianluca Russo, Kristina Marinopoulos, Markos Abebe, Alana Zervos, Maddy Farry, Amy Toscano, Nihaal Pabba, Michael Trichilo, Elise Burby, Heather Krofft, Julia Chong, Hannah Hernandez, Sydney Campbell, Rose Leicht, Emily Gunther

April 23, 2010
12:50pm 7th & 8th Grade NYSSMA Majors Evaluation Festival

Lesson Schedule March/April - Revised

2010-03-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Lesson Groups

Monday 1 Alicia Chen, Vivian Dai, Carrie Rose Mulligan, Walter Nyangaga, Erin Templeton, Michelle Yu
Monday 2 Arianna Barnum, Shaddai Henry, Sazeed Huq, Gerardo Salazar, Kevin Zeng
Monday 3 Kristina Marinopoulos, Nihaal Pabba, Gianluca Russo, Rachel Swyer, Alana Zervos
Monday 4 Markos Abebe, Maddy Farry, Christina Morawski, Jo Ann Mulligan
Monday 5 Elijah Clemente, Allyson McAuliffe, Natasha Permaul, Amir Rastegar

Tuesday 1 Mary Jean Mulligan, Amy Toscano, Andrew Xu, Pranav Kannan
Tuesday 2 Ali Gohlke-Schermer, Joe Sipzner, Naomi Tenenini
Tuesday 3 Josh Lamb, Katie Randorf, Mathilde Warren
Tuesday 4 Elise Burby, Laura Chevalier, Karthik Ramesh, Michael Trichilo

Wednesday 1 Heather Krofft, Rebekah Wolanski
Wednesday 2 Curtis Ericson, Hannah Hernandez, Rose Leicht, Emily Toffenetti
Wednesday 3 Naila Brown, Jennifer Hoffmann, Jacob Rosenberg, Sophia Schermerhorn

Thursday 1 So Yeon Kim, Sera Song
Thursday 2 Delaney Guntert, Claire Hill, Eliana Rowe
Thursday 3 Sydney Marotta, Joseph Petitti, Katie Yang
Thursday 4 Cory Parker, Sophie Patka, Alfredo Salazar, Alex Selsley, Cynthia Leonard
Thursday 5 Matthew Krieg, Catie Rafferty, Allison Reiner, Rebecca Tucker, Michelle Burmistrova

Friday 1 Sarah Byerly, Sydney Campbell, Julia Chong, Andrea Long
Friday 2 Cody Ingraham, Abigail Kedik, Asaph Ko

3/22 AC

8:50 Alex Selsley

9:30 Gianluca Russo

10:10 Rachel Swyer

11:20 Chamber Strings: Concert @ GHS

No Activity Period

3/23 BD

8:50 1&3

9:30 4

10:50 2

11:30 NYSSMA:

1:20 Catie Rafferty

Activity Period: 6th Grade

3/24 AC

10:10 Arianna Barnum

10:50 1

11:30 2

2:00 3

3/25 BD

8:50 2

9:30 Cynthia Leonard

10:50 Michelle Yu

11:30 Erin Templeton

1:20 Katie Gonick

2:00 1

Activity Period: 7th Grade

Monday 3/29 AC

9:30 5

10:10 1 & 4

10:50 3

11:30 2

2:00 Catie Rafferty

Activity Period: Chamber Strings (All Members)

Wednesday 3/31 AC *No 7th Grade Cello Lessons

10:10 Mulligan Trio

10:50 Matthew Krieg

11:30 1

12:40 Joe Sipzner

Thursday 4/1 BD

9:30 Alex Selsley

10:50 2 & 3

11:30 1

1:20 4 & 5

2:00 Gianluca Russo

No Activity Period

Monday 4/12 AC

11:30 NYSSMA

2:00 7th & 8th Orchestra Dress Rehearsal

Activity Period: Chamber Strings

Tuesday 4/13 BD

10:50 Rachel Swyer

1:20 Catie Rafferty

2:00 Arianna Barnum

Activity Period: 7th Grade

Wednesday 4/14 AC

9:30 7th & 8th Orchestra Dress Rehearsal

10:10 Michelle Yu

11:30 NYSSMA

2:00 6th Grade String Quartet

Thursday 4/15 BD

8:50 2 & 3

9:30 4 & 5

10:50 Erin Templeton

11:30 1

1:20 Katie Gonick

Activity Period: 6th Grade

7:30pm 7^th & 8th Grade Orchestra Concert @ FMS

Friday 4/16 AC

8:50 Matthew Krieg

10:50 Joe Sipzner

11:30 Gianluca Russo

2:00 Catie Rafferty

No Make-up Lessons during Activity Period

NYSSMA Solo Festival @ RCS

4/17 NYSSMA Solo Festival @ RCS

Monday 4/19 BD

9:30 2

10:50 NYSSMA

11:30 5

1:20 4 & 1

2:00 3

Activity Period: Chamber Strings

Tuesday 4/20 AC

8:50 3

10:10 4

11:30 1

2:00 2

Activity Period: 7th Grade

7:30pm 6^th Grade Concert @ FMS

Wednesday 4/21 BD

8:50 3

11:30 2

1:20 1

Thursday 4/22 AC

8:50 5

9:30 1

10:10 2

10:50 3

11:30 4

No Make-ups during Activity Period

NYSSMA Majors @ Shaker

Friday 4/23 BD

8:50 2

1:20 1
No Make-up Lessons during Activity Period

NYSSMA Majors @ Shaker

Monday 4/26 AC

8:50

9:30 1

10:10 2

10:50 3

11:30 4

2:00 5

Activity Period: Chamber Strings

Tuesday 4/27 BD

9:30 2

1:20 1

2:00 3

Activity Period: 6th Grade

Wednesday 4/28 AC

8:50 1

10:10 2

10:50 3

7th & 8th Grade Concert Seating

2010-03-30T06:52:00.000-07:00

Violin 1
Sipzner
Nyangaga

Gohlke-Schermer
Chen

Mulligan, Mary Jean
Dai

Warren
Templeton

Xu
Russo

Kannan
Mulligan, Jo Ann

Marinopoulos
Abebe

Morawski
Clemente

Salazar
Henry

Violin 2
Tenenini
McAuliffe

Mulligan, Carrie Rose
Lamb

Toscano
Pabba

Zervos
Farry

Yu
Swyer

Rastegar
Permaul

Randorf
Barnum

Huq
Zeng

Viola
Pearson
Wolanski

Chevalier
Ramesh

Trichilo
Burby

Krofft

Cello
Long
Hoffmann

Brown
Byerly

Chong
Hernandez

Ingraham
Schermerhorn

Kedik
Rosenberg

Campbell
Leicht

Ko
Ericson

Bass
Manobianco
Fortune

Gunther

7th & 8th Grade NYSSMA Sectionals

2010-03-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

For our NYSSMA Sectionals, 7th and 8th grade orchestra members have been split into 3 groups. On your assigned day and time, come to the orchestra room prepared to play in groups of 2-4. You must have your binder and music these days!

If you forget your music or instrument on this day, you should remain in your regularly scheduled class, accept a late penalty, and plan on playing our concert repertoire for me at a different time.

Find your name listed below, and pick up a pass in the orchestra room on your assigned day. If you have a test or project during your assigned time, come to me 3 days prior to your assigned time so that I can adjust your assignment. Students who ask to switch on the day of their sectional may not be given an opportunity to make up what they have missed.

Monday, April 19th - 1:20pm

Joe Sipzner, Walter Nyangaga, Gerardo Salazar, Shaddai Henry, Christina Morawski, Elijah Clemente

Naomi Tenenini, Alyson McAuliffe, Arianna Barnum, Katie Randorf, Michelle Yu, Rachel Swyer

Emma Person, Rebekah Wolanski

Andrea Long, Jennifer Hoffmann, Cody Ingraham, Sophia Schermerhorn, Asaph Ko, Curtis Ericson

Thomas Fortune

Tuesday, April 20th - 9:30am

Ali Gohlke-Schermer, Alicia Chen, Mathilde Warren, Erin Templeton, Pranav Kannan, Jo Ann Mulligan

Carrie Rose Mulligan, Josh Lamb, Sazeed Huq, Kevin Zeng, Amir Rastegar, Natasha Permaul

Laura Chevalier, Karthik Ramesh

Naila Brown, Sarah Byerly, Abigail Kedik, Jacob Rosenberg

Julia Manobianco

Wednesday, April 21st - 8:50am

Mary Jean Mulligan, Vivian Dai, Andrew Xu, Gianluca Russo, Kristina Marinopoulos, Markos Abebe

Alana Zervos, Maddy Farry, Amy Toscano, Nihaal Pabba

Michael Trichilo, Elise Burby, Heather Krofft

Julia Chong, Hannah Hernandez, Sydney Campbell, Rose Leicht

Emily Gunther

7th & 8th Grade Dress Rehearsal Schedule

2010-03-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

Monday, April 12th - 2:00pm

Wednesday, April 14th - 9:30am

Thursday, April 15th - 7:3opm 7th & 8th Orchestra Concert

All dress rehearsals will be on stage in the Cafetorium. Please arrive on time, unpack quickly, and proceed directly to the stage. There will be no 7th or 8th grade lessons that week.

6th Grade String Quartet Rehearsal Schedule

2010-03-30T06:39:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, March 31^st 8:50-9:30am

Wednesday, April 14^th 2:00-2:40pm

Wednesday, April 21^st 10:50-11:30am

Wednesday, April 28^th 9:30-10:10am

Chamber Strings

2010-03-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

Congratulations on two wonderful concerts! I am so pleased with that focus you maintained through all the performance delays, and I heard many positive remarks about our portions of this week's concerts!

Regular rehearsals for our spring concert will begin on Monday, March 29th. Please take a moment or two to look at Dance of Iscariot, O Mio Babbino Caro, and Be Boppin' Bourree before that rehearsal. Come prepared with any questions, ideas, concerns, or suggestions for the upcoming program!

NYSSMA Medals

2010-03-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

Lori R. Hershenhart, District Administrator for Music, GCSD

Farnsworth Middle School, 6072 State Farm Road, Guilderland, NY 12084

(518) 456-6010 ext. 3007 Fax (518) 456-3747

hershenhartl@guilderlandschools.org

March 22, 2010

Dear Music Parents,

For students who attend the NYSSMA Solo and Ensemble evaluation festivals, there are optional medals available for parent purchase. NYSSMA medals are available for $6 per medal. NYSSMA participation certificates will be distributed to all students who attend.

The bronze NYSSMA medals are individually boxed with ribbons differentiating the level of performance. These medals are available for solo or ensemble performances.

If you wish to purchase a medal for your child, please fill in the form below and return it to your child’s teacher with a check made payable to Farnsworth Middle School by June 4, 2010.

Thank you,

Lori Hershenhart

******************************************************************************************

Order Form

NYSSMA Medals ($6 each)

Checks payable to Farnsworth Middle School

Amount

NYSSMA Solo Medal (Red, White & Blue – Levels 1-4) _______

NYSSMA Solo Medal (Gold – Levels 5-6) _______

NYSSMA Ensemble Medal (Red, White & Blue – Levels 1-6) _______

Total_______

Student Name __________________________

School _______________________________

Teacher ______________________________

Lesson Group updates

2010-03-21T15:47:00.000-07:00

Monday 1 Alicia Chen, Vivian Dai, Carrie Rose Mulligan, Walter Nyangaga, Erin Templeton, Michelle Yu
Members of this lesson group have played C, G, D, A, and F Major scales individually. By the end of the year, this lesson group will also play E, B, Ab, Eb, and Bb Major scales. We have studied Achievement March (memorized) and Marionettes. We are currently working on Minuet 1 and the duet part. At this point, we have memorized up to the first repeat in Minuet 1 and are working on the memorization of the second half of the piece.

Monday 2 Arianna Barnum, Shaddai Henry, Sazeed Huq, Gerardo Salazar, Kevin Zeng
Members of this lesson group are working on Minuet 1 and have played G, D, and A Major scales. We also spend time working on orchestra repertoire, rhythm, and posture. By the end of the year, this lesson group will also play C and F Major scales. Shaddai Henry and Kevin Zeng should arrange a time to make up the significant number of lessons missed.

Monday 3 Kristina Marinopoulos, Nihaal Pabba, Gianluca Russo, Rachel Swyer, Alana Zervos
We have been working on both Achievement March and Minuet 1 in this lesson group. Most students have played C, G, D, A, and F Major scales. We will also learn E, Bb, and Eb Major scales by the end of the year. Our focus has been on performance, both with solo and orchestra repertoire. We perform for each other and prepare for NYSSMA.

Monday 4 Markos Abebe, Maddy Farry, Christina Morawski, Jo Ann Mulligan
Members of this lesson group have played C, G, D, and A Major scales and will learn E, F, and Bb Major scales. Though we have worked on sections of Achievement March and Etude, we have recently spent time on orchestra music. Our primary focus is on finger placement & intonation and bowstroke.

Monday 5 Elijah Clemente, Allyson McAuliffe, Natasha Permaul, Amir Rastegar
This lesson group has played G, D, and A scales. We are working on Etude and orchestra music. Posture and position are our primary concerns.

Tuesday 1 Mary Jean Mulligan, Amy Toscano, Andrew Xu, Pranav Kannan
Members of this lesson group are working on sections of Bourree as well as orchestra music. This lesson group has played C, G, D, A, and F Major scales. Some members have gone on to play Bb and Eb Major scales as well. We are working on note accuracy as well as volume produced by correct bowstroke.

Tuesday 2 Ali Gohlke-Schermer, Joe Sipzner, Naomi Tenenini
This lesson group has played C, G, D, A, E, F, Bb, and Eb Major scales. We will finish out the Major Scale sheet and begin learning more melodic minor scales by the end of the year. We have learned and discussed many techniques necessary in performing Bourree properly, including how to break chords, the bowstroke and rhythm appropriate for those chords, the location in the bow that we should play specific dotted articulations in, and how to find and treat phrases. We have memorized sections of Bourree to perform for each other. Now, we are learning excerpts from Seitz Concerto No. 5, mvt I.

Tuesday 3 Josh Lamb, Katie Randorf, Mathilde Warren
Members of this lesson group are working on sections of Bourree as well as orchestra music. This lesson group has played C, G, D, A, and F Major scales. Some members have gone on to play Bb and Eb Major scales as well. We are working on note accuracy as well as volume produced by correct bowstroke. Katie Randorf and Josh Lamb should plan to attend all make-up lessons offered due to excessive absence.

Tuesday 4 Elise Burby, Laura Chevalier, Karthik Ramesh, Michael Trichilo
This lesson group has played C, G, D, A, and F Major scales. We will finish the Major Scale sheet. Members of this lesson group have learned the Pleyel: Sonatina No. 2 and performed sections of this piece from memory for each other. Now, we are working on Bach: Gavotte from Orchestral Suite No. 3. We have also begun learning note reading in treble clef and can play small sections of Dream Waltz from the Solo Time for Strings Violin Book 1.

Wednesday 1 Heather Krofft, Rebekah Wolanski
In this lesson group, we have played C, G, D, and A Major Scales. Last semester, we looked at Songs of Many Lands and Scottish Folk Songs. Now, we are learning Gossec: Gavotte. Both ladies have performed the beginning to the first repeat, and both should plan on moving up a size or two in violas for next year.

