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WAYLAND MIDDLE
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Last updated February 2, 2010
Welcome to the Wayland Middle School Bands Website!
Here you will find:
- Info about our bands and how we run things in the band
- Announcements for our band families
- Tips on being a better musician (for all musicians, not just MS students)
- Tidbits of musical information that may be interesting to you
- Assignments, forms and other details pertaining to our band
- Private teacher list (Wayland area) and Arts/Music camp list
- Pictures!
WMS Bands - Memorial Day, 2009 - nice straight lines!
Check out our PHOTO BOOK
Check this space frequently for timely announcements
WORKSHOPS: During the month of February, we hold "Special Workshops" instead of our regular workshops. Students pick at least two sometime during the three weeks and explore something new and different. Follow the link for a download of workshop descriptions and look over all of the great offerings there are. Check the color list to see what is offered in particular block colors or after school. The workshops link gives a calendar listing of what is when and also tells you about when regular workshops are for this term.
BAND FEST is coming right up: Wednesday, February 10! Follow the link for all the info you need!
Bravo to all 47 Wayland students, grade 7-9, who auditioned for the Junior District band, orchestra, choruses and jazz band on Saturday. 28 of our students won a place in the groups, but EVERY ONE of the 47 who auditioned is a winner because they worked hard and went out on a limb to try it! Every one of them is a winner because he/she improved as a musician! We are proud of all 47!!!
I so much enjoyed listening to all of the MS band students perform and show off for me in their band exams!!! The quality was excellent this year! I was very pleased that everyone put some effort into his/her preformance and it was easy to find good things to say to everyone.
The Jazz Band / Stage Band rehearsal schedule for the rest of the year is posted.
Jazz Band info for Elementary Tour is on the permission slip
Have you seen the pictures from our December concert? Check it out! PHOTOBOOK
We are playing several "standards" (pieces that are written by famous composers and arranged for intermediate band). I recommend downloading these pieces to your MP3 players and making them part of the music you listen to. Start with:
- Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Seans (Symphonic Band) - I like the Charles Dutoit versions (he is the orchestra conductor)
- Begin the Beguine by Cole Porter (Symphonic Band) - three versions:
- with Ella Fitzgerald singing: "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook"
- a jazz version: "Dancing to the Big Bands" - BBC Big Band
- an orchestra version (the one closest to ours): "Jazz Legends - Cole Porter - A Collection"
- Prince of Denmark March (Trumpet Voluntary) by Jeremiah Clarke (Concert Band & Symphonic Band - combined piece for Band Fest). Again, there are several versions out there and all give you a sense of the melody.
- I love the Canadian Brass version which is on their album, "Fireworks! - Baroque Brass Favorites"
- Closest to the original is on the album, "Classic Wynton", by Anthony Newman conducting the English Chamber Orchestra & Wynton Marsalis on trumpet
- Take the A-Train by Billy Strayhorn (Jazz Band) - find a Duke Ellington version
- C Jam Blues (Stage Band) - find a Duke Ellington version. There are also some that are piano duet with Duke Ellington and the co-author of the piece, Billy Strayhorn.
The other pieces we are playing are specifically written for our level band and often it is possible to find the demo recording (the one performed to entice band directors to purchase the piece!). Demos can be found on http://jwpepper.com or on the publishers website. They are often not downloadable, though. The soundfiles below are some of these demos.
SOUND FILES to listen to and get the feel of the piece and to practice with (it is fun to play with the recording!):
-Symphonic Band: DM, No demo for our Begin the Beguin (see above for suggestions on which version to download)
-Concert Band: CofT, CH (this one is also in SmartMusic-it isn't passed out yet, though)
-Stage Band: PL, and a background track to practice soloing with PL, I don't have a demo of C Jam Blues, but it is easy to download to hear the original - get a Duke Ellington version.
-Jazz Band: Train-a demo version of the first part and CBML (a WMS performance from a few years ago!)
-Wind Ensemble: M
Private lessons for your child just got easier! The Wayland School Community Programs has created a private lesson program for our MS & HS students (vocal, strings, winds & percussion). All lessons are at the high school. Follow the link for more info.
Wind Ensemble invitations will go out the week of November 30 and are due back by Tuesday, Dec. 8. Please return the invitation whether or not you decide you want to take on the extra challenge. Follow the link for more info and a schedule (the schedule is also on the band calendar.) If you did not get an invitation and you think you should have, please see me; I might have just slipped over your name accidently!
