Week of Nov. 18

HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEK!

SOLO & ENSEMBLE FEES DUE THIS WEEK! $6 for an ensemble, $12 for a solo.

Travelling with instruments: Always make sure that instruments are in a "people-friendly" temperature. DO NOT check your instrument with the baggage or strap it to the roof rack of your car. Also make sure that nothing lays on top of an instrument in a soft case (cello & bass). The wood is more fragile than you think!

Practice cards are for extra credit this Monday - and many of you need it!! Please consider practicing!!

Song of the Week:
6th Grade: Ode to Joy on pg. 23
7th Grade: pg. 1 of your small ensemble piece
8th Grade: pg. 1 of you small ensemble piece

All students should be practicing/reviewing music from the recent weeks. See blogs below for more practicing assignments and ideas.

Week of Nov. 11

Extra Credit Question:

1) What is the role of the concertmaster in the orchestra?
2) How many concertmasters does the Indianapolis Symphony orchestra have?
3) What are their names?

For help with these questions go to wikipedia and www.indianapolissymphony.org then to About Us, The Orchestra, Strings.
Turn your answers in to the practice card box to earn your 5 extra credit points.

8th Grade Assignment:
Song of the Week: Halleluia from B-C
Continue learning notes for Ensemble pieces
Still - Lots of C# and F# on low strings, please remember high 3's and extentions
Halleluia - practice small sections at a time. Go one note or rhtyhm at a time if necessary.
Chanukah - check out the key changes throughout piece
Thanksgiving - Set metronome to 76 this week
Sleigh - Violin 1 work on smooth sections. Don't stop the bow

7th Grade Assignment
Song of the Week: Mission Song from 41 to repeat. Also practice that section for your quiz on Friday.
Continue working on notes in Ensemble pieces
Purple book pg 44 - Scales, do all and remember to change your finger patterns!!
Purple book pg 30-31 - new rhythms

6th Grade Assignment
Song of the Week: #80 Grandparents Day
Pg 21 - finish learning quiz
Pg 22-23
Holiday tunes - continue working on slur in Up on Housetop, begin learning B parts to all songs
Need note name help? Go to 8notes.com/games, click on Note Trainer. If you play viola, cello or bass, click on "settings" to change your clef practice to alto or bass clefs. See how fast you can get 100 notes correct!

Week of Nov. 4

Practice Tip: Everyone has new music this week. The most important aspect to learn first is the RHYTHM. Count and clap. Write in the counting in pencil. Airbow a section to feel how the bow needs to move.

No "song of the week" this week - my apologies for the tardy blog post.

8th Grade:
Green book - A minor scale
Solo & Ensemble music - see tip above
Perpetual - try speeding up tempo to 72. Use online metronome if you don't own one: www.metronomeonline.com
Sleigh - remember fast and light bows
New music - slow work for notes, count out all the new rhythms

7th Grade:
Purple - p. 26-27 finish learning
D & C scales - remember to change your finger patterns!
Solo & Ensemble music - see tip above
Mission song - practice the measures that are hard for you.

6th Grade:
Holiday tunes - see tip above
Book pg 20-21
Prepare quiz on bottom of p. 21
D scale