Wednesday 2 Curtis Ericson, Hannah Hernandez, Rose Leicht, Emily Toffenetti
Although some members of this lesson group need to catch up on their individual scale performances, we have played C, G, D, A, and F major scales. We are working our way through Cellos Ole, other orchestra music, and our fiddle tune (Off She Goes). Now, we are learning more tunes by ear, beginning with Long, Long Ago & variation. Careful attention should be paid to cello position (facing forward, and not tilted) and seated posture. Practice should focus on rhythm and careful, slow shifting. Emily Toffenetti should plan on attending all make-up sessions to make up for excessive absence from lessons.

Wednesday 3 Naila Brown, Jennifer Hoffmann, Jacob Rosenberg, Sophia Schermerhorn
Members of this lesson group have played C, G, D, A, and F Major scales. We are working on adding the glissandos to Cellos Ole as well as other orchestra music. We are learning the fiddle tune, Long, Long Ago & Variations, and sight reading duets. Jacob and Sophia should plan on attending make-up lessons and come prepared with excerpts from Cellos Ole.

Thursday 1 So Yeon Kim, Sera Song
Sera and So Yeon are working their way through the beginning of Suzuki Violin Book 1. They have learned and peformed Twinkle Twinkle Little Star & variations, Lightly Row, Song of the Wind, and Allegro. Last week, we began work on Go Tell Aunt Rhody. So Yeon should come to 6th grade make up lessons and continue to practice her pieces in front of a mirror to remember posture.

Thursday 2 Delaney Guntert, Claire Hill, Eliana Rowe
As a class, we have played C, G, D, and A Major scales. In these lessons, we work on orchestra music, finger placement/intonation and short pieces. Recently, we have learned Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and the first variation. We also began Lightly Row. We will continue to work through Suzuki Cello Book 1. Members of this lesson group should practice landing on the tapes (and tuning their 4th fingers to the open string below), learning the names of the notes on the string, and chanting rhythms.

Thursday 3 Sydney Marotta, Joseph Petitti, Katie Yang
Members of this lesson group are preparing to go to the NYSSMA solo festival in April, so we alternate learning orchestra music with sight reading and solo preparation. We read duets and work to improve bow techniques. Sydney should plan on staying for a make-up lesson where we can choose a solo to begin work on.

Thursday 4 Cory Parker, Sophie Patka, Alfredo Salazar, Alex Selsley, Cynthia Leonard
The emphasis in this lesson group is on repertoire, posture, and position. We have played C, G, D, and A Major Scales and performed French Folk Song, Lightly Row, and Song of the Wind for each other. We are currently working to learn Go, Tell Aunt Rhody. All pieces are performed from memory for the class. We also continue to study the 6/8 rhythms found in Gaston's Gigue as well as the C string notes in The Chapel on Nettle Knob. We will be starting work on The Happy Farmer.

Thursday 5 Matthew Krieg, Catie Rafferty, Allison Reiner, Rebecca Tucker, Michelle Burmistrova
As with the other 6th grade viola lesson group, our emphasis is on repertoire, position, and intonation. Scales we have played include C, G, D, A, and E Major. We have performed French Folk Song, Lightly Row, and Song of the Wind for each other and are currently learning Go, Tell Aunt Rhody and excerpts from Gossec: Gavotte. A few members of this lesson group are attending NYSSMA for level 1 and level 2. We also continue to study the 6/8 rhythms found in Gaston's Gigue as well as the C string notes in The Chapel on Nettle Knob.

Friday 1 Sarah Byerly, Sydney Campbell, Julia Chong, Andrea Long
Friday 2 Cody Ingraham, Abigail Kedik, Asaph Ko

Both of these lesson groups are working on Cellos Ole and assorted duets. We have also been working on our fiddle tune (Off She Goes), orchestra music (mostly March of the Meistersingers), and short pieces. Sydney, Julia, and Sarah should plan on attending make-up lessons.

Young People's Concert

2010-03-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

A reminder to Chamber Strings:

The Young People's Concert at Guilderland High School is tomorrow. Please remember to bring your instruments and to wear performing attire. You should report to the orchestra room at 11:20am. If your lunch period falls between 11:20am and 1:30pm, you should plan to pack your lunch to eat on our trip.

Additionally, we will take a yearbook photo before school. Come to the orchestra room as soon as you arrive.

See you tomorrow!

Chamber Strings

2010-03-01T16:34:00.000-08:00

Today we invited new members to Chamber Strings...but because of the MASK production at the end of this week, various tests and projects, and other conflicts, we had a small group to read through new music. In attendance were:

Joe Sipzner

Arianna Barnum

William Wang

Marko Crnkovic

Catie Rafferty

Emma Pearson

Karthik Ramesh

Andrea Long

Naila Brown

Cody Ingraham

Asaph Ko

Our concert has been tentatively rescheduled for March 24th, but I'll have more information on that coming soon.

Today, we read through two of our new pieces: Dance of Iscariot by Kurt N. Mosier and O Mio Babbino Caro by Puccini and arranged by James "Red" McLeod. In general, the group's sight reading has greatly improved, and I can't wait to hear the level of musicality that we can achieve by the end of this year!

If you'd like to hear a recording of Puccini's original work, I recommend this youtube video of Renee Fleming. Ms Fleming attended the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam before continuing study at The Julliard School in New York City.

Revised Lesson Schedule

2010-02-24T15:44:00.001-08:00

****Students attending NYSSMA in April: Find your name on the schedule for individual NYSSMA lessons****

Lesson Groups
Group 1 So Yeon Kim, Sera Song
Group 2 Delaney Guntert, Claire Hill, Eliana Rowe
Group 3 Sydney Marotta, Joseph Petitti, Katie Yang
Group 4 Michelle Burmistrova, Cory Parker, Sophie Patka, Alfredo Salazar, Alex Selsley
Group 5 Matthew Krieg, Catie Rafferty, Allison Reiner, Rebecca Tucker
Group 6 Asha Anand, Heather Krofft, Rebekah Wolanski
Group 7 Curtis Ericson, Hannah Hernandez, Rose Leicht, Emily Toffenetti
Group 8 Naila Brown, Jennifer Hoffmann, Jacob Rosenberg, Sophia Schermerhorn
Group 9 Alicia Chen, Vivian Dai, Carrie Rose Mulligan, Walter Nyangaga, Erin Templeton, Michelle Yu
Group 10 Arianna Barnum, Shaddai Henry, Sazeed Huq
Group 11 Gerardo Salazar, Kevin Zeng
Group 12 Kristina Marinopoulos, Nihaal Pabba, Gianluca Russo, Rachel Swyer, Alana Zervos
Group 13 Markos Abebe, Maddy Farry, Christina Morawski, Jo Ann Mulligan
Group 14 Elijah Clemente, Allyson McAuliffe, Natasha Permaul, Amir Rastegar
Group 15 Mary Jean Mulligan, Mathilde Warren, Amy Toscano, Andrew Xu
Group 16 Ali Gohlke-Schermer, Joe Sipzner, Naomi Tenenini
Group 17 Pranav Kannan, Josh Lamb, Katie Randorf
Group 18 Elise Burby, Laura Chevalier, Karthik Ramesh, Michael Trichilo
Group 19 Sarah Byerly, Sydney Campbell, Julia Chong, Andrea Long
Group 20 Cody Ingraham, Abigail Kedik, Asaph Ko

2/22 BD
8:50 10
9:30 9
10:50 14
11:30 13
1:20 12
2:00 11

2/23 AC
8:50 17
9:30 18
11:30 16
2:00 15

2/24 - Snowday
10:50 7
1:20 8

2/25 BD
9:30 2
10:50 3
11:30 5
1:20 1
2:00 4

2/26 AC
10:50 19
11:30 20

3/1 BD
8:50 9
9:30 10
10:50 12
11:30 13
2:00 14

3/2 AC
8:50 15
9:30 16
10:10 11
11:30 17
2:00 18

3/3 BD
8:50 7
9:30 NYSSMA: Arianna Barnum
10:50 NYSSMA: Catie Rafferty
11:30 NYSSMA: Katie Gonick
1:20 8
2:00 NYSSMA: Alex Selsley

3/4 AC
8:50 1
9:30 2
10:10 5
10:50 3
11:30 4
2:00 6

3/5 BD
9:30 NYSSMA: Erin Templeton
11:30 19
2:00 20

3/8 AC
8:50 14
9:30 13
10:10 10
10:50 12
11:30 11
2:00 9

3/9 BD
8:50 17
9:30 18
11:30 16
2:00 15

3/10 AC
8:50 8
10:10 NYSSMA: Gianluca Russo
10:50 7

3/11 BD
8:50 NYSSMA: Emma Pearson
9:30 NYSSMA: Carrie Rose Mulligan
10:50 NYSSMA: Michelle Burmistrova
11:30 NYSSMA: Rachel Swyer
1:20 NYSSMA: Michelle Yu
2:00 NYSSMA: Matthew Krieg

3/12 AC
8:30 19
11:30 NYSSMA: Gianluca Russo
2:00 20

3/15 BD
8:50 13
9:30 9
10:50 11
11:30 12
1:20 10
2:00 14

3/16 AC
9:30 17
10:10 16
11:30 15
2:00 18

3/17 BD
8:50 8
11:30 7

3/18 AC
8:50 5
9:30 6
10:10 3
10:50 1
11:30 2
2:00 4

3/19 BD
11:30 20
2:00 19

A reminder to all 7th and 8th Graders:
Our combined concert will be on Thursday, April 15th -- so tell your family to file their tax returns and then come hear some great music!

Scale Worksheet #1

2010-02-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

Scale worksheets were passed out during the last class. Scale Worksheet #1 tests knowledge of 4 familiar scales: C, G, D, and A major.

For each scale, students should do the following:

Write the names of the notes in the scale. These letters (and accidentals, in many cases) can be found on the Major Scale Sheet that we use in class and lessons.
Notate the key signature on the staff the way you would see it in music (with sharps, #, or flats, b,)
Create a fingering chart using the bubbles. Remember that each bubble represents a half step. You may use your worksheets 1-4 from class, any Essential Elements or Strictly Strings fingering charts, or other resources you desire.

7th grade Scale Worksheet #1 is due 2/25

8th grade Scale Worksheet #1 is due 2/24

Practice Log Reminders

2010-02-23T17:25:00.000-08:00

A reminder about Practice Logs:

6th Grade logs are due on March 2nd and 3rd. We wrote goals by saying "i will..." Our goals look like this:

Goal #1

Play m _(4 measures only)_ in Winds on Big Hill _(3 or more)_ times with quarter note = 60-70

Goal #2

Chant rhythms in m__(4 measures only)__ in Gaston _(3 or more)_ times in a row.

Goal #3

Perform _(an exercise or small section)_ from my (school/private) lessons for my __(family member)__.

Goal #4

Work on __(intonation, bowing, notes, etc)_____.

7th Grade practice logs are due Thursday, March 4th.

8th Grade practice logs are due Tuesday, March 2nd.

Remember, get a parent signature daily!

Want to join?

2010-02-23T17:21:00.001-08:00

Chamber Strings is accepting new members this Spring -- would you like to join?

This select ensemble is open to students in grades 6, 7, and 8.

We meet during Activity Period on Mondays.

See me if you're interested!

Chamber Strings - 11th Rehearsal

2010-02-23T17:16:00.000-08:00

I am sorry that we do not know when our concert will be rescheduled, but I will let you know as soon as a date has been chosen!

Today's rehearsal went very well considering our week-long haitus. We played our repertoire in reverse-concert order, beginning with Winter. I was very impressed at the level of control and focus that the cellos had in their opening measures of this piece. They were able to maintain a slow tempo as a section. The slower the better! Violins still have a faster tempo in their minds, but I can't stress enough the value of practice in increments of slow speeds! Many of you are now playing in the appropriate parts of your bow with the bowing that is marked, though I'm shocked to still see people trying to play double-down bow 32nd notes in the middle to upper-half of their bows! Fix!

Let's decide that we're only playing the Allegretto as marked (one repeat...playing the entire song 2x). There is a fermata on the last note, and so it should be held until either Joe or Andrea shows a cutoff. Again, I'm very happy with what I'm hearing from everyone. You are showing concern for other sections and making more musical decisions.

Probably my favorite part of rehearsal was Die Forelle! Second violins, violas, and cellos can still play quieter so as to stay below (in dynamic) the first violin melody, only bringing out the specific measures we discussed in your sectional. I know that singing this piece was hilarious -- as was singing AND playing at the same time -- but it was also very beneficial in that you could create "music" without the stress of fingerings, bowings, and complicated rhythms. Practice like this! I know it's silly, but it's okay to be silly if it helps in the long run. I'd love to be able to do this again -- especially for a song that was written for the voice!

Generally, intonation can be better. While intonation is partly my fault (because I can't physically tune you this week), you can do a lot to help. As string players, we have to constantly be aware of our tonal surroundings: what intervals are we forming? What part of the chord are we playing? How can we remember the shape that our hands should be in?

If possible, practice with someone who is in a different section this week.

In attendance were:

Joe Sipzner

Arianna Barnum

Ali Gohlke-Schermer

Katie Gonick

William Wang

Bill Dong

Marko Crnkovic

Erin Templeton

Rachel Swyer

Emma Pearson

Catie Rafferty

Karthik Ramesh

Andrea Long

Naila Brown

Cody Ingraham

Katie Yang

Full attendance! Yay!

