Top 3 Areas to Improve Before Hutchinson Festival
1. Note Length
2. Intonation
3. Balance
REHEARSAL AGENDA:
1:50 - in seats with instrument and music ready to play
1:51 - Discuss what we need to improve, listen to judge's tape
2:10 - Warmup
3:15 - "Spitfire"
1. Note Length
- Sustain notes for their full value, connect them to the next note, blow through barlines
- Don’t breath in the middle of a phrase; stagger breathing for longer phrases as necessary
- More control with breath support; fill lungs at every opportunity and fully engage diaphragm
2. Intonation
- Listening is the most important skill we use in band!
- Singing will also help
- Chorales will also help
3. Balance
- Know who has the melody!
- "At Twilight": bring out quarter notes & 8th notes, back off half notes & whole notes
- "Spitfire": as each new section enters, other melody sections should back off
REHEARSAL AGENDA:
1:50 - in seats with instrument and music ready to play
1:51 - Discuss what we need to improve, listen to judge's tape
2:10 - Warmup
- Long Tones (piano)
- Scale Study (forte)
- Tune
- Tempo (faster)
- Maximize dynamics
- Bring out melody
- Sus. roll measure 1
- SUSTAIN NOTES FULL VALUE
- PHRASING
- Isolate non-melody
- LISTEN for intonation and constantly be adjusting!
- Tempo at 16 (faster)
- More crescendo at 28
- More accent measure 30 beat 2
- Clarinets at 31 - watch!
- Don't "clip" the 8th note measure 35 beat 3
- Measure 35 more crescendo, bigger!
- 38-39 more diminuendo, bring out flute/ob/clar
- 40 - saxes, SOFT, GENTLE!!!
- 46-47 more accent, get softer and then crescendo the whole note, NO BREATH!!!
- 48 climactic - BIG & BOLD!
- Measure 52 beat 2 - crash and bass drum
- 56 to the end - isolate each group (count!!!)
- stagger breathe as necessary
3:15 - "Spitfire"
- Articulations / style - staccatos light and bouncy, accents aggressive
- Balance each new section (first strain)
- Trumpet counter-melody
- Percussion parts
- Last measure - slight rit. / broadening last 2 beats