Junior District Signup Forms and audition fees are due. For more Junior District info, see your conductor or follow the link.
BAND FEST 2010! We have a date for this year's Band Fest - February 10, 2010! (Finally!) Please mark it on your calendar and remove the March 2 and March 22 dates we originally tried! The concert will be at the HS Field House. Watch the band website for more info as we get closer and keep an eye on the band calendar so you know what is coming!
NEW!!! The Official Band Calendar! "Oh my gosh!!! When is the spring concert??" or "This darn changing middle school schedule; when are rehearsals this week?" Check this calendar for all things band! Let me know if there are errors or omissions.
PARENTS ... The BAND MANUAL is posted so you can always refer to it for info.
PERCUSSION EQUIPMENT ORDER FORM is now ready
PERCUSSIONISTS.... Do you imagine yourself really wailing on your instruments? Check out Vic Firth's education site: http://www.vicfirth.com/education/ for online lessons and demonstrations. There is a section on rudiments, http://www.vicfirth.com/education/rudiments.html to see and hear the rudiments performed and for instruction and help in learning to play them properly. There is also a game to help you learn the note names and where they are on the mallet keyboard http://www.vicfirth.com/education/keyboard/speednotegame.html. And, there are loads of technique lessons & demonstration videos for snare drum, mallet percussion, drumset, auxiliary instruments, timpani, etc. Check it out!
Sound, Tech and Recording Crew page
Be sure my email addresses are in your
address book so that your spam programs don't kick out my messages!
Home: muffitt@bandnotes.info - and during the daytime, School:
muffitt@wayland.k12.ma.us
Continuing Announcements
Looking for a new instrument?? The School Band & Orchestra Magazine has created a website with information that might be useful to you when embarking upon the fairly difficult task of purchasing a new instrument. http://www.sbomagazine.com/howtobuy.html -- PLEASE beware of instruments that have a cheaper sticker price -- they look great, but there is a reason that they don't cost as much, and usually they develop major wear problems very quickly (we sometimes call them "Band Quitter Models"). Ask a private teacher or your band director about the brand you are considering. Don't just buy off the shelf! I would say never buy from a discount store, and I would be cautious about buying from a store that seems to deal primarily in guitars, keyboards, drumset, etc. I have found that even though they look like they have a band/orchestra instrument department, they often don't have people who really know the instruments and the instruments are often not good quality. Even some of the beginning drum kits that come from these stores are often not worth the money - I had a terrible time trying to adjust an elementary student's drum at the spring concert (I never did get it to sound right). When I asked, he said it came from a local store that really deals mostly with guitars. Follow link for more info on cheap instruments and why it is a waste of money to buy them. |
PRACTICE:
Student need to practice at home; just playing at school is not enough to even keep up, let alone progress! The best students practice a 30-60 a day. I think a minimum for making good progress is 20 minutes 6 days a week. BUT... we all get too busy sometimes and have to cut it short - that is a given. On really busy days I recommend the young musician play for 5 minutes and spend some time on a really tough spot. That way, even when too busy some work gets done and progress is made. If your child is keeping practice charts, new practice record sheets are available in the band room or printed from the website
Thinking about private lessons? It is a GREAT idea for all students! Advanced students, behind students and average students all benefit. Follow the link for a list of teachers in the area. In 99% of cases, middle school students should be working with an adult and not with one of the high school tutors. Talk to me if you are unsure...
If you know of other great teachers that should be on the list - let me know. By the time students are in middle school, they should be studying with an adult teacher who really knows how to teach and knows pitfalls to watch for and knows ways to help solve problems. Our high school tutor program is fantastic for motivating the young player, but in middle school, it is time to move to an adult. Email/call me if you have questions.
Looking to purchase some music? Good music stores are hard to find these days and I, personally,
really miss being able to walk into a store and browse for things..
There are a couple of really good on-line stores -- Sheet
Music Plus and JW
Pepper are two of them. If you access Sheet Music Plus
through this link, I get an 8% rebate from your purchase, which I
will be putting into our instrument fund* at
school. I haven't used Sheet Music Plus enough to personally know
that it is a good source, but it was recommended by MENC (our music
teachers national association), so I have trust in the site. JW
Pepper is where I purchase our band music.