Lessons for February & March

2010-02-21T16:43:00.000-08:00

****Students attending NYSSMA in April: Find your name on the schedule for individual NYSSMA lessons****

Lesson Groups
Group 1 So Yeon Kim, Daniel Logiudice, Sera Song
Group 2 Sophie Balzer, Delaney Guntert, Claire Hill, Eliana Rowe
Group 3 Sydney Marotta, Leo Miller, Joseph Petitti, Katie Yang
Group 4 Michelle Burmistrova, Cory Parker, Sophie Patka, Alfredo Salazar, Alex Selsley
Group 5 Matthew Krieg, Catie Rafferty, Allison Reiner, Rebecca Tucker
Group 6 Asha Anand, Heather Krofft, Rebekah Wolanski
Group 7 Curtis Ericson, Hannah Hernandez, Rose Leicht, Emily Toffenetti
Group 8 Naila Brown, Jennifer Hoffmann, Jacob Rosenberg, Sophia Schermerhorn
Group 9 Alicia Chen, Vivian Dai, Carrie Rose Mulligan, Walter Nyangaga, Erin Templeton, Michelle Yu
Group 10 Arianna Barnum, Shaddai Henry, Sazeed Huq
Group 11 Andy Cummings, Gerardo Salazar, Kevin Zeng
Group 12 Kristina Marinopoulos, Nihaal Pabba, Gianluca Russo, Rachel Swyer, Alana Zervos
Group 13 Markos Abebe, Maddy Farry, Christina Morawski, Jo Ann Mulligan
Group 14 Elijah Clemente, Allyson McAuliffe, Natasha Permaul, Amir Rastegar
Group 15 Mary Jean Mulligan, Mathilde Warren, Amy Toscano, Andrew Xu
Group 16 Ali Gohlke-Schermer, Joe Sipzner, Naomi Tenenini
Group 17 Pranav Kannan, Josh Lamb, Katie Randorf
Group 18 Elise Burby, Laura Chevalier, Karthik Ramesh, Victor Rau-Sirois, Michael Trichilo
Group 19 Sarah Byerly, Sydney Campbell, Julia Chong, Andrea Long
Group 20 Cody Ingraham, Abigail Kedik, Asaph Ko

2/22 BD
8:50 10
9:30 9
10:50 14
11:30 13
1:20 12
2:00 11

2/23 AC
8:50 17
9:30 18
11:30 16
2:00 15

2/24 BD
10:50 7
1:20 8

2/25 AC
9:30 2
10:10 1
10:50 3
11:30 5
2:00 4

2/26 BD
10:50 19
11:30 20

3/1 AC
8:50 9
9:30 10
10:10 11
10:50 12
11:30 13
2:00 14

3/2 BD
8:50 15
9:30 16
11:30 17
1:20 18

3/3 AC
8:50 7
9:30 NYSSMA: Arianna Barnum
10:10 8
10:50 NYSSMA: Catie Rafferty
11:30 NYSSMA: Katie Gonick
2:00 NYSSMA: Alex Selsley

3/4 BD
8:50 1
9:30 2
10:50 3
11:30 4
1:20 5
2:00 6

3/5 AC
9:30 NYSSMA: Erin Templeton
10:10 NYSSMA: Gianluca Russo
10:50 NYSSMA: Joe Sipzner
11:30 19
2:00 20

3/8 BD
8:50 14
9:30 13
10:50 12
11:30 11
1:20 10
2:00 9

3/9 AC
8:50 17
9:30 18
11:30 16
2:00 15

3/10 BD
8:50 8
10:50 7

3/11 AC
8:50 NYSSMA: Emma Pearson
9:30 NYSSMA: Carrie Rose Mulligan
10:10 NYSSMA: Michelle Yu
10:50 NYSSMA: Michelle Burmistrova
11:30 NYSSMA: Rachel Swyer
2:00 NYSSMA: Matthew Krieg

3/12 BD
8:30 19
1:20 20

3/15 AC
8:50 13
9:30 9
10:10 10
10:50 11
11:30 12
2:00 14

3/16 BD
9:30 17
11:30 15
1:20 16
2:00 18

3/17 AC
8:50 8
11:30 7

3/18 BD
8:50 5
9:30 6
10:50 1
11:30 2
1:20 3
2:00 4

3/19 AC
11:30 20
2:00 19

Fiddling: 5 Questions of Bowing

2010-02-21T08:28:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I attended the 23rd Annual Dance Flurry in Saratoga Springs, NY. This event brings together folk artists from New York and surrounding states to perform and give workshops in dance, fiddle, guitar, singing, banjo, mandolin, and a variety of other folk genres.

As I've discussed in class, the bowing of fiddle tunes can often provide insight into the character of the tune and its background. However, "fiddle bowings" can be complicated and different from the bowings that classically-trained musicians are accustomed to. One presenter offered a solution to the daunting task of figuring out fiddle bowings. She offered 5 questions of bowing to ask when presented with a new tune:

What bow does it start on?
What bow does it end on?
How many slurs are there?
How many notes on a slur?
Where does the slur start?

By asking these questions, we can listen more carefully and with greater purpose. With the answers organized in our minds, we can learn the tunes more quickly and accurately.

Setting Goals

2010-02-21T07:37:00.000-08:00

As we have seen and discussed in class, the practice logs for this marking period have an added component. Students will reflect on their own progress and personal expectations and use these reflections to set meaningful, appropriate goals for themselves.

Goals should be things that a student has not already mastered, but feels confident that they can accomplish in one meaningful practice session. A meaningful practice session is one in which an appropriate amount of uninterrupted time is devoted to a specific goal. Meaningful practice sessions for scales can be less than 10 minutes, but all other goals should be given more time.

Make a mental list of the type of goals you would like to set before composing your own. You can set goals such as, but not limited to:

Orchestra music
School lesson music
Scales
Private lesson music
Community/Youth Symphony music
Fiddle tunes
Posture/Position

Scale goals should state more than just the major or minor scale name. Why did you choose this scale? Here are some ways to practice scales:

Improve tone quality: adjust bow use, position, and posture for better sound
Pitches/Fingerings: clearly defined whole and half steps
Dynamic work: achieve good tone in a variety of dynamics
Bow improvement: martele, detache, slurring multiple notes to a bow, practicing with rhythms at different tempos

A scale goal may sound like this:
"Review the pitches & fingerings of the A Major Scale. Practice scale at ♩= 68, first using the entire bow, then slurring 2 notes per bow."

Words such as "memorize" and "learn" should be avoided in the wording of the goal because memorization and learning require the passage of time to check.

Instead, consider what actions lead to memorization and learning:

Mastery of technique: correct bowings, pitches, fingerings, dynamics, rhythms
Daily repetition: only count repetitions that are correct!
Performance: for family, friends, classmates, teachers
Reflection: it sounds okay, but what can I do to make it better?

A goal with memorization in mind may sound like this:
"After careful review, perform m1-10 of Piece 6x correctly."

Individual practice is crucial to creating a full, wonderful orchestra sound. Often, we can get excited about our orchestra music and want to play the entire piece all the way through. This type of goal should be reserved for the days (not even weeks) prior to an orchestra performance. Students should set goals that focus on small sections of an orchestra piece and choose specific techniques to work on:

Pitch/Fingerings
Bowings
Dynamics
Tempo
Tone quality

Orchestra goals may sound like this:
"Increase tempo in m20-26 of Orchestra Piece by playing in all increments of speed between ♩= 60-80"
"Correctly play m78-80 of Orchestra Piece 3 times, each time focusing on notes, bowstroke, and dynamics."

Remember that students are expected to practice an average of 20-30 minutes per day. Logs will be graded based on the quality of goals and the time management shown by students. In the past, logs were graded for completion. Now, students should have a comfortable practice routine in place and will receive a grade accordingly.

For additional guidance in forming goals for practice logs, refer to the post on practicing or email me at ellisl@guilderlandschools.org

Chamber Strings - 2/8

2010-02-08T17:31:00.001-08:00

In attendance were:

Joe Sipzner
Arianna Barnum (left early)
Ali Gohlke-Schermer
Katie Gonick
William Wang
Bill Dong
Erin Templeton
Marko Crnkovic
Rachel Swyer
Emma Pearson
Catie Rafferty
Karthik Ramesh
Andrea Long
Naila Brown
Cody Ingraham
Katie Yang

This week's sectionals went, in many ways, very well. It was nice to be able to work with each section individually, and I wish we had more time to work like this. Please let me know if you found this type of lesson beneficial and if you'd like to do it again in the future. I was especially pleased with the performances of cellos and violas and how they are addressing the issues within their sections.

Today's rehearsal was rough. We have a concert in 2 days, threats of snow, and a winter break in the near future. I hope that our lack of focus today was not an indication of the performance to come, and I urge everyone -- even those "comfortable" with their music -- to take a last careful look at sections that aren't 100% accurate.

I teacher I once had described these less-than-accurate, less-than-comfortable places as "grey areas," and he reminded me that when you step onstage with the adrenaline of a performance, those grey areas become black: you get lost, you get stuck, and you have no hope of getting back "on." We all have grey areas, but it is our goal to make these grey areas as small as possible.

When we play with an ensemble such as Chamber Strings, let that grey area only be excitement. When we are excited, sometimes things happen that we didn't want to happen: we rush, we miss notes, we play a wrong bowing. Know your music well enough so that you can help others out of their grey areas and they will do the same!

Rudyard Kipling writes:

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you...

Breathe. Move. Listen. Make eye contact. Be courteous.
Practice for every scenerio.

Practice.

Play Cello with Less Effort in 3 Easy Steps

2010-02-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

Think about this, cellists: gravity doesn’t need your help when you play your instrument. The force is already with you: use it, with finesse, to maintain the proper relaxed balance on your instrument that will allow you to play well.

You need to work with gravity, says cello instructor Elizabeth Morrow of the University of Texas–Arlington, to establish a sense of balance at every point where there’s contact between your body and something else—the chair, the floor, the bow, the fingerboard. “Over any of these places,” she says, “we need a feeling of equilibrium.”

1. First Step: Relax
The first step, Morrow says, is essentially to stop trying so hard to make your body fight gravity. Borrowing an idea from cellist and teacher Cornelia Watkins, Morrow suggests that before you bring your hands up and around to your cello, imagine that you are a marionette, utterly limp, and a puppeteer is lifting your arms via overhead strings. Feel the natural weight in your hands and arms as they’re “pulled” up.

“That’s the sensation you want when you lift your arm to play,” she says. As you play, that weight may be suspended (manipulated by the deltoid muscles), or it may rest on the string, or work in some combination of the two. Remember, the idea is to rest the bow or finger on the string, not to press.

2. Ease Up on Bow Pressure
Your bow hand should not be exerting its own pressure; Morrow describes it as a lever that transfers the weight of your arm through the bow to the point of contact with the string.

To feel how it works, hold your arm straight out in front of you as if you’re holding a soft-drink can. Now, rotate the imaginary can as if you were turning a doorknob, and notice which parts of your body are working, and which are resting. You’re not lifting your shoulder, and you’re not bearing down on anything. All you’re doing, essentially, is rotating your forearm. That’s exactly the rotational force you use to transfer your arm weight through the bow hold to the contact point with the string.

“At the frog we can direct the weight over the first finger,” Morrow says, “but as the arm draws the bow and moves out further away from the body, we have to increase that rotational force, feeling the suspended weight of the arm, not lifting the arm to create pressure.”

And don’t squeeze—do not use either thumb to create pressure in opposition to the fingers. Otherwise, your right thumb will cause problems in your bowing, and your left thumb will make it harder to get around the fingerboard.

3. Balance the Left Arm
“You have to balance the left arm on the fingerboard in a way that doesn’t require the thumb to press when you hold down the string,” Morrow says. “Imagine a hanger with a hook at the top. It’s pliable but firm. Think of your fingers as the hook of the hanger; we want to hang those fingers from the fingerboard with the arm as a unit, all suspended from the point of contact on the fingerboard.”

By James Reel

7th & 8th Grade Concert

2010-02-02T07:03:00.000-08:00

This year, we will present our 7th and 8th grade combined string orchestra on the 7th grade program on Thursday, April 15th. This concert will provide us with an opportunity to perform prior to attending the NYSSMA Majors festival at Shaker HS the following week.

The 8th grade orchestra will not perform on the 8th grade concert. All orchestra members who are also in choir should plan to attend both nights.

NYSSMA

2010-01-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

This year's NYSSMA Solo Festival will be held at Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School on Friday and Saturday, April 16th & 17th.

Each year, more than 1,000 students across New York State perform at NYSSMA Solo Festivals. These events, sponsored by the NYS School Music Association, offer an opportunity for our young musicians to perform for a certified adjudicator. For the evaluation, each student performs a selected solo, three scales, and a sight-reading example. The performance is only heard by the adjudicator and encourages our young musicians to strive for their very best performance.

Listed below are guidelines that will help insure a successful experience for our young musicians:

Select music carefully with your teacher.

Purchase original printed copies of the music for the performer and adjudicator. Photocopies are not permissible.

Know your scale requirements:

Level I-II: Any 3 Major Scales

Level III-IV: Any 7 Major Scales

Level V-VI: All 15 Major Scales (to perform 3)

Begin preparing early, and practice playing all the way through the piece.

Perform the piece for friends and relatives to build confidence.

Fees for participation are:

Solos and Ensembles, Levels I-IV $10

Checks can be made payable to Farnsworth Middle School.

Return the registration form to your music teacher as soon as possible. Registration for the Solo Festival closes on February 10th.

Chamber Strings - 10th Rehearsal

2010-01-26T14:38:00.000-08:00

Dear Chamber Strings Musicians & Families,

Our first performance will be on Wednesday, February 10^th at 7:30pm in the FMS Cafetorium. On this evening, all of the Farnsworth Middle School Select Ensembles will perform for family and friends. Here is some important information you should know:

Ø Arrive at 6:45pm and report to the Orchestra Room.

Ø Wear your best dress clothes! Please, no sneakers or jeans.

Ø The concert is free, and no tickets are required.

Ø The Select Ensemble performances should be no longer than 1 hour.

In addition to our concert on the 10^th, Chamber Strings traditionally performs at the Young People's Concert. You may remember attending this concert when you were in elementary school, and now it is your turn to perform for Guilderland's beginning musicians!

The Young People's Concert will be held on March 22^ndat 12:15pm. The Young People's Concert is an opportunity for us to play in the auditorium at Guilderland High School for a large and excited audience.

Please fill out and return the permission slip for this performance. Permission slips are due by March 1^st. I look forward to showing the Guilderland community the results of all of our hard work!

Sincerely,

Miss Ellis

Monday, January 25, 2010

In attendance were:

Arianna Barnum

William Wang

Bill Dong
Erin Templeton

Rachel Swyer

Marko Crnkovic

Catie Rafferty

Naila Brown

Andrea Long

Cody Ingraham

Thank you to those who attended today's rehearsal. I know that midterms and illness made this a small, unbalanced group, but we were able to get some good work done.

Our concert is on February 10th! This means we only have 2 regularly-scheduled rehearsals left, and I will not be at one of them. Due to a multitude of after school activities that would conflict with an additional rehearsal during an activity period, stop by the orchestra room on Thursday, February 4th to pick up your pass for an in-school rehearsal. This rehearsal will be 40 minutes long beginning at 9:30am on Friday, February 5th. Please talk to your teachers on Thursday about this absence on Friday.

We ran through the program today. Our performance on February 10th will consist of: Die Forelle, Allegretto from Op. 16, and Winter. Each of these pieces needs individual attention in some capacity.

Here are the most noticeable areas for improvement and/or changes we made this rehearsal:

Die Forelle - dynamics! This is a piece that is 1st violin-centered (i.e. the first violins have the melody throughout). However, bring out the small sections (single measures here and there) that we have discussed for each of the other parts. It is very important that we stay below [dynamic] the first violin part. Make sure the ritard is marked in the last 2 measures, and put a fermata over the last note.

Allegretto - I will not be conducting this piece. Take some time to copy in the markings I gave to the principal stands regarding rhythms to listen for. We will repeat Allegretto at least once, so it is important that you know how to take that repeat. Again, check with the principal stands if you are unclear, but we changed the last measure from a dotted quarter note tied to a quarter note to a dotted quarter note tied to an eighth note and added an eighth rest to give us time to catch the pickup note on the repeat. The additional change to Allegretto is that the cellos will cue us. They have the melody, so it makes more musical sense that they show the preparatory breath.

Winter - Specific sections of this still need a lot of individual work. Cellos, make some mark in your part to keep you from changing chords too early in the beginning of the piece. It is exhausting to look at so many eighth notes in this tempo, so you have to either practice very carefully, count, or know what to listen for. Violas, I will cue the entrances that are confusing to you, so don't worry -- just watch. Violins, I know I have said this over and over and over again, but there is no better way to get better at your part than to work with a metronome (and to be at the correct part of the bow)! The 32nd note parts were extra messy today for a few reasons:

1. You weren't listening to each other. Listening is crucial!

2. You weren't watching each other. Don't watch me. Watch the people next to you, the people in front of you, and the violinists in the other sections so that you can match their bowstroke and rhythm.

