February 2011
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From the Podium
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/
January 2011
10 posts
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New Jazz Music!
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.
Sorry - False Alarm!
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...
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This Week in Band!
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...
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New Music
I’ve just uploaded the parts to our newest rep selection - Dry Your Tears, Africa by John Williams. Please download for Monday night!
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Monkey See.....
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.
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Tuesday Afternoon Workshop
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...
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Disney 2011 Canceled
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...
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This Week in Band!
Welcome back to school everyone! This week in Band we’ll be starting Concert Band and Wind Ensemble again Monday night from 6pm to 8:30pm. We will be staying as late as it takes in order to sight read through some new repertoire including:
Ahrirang
Selections from Carmen
Three Chinese Miniatures
Italian Holiday
2 Hebrew Folksongs
Everyone should have already printed their parts for...
December 2010
10 posts
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New Birdland for 2011! Check out the arrangement...
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New recordings and vids →
Some new content online. Recordings of Jazz A Band and Concert Band & new Jazz Ensemble vid too!
Ads & Boosters! →
Ad and Booster forms posted with tips!
Choir Practice...
Winds performing with choir on Friday have practice tomorrow after school. Anyone who cannot attend please inform Megale ASAP.
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Jersey Gardens 12/4
Unfortunately our Jersey Gardens appearance is canceled due to my busted toe! Get your chuckles out now - Mr. P’s toe is broken. Yes - even I think it’s funny.
Unfortunately the mall couldn’t reschedule. So sorry for anyone who’s disappointed - thanks to all for understanding. My toe will be enjoying the numbing sensations of an ice pack all weekend long!
Our remaining...
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You Know You've Been in the Band Too Long When... →
I especially like number 59!
November 2010
2 posts
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Concert Band Rep Online
All of the Concert Band and Wind Ensemble repertoire is now online at PBWorks. All section leaders please try to make sure that the members of your section are downloading and printing their own parts. Of course, before they do that they need to become members of PBWorks - please encourage everyone to do so ASAP.
Along with the parts are recordings of the rep. Everyone should download the rep...
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Jazz Band on TV!
This Wednesday night Cablevision will be conducting interviews with the Jazz Ensemble for an upcoming special about the group. Selected students will be interviewed along with Mr. P. and they will tape the band rehearsing. The spot will air on Cablevision channel 18 around Nov. 29th. Upperclassmen will be asked to arrive early for rehearsal - at 5:00 pm - for interviews.
ALSO! Don’t...
October 2010
9 posts
1 tag
Band Jackets Deadline Extended!
There were only 11 people that did not pay their jacket money by the Friday deadline. We also have a few people missing confirmed graduation info and name/instrument info so we are extending the deadline for the 11 people already sized until this Wednesday, 11/3. The total is still $175. We will not be taking anymore orders, but the 11 people who did not pay now have until Wednesday!
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Concert Band Tunes →
Marching Band music is now offline - New Concert Band parts and recordings are up!
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Judges Tapes from 10.16 online! →
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BHS Band Takes 1st!
Bayonne’s performance at tonight’s show in South Plainfield was amazing! Students took first place, Best Music, and Best Overall Effect. Judges tapes will be online by Sunday evening. All members need to check out judges comments before next rehearsal!
GREAT JOB!
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Weekend Info Online →
Get times and directions for USSBA events on 10/16 and 10/24!
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Critique Tapes from USSBA 10.7 →
Critique tapes for music and percussion online at Band’s members website - password required.
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Weekly Announcements
The BHS Band had a great performance this past Saturday! This week we prepare for the South Plainfield show and next week’s championship performance. Some big announcements this week:
Lion King on Broadway date is November 2nd - money due by Thursday 10/14!
New Band Jacket Sale! money and sizing over the next two weeks. Jackets will cost $175 each and will be customized!
This week’s...
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Pulaski Day 2010
Great day today! It was a beautiful day in New York City today, a perfect day for a parade. The students did a wonderful job and performed very well. Pictures and movie clips will be posted soon! Kudos BHS Marching Band!
