Welcome back to my originally scheduled program! With starting back up for the new year, getting back into the groove of things, handing out new music and trying to get and keep my family healthy from all of the nasty germs out now, January sure FLEW by! Last week was a short week for me (and the rest of the music/band/choir departments in NSD2) as we all attended the IMEA All-State Conference in Peoria. I look forward to this conference every year. It is at the perfect time of year, for me at least. I'm always so excited to get back to school and start new music and get back to the basics with the book we'd neglected for a few weeks before the Winter concert, but then after a few weeks, I get a little down. I don't know why. Maybe it's because it's cold outside (although not really this year!) or because we don't have a concert looming right over our heads. But the IMEA conference always re-energizes my passion for teaching your children!
While the K-12 music/orchestra/band/choir teachers are busy for three days attending sessions about teaching practices, new products, repairing instruments, including technology into our teaching, etc., there are the best of the best of the high school band, orchestra and choir students from all over the state who are participating in rehearsals to get ready for a huge concert at the end of the weekend. Here's a picture of them all
It's hard to see, but they were all rehearsing a combined piece of music. I tried to estimate how many children there were. The range I got was around 500-600 students! To hear all of those children making such extraordinarily beautiful music together was completely moving and amazing. I attended a concert by a middle school jazz band on Thursday. I was struck with how competent and talented this group was, but what moved me the most was how much pride was apparent by the looks on their faces after performing such intricate music and how much fun they seemed to have making it!
I think I have high (but absolutely attainable) standards, I expect my students to do their homework and be ready for their rehearsals. Those standards are important because that's when the fun can really happen. I went to another clinic about learning how to improvise (or make up music on the spot) and how to teach my students to do that. The clinician said something along the lines of, "Practice=Preparation...Preparation=Comfort...Comfort=Confidence." It made so much sense. I think I will make a sign for my rooms that conveys this message.
I'm not trying to harp on the practice thing (ok, maybe a little!) because on the whole, my groups at RGS and SGS are doing an AMAZING job! We have been preparing music for an in-school concert in March. This concert will be during the school day (no evening performance) and it will serve as a demonstration concert for the 4th graders so they can start getting excited about band for next year. Each instrument group will play a short song to demonstrate their instruments and the full band will play 2 or 3 songs. We're close to being able to play one of those songs all the way through! SGS's in-school concert will be on Tuesday, March 20 at 2:45pm. The concert at RGS will be the next day, Wednesday, March 21 at 2:45. Feel free to attend! There will be no specific concert dress for this performance since it is during the school day.
And don't forget to mark the big combined May concert on your calendar! It's Tuesday, May 8 at 7:00pm at NMS. Have a great week! As always, feel free to call or email with any questions or concerns
Amanda Storer
678-6726