3. The bowing is still uncomfortable for you at various tempos. In rehearsal, we try to vary the tempo to reflect any speed that might occur in performance, but the fact is that when adrenaline is racing, so might our tempo. If you can't play those double down bows slowly with precise rhythm, you can't play them quickly. If you don't practice these passages with a metronome at varying speeds, you will not have the flexibility to play with others.

Practice! Practice! Practice!

Our next rehearsal will be: Monday, February 1st (with substitute)

POPS Goes to the Movies!

2010-01-24T14:03:00.000-08:00

Featuring:

GHS Music Department - Bands, Choirs & Orchestra, Jazz, Small Ensembles & Rock Bands

Saturday, February 6, 2010

GHS New Gym 7:30 p.m.

All Tickets $6 – Available in the HS School Store
At the door or call 861-8591 x1106 for tickets and information

Proceeds support the Guilderland Music Program K-12

This year the Guilderland High School Music Department celebrates with the “Pops Goes to the Movies”. This annual concert held on Saturday, February 6, 2010, features performances by all of the high school music ensembles – over 400 talented students – in the Choirs, Bands, Orchestras and Jazz Band. This year, small vocal and instrumental ensembles will also be performing as well as several of the high school rock bands.

This event is the major fund raiser for the music booster organization, the Guilderland Music Parents and Friends. The Music Parents use all funds raised from the Pops Concert to provide scholarships, enrichment activities, assembly programs, guest clinicians, NYSSMA solo medals, and other resources for students of every age throughout the Guilderland school district.

For this concert, the High School New Gym is decorated and set with tables and chairs. Eighth grade waiters and waitresses serve light refreshments that are available for purchase.

Come enjoy the music of “2010 Pops Goes to the Movies” on Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. All tickets are $6 with table seats available on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are available for purchase in the school store at the high school, or contact Guilderland Music Supervisor Lori Hershenhart at 861-8591 ext. 1106 for tickets or additional information.

Chamber Strings - Monday, January 11th

2010-01-24T13:56:00.000-08:00

In attendance were:
Joe Sipzner

Arianna Barnum

Katie Gonick

William Wang

Bill Dong

Erin Templeton

Marko Crnkovic

Emma Pearson

Karthik Ramesh

Catie Rafferty

Andrea Long

Cody Ingraham

Rehearsal began with intonation work. We played the first four measures of Song Without Words in F Major. It is important for the upper strings to listen to and match the intonation of the lower strings for uniform chords. We will continue to work only on these four measures as a warm-up and a focus-in during future rehearsals.

After a brief discussion of Allegretto, I heard the best playing that I have heard from Chamber Strings yet! Please continue to remember what to listen for as you begin this work.

Are you the melody? If not, who is?

How does your part fit into the melody?

How would you describe the character of your musical line? The articulation?

What part determines the tempo? (Remember that we determine tempo based on the smallest division of the beat)

What is your dynamic?

Who will you watch for the cue/breath?

If you perform Allegretto the way I heard it during this rehearsal, I will be very proud.

Not only did Allegretto sound great, but we almost got all the way through Winter! The only parts continuing to give us difficulty are those with repeated notes in soft dynamics. Individual counting is very important! Mark your music in any way to help yourself!

I experimented and only cued sections for entrances and changes in Winter, and it worked quite well. I think I get in the way of your group energy when I try to keep a pattern, so I may only return to patterns if I feel the ensemble is rushing or in danger of separating.

Please arrive on time and ready to play at our next rehearsal! Due to holidays and other necessary absences, we will only have 2 rehearsals left before our performance on February 10th! If you have missed more than 2 chamber strings rehearsals, plan on playing your parts for me sometime before our performance.

Fresh Start

2010-01-05T17:37:00.000-08:00

As we move into the first Wednesday of 2010, I'd like to reflect on some of the changes that are taking place in orchestra:

1. Binders Everyone should have one by now, 3-ring (anywhere from 1/2" - 1.5" is ideal). They will hold the packets that 7th and 8th graders have received, practice music, and worksheets for rehearsals. Bring your binder to class every day to receive full participation credit and to stay organized for the rest of the year.

2. Attendance & Preparation As stated earlier and already practiced in class, full attendance and preparation now includes instrument, pencil, binder, and shoulder rest/sponges for the violinists and violists.

3. Listening Examples We explored some recordings during December, and I'm excited to continue providing audio examples of relevant music each day. Listening, like any skill, must be cultivated. Approach each listening example with an open mind, and do your best to be free from distraction as they are being played. I highly recommend closing your eyes -- you may be surprised at how focused your attention can become. A very short discussion will take place after each example, and the best way to make contributions to this discussion is to pay attention to the example. Please refrain from unqualified responses such as you liked or disliked it; rather, tell me what about the piece you liked or didn't like. Listen for familiar techniques, harmonies, melodic patterns or other aspects you find musically interesting.

4. Jeopardy I understand that some classes have had more time to experience this game than others, but I would like to incorporate Jeopardy into a rehearsal each week. Seventh and 8th graders have the term list in their packet, and I can provide extra term lists to 6th graders upon request. Remember that each student will be called on at one time or another to answer a term and a rhythm question. Also, once a term has been asked, it will not be asked again in that particular orchestra. Study the list so that no term takes you by surprise! Sixth graders should focus on the 100 and 200 levels. Seventh graders should be familiar up to the 250 level, and 8th graders should be comfortable up to the 300 level.

5. Practice Goals In the past, I have provided practice logs with specific directions for individual attention. Use old practice logs as guidelines as you create personal goals (i.e., write goals that focus on only a small number of measures at a time or a skill that can be mastered within a week or two). Your practice logs have space for up to 4 personal goals. Write the specific goal in the space provided, and use the chart to log minutes spent working towards this goal. In lessons we have discussed ways to write memorization, posture, and position goals. As we add repertoire to our concert program, align your goals to our classwork and to the amount of time you can dedicate to your instrument each day.

6. Posture Think of 2010 as the "back to basics" year. Just as professional musicians warm up with the scales they learned back in 6th grade, we can make great progress by reminding ourselves of the lessons we learned when we started. In lessons, we will explore body usage and how the way we stand, sit, or hold our instruments (we all play two instruments! one for each hand!) affects our sound. Many upper-string players have already had a basic (re)introduction to posture, and they can attest to the yoga-like approach. My approach has been shaped by two major factors: The Inner Game of Music, a book by Barry Green which discusses mental interference in music mastery and the Alexander Technique, exercises in body awareness for proper functioning. I am by no means a certified Alexander Technique teacher, but my knowledge and experience with the approach is sufficient for our purposes.

Chamber Strings - 9th Rehearsal

2010-01-05T17:20:00.000-08:00

Performance opportunities are quickly approaching, and so this is the time to focus attention to detail. Chamber ensembles are wonderful learning experiences for young listeners whose individual preparation can allow them to look past the notes on their own pages and recognize what is going on around them.

As you practice, think about the music that is happening around you:

Is yours the most important (melodic) voice?

Are you providing the ensemble with divisions or subdivisions of the beat?

Is your articulation the same or different from that of other sections?

What can you do (especially as a harmonic/bass instrument) to help establish a phrase?

As we rehearsed Allegretto, we discussed some of these concerns. While the concertmaster cues the ensemble, the busy notework in the violin sections are really divisions of the beat and should be beneath the viola/cello melody.

Technical concerns were mostly a result of pizzicato vs. arco in the opening section. Violists and cellists should take the 8th note pickup as an up-bow in the lower half of the bow. This way, it sounds like a pickup and the bowing does not cause the tempo to drag. Conversely, pizzicato has a tendency to push ahead, so violinists must listen to how their part fits in with the melody.

We will continue to play in small groups, with various leaders until our listening skills improve.

I was very pleased with the run-through of Winter. Continue to practice not only the passages in the lower half (the 32nd notes), but practice getting to the lower half of the bow in the measures prior.

In attendance were:

Joe Sipzner

Ali Gohlke-Schermer

Katie Gonick

Arianna Barnum

William Wang

Bill Dong

Marko Crnkovic

Rachel Swyer

Erin Templeton

Emma Pearson

Catie Rafferty

Karthik Ramesh

Andrea Long

Cody Ingraham

Naila Brown

We're sorry we missed:

Gloria Zhao

Katie Yang

Violin Fingerings

2010-01-03T07:55:00.001-08:00

Having a little trouble remembering where your fingers go? Violinonline.com has many wonderful resources to guide your study, but I especially like the Interactive Violin Fingerboard. Here, you can see the note names, roll over them with your mouse to see the finger pattern (and staff notation!), and even click on the notes to hear a MIDI tone of that pitch. My only complaint about the diagram is that the notes seem like they are spaced far apart, when in reality each one is only a half-step (and thus, a very small space -- if any) apart. However, this is not too much of a problem since the picture shows hand positions on the actual instrument.

Lessons - January 2010

2009-12-29T17:39:00.000-08:00

I've shifted around lesson groups a bit, so please take note of new groupings.

Lesson Groups
Group 1 So Yeon Kim, Daniel Logiudice, Sera Song
Group 2 Sophie Balzer, Delaney Guntert, Claire Hill, Eliana Rowe
Group 3 Sydney Marotta, Leo Miller, Joseph Petitti, Katie Yang
Group 4 Michelle Burmistrova, Cory Parker, Sophie Patka, Alfredo Salazar, Alex Selsley
Group 5 Matthew Krieg, Catie Rafferty, Allison Reiner, Rebecca Tucker
Group 6 Asha Anand, Heather Krofft, Rebekah Wolanski
Group 7 Curtis Ericson, Hannah Hernandez, Rose Leicht, Emily Toffenetti
Group 8 Naila Brown, Jennifer Hoffmann, Jacob Rosenberg, Sophia Schermerhorn
Group 9 Alicia Chen, Vivian Dai, Carrie Rose Mulligan, Walter Nyangaga, Erin Templeton, Michelle Yu
Group 10 Arianna Barnum, Shaddai Henry, Sazeed Huq
Group 11 Andy Cummings, Gerardo Salazar, Kevin Zeng
Group 12 Kristina Marinopoulos, Nihaal Pabba, Gianluca Russo, Rachel Swyer, Alana Zervos
Group 13 Markos Abebe, Maddy Farry, Christina Morawski, Jo Ann Mulligan
Group 14 Elijah Clemente, Allyson McAuliffe, Natasha Permaul, Amir Rastegar
Group 15 Mary Jean Mulligan, Mathilde Warren, Amy Toscano, Andrew Xu
Group 16 Ali Gohlke-Schermer, Joe Sipzner, Naomi Tenenini
Group 17 Pranav Kannan, Josh Lamb, Katie Randorf
Group 18 Elise Burby, Laura Chevalier, Karthik Ramesh, Victor Rau-Sirois, Michael Trichilo
Group 19 Sarah Byerly, Sydney Campbell, Julia Chong, Andrea Long
Group 20 Cody Ingraham, Abigail Kedik, Asaph Ko

1/4 AC
8:50 9
9:30 10
10:10 11
10:50 12
11:30 13
2:00 14

1/5 BD
8:50 15
9:30 16
11:30 17
1:20 18

1/6 AC
8:50 7
10:10 8

1/7 BD
8:50 1
9:30 2
10:50 3
11:30 4
1:20 5
2:00 6

1/8 AC
11:30 19
2:00 20

1/11 BD
8:50 14
9:30 13
10:50 12
11:30 11
1:20 10
2:00 9

1/12 AC
8:50 17
9:30 18
11:30 16
2:00 15

1/13 BD
8:50 8
10:50 7

1/14 AC
8:50 3
9:30 4
10:10 5
10:50 6
11:30 1
2:00 2

1/15 BD
8:30 19
1:20 20

1/19 AC
8:50 16
9:30 15
11:30 18
2:00 17

1/20 BD
10:50 8
2:00 7

1/21 AC
8:50 6
9:30 1
10:10 2
10:50 3
11:30 4
2:00 5

1/22 BD
8:30 20
1:20 19

1/25 AC
8:50 13
9:30 9
10:10 10
10:50 11
11:30 12
2:00 14

1/26 BD
9:30 17
11:30 15
1:20 16
2:00 18

1/27 AC
8:50 8
11:30 7

1/28 BD
8:50 5
9:30 6
10:50 1
11:30 2
1:20 3
2:00 4

1/29 AC
11:30 20
2:00 19

2/1 BD
8:50 9
9:30 14
10:50 13
11:30 12
1:20 11
2:00 10

2/2 AC
10:10 16
10:50 17
11:30 18
1:20 15

2/3 BD
11:30 8
1:20 7

2/4 AC
8:50 2
9:30 3
10:10 4
10:50 5
11:30 6
2:00 1

2/5 BD
8:30 19
1:20 20

2/8 AC
8:50 14
9:30 13
10:10 9
10:50 10
11:30 11
2:00 12

2/9 BD
8:50 15
9:30 16
11:30 17
1:20 18

2/10 AC
10:10 7
10:50 8

2/11 BD
8:50 2
9:30 4
10:50 6
11:30 5
1:20 1
2:00 3

2/12 AC
9:30 19
2:00 20

2/22 BD
8:50 10
9:30 9
10:50 14
11:30 13
1:20 12
2:00 11

2/23 AC
8:50 17
9:30 18
11:30 16
2:00 15

2/24 BD
10:50 7
1:20 8

2/25 AC
9:30 2
10:10 1
10:50 3
11:30 5
2:00 4

2/26 BD
10:50 19
11:30 20

Chamber Strings - 8th Rehearsal

2009-12-23T04:22:00.001-08:00

We haven't spent much time on Die Forelle, but we will be shifting our focus to this small piece in the next few weeks. I encourage you to listen to recordings of this work by Schubert in any form that you can find it. The most popular arrangements by the composer are for voice and piano or piano quintet. The important thing to know about this piece is where your part falls on the hierarchy of parts. Though the first violins carry the melody throughout, small sections of the 2nd, viola, and cello parts are extremely important in creating that flowing feeling in our trout's river. Circle these important measures and mark them up in dynamic.

Allegretto is coming along, and I was pleased to see how many good cues I received from all sections of the orchestra. It is clear that you are recognizing the importance between the breath and clear entrances. However, I would like to hear evidence of more careful rhythmic practice so that we don't have to continue to take time reviewing the connection between the divisions and melodies.

Our first concert is a little more than a month away, and I plan to play the following pieces:

Die Forelle

Allegretto

Winter

(possibly Song Without Words as well)

We're lucky this year in that almost every section has someone from 6th, 7th, or 8th grade. Practice your parts in pairs, trios, or quartets when possible to drastically improve your skills.