*What is the instrument fund? I used this fund for many things: to purchase a percussion instrument or music that we need midyear after the budget money is gone, to purchase an instrument we need, but can't afford in the budget (our new drumset, a piccolo...), to purchase the year-end awards, to give a deserving student a scholarship for private lessons for the summer, to purchase supplies for the digital recording team's work, and to fund other things that come up. This year, I hope to purchase a trophy case for our awards and pictures; we used to have one, but it got literally covered up by wall board as the new theatre was being built!
Interesting Info or Links
GMajorMusicTheory.org is a great place to get free sheet music at a variety of levels for both piano and guitar! Check it out!!
Here is a link to a pretty cool flute podcast of flute duets from the Voxman duet book 1. He plays both parts together and just the flute 2 part so you can play along. (David Summer - summersong.net)
Cool! An online metronome and a bit about how to use a metronome in your practice. Go to: http://www.metronomeonline.com/
MusicTheory.net - this site helps you learn almost everything there is to know about
reading music! Need help learning to read the note names? Want to
learn more about advanced chords? Want to learn to compose with minor
scales? It's all here for you
WGBH has a wonderful webpage demonstrating five
instruments from Japan; you can click on their
pictures individually to hear the sound, or put more than one
together to create a larger composition. Try starting with one or two
and adding others after a few measures, then deleting some, etc. See
what you come up with! While looking at instruments and music from
other countries, check out our pages on "Music
From Where?" It includes Chinese music, traditional
Jewish music & Klezmer, Latin American Music and music from
India.
The Wayland Historical Society has a wonderful picture of a Wayland
Military Band from around the1890s. With the Society's
permission, I have posted this wonderful picture! Check it
out!
Looking for music supplies?? See our list of
local music stores.
Buying a new instrument?? Don't just buy
off the shelf! Get help from your child's private teacher or band
director; you don't want to end up with one of the "Band Quitter
Models" - see below for more info.
The
composer, Morton Subotnick, has created an interesting
website with some musical puzzles & beginning composing
games. He also has some GREAT composing software - one aimed
at ages 5 and up - MAKING MUSIC, and the other for older
kids (better for middle school) - MAKING MORE MUSIC. Both
treat composing music like finger-painting and make the
creative process fun and easy. I hope to have Making More
Music on my computer at school soon. http://www.creatingmusic.com/
NUCLEAR
WHALES SAXOPHONE ORCHESTRA is an interesting
group... on their website they say, "The entire "Family of
Saxophones" is featured - the tiny sopranino, the soprano,
alto, tenor, baritone, and bass and the rare and monstrous
6'8" contrabass (described by The Los Angeles Times as
"...an instrument with the stature of a power forward in the
NBA and a pitch that makes a foghorn sound effeminate.")
Together they create incredibly innovative music with a rich
ensemble sound covering an amazing range of over six
octaves." Click on the the contrabass sax below to go to
their website (how does anyone have enough air to fill that
thing????)
From
the Top. What an awesome radio program and
website for young musicians!! I just ran across the website
this summer & it has wonderful information for young
musicians - especially those who are serious about their
art. There are answers to questions you might have,
interviews with "pre-collegiate" musicians who have been on
the radio program (including Alex
Rabin, a former Wayland High School student & an amazing pianist!).
The radio
program, From the Top, is aired on WGBH Sundays at 6:00.
It is performances of pre-collegiate musicians from all over
the world and includes some interviews and information about
the person and music. Check it out!
Parents - there is also a lot of wonderful info for parents of musicians. You will find music terminology for nonmusical parents of musical kids. You will find questions to lots of other questions you might have like, what age is best for starting an instrument, practicing music vs. sports, supporting advanced musicians, waning interest, etc.
Finale
NotePad is a basic music
note writing program for both Macs & Windows
and is downloadable. It used to be free, but now it costs $10 or something very minimal (of course they are hoping
you will upgrade to one of their other more powerful products at some point.)
Coda Music puts out Finale which is the standard in music
writing programs - most professional musicians use it. They
also have another program called PrintMusic which is more flexible and powerful than NotePad. Then they
have the intermediate level, Allegro and the pro, Finale.
If you have been wanting to mess around with writing music
on your computer, I strongly recommend NotePad.
Download for Free at: http://www.finalemusic.com/notepad
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College / University Music Education students, click here... |
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Diane Muffitt: muffitt@bandnotes.info |