Hi all,

Our concert is coming up sooner than you may think! It’s in two weeks (!!) from this coming Sunday (2/18). Please make sure you’re practicing the entire repertoire on your own.

• Reminder: EVERYBODY should arrive by 3:45pm. Percussionists should arrive even earlier to set up.

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Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, February 18

• 4:00pm-5:30pm – Percussionists with Kevin
• 4:00pm-5:30pm – Trumpets and low brass: sectional in separate room on Pando and Tin Soldier
• 4:00pm-5:30pm – Beethoven: strings, woodwinds and FRENCH HORNS (!!)
  • Movs. 2 and 3

5:30pm-5:45pm – Break

• Tutti (including percussion and all brass)
  • 5:45pm-6:15pm – Pando: (tour repertoire, with touring guests)
  • 6:15pm-6:35pm: – Tin Soldier
  • 6:35pm-7:00pm – Lalo Cello Concerto (mov 1) – (no tour guests)

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Practice strategically! See you on Sunday.

Best,

Dr. G.

Photo by Richard Kolbell – “Just Jimmie” Concert, Jan 9, 2024

Hi all,

We are done with sectionals for the term. Please see below for this week’s plan.

• Trumpets and low brass: please note you’re not needed for the first half of rehearsal.
• Percussionists: please note that you will join the full orchestra during the second half of rehearsal.

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Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, February 11

• 4:00pm-5:30pm – Percussionists with Kevin
• 4:00pm-5:30pm – Beethoven
  • Movs. 1 and 2

5:30pm-5:45pm – Break

• Tutti (including percussion)
  • 5:45pm-6:15pm – Pando: [K] to end (alternate ending) – (tour repertoire, with touring guests)
  • 6:15pm-6:35pm: – Tin Soldier: read-through of whole piece with percussion
  • 6:35pm-7:00pm – Lalo Cello Concerto (mov 1) – (no tour guests)

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Thank you, happy practicing and see you on Sunday Feb 11.

Best,

Dr. G.

Photo by Richard Kolbell – “Just Jimmie” Concert, Jan 9, 2024

Hi all,

Well, we’re pretty much a month away from our concert. This term (January-February) always flies by. Also, we lost a rehearsal due to ice/snow. So, we have some work to do!!

Please make sure to practice EVERYTHING as soon as possible, but, as always, you may focus most of your attention from Sunday to Tuesday on what we *just* rehearsed, and from Wednesday to Saturday on what we are *about to* rehearse. Below is the plan for this coming Sunday (Feb 4).

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Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, February 4 (including sectionals!)

• 4:00pm-5:30pm – Percussionists with Kevin (please spend some time on Ives and Martin parts)
• 4:00pm-5:30pm – Tutti minus percussion:
  • 4:00pm-4:45pm – Pando: [G] to m. 213 (tour repertoire, with touring guests)
  • 4:45pm-5:30pm – “Tin Soldier:” beginning to m. 140.

5:30pm-5:45pm – Break

• 5:45pm-7:00pm – Sectionals
  • Woodwinds: Beethoven (flutes: make sure to ask Zach about special effect in Pando).
  • Strings, brass and timpani (Hank) – Beethoven movs. 4 & 5

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Thank you, happy practicing and see you on Sunday Feb 4.

Best,

Dr. G.

Photo by Richard Kolbell – “Just Jimmie” Concert, Jan 9, 2024

Hi everybody,

Thanks for a great first session on Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6. Below is our rehearsal plan for Sunday, January 28th.

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Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, January 28 (including sectionals!)

• 4:00pm-5:30pm – Percussionists with Kevin Schlossman (please look at Ives and Martin parts)
• 4:00pm-5:30pm – Tutti minus percussion:
  • 4:00pm-4:45pm – Reading of Charlie Martin’s “The Steadfast Tin Soldier”
  • 4:45pm-5:30pm – Reading of Nancy Ives’ “Pando” (tour repertoire, with touring guests)

5:30pm-5:45pm – Break

• 5:45pm-7:00pm – Sectionals
  • Horns – focus on Beethoven, movs. 1, 2 & 3
  • Trumpets – touch base on transposition for Beethoven, focus on Ives and Martin
  • Low brass – focus on Ives and Martin
  • Strings & Woodwinds – Beethoven movs. 1, 2 & 3 with RGR

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Thank you, happy practicing and see you on Sunday Jan 28.

Best,

Dr. G.

Photo by Richard Kolbell – “Just Jimmie” Concert, Jan 9, 2024

Hi everybody,

We will not have hard copies of “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” available this Sunday because the MYS office building has been closed all week due to the weather. So, we’ll focus our rehearsal this Sunday on Beethoven. My updated rehearsal plan is below.

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UPDATED Rehearsal Plan for Sunday, January 21 (including sectionals!)

• 4:00pm-5:30pm – Percussionists with Kevin Schlossman
• 4:00pm-5:30pm – Tutti minus percussion: Work on Beethoven‘s movements 5 and 4 (in that order)

5:30pm-5:45pm – Break

• 5:45pm-7:00pm – Sectionals on movements 5 and 4 of Beethoven
  • Violin 1 with Chien Tan
  • Violin 2 with Greg Ewer
  • Viola with Amanda Grimm
  • Cello/Bass with Nancy Ives
  • Woodwinds + brass with RGR

NOTE FOR HORNS AND TRUMPETS!! — You will need to transpose in the Beethoven Symphony. Check your parts carefully. I want you to practice transposing on this piece.

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Thank you, happy practicing and see you on Sunday Jan 21.

Best,

Dr. G.

Angry Bird (grabbed from Reddit)

Computer-generated audio of Charlie Martin’s “The Steadfast Tin Soldier”

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Hi everybody,

Thank you to those of you who submitted optional Leadership Auditions. Click the button below to see part assignments for our next concert on March 3, 2024. If you’re interested in leadership roles, or if you feel like I’m not giving you the opportunities that you would like, please make sure to submit an optional Leadership Audition for our June concert (details coming in the coming weeks).

NOTE FOR HORNS AND TRUMPETS!! — You will need to transpose in the Beethoven Symphony. Check your parts carefully. I want you to practice transposing on this piece.

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A picture of our wonderful Symphonic Wind Ensemble, conducted by Adam Eccleston on Dec 10, 2023