In attendance were:

Joe Sipzner

Ali Gohlke-Schermer

Katie Gonick

Arianna Barnum

William Wang

Bill Dong

Erin Templeton

Rachel Swyer

Karthik Ramesh

Caity Rafferty

Katie Yang

Naila Brown

Andrea Long

We're sorry we missed:

Gloria Zhao
Marko Crnkovic

Emma Pearson

Cody Ingraham

6th Grade - Monday, December 21, 2009

2009-12-23T04:21:00.001-08:00

We were able to do so much sight-reading today in 6th grade! This tells me two things:

1. Behavior was slightly improved from the last class.

2. We are becoming more observant musicians, using our knowledge and past performance as a reference to read new works accurately.

Let's continue to work on improving the silence that happens when we stop playing. When I -- or any conductor -- "cuts off" the music, it means that they have something to say to you. Don't begin talking during this time because it distracts from the learning. If you have something to say, I will gladly call on quietly raised hands.

We read the following pieces today:

3 Scenes From Green Valley

Entry of the Tumblers

Celtic Dance

8th Grade - Monday, December 21, 2009

2009-12-23T04:20:00.000-08:00

Letters to parents and students were distributed as part of a packet. This packet should be inserted into each student's 3-ring binder and brought to class daily. The letter outlines the expectations for preparation for the upcoming concert period.

In-class listening will become a staple in our spring semester. Today, we listened to the last movement from Benjamin Britten's Simple Symphony (IV. Frolicsome Finale). Britten composed this work between his 7th and 8th grade years in school, and while the title implies a work for children, the Simple Symphony is complex in composition and difficult in execution. The other movements of this work are: I. Boisterious Bourree, II. Playful Pizzicato, and III. Sentimental Sarabande.

We began rehearsal with the first 4 measures of Scale Exercise #36 in D Major. These scale exercises are designed to improve intonation through slow and careful chord progressions.

Toy Symphony, by Leopold Mozart (Wolfgang Amadeus's father) was our sight reading piece of the day. As with many classical period compositions, Toy Symphony is deceivingly difficult thanks to the bowing and articulation that is demanded at a quick tempo.

Though we fell short in time, we read most of Star of County Down, a medley of Irish tunes. This is a long work with extended sections in 6/8. I like this arrangement, but it may be too long as a programmed work.

A number of students left their packets behind. Andrew Xu, Pranav Kannan, Victor Rau-Sirois, Sydney Campbell, and Sarah Byerly can pick up their packets in the music room any time before next class. I have packets for Laura Chevalier and Emma Pearson, and I also have scale sheets for the cellists. All of these can be found in the orange 8th grade homework folder located next to the lesson cards.

Make sure you bring your packets to class each day for full preparation credit!

7th and 8th Grade Reminders

2009-12-20T15:02:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder of the slight changes being made to Orchestra class:

Beginning in January, students must have/do the following each class period in order to receive full participation/attendance grades:

Instrument - complete with shoulder rest, sponge, or equivalent.
Pencil - each student should have their own.
3 Ring Binder (1/2 - 1.5") - where practice parts, practice logs, and other class handouts are stored

You may begin bringing in your 3-ring binder so that I can give you inserts prior to the winter break. Please clearly mark these binders with your first and last name.

Congratulations!

2009-12-20T14:59:00.001-08:00

Sixth, 7th, and 8th graders should all be proud of themselves for the work they did in preparing for our winter concerts! I received many positive and impressed comments on your behalf from your family, friends, and teachers. Let's work to make our spring performances even more spectacular!

Congratulations as well to those musicians who were highlighted in the Spotlight on Character assembly last week! I'm glad to see so many string players making meaningful contributions to the Farnsworth community.

Chamber Strings - 7th Rehearsal

2009-12-16T19:53:00.000-08:00

Yay for metronomes! Although many of you were not as thrilled as I was with my discovery of the world's loudest metronome, I hope that you recognized how easily and quickly it focused our rhythm practice. Please refer to the post on metronomes to find some online. We worked on Winter for bowings and Allegretto for the divisions in 6/8, and it would really help us out if there was individual time spent with metronome work on these pieces.

Before you begin playing, set a goal for yourself. Do you want to be able to play the practiced excerpt in tempo by the end of your practice session? Do you want to be able to play the excerpt 5 bpm (beats per minute) faster than you started? 10? 20? Make sure your goals are appropriate for the amount of time you have. There is no use trying to cram with practicing a musical instrument -- it just doesn't work. Consider that you have just over 7 weeks before our concert, keeping in mind that I'd like our program to be performance-ready at least 2 weeks before that time. How does this help you to structure your goals? When do you think you would like to be personally ready to perform in public?

Use the metronome, a mirror, and any other tools suggested in the Secrets of Perfect Practicing to help you.

Don't know what tempo to start at? Here are some metronome suggestions:

1. Click to Get Faster Use this method by finding the tempo that is the slowest possible tempo at which you can maintain a subdivision. Play it perfectly: bowings, dynamics, etc. When it is perfect, click the metronome one mark faster. Play it perfectly at this new tempo. Continue to click until you have achieved your desired speed.

2. Click to Get Slower Sometimes the slow tempo is harder than the fast one because it requires more silent subdivisions and divisions of the macrobeat and it demands greater bow control. Set the metronome to a tempo in which you can play all the notes, bowings, and dynamics comfortably. Play it perfectly. Click the metronome one mark slower. Play it perfectly at this new tempo. Continue to click until you have achieved your desired speed.

3. Click for Variety & Checking your Work Bored clicking one at a time? To achieve faster tempos, begin with the "Click to Get Faster" method, but instead of advancing by one click of the metronome each time, advance by 3 clicks. Play it perfectly at the new tempo. Check your work by clicking back one (only one!). Play it perfectly at this tempo. When it sounds good, click it up 3 more (now you're at 5 clicks above your starting tempo). Be careful with this method! Tempo increases much faster, and it can be easier to forget valuable technique this way!

4. Click with a Base Tempo. Choose a base tempo. This should be a tempo that is comfortable for you to play everything correctly, but ultimately outside of the goal (if your goal is to be slower, the base tempo should move along at a faster pace; if your goal is to be faster, make your base tempo slow enough for you to feel all the subdivisions). Each time, click up a few notches on the metronome (exact number tbd by you), and always return to play your base tempo in between. You can choose to climb up one click by one click, or you can skip a couple in between...always returning to your base.

5. Click with a Goal Tempo. This is exactly the opposite as "Click with a Base Tempo." Begin by playing -- as best you can -- the ultimate goal tempo. This tempo can be the one given to you by your teacher, the one printed in the music, or one you've heard on recordings. Once you have played your goal tempo, go drastically in the other direction (slow goals --> go faster; fast goals --> go slower). Climb up or down in tempo from this start, always playing your goal in between.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

2009-12-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

After a wonderful 8th grade performance last week, we are starting from scratch once again. I enjoyed reading your responses in the Personal Performance Reviews -- I've even found some to be pleasantly surprising :) I will do my best to keep your preferences and concerns in mind as I introduce music for our next concert. Furthermore, I hope you all enjoyed seeing excerpts from Music From the Inside Out. I find it to be a fascinating and inspiring documentary for musicians of all ages and abilities.

We sight-read 3 new pieces during orchestra yesterday. All three of them were arrangements of other works in very different styles. The first of the three was Ashokan Farewell, a piece written originally for guitar and fiddle at a camp in Ashokan, NY. Ashokan Farewell features the first violin section, with gentle chords in the 2nd violins, violas, and cellos.

If you weren't so busy worrying about all those darn accidentals in our second piece, Round Dance, you may have recognized its melody from Disney's Fantasia 2000. The Firebird (or, L'Oiseau de feu for those of you looking for recordings) was written by Igor Stravinsky in 1910. The ballet is based on Russian folklore. In the ballet, Prince Ivan enters the magical realm of an immortal giant, Kashchei. Prince Ivan does not know that this giant is evil (he captures women and turns men to stone), and so he wanders into his forest oblivious to the dangers. While in the forest, Prince Ivan sees the Firebird, a beautiful creature, and takes one of its feathers.
Now, in many fairy tales there is one prince and one princess (sometimes a good prince, an evil prince, and a princess)...but in Stravinsky's tale there are 13 princesses! Luckily, Prince Ivan falls in love with only one of them. Unfortunately for Ivan, the giant has imprisoned all the princesses. Next comes a series of events involving magic, capture, monsters, the Firebird's feather, and perhaps a happy ending. But you can read all about that another time...

The last piece of the day was Brandenburg 5, movement 1. I have heard that you enjoyed playing Brandenburg 3 last year, and that's what prompted me to take this one out of the music library. The Brandenburg Concertos were written by J.S. Bach and presented as a sort of job application to the Margrave of Brandenburg in 1721. Bach didn't get the job, but the concertos (more appropriately, concerto grossi) have remained popular since their rediscovery 150 years later. Today, we think of chamber music as trios, quartets, and quintets, but chambers must have been a bit bigger in Bach's day. His Brandenburg concerti are considered chamber works though they are often scored with more than a handful of instruments. The 3rd Concerto has 10 string parts and a harpsichord, and this 5th Concerto is scored for solo harpsichord, flute, violin, and ripieno strings. Of the 6 Brandenburg concerti, the 5th Concerto was probably written last. Check out some videos of these concerti:

Brandenburg Concerto 1 - Note the period instruments: Baroque-style bows (much harder to control!), no chin rests on the upper strings, natural horns (no valves on these French horns), and oboes that more closely resemble their shawm predecessors. No conductors for these large ensembles either -- they move with the music to cue and maintain tempo.

Brandenburg Concerto 2 - The same ensemble.

Brandenburg Concerto 3 - Cellists, notice anything unusual? Why are their cellos almost perpendicular with the floor, and why aren't they sitting like "good" musicians with their feet flat on the floor? Because they don't have endpins... Cellos of this time resembled viola da gambas, instruments held with the knees. Here's that 2nd movement I talked to some of you about. It creates what we call a Phrygian Cadence (movement from the submediant to the dominant in minor). This is the 3rd movement.

Brandenburg Concerto 4

Brandenburg Concerto 5 (the movement we looked at in class). The second movement might be familiar to some as well. And the third...

Brandenburg Concerto 6 - No violins!

More sight-reading to come!

7th Grade Winter Concert Information

2009-12-09T13:13:00.000-08:00

Although 7th graders received a letter about our concert a few weeks ago, I'd like to remind everyone of the essentials:

Our concert is tomorrow night, December 10th, at 7:30pm in the FMS Cafetorium.

Musicians should plan to arrive at 6:30pm. Report directly to the orchestra room, unpack, and begin to warm up.

Dress Code is the same for boys and girls: black bottom, colorful top. If you do not have clothes that fit this guideline, come in your best concert attire. Please, no jeans or sneakers.

The concert is a family event -- invite everyone you know! No tickets are required, and the entire performance should last about 1 hour.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at ellisl@guilderlandschools.org

I'll see you tomorrow night!

Lessons for the 2nd Marking Period - Revised

2009-12-09T13:02:00.000-08:00

Please note any changes to the Lesson Rotation due to today's snow day.

**Stay Tuned** The 6th Grade Dress Rehearsal on 12/14 (at 1:20pm) will have to be changed barring any additional changes in the school schedule.

12/10 (A/C)
8:50 18
9:30 19
11:30 15
1:20 7th Grade Dress Rehearsal**This will now occur during the 7th grade orchestra rehearsal time, but we will meet in the classroom instead of onstage.
2:00 16
7:30 7th Grade Concert

12/11 (B/D)
8:50 20
9:30 21

12/14 (A/C)
8:50 4, 6
9:30 2
10:10 1, 5
10:50 3

12/15 (B/D)
8:50 9
9:30 10
2:00 7, 8
7:30 6th Grade Concert

12/16 (A/C)
8:50 12
10:50 13
11:30 14

12/17 (B/D)
8:50 15
9:30 17
10:50 18, 19
11:30 16

12/18 (A/C)
8:50 21
11:30 20

12/21 (B/D)
9:30 7th Grade Make Ups - Sign Up Ahead of Time
10:50 8th Grade Make Ups - Sign Up Ahead of Time
2:00 6th Grade Make Ups - Sign Up Ahead of Time

8th Grade Winter Concert Tonight!

2009-12-02T03:57:00.000-08:00

Come out and see the 8th grade orchestra perform in their Winter Concert tonight at 7:30pm!

Our last dress rehearsal will be at 8:50am in the Cafetorium. Check in with your homeroom teachers and then come right to the stage.

Eighth grade students should plan to arrive no later than 6:40pm. Come immediately to the orchestra room so that we can tune and warm up as an ensemble. Chorus members will be dismissed to the choir room shortly after we tune.

As a reminder, please wear your most beautiful concert clothes. I have asked for black bottoms and colorful tops, so try to do your best. I'll see you all tonight!

Chamber Strings - 6th Rehearsal

2009-12-02T03:55:00.000-08:00

I demanded a lot of focus at this rehearsal, and I appreciate the cooperation I received. We began serious work on Die Forelle, based on Schubert's famous compositions. Between Die Forelle and Allegretto (Beethoven), we have a lot of division-type work to do to differentiate a quarter and eighth note in 6/8 meter from a dotted eighth and sixteenth note in 2/4 time. Use your metronome at slow speeds to help make this distinction.

The Die Forelle parts can be confusing. Remember that 2nd violins play part 3 and violas play part 2. If you are a first violinist who is uncomfortable playing the first violin part, please talk to me about it and I will come up with a solution that works for all of us.

I can't stress enough the need to be at the frog in the 32nd note passages in Winter! Traveling to different ends of the bow is where hooked bowings can really help you. Practice using the hooked bowing (and the faster notation of the 16th notes) to get your all the way to the frog before those 32nd notes come.

At this point, I'm bored with Adiorondack Sleighride, and I'd prefer to work on the other three pieces for performance. I may throw in some easier arrangements in the next few weeks, so do your best to focus on what you've got for now.

In attendance were:

Joe Sipzner

Ali Gohlke-Schermer

Katie Gonick

Arianna Barnum

Bill Dong

William Wang

Marko Crnkovic

Rachel Swyer

Erin Templeton

Karthik Ramesh

Catherine Rafferty

Emma Pearson

Andrea Long

Naila Brown

Cody Ingraham

We're sorry we missed: Katie Yang and Gloria Zhao

Chamber Strings - 5th Rehearsal

2009-12-01T17:19:00.000-08:00

In attendance for our rehearsal on November 23rd were:

Joe Spizner

Gloria Zhao

Ali Gohlke-Schermer

Katie Gonick

William Wang

Bill Dong

Marko Crnkovic

Rachel Swyer (left early)

Erin Templeton

Karthik Ramesh

Catherine Rafferty

Katie Yang

Andrea Long

In the Beethoven arrangement of Allegretto, we revisited 6/8 meter and did a lot of switching back and forth between easier and more difficult parts. We are learning to use our breathing as a unifying tool, and we talked about the "priority" of different musical lines in this particular piece (i.e. who to listen to, who to bring out, who to set and maintain tempo). Continue to work on the part assigned to your section, but if you find a particular part unmanageable, you may work on the less complicated arrangement.

We have now made it all the way through Winter, but we're still working on basic fundamentals of bow management. First violins, remember the plateaus of sound we discussed. Make marks in your music to help you remember. Everyone should practice the "circle bows" necessary to make the correct sound in the 32nd note rhythms.

