My, my, how time flies. I truly cannot believe that we are three days away from Thanksgiving break!!
I was very thrilled with how well ALL of the students performed at the Fall Concert in October. The positive feedback that myself and the students received from those in attendance was overwhelming, and well deserved. The amount of confidence the students performed with, and the ability to perform AS A GROUP was quite impressive for the first concert of the year. I am certain that each group has a lot of potential, and that this first concert really set the tone for how much these groups could improve over the course of the year if they work hard.
We were lucky to have a wonderful Veteran's Day Assembly on November 11 to honor those that have served this country. Many students were shocked to discover our very own accompanist, my mother, is a veteran of the National Guard! Chamber Choir provided the singing of the National Anthem at the beginning of the assembly, and all choir students were included in the performance of "America, the Beautiful". Again, the response from those in attendance was a positive one. Music can always set the tone of an event, and even a simple melody-line, sung in unison, by a group of young people, can be a powerful thing.
In the midst of 2nd quarter there tends to be a drop in motivation and effort by students (and teachers). It is one of the toughest parts of the school year, as everyone is getting run-down, and has a ton of things swarming their thoughts. Unfortunately, it is also one of the busiest times of the year in the music world, as so many community performance opportunities come into play. The most important thing to remember is, every moment of rehearsal counts. Whereas our concert is 4 calendar weeks away, we only have about 10 class rehearsals left due to all the out-of-building performances. Progress must be made at the end of each day, which requires focus, motivation, and dedication on everyone's part. Likewise, for Noteworthy, who has 7 performances before the actual concert, every performance is equally important; each audience deserves an equally outstanding performance.
With that, I will be signing off for tonight. Here's to a successful (and busy) holiday season - Happy Thanksgiving!!
I was very thrilled with how well ALL of the students performed at the Fall Concert in October. The positive feedback that myself and the students received from those in attendance was overwhelming, and well deserved. The amount of confidence the students performed with, and the ability to perform AS A GROUP was quite impressive for the first concert of the year. I am certain that each group has a lot of potential, and that this first concert really set the tone for how much these groups could improve over the course of the year if they work hard.
We were lucky to have a wonderful Veteran's Day Assembly on November 11 to honor those that have served this country. Many students were shocked to discover our very own accompanist, my mother, is a veteran of the National Guard! Chamber Choir provided the singing of the National Anthem at the beginning of the assembly, and all choir students were included in the performance of "America, the Beautiful". Again, the response from those in attendance was a positive one. Music can always set the tone of an event, and even a simple melody-line, sung in unison, by a group of young people, can be a powerful thing.
In the midst of 2nd quarter there tends to be a drop in motivation and effort by students (and teachers). It is one of the toughest parts of the school year, as everyone is getting run-down, and has a ton of things swarming their thoughts. Unfortunately, it is also one of the busiest times of the year in the music world, as so many community performance opportunities come into play. The most important thing to remember is, every moment of rehearsal counts. Whereas our concert is 4 calendar weeks away, we only have about 10 class rehearsals left due to all the out-of-building performances. Progress must be made at the end of each day, which requires focus, motivation, and dedication on everyone's part. Likewise, for Noteworthy, who has 7 performances before the actual concert, every performance is equally important; each audience deserves an equally outstanding performance.
With that, I will be signing off for tonight. Here's to a successful (and busy) holiday season - Happy Thanksgiving!!