Announcements from Mr. Grush - 2/13/08

PLEASE READ

 

To save time and put greater focus on the music, I am writing my announcements here:

 

Congratulations - Tonight is the first concert for the 07-08 Beginning Band.  They have come amazingly far in six months and I am very proud of them!

 

Dixie Classic Band Festival, Friday, April 4 - Five groups from the Cary Academy Band Program will be participating: MS Band, MS Jazz Band, US Band, US Jazz Band, US Jazz Combo 3.  We will perform for adjudicators, receive written and recorded feedback, and receive a clinic session with one of the adjudicators after the performance.  Prior to this year, we have never taken more than 3 groups to a Festival at one time!  (see the back side of this page for an explanation of the difference between festivals and competitions.)

 

This evening’s concert is also a kind of “dress rehearsal” for the groups who will attend the Dixie Classic Band Festival.  For this reason, I have invited 3 band colleagues to judge our performances this evening, giving written and digitally recorded comments on what we do well and what we can improve.  So that we can focus on what we need to improve rather than an overall grade, I have asked them to grade us on 7 areas of our performance, but not to give us an overall rating (see the back side of this page for an explanation of the judging criteria).  I will be posting the judges’ written and digitally recorded comments on the band class web pages sometime next week.  Don’t be alarmed if you hear someone talking while we are performing!  Please welcome our adjudicators:

♫      Mr. Mark Beamish, former Director of Bands at Green Hope HS and previously at Sanderson HS

♫      Mr. Tom Jenner, Director of Bands at West Cary MS, previously at Enloe HS and Duke University

♫      Dr. Dwayne Wilson, Director of Bands at Campbell University and father of Brandon (’10)

 

Pops on the Quad, Thursday, May 8 - Yes, we will be back outside for our Spring concert.  All 6 groups performing tonight, as well as the US Drumline and the other 2 US Jazz Combos, will be playing at Pops on the Quad.  We will also recognize outstanding achievements by students and honor the class of ‘08.

 

Concert Etiquette Reminders:

♫      Please do not talk, make distracting movements, enter, or exit the auditorium while music is being played.

♫      Please turn off all “electronic distraction devices”.  Even vibrations or a lighted screen can be distracting to those around you.

♫      Please stay for the entire performance.

 

Moving equipment after the concert - The concert isn’t over until everything is put back in the correct place in the band room.  Please help move equipment after the concert.

 

Thank you parents . . . for having such wonderful children, supporting their musical interests, and for sharing them with Cary Academy!

 

Thank you students. . . for making the extra effort to continue to play in band.  You are the reason I am here.


Descriptions of Adjudication Criteria

 

TONE – sound quality

  • Beauty – does it sound good?
  • Blend – does it match others in the section?
  • Control – is it supported correctly, under-supported, or overblown?

 

INTONATION – tuning

  • Chords – notes played at the same time (vertical)
  • Melodic line – notes played one after another (horizontal)
  • Tutti – notes played by everyone together (tutti is Italian for “all”)

 

TECHNIQUE

  • Articulation – style of the note or notes (tongue, slur, accent, staccato, legato, etc.)
  • Facility – having to do with finger/hand technique
  • Precision – does the group play together or are they out of sync?
  • Rhythm – pattern(s) of note values (different than tempo – consistent speed of the beat)

 

BALANCE 

  • Ensemble – within the entire group, can you hear correct amounts of all parts?
  • Sectional – within each section, can you hear correct amounts of all parts?

 

INTERPRETATION

  • Expression – is the group just playing notes or does the music say something?
  • Phrasing – does the ensemble group notes together in a way that makes sense?
  • Style – a march should be played differently than a ballad.  Does the group play stylistically?
  • Tempo – consistent speed of the beat (different than rhythm – a pattern of note values)

 

MUSICAL EFFECT

  • Artistry – overall, does the music sound good?
  • Fluency – overall, does the music make sense?

 

OTHER FACTORS

  • Choice of music – too hard? too easy?  Does it call for 3 trumpets, but the band only has 2?
  • Instrumentation – do you have a good ratio of instruments? or 12 saxes, 8 trumpets, and 2 flutes?
  • Discipline – how is the stage presence of the group?
  • Appearance – Is the group neat looking?

 

Competition – An event at which groups are judged, ranked, and receive a rating and/or comments.

Festival – An event at which groups are judged, receive comments, and may opt for a rating.

Comments – Judges usually provide both written and tape-recorded comments of their opinions.

Ranking – Judging groups as compared to each other and awarding 1st, 2nd, 3rd place, etc.

Rating – Giving a “grade” based on standards, averaging the grade of each of the pieces performed.

Clinic – A workshop or session with a judge following a festival or competition performance.

 

Superior (I) is like an “A”

Excellent (II) is like a “B”

Average (III) is like a “C”

Fair (IV) is like a “D”

Poor (V) is like an “F”