6th Grade Winter Concert Seating

2009-12-01T17:10:00.000-08:00

*The person listed first is the outside player

Violin A
Stand 1 Michael Zhu, Gabrielle Sanza
Stand 2 Mackenna Dombroski, Alana Lake
Stand 3 Bill Dong, Jake Kelley
Stand 4 Marko Crnkovic, Gretchen Long
Stand 5 Catherine Seita, John Piechowiak
Stand 6 Annie Lin, Erin Callahan
Stand 7 Libby Reedy, Alex Magnan
Stand 8 Michaela Mazzeo, Sabrina Milks
Stand 9 Britany Nauman, So Yeon Kim
Stand 10 Gabrielle Kernozek, Mary Stammel

Violin B
Stand 1 Gloria Zhao, Lucas Laing
Stand 2 Matthew Darby, Kathryn Gonick
Stand 3 Nora Stevens, Bridget Bellanger
Stand 4 Aurora Trainor, Sarah Hanlon
Stand 5 Megan Govin, Elaine Santos
Stand 6 Nataleigh Huber, Sera Song
Stand 7 Paul Trichilo, Matthew Lurie
Stand 8 Daniel Logiudice, Ryan Dillon
Stand 9 Paul Caruso

Viola
Stand 1 Ahna Pearson, Allison Reiner
Stand 2 Matthew Krieg, Catherine Rafferty
Stand 3 Alex Selsley, Alfredo Salazar
Stand 4 Rebecca Tucker, Cory Parker
Stand 5 Michelle Burmistrova

Cello
Stand 1 Katie Yang, Andre Pinto
Stand 2 Joseph Petitti, Sydney Marotta
Stand 3 Claire Hill, Eliana Rowe
Stand 4 Leo Miller, Delaney Guntert
Stand 5 Sophie Balzer

Bass
Stand 1 Sara Kogelmann, Alex Beams
Stand 2 Rachel Cardiff, Ryan Adkison
Stand 3 Winsor Jewell, Eva Mazzella

7th Grade Winter Concert Seating

2009-12-01T04:01:00.000-08:00

*The first person listed on each stand is the outside player

Violin 1
Stand 1 Alicia Chen, Walter Nyangaga
Stand 2 Erin Templeton, Jo Ann Mulligan
Stand 3 Vivian Dai, Gianluca Russo
Stand 4 Christina Morawski, Markos Abebe
Stand 5 Allyson McAuliffe, Gerardo Salazar
Stand 6 Kristina Marinopoulos, Elijah Clemente
Stand 7 Shaddai Henry

Violin 2
Stand 1 Michelle Yu, Carrie Rose Mulligan
Stand 2 Maddy Farry, Rachel Swyer
Stand 3 Nihaal Pabba, Alana Zervos
Stand 4 Kevin Zeng, Amir Rastegar
Stand 5 Andy Cummings, Arianna Barnum
Stand 6 Sazeed Huq, Victoria Blackwood
Stand 7 Permaul, Natasha

Viola
Stand 1 Rebekah Wolanski, Asha Anand
Stand 2 Heather Krofft

Cello
Stand 1 Naila Brown, Jennifer Hoffmann
Stand 2 Jacob Rosenberg, Curtis Ericson
Stand 3 Sophia Schermerhorn, Hannah Hernandez
Stand 4 Rosemary Leicht, Emily Toffenetti

Bass
Stand 1 Julia Manobianco
Stand 2 Thomas Fortune
Stand 3 Emily Gunther

8th Grade Winter Concert Seating

2009-12-01T03:58:00.000-08:00

* The first person listed on each stand is the outside player.

Violin 1
Stand 1 Michelle Kang, Courtney Van Oort
Stand 2 Naomi Tenenini, Andrew Xu
Stand 3 Mary Jean Mulligan, Miguel Garcia
Stand 4 Aaron Kester, Pranav Kannan

Violin 2
Stand 1 Joey Sipzner, Ali Gohlke-Schermer
Stand 2 Amy Toscano, Mathilde Warren
Stand 3 Katie Randorf, Josh Lamb

Viola
Stand 1 Emma Pearson, Karthik Ramesh
Stand 2 Laura Chevalier, Michael Trichilo
Stand 3 Victor Rau-Sirois, Elise Burby

Cello
Stand 1 Andrea Long, Sarah Byerly
Stand 2 Sydney Campbell, Jacob Hill
Stand 3 Cody Ingraham, Julia Chong
Stand 4 Michelle Xiong, Abigail Kedik
Stand 5 Asaph Ko

6th Grade

2009-11-19T04:03:00.001-08:00

Hello 6th graders,

I'm looking for ways to help you feel more comfortable with Carmen, Carmela and Pictures at an Exhibition. In a poll of yesterday's class, many of you indicated that you would find a recording of your part helpful and useful. I have put Carmen, Carmela into a sound file, and I will do the same for Pictures at an Exhibition today.

Please bring in a blank CD so that I can make you a copy. Write your name on the CD with permanent marker. If you do not have a CD, can't get one, but would otherwise like a recording, email me at ellisl@guilderlandschools.org.

I would like to get CDs to everyone before Thanksgiving break so you can listen to them in cars, on MP3 players, etc.

I hope that this will help.

Jeopardy Terms: 300 Level

2009-11-16T18:52:00.000-08:00

Presto
marcato
arpeggio
concerto
accelerando
improvisation
movement
stringendo
rallentando
allargando
reel
jig
accompaniment
etude
key
minuet
march
accidental
meno mosso
meno
molto
piu
poco
poco a poco
chromatic scale
con sordino
8va
8vb
tonic

Jeopardy Terms: 250 Level

2009-11-16T18:50:00.000-08:00

chord
flat
mp
mf
Largo
Andante
Moderato
beat
dim.
fp
sfz
canon
harmony
quartet
quintet
octet
a tempo
tremolo
fermata
waltz
coda
ritardando
time signature
key signature
senza
divisi
con
minor
major

Jeopardy Terms: 200 Level

2009-11-16T18:48:00.000-08:00

ff
pp
cresc.
decresc.
Adagio
staccato
legato
clef
melody
bar line
double bar
duet
trio
fine
double stop
octave
col legno
D.S. al coda
D. C. al fine
prelude
a cappella

Jeopardy Terms: 100 Level

2009-11-16T18:47:00.000-08:00

p
f
< (accent)
ritard
Allegro
pizzicato
arco
dynamics
tempo
intonation
rhythm
sharp
scale
measure
:|
staff
quarter note
half note
eighth note
fermata
caesura

Monday, November 16, 2009

2009-11-16T18:28:00.001-08:00

7th grade

Today, all 7th graders who take lessons with me received a master schedule for the 2nd marking period. The biggest problem I observed last marking period was in regard to lesson attendance. Although the lesson card procedure will remain exactly the same, I hope to improve lesson attendance by providing this schedule of every lesson, dress rehearsal, and concert for the remainder of 2009. Everyone is listed on this schedule, and I recommend that you write the dates and times of your lessons into your A-Pad. I understand that some lessons were scheduled during lunch periods, and I will be flexible about changing those times. All students enter the 2nd marking period with a clean slate; there is no need to make up lessons from the last marking period.

New practice logs will be distributed for 7th graders on Wednesday. If you are absent because of the choir trip or for any other reason, be sure to pick up a practice log 1st thing Thursday morning.

Rhythm testing finished today in class. I have viewed all of the tests and graded them. I am missing tests from:

Curtis Ericson
Natasha Permaul
Emily Toffenetti
Kevin Zeng

All of these students were present today, so I'm not sure why they did not choose to take the tests. I will provide one more opportunity to take this first rhythm test, but soon we will be moving ahead to scale testing.

Scale tests will also begin on Wednesday. Students should be able to play (and describe, using a key signature) the following scales:

F Major, C Major, G Major, D Major

Play the scale in the way that is most comfortable for you. You may choose to play one or two octaves.

Today, we did work on Saturday at the Symphony, in the 3rd and final section. First violins are getting more comfortable with the tied rhythms around measure 50, and the more that they work with metronomes, the better it will be. Inner voices (violin 2 and viola) can still work on the chromatic passages, being careful both to tune the D# to E naturals (and back) and not slow down longer notations.

Variations on a Ground gets better every time we play it. We will work to create different characters in sections of the piece, and anyone interested in solos should plan on playing in orchestra during the next few rehearsals.

Harvest Song has reached a comfortable stage for us, which isn't necessarily good. We are set in certain tempos instead of using our ears to hear our fellow musicians. Practice giving your own breath cues so that you can feel a tempo before you begin playing it.

6th

We are almost finished with rhythm testing in 6th (A/C). On Wednesday I will be ready to test the student council members (who were absent due to a meeting) and those bassists who did not yet test. I've watched most of the 6th grade rhythm tests, and I'm happy to see that many of you not only prepared, but are really internalizing the tempo from the metronome. We've already had many perfect scores!

Also exciting was that we got all the way through Carmen, Carmela. It was rough at times, but it showed me that you have the stamina and focus to get through such a long and difficult piece. Basses should use metronomes to count their parts, making sure to play a dotted half note and a quarter note instead of two half notes. Don't forget to practice changing your bow grip from "bowing" to "pizzicato" grip!

Chamber Strings - 5th Rehearsal

2009-11-16T18:07:00.000-08:00

Chamber Strings

What a great rehearsal we had with Winter this afternoon! I have said it before, but just because a piece of music looks easy doesn't mean it is... I continue to be impressed with the focus of this group. As cellos and violas enter the 32nd-note passages, I remind you to take double down bows, play aggressively, and very close to the frog. Violins, don't let that new passage scare you: try using 4th fingers for D#s on the A string, crescendoing through the last 2 beats of the measure. First violins, please also remember the sound plateaus we talked about. Experiment with different parts of the bow to achieve these dynamics.

Some practice parts still need to be picked up. You can find them in the "Chamber Strings" folder outside of the orchestra room. Although it is fun to play at a fast tempo, please try to limit your speed and build technique.

In attendance were:

Joe Sipzner

Gloria Zhao

Katie Gonick

Ali Gohlke-Schermer

Arianna Barnum

Bill Dong

Marko Crnkovic

Erin Templeton

Rachel Swyer
Catherine Rafferty
Emma Pearson

Andrea Long

Naila Brown

Cody Ingraham

We're sorry we missed: William Wang, Karthik Ramesh, Katie Yang, and Sydney Marotta

Concert Dress Code

2009-11-15T08:10:00.000-08:00

Our concerts are right around the corner! Now is a good time to start looking for those beautiful clothes you will wear as we present our Winter Concert.

This is what I would like you to wear for our performance:

Girls:
Solid-Colored, Long-Sleeve Shirt
Black Bottoms (Dress Pants/Long Skirt, stockings/socks, shoes)

Boys:
Solid-Colored, Long Sleeve Shirt -- Preferably a collared, button-down.
Black Dress Pants, Black Socks, Black Shoes

Please do not wear shirts with pictures, prints, or letters. Cellists, please opt for pants over a skirt so that you can play your instrument most comfortably and appropriately.

No jeans or sneakers!

If you don't have a solid colored shirt, you may wear a white or a black shirt.

Lessons for the 2nd Marking Period

2009-11-15T07:46:00.000-08:00

As a reminder, all Private Lesson Logs were due last Monday, November 9th. Please submit these logs if you have not already done so. I will keep your grade as "incomplete" until they have been submitted.

I would like all students to receive full credit for their lesson attendance in this second marking period. Poor attendance was the primary reason that some students received grades that were not as high as they would've liked. To help students be more successful in this area, I have created a schedule for lessons up until the close of the marking period in December.

Find your last name and find your group number. You will use this group number to read the lesson schedule. I recommend that you write this schedule into your A-Pad. I might also print out this schedule and highlight the dates and times that I see my group number listed.

You will also find the concert dates and the dates/times of the mandatory dress rehearsals. The dress rehearsals will be held in the Cafetorium. It is very important that you are present, on time, and prepared for these dress rehearsals. Your teachers will be notified of your absence from class, but be sure to check with them to get any assignments or work.

Group 1 Zervos, Barnum, Henry, Blackwood
Group 2 Chen, Dai, Templeton, Yu, Mulligan (Carrie Rose)
Group 3 McAuliffe, Farry, Permaul, Swyer
Group 4 Morawski, Marinopoulos, Mulligan (Jo Ann)
Group 5 Zeng, Cummings, Huq, Salazar, Russo
Group 6 Abebe, Pabba, Nyangaga, Rastegar, Clemente
Group 7 Xu, Mulligan (Mary Jean), Warren, Toscano, Zhao
Group 8 Zhu, Gohlke-Schermer, Sipzner, Tenenini
Group 9 Garcia, Kannan, Randorf, Kester, Van Oort, Lamb
Group 10 Burby, Rau-Sirois, Chevalier, Trichilo, Ramesh, Pearson
Group 11 Miller, Petitti, Marotta, Yang
Group 12 Leicht, Ericson, Toffenetti
Group 13 Hoffmann, Rosenberg, Brown
Group 14 Hernandez, Schermerhorn,
Group 15 Pinto, Guntert, Balzer, Rowe, Hill
Group 16 Song, Kim
Group 17 Krofft, Anand, Wolanski
Group 18 Reiner, Krieg, Rafferty, Tucker
Group 19 Patka, Burmistrova, Parker, Salazar, Selsley
Group 20 Ko, Xiong, Long, Campbell, Ingraham
Group 21 Chong, Byerly, Kang, Hill, Kedik

11/16 (A/C)
8:50 6
9:30 4
10:10 1, 3
10:50 2
2:00 5

11/17 (B/D)
8:50 10
9:30 7
11:30 8
1:20 9

11/18 (A/C)
10:10 12, 14
11:30 13

11/19 (B/D)
8:50 19
9:30 18
10:50 17
1:20 16
2:00 15

11/20 (A/C)
9:30 21
2:00 20

11/23 (B/D)
8:50 2
9:30 6
10:50 4
11:30 3, 5
1:20 6th Grade Dress Rehearsal
2:00 1

11/24 (A/C)
8:50 7
9:30 8
10:10 9
10:50 10

11/30 (B/D)
8:50 1, 3
11:30 4
1:20 6
2:00 2

12/1 (A/C)
9:30 10
10:10 7
10:50 8
2:00 9

12/2 (B/D)
8:50 8th Grade Dress Rehearsal
1:20 12, 13
2:00 14
7:30 8th Grade Concert

12/3 (A/C)
8:50 16
9:30 15
10:10 18, 19
10:50 17

12/4 (B/D)
8:50 20
1:20 21

12/7 (A/C) 8:50 7th Grade Dress Rehearsal

12/8 (B/D)
8:50 6th Grade Dress Rehearsal
10:50 9
11:30 7
1:20 8
2:00 10

12/9 (A/C)
8:50 13, 14
10:10 12

12/10 (B/D)
8:50 18
9:30 19
11:30 15
1:20 7th Grade Dress Rehearsal
2:00 16
7:30 7th Grade Concert

12/11 (A/C)
10:10 20
10:50 21

12/14 (B/D)
8:50 4, 6
9:30 2
10:50 1, 5
1:20 6th Grade Dress Rehearsal
2:00 3

12/15 (A/C)
8:50 9
10:10 10
2:00 7, 8
7:30 6th Grade Concert

12/16 (B/D)
8:50 12
10:50 13
11:30 14

12/17 (A/C)
8:50 15
9:30 17
10:10 16
10:50 18, 19

12/18 (B/D)
8:50 21
11:30 20

12/21 (A/C)
10:10 7th Grade Make Ups - Sign Up Ahead of Time
10:50 8th Grade Make Ups - Sign Up Ahead of Time
2:00 6th Grade Make Ups - Sign Up Ahead of Time

Chamber Strings - 4th Rehearsal

2009-11-09T19:43:00.001-08:00

In attendance were:

Joe Sipzner

Gloria Zhao

Katie Gonick

William Wang

Bill Dong

Marko Crnkovic

Emma Pearson

Catherine Rafferty

Karthik Ramesh

Andrea Long

Katie Yang

This afternoon in Chamber Strings we revisited the Allegretto from Beethoven's Op. 16. The 6/8 time signature is still relatively new to us, so we reviewed the way to approach triple time (looking at "big"/macro beats -- in this case, dotted quarter notes -- and speaking the microbeats -- "du da di"). Students are encouraged to practice whatever part (A or B in vln 1, vla, cello, and C or D in vln 2) they feel capable of playing with the understanding that they can switch to a different part at any time. I love how well we can listen when we know how to open our ears! We had great leaders using their rhythmic breath to cue the entire ensemble.