September 2010
1 post
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USSBA This Week!
This Saturday we will perform in our first USSBA competition in Piscataway, NJ. I know that’s also SAT day for many students, so we will not be rehearsing that morning. Reporting time will be 12:00 pm!
This week also marks our FIRST BHS home football game. Every student needs to be there for this important game - we need to rock the stands on Friday Night! We’;; be performing all...
August 2010
7 posts
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Getting Ready!
Everyone did a great job at band camp. Our final performance was very good and we’ll be posting a video of the performance tomorrow. Our next rehearsal for the percussion and winds is on Wednesday evening from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm and the guards next sectional is Tuesday from 3:30 to 6:00 pm.
I’m also looking for some volunteers to come into school on Tuesday afternoon...
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“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”
– Aristotle
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Changes in This Week's Schedule
Due to the weather and some transportation problems, our performance at Dorney Park and Wild Water Kingdom will be postponed until Wednesday. The band rehearsal and Band Booster meeting that were originally scheduled for Wednesday evening will now take place on Monday evening - same time at 6:00 pm.
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Mr. P's Critique of Tonight's Rehearsal. →
Today was our first “official” rehearsal of the 2010 Marching season, and while it didn’t as well as I wished musically, overall it was a very BIG success! As I’m going to be asking EVERYONE to start keeping their own practice journal (which should include entries regarding rehearsals too!) I will be starting my own online journal at our class blog The Bayonne Music...
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The Entire Show Online
The entire show “The Circle of Life” is now online in both PDF and Scorch formats. Everyone is responsible for having all of their music for next week! More band camp announcements to follow!! Go to the Band Music page in the member’s section of our website to download your parts now!
July 2010
7 posts
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New Music!
He Lives in You has just been published online as Scorch and PDF files. The King of Pride Rock files have also been fixed and work properly. Everyone please print out your own parts for all music by Monday evening.
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Band Camp Fees are Past Due!
August is quickly approaching and band camp fees are long overdue. As of today, only 6 or 7 students have paid their band camp fees! This means that we will not be going to Dorney Park unless everyone gets their camp fees in ASAP!
You have two options: 1. Bring your camp fee to the next rehearsal next Monday evening, OR 2. Mail your camp fee to me at my home (not the school as we won’t...
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New Parts and PDF files
The Circle of Life and King of Pride Rock are now completed and online. ALL of the parts are now available including pit percussion.
I’ve also uploaded simple PDF files and mp3 recordings of each song, all located here on the Band Music page in the members’ section of our website.
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New Edition of Circle of Life
OK Band - our arrangement of “The Circle of Life” has been changed for the last time. The new edition is subtitled “Final Edition - July 2010” Please be sure your copy has this subtitle.
After speaking with George about our arrangement I went ahead and changed the upper woodwind parts at the end - the difficult runs are out of the winds for the most part, but this new...
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New Circle Parts
Tonight we’ll be getting a revised edition of The Circle of Life with a different ending - don’t worry - only the last few bars are different. I’ve also added scorch files/parts for the mallets, timpani, and drum set. Check out the new parts here (password required) - and see you tonight at 6:00 pm!
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June 2010
3 posts
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New Music Online
The BHS Marching Band opener is now online here in Sibelius Scorch format. Students will need to download and install the Scorch plugin in order to view and playback parts.
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BHS Summer Permission Slips - Disney Handouts -...
We’ve posted PDF files of several different documents for all to download. These include:
Disney welcome letter and parent contract
Summer Band Camp handouts and info
Summer permission slips for camp, Dorney Park, and The Lion King
You can download the forms here on the Band Members section of our website. Please remember that you will need the login and password to our members section...
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Weekly Announcements
Marching Band 2010 starts tonight! 6:00 pm in the band room - The Circle of Life show kicks off with our warm up piece “This Land” and our opener “The Circle of Life”. Hope to see everyone there!
Also - this week - all members please visit our website and complete all online info forms! Thanks!