Greetings
It is hard to believe that it is already January!
I wanted to touch base briefly with all of our members about the upcoming solo
and ensemble festival in February. This is the second year we have done
this project, and I am very excited to see where we go this year. As parents
may or may not know, nearly all of our students have been working with experts
on their individual instrument for several months. Working with a
professional on your instrument is likely to be the most effective means of
inspiring one to get better and keep playing. In addition to
working on instrument basics, (And thus making a big difference for our
performing ensembles) these clinicians have given the students direction on
playing a solo or a small ensemble piece. Performing such a piece is a
vital aspect of being a complete musician. Large groups do not give the
individualized attention that each student deserves, and students can “fall
through the cracks”. As a capstone to this experience, students
will perform their piece at our district solo/ensemble festival for quality
adjudication by another professional on their instrument.
I am very encouraged by the progress we have made this year through this
program. I especially want all parents to be aware of some of the
upcoming details.
Date
The date of the festival is Sat. Feb. 25th, at
Cost
There is a registration fee of $15 per entry for the festival. This
covers the hiring of quality judges and reserves a time slot for the day.
Checks will need to be made to Aloha Band, and turned in to me by Feb.
11th. (If you have a small ensemble, you need to only pay $15 for the
time slot, not $15 per member)
In addition, if your student is playing a solo, most pieces require a piano
accompanist. I do not have the resources to provide each student with an
accompanist. There are a number of solutions to this situation. One
clinician is going to try to accompany as many students as possible herself (A
noble and generous thing indeed!). Another is bringing in one person to
cover all of the students for that instrument, and is going to try to to do
it as cheaply as possible. Some clinicians have assigned more ensemble
pieces, so the accompanist detail will not be as complicated. We are
going to to do our best to provide as much direction
for this detail as possible, but accompanists generally charge for their services.
If we have a motivated student who is working hard on a solo, and they
CANNOT afford an accompanist, I would like you to contact me. There may
be a small amount of scholarship money available to this end. Small
ensembles generally do not need accompanists. Accompanists can often get
the piece down and ready to go in one or two rehearsals.
Additionally, I have three volunteers who will assist in the accompanying of
your student, but they are limited in the number of pieces they can learn.
Contact me immediately if you would like me to put you in touch with one
of these volunteers.
PLEASE don’t wait until the last minute!
Please follow up with your child to see if they are playing a solo or an
ensemble, and see about the accompanist situation.
Grading
This is a part of our curriculum. Participation
in the various aspects of it (i.e. playing for the class, filling out self
assessments) will be graded for completion. If a student elects not to
participate in the solo/ensemble festival, or is unable to for some reason,
they will be required to perform in a solo/ensemble setting at another venue.
This will be very cumbersome for me to coordinate, and will not provide
the same educational feedback, so I strongly encourage students to take part in
the February Festival.
An additional Detail
If you are a student who has already performed your
solo for the class, and would feel more comfortable playing an ensemble piece
at the festival, that is perfectly acceptable. You will need to make sure
this is taken care of soon, as the festival is approaching quickly. Check
with your clinician or myself about this.
In Closing
This is a relatively new aspect of our program.
It is bound to have a few rough edges. The main motivation for me
to do this is that I believe that it has the greatest potential to inspire our
students, and improve musicianship for all of them. I know that many
students are very intimidated to play by themselves, and some may be resistant
to this project. I encourage students and parents alike to see this a
fabulous opportunity to conquer that fear!!
The festival is open to the public, and I encourage
family members and friends to come and support our excellent
students.
Thanks!
G Douglas Bundy
doug_bundy@beavton.k12.or.us