Continue to look at Winter this week, practicing those double down bows carefully, and add Allegretto to your daily routine.

Monday, November 9, 2009

2009-11-09T19:41:00.000-08:00

As a reminder, the Evacuation Drill is scheduled to occur tomorrow afternoon during 13th mod. Sixth grade students who do not have lessons tomorrow should leave their instruments at home as we will not be playing them in class (6th graders with lessons are only those who have Ms. Norman as a teacher). We will have class during the "Hold in Place," so please arrive on time.

7th Grade

Rhythm testing began in the 7th grade today, and it will continue for the remainder of the week. Tests are administered during orchestra rehearsals, so there should be no concern about missing classes. Please keep in mind that these new types of tests are not in place of regular weekly lessons -- last week's testing was the exception.

Rhythm test procedure:

1. Check the list so that you know approximately who is before you. There should always be one person standing by the door ready to test.

2. Don't bring anything with you (unless you'd like to use your own copy of the rhythm sheet for help with syllables). Leave instruments, music, and writing utensils at your stand.

3. Sign out. You're only going across the hall, but since you're out of the classroom I need a record.

4. Once in Ms. Dame's room, sit in the chair. Do not move chairs, stands, or the tripod. The computer will be on, set to the metronome site.

5. Internalize the macrobeat. You may wish to tap macrobeats in your feet/heels to coordinate with the metronome's macrobeat.

6. Chant and clap your rhythm only once. Don't stop, don't repeat. Make sure to show rests when necessary, speak loudly and clearly, and clap when appropriate.

7. Return directly to the orchestra room -- no bathroom/drink breaks! Sign in and return to class.

I have current grades available for 7th and 8th grade students. The lesson that you attend this week is the last lesson of the marking period and will be an additional 15pts to your cumulative grade (out of 400pts). Practice logs were collected in the 7th grade, also worth 15pts. If you forgot your practice log (or have a log from last week that was not turned in), I will accept it up until Thursday morning.

For students studying privately, this is a reminder that your private lesson logs were due Friday. I will accept late work (including private lesson logs) until Thursday morning.

If you missed your lesson today, be sure to check with me (or someone in your lesson group) if you need a copy of the music we looked at. Next week starts a brand new marking period and a clean slate, so you'll want to be ready to put your best foot forward.

The 7th grade violins are divided in two large sections, each devoted to learning a different group of NYSSMA solos. The assignments were as follows:

Achievement March Groups: We played from the beginning to measure 9, and then from measure 25 to the end. We will work to memorize measures 25 to the end for the next lesson, remembering to still play the beginning to measure 9.

Etude Groups: We found places in Etude where there are clear G major scale patterns. There are a few different places: can you find/remember them? We will learn the first line for next week, making sure to start with a clear tone and correct posture. Don't let your first fingers become idle as you play the open strings!

6th Grade

Counting tests will begin for sixth graders on Thursday during orchestra. All students should have a copy of the test material as well as a "How to Prepare for Clapping and Counting Tests" sheet. At the start of today's rehearsal we used rhythm flashcards to remind us the proper way to clap and chant/count. These flashcards will later be used in Music Jeopardy, and students are encouraged to review clapping and counting procedures at home during practice time.

Practice logs will soon be due for 6th graders. This log is the last grade of the first marking period. I will be accepting late work until Thursday morning, so hand in any of those scale sheets, practice logs, etc that you might still have!

We have now played through all of Modest March and Kleine Kanon! It is a good idea to remind yourself of the "road map" for these pieces at home, remembering the difference between D.C. al Coda and D.S. al Coda.

Sixth grade: when you're practicing, are you sitting in a 3? A 2? Don't practice sitting in a 1!

Chamber Strings - 3rd Rehearsal

2009-11-04T17:35:00.000-08:00

We began again with Winter, this time hooking 8th notes (4 to a bow) so that they sound more like the first flakes of snow that fall in a winter storm. Still underspeed, we worked toward a continuity of sound and a conformity of bowstroke in passages with faster notation. Violins will play double down bows for the first two notes in the 32nd-note passages, and these double down bows must be taken at the frog to achieve the right style. Think winter storms!

After a brief look back at the Allegretto from Beethoven Op. 16, we moved on to some sight reading. Die Forelle is a famous piece written for many different ensembles, but it's playful rhythm can often be tricky. As an introduction to the piece, we played the melody in unison (all in our own clefs and octaves) and took turns using our breath and body language to start the piece. Breathing is essential to an ensemble who hopes to play together, and it becomes more difficult when "pickup" notes are involved. All of our breathing leaders did a great job!

Also discussed in this rehearsal was tuning etiquette for a string orchestra. This is the procedure we decided on:

1. Principal cellist would check his/her intonation with a tuner.
2. Concertmaster, when entering onto stage or beginning rehearsal, would request the principal cellist to play an A.
3. Once the principal cellist plays his A, the concermaster checks his own instrument before "giving" the A to the rest of the orchestra.
4. Using broad bowstrokes in the mp to mf range, the orchestra would check the tuning of their strings.

We practiced this, and will continue to tune this way in the future.

Be sure to check the folder outside of the orchestra room (labeled "Chamber Strings") for practice parts to the Allegretto and Die Forelle.

In attendance:
Joe Sipzner
Gloria Zhao
Ali Gohlke-Schermer
Katie Gonick
Arianna Barnum
Bill Dong
William Wang
Erin Templeton
Marko Crnkovic
Rachel Swyer
Emma Pearson
Catherine Rafferty
Karthik Ramesh
Andrea Long
Naila Brown
Cody Ingraham

We're sorry we missed:
Michelle Burmistrova
Katie Yang
Sydney Marotta

6th Grade Fall Repertoire - Carmen, Carmela

2009-11-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

For weeks now, I have been promising the 6th grade a post on Spanish and Mexican music to reward them for all their hard work on Carmen, Carmela.

"Carmen, Carmela" (sometimes simply called "Carmen") is an early folk tune that is popular throughout Mexico. The rhythm originated from the Cuban habanera dance and became popular in Spain during the nineteenth century, inspiring numerous European composers to employ this syncopation in their works. The most well-known use of the habanera is heard in Bizet's opera "Carmen."

Many composers have used this habanera rhythm in their works, and many composers have used Bizet's opera as the basis for other works. One of my favorite adaptations is the Carmen Fantasy, arranged by Pablo de Sarasate. Here it is played in two parts by Gil Shaham:

Part 1
Part 2

The Carmen Fantasy is a very difficult piece and must be taken very seriously when learning. Some adaptations of Bizet's opera "Carmen" aren't always so serious...like this one. If you watch the Muppets or any old Looney Tunes, you probably know more opera than you think you do. Perhaps I'll do a post on opera later in the year.

Just like our Carmen, Carmela, some very famous pieces had simple beginnings as folk tunes. In this video, Itzhak Perlman plays a transcription for violin and piano. Kreisler, a wonderfully creative violinist from a previous generation of string playing, often took simple pieces and transformed them into "salon" or recital pieces. This song is called Danse Espagnole from "La Vida Breve" (translated: Spanish Dance from "The Short Life") by Manuel de Falla.

Here's a historic recording of Kreisler playing his own transcription of La Gitana. As much as I like listening to Kreisler, I also like watching a musician playing...so here's a more modern recording.

I personally have never been bullfighting, but I imagine it might be a scary experience. Joaquin Turina wrote a piece called Oracion Torero (translated: The Bullfighter's Prayer). What do you think this bullfighter is thining about?

A longtime favorite piece of mine is Estrellita (translated: Little Star), played here by Joshua Bell. Jascha Heifetz transcribed this piece by Manuel Ponce, and his transcription is deceivingly difficult. Jascha Heifetz was an amazing violinst -- and he knew it. Do you remember the order of sharps in a key signature? F# - C# - G# - D# - A# - E# - B#. Heifetz arranged Estrellita in the key of F# Major (6 sharps!) so that you can't use any open strings even if you wanted to!

When you think about it, France and Spain are not too far away from each other, but while the French have their own distinctive style of music, some French composers were attracted to Spanish melodies and rhythms. Here's the Havanaise by Camille Saint-Saens (you might recognize him as the composer of works such as Danse Macabre and Carnival of the Animals from Fantasia). This Havanaise is based on the same habanera rhythm that inspired Carmen, Carmela.

Some vocabulary related to Carmen, Carmela:

habanera - A Cuban dance and song, named after the capital, Havana. The music is in a moderate to slow duple metre. The habanera (not habañera) became popular in the early 19th century and was much used by French and Spanish composers; an outstanding example appears in Bizet's Carmen

syncopation - A shift of accent in a passage or composition that occurs when a normally weak beat is stressed

tango - a ballroom dance of Latin-American origin in ²⁄₄ time with a basic pattern of step-step-step-step-close and characterized by long pauses and stylized body positions

Monday, November 2, 2009

2009-11-04T16:15:00.000-08:00

7th Grade

New practice logs: due 11/9!

A list was passed around today during orchestra for students to record the email addresses of their parents. Although I would like to continue to communicate via this blog, I am finding it necessary to email parents directly to inform them about changes in lesson schedules and upcoming events. If you did not record your parents' email address, please give it to me sometime in the near future so that I can help you be more successful in orchestra.

We ran through Saturday at the Symphony today and got all the way through to the end. The Finlandia section (see the post on 7th Grade Fall Repertoire if you can't remember Finlandia) is still very rough, but we're slowly understanding the rhythm and learning how to sustain our bows through those long whole notes. Remember that although the notes in this section differ from instrument to instrument, the rhythm remains the same.

At the beginning of Saturday at the Symphony is a section from a famous Rondeau, often felt in a 2-beat pattern instead of the 4-beat pattern that is written in this arrangement. It is my goal to conduct this section in that 2-beat pattern (creating more emphasis on beats 1 and 3), but to do so means that violins need to practice this section with their metronomes, in increments of speed. It should have a playful, dancelike feel.

Rhythm testing will commence next week once the first round of performance tests is completed. To prepare for these rhythm tests, every student in grades 6-8 will receive a mini-tutorial on how to clap and count. For many of you this is nothing new, but for some it is. Use the front of the sheet to check your use of syllables and for practicing suggestions. On the back, each grade has a short rhythm assignment. This line is what you will be tested on next week, and I encourage you to make any necessary notes on the page. When I grade the Rhythm tests, I will be looking for the following:

1. Coordination with the metronome. Could you set the metronome? Do you clap and count to its macrobeat?
2. Counting/Chanting. I want to hear those syllables!
3. Clapping. Clap when you have notes, show rests when you have rests. Coordinate your clapping with your chanting and your metronome.

Lastly, we began learning a fiddle tune called Stinky's Blues. We learned the skeleton (or "bones") of the tune, and we will add more complicated parts in both lessons and orchestra. I love playing fiddle music, and part of the fun is that you can take fiddle tunes with you - no sheet music required! It is up to each student how much of this tune they want to learn. If you can show me that you've memorized the bones, I'll help you add to it. It is my hope that we can add a bass line and create opportunities for improvisation.

Youtube is a wonderful thing, and I was able to find a recording of the exact version of Stinky's Blues that I want to teach you. Unlike most of the other recordings I post of famous and notable performers, these youtube videos are mostly of kids like you. Enjoy!

Stinky's Jam Session 1 Session 2
10-year-old playing Stinky's Blues

6th Grade

Carmen, Carmela has provided us with many opportunities to learn new techniques, terms, and concepts, but the hard part is almost over. In the weeks to come, we will focus on putting all of the pieces of this song together so that we can play it all the way through. Today, we played from the viola soli* section all the way to the end of the pieces. Although the last note looks terrifying with all its notes and squiggely lines, we are picking one note at a time and focusing on plucking that one note together as an ensemble.

At home, use your metronome (ignoring those pesky fermatas) to help you play through the entire piece without stopping. Can you play the entire piece as if you were learning it as a solo for NYSSMA? Perform it for your family!

Sixth graders also received a clapping & counting/chanting sheet to help prepare for their own round of rhythm tests. Feel free to ask me or Ms. Dame for help in preparing.

Certainly my favorite part of rehearsal today was "Cabbage." Using our knowledge of the D Major Scale, we began learning a famous - yet simple - fiddle tune called Bile 'em Cabbage Down. To practice at home, first play a D Major Scale (remember: 2 sharps - F# and C#). Sing "do-mi" and play it on your instrument (D-F#). Bile 'em Cabbage Down begins on mi (F#):

mi mi mi mi fa fa
mi mi mi mi re re
mi mi mi mi fa fa fa fa
mi mi re re do do

Having trouble? Sing it first! Like most fiddle songs, Bile 'em Cabbage Down began as a piece with lyrics. They're silly...

Bile 'em cabbage down, down,

Bake 'em biskets brown, brown.

Only tune I ever did learn was

Bile 'em cabbage down.

Verse:

June bug he has wings of gold,

The firefly wings of flame.

The bedbug's got no wings at all,

But gets there just the same.

Love it is a killing fit,

When beauty hits a blossom,

And if you want your finger bit,

Just poke it at a possum.

Raccoon and the possum

Rackin' cross the prairie,

Raccoon asks the possum,

Did she want to marry?

Possum is a cunnin' thing,

He travels in the dark,

And never thinks to curl his tail,

Till he hears old Rover bark.

*Soli = a soloistic portion of the music where the entire section gets to play together

Chamber Strings - 2nd Rehearsal

2009-10-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

Attendance is getting better as summer/fall sports are wrapping up! The following students helped to make Monday's rehearsal a productive and musical experience:

Gloria Zhao
Katie Gonick
Arianna Barnum
William Wang
Rachel Swyer
Marko Crnkovic
Emma Pearson
Karthik Ramesh
Naila Brown
Cody Ingraham
Sydney Marotta
Katie Yang

We continued work on Winter, and we used a worksheet to practice hearing the chord changes that occur in this piece. I encourage all of you to listen to (and watch) performances of this piece to help you get an idea of the type of bowstroke and intensity you should strive for. Here is a youtube video of Gil Shaham with a creative take on the filming. This video of Nigel Kennedy has an interesting mix of modern staging (and string techniques -- note the ponticello used to create that icy sound) with older instruments. Vivaldi's Four Seasons are traditionally performed without a conductor, as in this video. This is another good video, a little more traditional.

