Good luck this weekend to Brandon & Adèle, who have each earned the opportunity to audition for the All-State band and orchestra at James Madison University.  Congratulations, and play well!!!

Also:  new swap list is posted in the Current Students section.

Congratulations to all students who auditioned for District Band yesterday.  I'm extremely proud of your hard work and preparation.  

Our studio had many students make the band this year. Extra congratulations go to the following students:
District 10 Middle School:
Kristen H. (3rd chair)

District 11 Middle School:
Jamie F.
Blake E.
Ali V.
Jackson S.

District 11 High School:
Brandon K. (5th overall - this makes Brandon eligible for an All-State Band audition!)
Marian N.
Alison O.

District 12 High School:
Adèle W. (also eligible for All-State audition!)

Well done!

***Required Listening Assignment is at the end of this post***

Most of you know that I believe listening to live music is one of the most important activities for young musicians.  That's why I'd like you to check out this video.  From now until January 9, you can watch the New York Philharmonic's "Live from Lincoln Center" New Year's Eve broadcast.  I'm having trouble embedding the video on here, so click here to go to the PBS website.  If the link doesn't work, here's the website:  http://www.pbs.org/programs/live-from-lincoln-center/

I love this concert for many reasons:  it's my favorite city, since I grew up in New York and later returned to go to grad school in the city, my favorite orchestra playing some of my favorite pieces by two of my favorite composers, Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin.  To top it off, my amazing former teacher, Ricardo Morales, is the soloist playing the famous opening lick of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.  So really, for me, this is one of my favorite concerts ever.

You can watch the video in it's entirely, but if you'd like to listen to individual pieces, you can do that too. Here are the pieces with the timed locations on the video:  
Bernstein, Overture to Candide  02:55
Gershwin, Concerto in F    10:00
Bernstein, Symphonic Dances from West Side Story  1:00:00
Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue  1:30:00

REQUIRED LISTENING:  At the 52:00 minute mark, there is a feature on the clarinet solo and an extended (several minute) interview with Mr. Morales. PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS and the BEGINNING 2 MINUTES OF RHAPSODY IN BLUE. I will be asking questions about this in your lessons this week (next week for Tuesday students).

I am, of course, talking about district band audition time!  :)  District 10's auditions are this Saturday (good luck, Kristen!) and Districts 11 & 12 will hold auditions on Saturday, January 7.   For all students auditioning:  prepare as thoroughly and meticulously as possible.  Use your metronome to practice all parts of the audition.  Use the recordings in the Current Students section on here.  Slow down your chromatic scale, clean up any little problem spots, and then speed it back up again.  Make sure your scales are perfect, and make them perfect 10 times out of 10.  Remember all the things we've talked about in your lessons.

Good luck this weekend to Amina & Alison, who are performing in the very first concert given by the Northern Virginia Youth Winds!!  I'm so proud of them both for trying out something new, and working so hard at it.  This is such a fun and impressive group, and it's conducted by my former director, Denny Stokes.  Please go hear them... you will be happy you did.  It's at Oakton HS on Sunday, December 11 at 4:00 pm.

Next week will be the last week of lessons in 2011.  There will be no lessons December 16-January 2.  We will resume our regular schedule on Tuesday, January 3.  

Thank you for stopping by to see my redesigned site!  Here are a few reminders:
- Thanksgiving week lessons:  There will be lessons on Tuesday only this week.  NO LESSONS on Wednesday or Thursday.

- Check out the Current Students page for your District Band audition etude.  Please listen to the recording and practice with your metronome.

- Remember to mark your calendars for Sunday, May 20 at 4:00pm... our recital!