Week of Sept. 23

Practice Tip: Getting a strong, full sound. Warm up with a scale and watch your BOW. It should be halfway between the bridge and the fingerboard. The bow should be parallel to the bridge. Also watch the string and see how much you can make it vibrate.

Extra Credit – 5 points
This upcoming weekend Augustin Hadelich will be performing with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. What competition did he win in the last year? What instrument does he play? What piece will he be playing? What is the price range for a ticket for the concert?

Email your answers to eohly-davis@msdwt.k12.in.us or turn them in to the practice card box by Monday October 1.

FUNDRAISER STARTS SEPT. 26. Look for handouts to come home.

8th Grade Assignment:
Song of the Week: Zombies #6-22
Green Book pg. 26-27
Polishing Tango and Mythos for Oct. 8 concert
Zombies: Check note accuracy carefully (Eb’s!!!)
Don Quixote: practice slowly and speed up as much as you can
Rockin Halloween: 42-50 & 72-75 still ROUGH – please work on it

7th Grade Assignment:
Song of the Week: Medieval #19-43
Purple book pg. 13
Polishing Rigaudon and Medieval Wars for Oct. 8 concert – BOW DIRECTION!
Andantino and March: finish learning the notes
Creatures – new on Thursday!!

6th Grade Assignment:
Song of the Week:
EE2000 Book #22 – Lightly Row
Bowing – practice favorite rhythm on open string 20x with perfect bowhand
Review pg. 8-9
Quiz on #22 this week (Friday)
Look ahead to pg. 10-11 for NEW NOTES!

Week of Sept. 16

ISTEP WEEK – Do your best on the test!!

Practice Tip: Practicing for fun and therapy. This week is going to be very stressful and demand a lot of concentration from you. Take this week and play your instrument for fun and to relax. Some ideas include reviewing old songs, getting together with a friend to play, make up a new song (improvise!), figure out how to play your favorite song on the radio, play a mini concert for your family or pets, figure out all the weird sounds that your instrument can make. Good luck on ISTEP!

Extra credit question: Find the answer and email it to eohly-davis@msdwt.k12.in.us for 5 points extra credit. You may also turn it in on a piece of paper. Which composer wrote “Scheherezade?” List his birth and death dates, what period of music he was active in, and tell me what Scheherezade is about.

8th Grade Assignment:
Song of the Week: Don Quixote #13-end
Review all pieces

7th Grade Assignment:
Song of the Week: Medieval Wars #89-end
Review all pieces

6th Grade Assignment:
Song of the Week: Book #16
POSTURE POSTURE POSTURE!!! Make sure you are holding everything right and correcting yourself when you are not.
Review Essential Elements pages 6-9
Review Twinkle fingerings (on last week’s post, below)

Week of Sept. 9

Practice Tip: Repetition. Play short sections of music many times. Even if you know a section of music extremely well, playing it many more times will get that passage engrained in your fingers. You may even memorize a section. Memorization can free your mind to think about other issues such as phrasing, dynamics, and watching the conductor. Obviously, if you do not know a certain section well yet, you should also be doing many repetitions in order to learn and master it.

Concerts you may wish to attend:
*Sunday, Sept. 16: Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra with IVCI winner Celeste Golden. Indiana History Center, 5:30PM. violin.org
*Tuesday, Sept. 18: Meridian Piano Trio recital with Davis Brooks, violin, Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall, 7:30 PM, Butler Univ. 940-9246
*Wednesday, Sept. 19: Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio. Indiana History Center, 7:30PM. ensemblemusic.org
*Saturday, Sept. 22: Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra at Clowes Hall, Butler Univ. 8:00PM. "Planets" by Holst. indianapolissymphony.org. Same program offered Sunday, Sept 23 at 3:00PM.
*Friday, Sept. 28 at 8:00 and Sunday, Sept. 30 at 3:00PM "The Magic Flute" Opera by W. A. Mozart. Clowes Hall at Butler Univ. indyopera.org
*Friday, Sept. 28 and Saturday, Sept. 29 at 8:00PM at Hilbert Circle Theater, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra with Augustin Hadelich, violin - Gold Medal winner of 2006 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis. indianapolissymphony.org

8th Grade Assignment
Song of the Week: Tango #28-40
Green book pg. 24-25 All
Tango: All, play #62-63 15x daily for tuning and pizz/arco switch
Mythos: All, violins play #23-29 15x daily for tuning; violas #53-58 in 3rd postion 15x daily
Don Quixote: All
Halloween: All, speed up tempo at 59

7th Grade Assignment
Song of the Week: Rigaudon #26-42
Play quiz Wednesday: Rigaudon Violins & violas #18-34, Cellos #18-26, 34-42, Basses #34-50
Purple book pg. 12-15
Rigaudon: All, focus on small sections that are not going well yet
Medieval Wars: All, learn notes to last section
Andantino & March: Finish learning notes, clap all rhythms

6th Grade Assignment
Song of the Week: Hot Cross Buns (Play it 5x on 5 different days and mark your practice card!
F# E D- F# E D- DDDDEEEE F# E D-
SEE POST FROM AUGUST 29 TO REVIEW PRACTICE REQUIREMENTS AND CLUBS!!! The dates on your practice card may be missing this week. Just write down the days you practiced in a row at the bottom of the card. Don't forget that a parent needs to sign your card before turning it in on Monday, September 17.
Play Quiz Tuesday on #9 on page 5.
EE 2000 Book pg. 6-9
Bowing open strings with rhythms. GOAL: 20x on one rhythm with a PERFECT BOWHOLD. Stop often to double check if it still correct.
Notes for Twinkle
D D A A B B A- G G F# F# E E D-
A A G G F# F# E- A A G G F# F# E
D D A A B B A- G G F# F# E E D-

Week of Sept. 2

PRACTICE TIP: Play S-L-O-W-L-Y! Do not hurry through a part in the music that you cannot play well. Play each note individually or with a rhythm. Give yourself time to get to the next note correctly. Then add the original rhythm of the piece. Gradually speed up the tempo until you can play the passage flawlessly and up to tempo.

8th Grade Assignment:
Song of the Week: Don Quixote #1-13
Play quiz Wednesday: Start at #17. You will play quiz individually.
Mythos - All, focus on ending
Tango - All, focus on ending and measure #63
Don Quixote - slow practice for tuning and note accuracy
Rockin' Halloween - start at 42

7th Grade Assignment:
Song of the Week: Andantino #17-end
Andantino - All, especially 2nd half
Rigaudon - All, focus on style (short eighth notes!!)
Medieval Wars - Learn notes starting at #35
March - Begin learning notes

6th Grade Assignment:
Song of the Week: We will start Club 25 next week.
Essential Elements 2000 (EE2000) - pgs. 1-5, Play each exercise 5-10x PIZZICATO (plucking!)
Learn parts of instrument for QUIZ FRIDAY
Keep working on pencil bowhold and rhythms 10x daily
Open string songs for review and with bow 10x daily
Review left hand "magic x" and "pop can hand" postures. Demonstrate the correct posture to a family member this week!