We sight-read a new piece this week as well, and I am really pleased with how well the ensemble did with it! The piece is an arrangement of the Allegretto theme from Beethoven's String Quartet Op 16. Next week, we will read another arrangement, this time by Schubert.

Practice Logs & Upcoming Tests

2009-10-25T17:30:00.000-07:00

Is everyone filling out their practice charts? All students have a specific weekly practice chart -- which I will collect next week -- that they should be filling out and getting signed. Although most practice charts "require" 30 minutes per day, I understand that this is not always possible. Instead, I am using this assignment as a diagnostic tool to see when students practice, what they focus on, and how their time is spent. If you were absent and did not receive a chart, record your daily minutes of practice (and what it was that you practiced) so that you can fill out your chart when you return to class.

Practice charts will count as a significant part of the orchestra grade as practicing is the most important thing a music student can do outside of rehearsal. As I said in class, I'd rather see you spend 10 minutes working on an assigned excerpt than have you try to split 10 minutes among 3 assignments. Please don't hesitate to ask questions!

This should go without saying, but instruments left in the storage room overnight can't be practiced on at home. One student has told me that she uses her sister's instrument at home so that she can leave hers in school. Unless you come and tell me something like this, I can only assume that you are not practicing on the days that you have violins and violas left in school. I have begun taking note of the instruments that are left behind. Take them home! Use them!

The first round of performance tests will begin at the end of this week and end next week. Because the schedule may be confusing, I'll post it at the end of this entry. Please note that the time listed is the time you will begin playing for me. Your lesson card will say a different time so that you can get to the orchestra room, warm up, tune, and not feel stressed out. For example, Kevin Zeng will play for me on Thursday the 29th at 11:00am, but his lesson card will say 10:50am. Please be on time for your test! If you miss your test, prepare to stay after school THAT DAY to make it up.

Remember that your performance tests make up 25% of your final grade, so it is important that you come and come prepared.

Performance Test Grading - 25 possible points

Up to 5 points in each of the following categories
Rhythm
Pitch/Notes
Dynamics
Articulation
Phrasing/Musicality*

*Note that many students have tests scheduled along with other students. In these situations, one of the 3 excerpts will be played together so that I can check for understanding of your own part as well as for awareness and understanding of other parts in the ensemble.

Students will have 3 opportunities to play, and I will take the average of these performances in each category:

1. Scale. I am looking for correct pitches, knowledge of key signature, good tone, correct posture.
2. Excerpt #1. To be played alone, from the assigned weekly excerpt. Metronome coordination a must!
3. Excerpt #2. To be played in ensemble, being conscious of the other musician.

Please ask me any questions and come to me with any concerns before your test! There will be no time to ask questions once the test has begun (as we have to hear 2 scales, 2 solo excerpts, and 1 combined excerpt in 10 minutes). Only in extreme circumstances will a second playing be granted, so I recommend that you prepare your excerpts well and give yourself enough time to warm up.

Lessons & Tests with Miss Ellis
Thursday, October 29th - A/C
8:50
Andre Pinto Delaney Guntert Sophie Balzer Leo Miller Eliana Rowe Claire Hill Sydney Marotta Katie Yang Joseph Petitti

9:30
Rebecca Tucker Ahna Pearson Allison Reiner Catherine Rafferty Matthew Krieg Michelle Burmistrova Cory Parker Alfredo Salazar Alex Selsley Sophie Patka

10:10
Sera Song So Yeon Kim

11:00 Kevin Zeng
11:10 Michelle Yu, Markos Abebe
11:20 Gerardo Salazar
11:30
11:40 Allyson McAuliffe, Andy Cummings
2:10 Natasha Permaul, Gianluca Russo
2:20 Sazeed Huq
2:30

Lessons with Miss Ellis
Friday, October 30th - B/D

8:50
Asaph Ko
Andrea Long
Julia Chong
Michelle Xiong
Sydney Campbell
Jake Hill
Cody Ingraham
Abigail Kedik
Sarah Byerly
Michelle Kang
9:40 Elijah Clemente, Alana Zervos
9:50 Walter Nyangaga, Victoria Blackwood
10:00 Nihaal Pabba, Jo Ann Mulligan
1:20
1:30 Kristina Marinopoulos, Rachel Swyer
1:40 Alicia Chen, Emily Toffenetti
1:50 Maddy Farry, Jennifer Hoffmann
2:00
2:10 Curtis Ericson, Asha Anand
2:20 Sophia Schermerhorn, Rebecca Wolanski
2:30 Erin Templeton, Julia Sanford

Playing Tests
Monday, November 2nd – A/C

8:50 Rosemary Leicht, Heather Krofft
9:00 Jacob Rosenberg, Carrie Rose Mulligan
9:10 Hannah Hernandez, Thomas Fortune
9:20
9:30 Julia Manobianco
9:40 Elise Burby, Asaph Ko
9:50 Victor Rau-Sirois
10:00 Laura Chevalier, Michelle Xiong
10:10
10:20 Karthik Ramesh, Andrea Long
10:30 Emma Pearson, Julia Chong
10:40 Jake Hill, Andrew Xu
10:50
11:00 Cody Ingraham, Aaron Kester
11:10 Abigail Kedik, Mathilde Warren
11:20 Michelle Kang, Joe Sipzner
11:30
2:10 Amy Toscano, Courtney Van Oort
2:20 Miguel Garcia, Katie Randorf
2:30 Pranav Kannan, Josh Lamb

Playing Tests
Wednesday, November 4th – B/D

8:50 Ryan Adkison, Erin Callahan
9:00 Alex Beams, Gretchen Long
9:10 Sara Kogelmann, Madeline Cartwright
9:20
11:00 Winsor Jewell, Alex Magnan
11:10 Joseph Petitti, Gabrielle Sanza
11:20 Eliana Rowe, Marko Crnkovic
11:30
1:20 Delaney Guntert, Amanda Conklin
1:30 Andre Pinto, Gloria Zhao
1:40 Rebecca Tucker, Britany Nauman
1:50
2:00 Matthew Kreig, Elizabeth Reedy
2:10 Alfredo Salazar, Katie Yang
2:20 Sophie Balzer, Matthew Lurie
2:30

Playing Tests
Thursday, November 5th – A/C

8:50 Bridget Bellanger, Alex Magnan
9:00 Michelle Burmistrova, Sera Song

9:20 Allison Reiner, Michaela Mazzeo
9:30 So Yeon Kim, Nora Stevens

9:50 Mackenna Dombroski, Paul Caruso
10:00 Annie Lin, Ryan Dillon

10:30 Jacob Kelley, Lucas Laing
10:40 Aurora Trainor, Madeline Cartwright

11:00 Sarah Hanlon, Eva Mazzella

11:20 Cat Seita, Elaine Santos
11:30 Catherine Rafferty, Katie Gonick

2:10 Cory Parker, Michael Zhu
2:20 Matthew Darby, John Piechowiak
2:30 Leo Miller, Daniel Logiudice

Playing Tests
Friday, November 6th – B/D

8:50 Emily Gunther

9:10 Michael Trichilo, Sydney Campbell
9:20 Sarah Byerly, Mary Jean Mulligan

9:50 Ali Gohlke-Schermer, Naomi Tenenini
10:00 Rachel Cardiff, Megan Govin
11:00 Claire Hill, Alana Lake

11:40 Alex Selsley, Gabrielle Kernozek
1:20 Sydney Marotta, Ahna Pearson
1:30 Christina Morawski, Arianna Barnum

1:50 Vivian Dai, Naila Brown
2:00 Amir Rastegar
2:10 Shaddai Henry

Chamber Strings - 1st Rehearsal

2009-10-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

*Chamber Strings*

Congratulations on your successful audition! Here’s a little information about Chamber Strings that you should know:

Chamber Strings rehearses every Monday during Activity Period (3:30-4:05pm).

Be in your seat no later than 3:35pm! I will have an electronic tuner available. Come early so that you can learn how to use it yourself! If you need help tuning, allow enough time to get to the orchestra room, (ask me or a willing 8^th grade student) to tune you, and still be in your seat by 3:30pm.

You must attend every rehearsal! If you need to miss a rehearsal, speak to me before you miss so that we can arrange for you to play for me.

This year, Chamber Strings is comprised of 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th Grade students. Chamber Strings is an extracurricular activity, so it is important that you remain in good standing in regular orchestra.

This means you must still attend lessons regularly and continue to maintain a high level of mastery on your orchestra music.

Chamber Strings will perform on a variety of concert programs this year. All musicians are necessary for a successful concert, so mark your calendars with the following dates:

February 10, 2010 Select Concert @ FMS 7:30pm

February 25, 2010 Young People’s Concert @ GHS 12:15pm

June 9, 2010 Dessert Concert @ FMS 7:30pm

We may also perform for the community in other small venues.

I look forward to having fun and making music with you this year!

The following students attended the first Chamber Strings rehearsal yesterday:

Gloria Zhao
Katie Gonick
Arianna Barnum
Bill Dong
William Wang
Erin Templeton
Marko Crnkovic
Catherine Rafferty
Andrea Long
Naila Brown
Cody Ingraham

Sports and doctor/teacher appointments kept Joe, Ali, Rachel, and Emma from being with us, but we hope to see them soon! We're sorry we missed Michelle, Katie and Sydney.

At rehearsal, we read up to measure 18 in Adirondack Sleighride, and will prepare up to measure 30 for next time. Most of our time was spent working on Winter from Vivaldi's 4 Seasons. This piece is slower than you might think, and it is well-suited for practice with a metronome. Don't spend time practicing Entrance to the Queen of Sheba. I have some other selections in store.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

2009-10-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

8th Grade

Great rehearsal of Frippery today! We are feeling more comfortable reading in cut time, and I'm glad to hear your right hand (bow) technique becoming more uniform as we learn to listen to each other.

We began rehearsal with Bb and D Major scales. When practicing scales, use the solfege pitches that you are already familiar with first. Once you can sing a major scales, remind yourself of the key signature (how many sharps or flats), and combine this knowledge with your listening skills to figure out the scale on your instrument. Never let practicing scales be boring! Are your half steps close together? Have you used your open strings to help you tune? Can you play familiar patterns? Use all of the skills we are developing in orchestra at home!

Practice logs were distributed in orchestra today. If you were absent, see me right away for your copy of this assignment. At this point in the year, we should be involved in a regular and routine practice schedule. The practice logs are a way that I can now track your progress, questions, and preparation for orchestra. Each day, record how long (in minutes) you practiced each of the assignments in the corresponding boxes. Have your parents initial your work when completed. Unlike other practice charts you may have received, these should be initialed every day for full credit. Also new: there is no "minimum" amount of practice. Schedules vary, and though successful students practice for 30 minutes or more per day, I understand that this is not always possible. You will not be penialized if your chart does not reflect 3.5 hours of practice (30min x 7 days) per week. I want to see a balanced chart, with focused practice of each assignment throughout the course of the week even if this means only doing one or two assignments each night.

Practice logs for 8th grade will be collected and assessed on Wednesday, October 28th. Bring your practice log to class that day -- late work will not be accepted.

The first round of seat tests will occur after these practice logs have been submitted. I will take your daily practicing record into account when grading your seat/performance tests. Completion of practice logs will only increase your grade.

6th Grade (B/D)

Thank you to all 6th graders who already had their violin and viola cases marked with their names, grades, phone numbers, and addresses! There were more identified 6th grade cases than any other grade. I added tags to cases that were not identified, and I ask that you put this important information on the tags immediately! Many people go in and out of the instrument storage room on a daily basis, and I want to know that all instruments are safe.

C Major scales are getting better. After a few tries, we even were feeling more comfortable echoing tonal patterns in this new key. Students are becoming more discriminating when it comes to pitch and octave, and I encourage you all to keep up this excellent focus!

The 6th grade was introduced to my worksheets today, and I'm sorry that the title was confusing. Although we are working through our own parts in Carmen, Carmela, it is important that we know what's going on around us. To make us more aware, I created performance-worksheets in which the entire orchestra can play specific sections of a piece in unison. Today's worksheet focused on the soli sections in the viola and cello parts. While violins and basses never actually see this material in their original parts, activites like this one provide valuable information about other sections, allow us to layer on new parts, and -- if nothing else -- gives us some relevant sight-reading. We will use this approach in orchestra often in the future.

The D.S. challenge was answered today by:
Sarah Hanlon (what it stands for)
Matthew Darby (what it means)
Rachel Cardiff (what you do when you see it)

As usual, written responses were collected. I'll have the team rankings posted in the next few classes! Please remember to put your name on your written response so that I can give your team credit!

(I'll define D.S. in the near future -- the other 6th graders have to have a chance to answer first)

7th Grade (Yesterday)

No Challenge question for next class (tomorrow). We caught up and answered 2 challenge questions yesterday:

1.
Q. A ground is a short melody which is performed over and over again by a bass instrument or voice. Above the theme, a string of continuous variations are unfolded. In the case of Variations on a Ground however, the ground melody moves from one instrument to another. What is the word for a variations on a short melody in which the melody moves from one instrument to another?

A. Passacaglia. Refer to the blog entry on October 13th for an excellent Passacaglia for either violin & viola or violin & cello by Handel-Halvorsen. For those of you who want to pronounce it: pass-ah-KAHL-ee-ya

Congratulations to Gianluca who knew the answer to this challenge!

2.
Q. Define: tutti.
A. An Italian word meaning all or together. It may refer to an orchestral passage in which every member of the orchestra (or a section of an orchestra) is playing at once. For instance, in a concerto it indicates the parts for the whole orchestra as opposed to the soloist.

The challenge winners for tutti were: Jo Ann Mulligan, Carrie Rose Mulligan, Walter Nyangaga, Michelle Yu, Julia Sanford, Gianluca Russo, Maddy Farry, Jacob Rosenberg, Hannah Hernandez, Christina Morawski, Kristina Marinopoulos, Elijah Clemente, and Vivian Dai. Congratulations! Your answers helped your team :)

The current team ranking is:

First Place: The Unknowns
Second Place: String Rockers
Tie for Third Place: Firepeople, Gruesome Threesome, 9
Tie for Fourth Place: Four Musicians, Magnificant Music Makers, Team 11
Tie for Fifth Place: The Nobodies, Electric Purple Pandas, Strawberries

In orchestra yesterday, the 7th grade sharpened their skills in a more unfamiliar passage of Variations on a Ground, using a performance-worksheet similar to that described in the 6th grade entry. Violins should continue to focus on this section (measure 33 and beyond) until they feel comfortable playing it at a variety of tempos.

Next class, we will use the same handout, this time focusing on the excercises for Saturday at the Symphony.

Performance Opportunity

2009-10-13T16:58:00.000-07:00

Is anyone interested in providing string accompaniment for the choir in their performance of John Lennon's Imagine? We'll have the music, and it will involve you going to some choir rehearsals to coordinate. Talk to me in class if this sounds like something you might want to do!