Check out my blog talkaboutmusic for my latest post about tonight’s rehearsal. Keep it in mind for next week!

http://talkaboutmusic.edublogs.org/2011/02/01/from-the-podium/

Just did the Edublogs teacher’s challenge about avatars and had to share this with everyone - me as a South Park character. I think it’s pretty accurate - no? Here’s where you can make your own!

Just posted Calle Ocho at the Band PBWorks wiki. Jazz Ensemble - check it out - listen to the scorch - and print your parts. This is an easy tune that will feature solo trumpet, alto sax, and flute. We’re also adding Latin percussion (of course) Will be working on Afternoon in Paris, Afro Blue, and Ran Kan Kan this week.

Ok everyone - sorry for the false alarm - Dr. McGeehan’s secretary just called to say that she’d prefer to move the presentation to February. She does not want people traveling in this weather. So STAY HOME please! Please spread the word! Make sure everyone you know in band gets this message.

At least this was a good test of the Band’s emergency broadcast system! Ha! Hope everyone had a great snow day!

Monday 1/24 - Concert Band & Wind Ensemble - we’ll be recording again and going over some NEW rep including Mazama, Dry Your Tears- Africa, and Brazilian Folk Dance Suite. Please try to have all music ready and prepared for this rehearsal. All parts are online at our class Wiki

Tuesday 1/25 - 3:00pm - 4:30pm Our Ocarina Class - students will create their own ocarinas from clay and have an opportunity to perform on their instruments in the spring tour with Mazama. Follow-up workshop will be on February 1st.

Wednesday 1/26 - Snow in the forcast!? Again!? Let’s hope not as we have Jazz Ensemble rehearsal that evening! We’ll be working on new vocal rep with SFA soloists!

Thursday 1/27 - ending a busy week at the Bayonne Board of Education meeting - the BBOED will be honoring the marching band for third place in the USSBA Division 1A championships and our Division 1a 1st place Percussion and Color Guard!

Bee There!

I’ve just uploaded the parts to our newest rep selection - Dry Your Tears, Africa by John Williams. Please download for Monday night!

I’ve been busy on my own personal blog - a journal about teaching and being me… check it out at http://talkaboutmusic.edublogs.org/. I plan to keep this up with hopes that it’s contagious.

Next Tuesday, January 18th, Mrs. Mason has set up a special workshop for our band members immediately after school in the Ice Rink Multipurpose room. Our students will be making their own ocarinas for use in our performance of Mazama. 30 BHS band students will model their own ocarinas from clay over two workshops. Sign-ups are first come - first served, but any extra students may pair up in order to allow more students into the workshop. See Mr. Puchinsky in class for the sign-up sheet.

As many of you already know - our Disney trip for 2011 has been canceled due to lack of student participation and funding. We simply had too many students back out of their travel agreements this week and no longer have enough students to meet our travel contract.

Students who dropped out will not be receiving a refund. All other students, however, will receive a complete refund for their out-of-pocket payments. Our travel company has agreed to allow us to put our deposit of $50 per student, which has already been paid to the company, towards travel plans for 2012. Our band, however, will no longer be traveling based on individual student decisions, payments, and accounts. Mrs. Mason and I, along with the input and help of our new administrator Mr. Craig, have decided that if we are going to continue traveling with the BHS Band, we will be traveling all together as one band - which means that every member must contribute to fund raising and every member should attend the trip. We will no longer keep individual accounts for travel purposes - there will be one travel account for the entire band, and each member will have a list of choices for fund raising and/or out-of-pocket payments. Our Booster parents will also have to help out and start raising much more money in order to subsidize our travel plans. We will have more details and information within the next few weeks regarding the new travel arrangements and trip details for 2012. Next year’s theme is Classical Music, so we’re looking at either Washington DC (President’s Own Marine Band, tour of capital, American history) or Boston, MA (Boston Symphony, Boston Conservatory, Berklee Collage of Music, tour of city, American history)

Finally, the BHS Seniors and staff will be discussing alternate trip plans for this year. While we cannot do an overnight trip, we still have the option of running several day trips right here in the metropolitan area that will be able to make curriculum connections to this year’s multi-cultural theme.

Just ordered this for us to perform with the new Bayonne Community Choir! Dry Your Tears - Afrika - Check it out - John Williams is simply unbelievable. We will be cutting other rep to fit this in - it’s too awesome!