I hope everyone had a restful Thanksgiving Break.  I'm grateful that my students are coming back restored and ready to make progress on their instruments.

Does your child have a time and place to practice in the evening?  Is it too noisy for the rest of the family?  One way students can practice quietly and still gain the benefit of practice is to focus their attention on the notes, rhythms and fingerings and to blow into the instrument very gently or to bow very gently across the strings.  The goal here is to strengthen note reading skills rather than improving tone quality.   

All students should be making videos to submit to my google classroom so I can assess their skill and give feedback.  The easiest way to create and submit videos is on the school chromebook.

Music supplies, i.e., music stand, music themed jewelry, socks and the like not only make great gifts but also show your support for their love of music.

BEGINNING ORCHESTRA (VIOLIN AND CELLO) - All students should be practicing with the bow as shown on pages 18-20.  Please go over the bow hold checkpoints with your child (page 21-22).  The first sounds made with the bow are often scratchy.  To get a better sound the bow must have rosin on the hair, it must travel straight across the strings and there must be some weight (the index finger pushes down on thebow stick).  Students are working on an alternating bow direction; pushing and pulling the bow, also known as up and down bow.  They need to practice making a quick switch from one string to another and to change bow direction at the same time.  Practice slow to go fast!  All of these concepts are covered in the Orange Belt. 

Students should be practicing Serenata and Hootenanny and submitting videos of their belt tests exercises.

ORCHESTRA 2 students are close to having  Good King Wenceslas, Dreidl and Jingle Bells memorized.  Have them perform them for you!    They will perform these, from memory, in December during the school day by "caroling" around campus during their lesson time.  They are learning to read notes on the staff and should have memorized the notes D up to D on the staff.  

BAND 2 students are close to having Jingle Bells, Dreidl, and Jolly Old St Nick memorized. They will perform these in December during the school day by "caroling" around campus during their lesson time. They have also been learning new songs from pages 10-17.  

MAY is ALL about Spring Concerts.  Personally, I have already played in two concerts with the DVC Band and the West County Winds (a community group) and it's only May 8th.  My son, a bass and guitar player, has already played in a concert with the DVC Philharmonic and will play in another with his Rock Combo later this week, plus a jazz festival in Benicia on May 20.  Look around and you will see that live music is happening everywhere!  Go out and enjoy it.

In school settings May is when all students (k-16) are required to show what they've learned in the previous 9 months whether that be through written exams, state testing, physical fitness tests, or other forms of stress inducing displays of understanding.   In our school music programs the SPRING CONCERT  is how we demonstrate all that has been learned in the previous 9 months.  Most performers feel stress leading up to the performance, put in effort to perfect their performance and experience nervousness during the performance but unlike written "academic" tests, performers get immediate positive feedback from their audience which creates in each performer a feeling of accomplishment and pride.  In addition, bands and orchestras  require a team effort; every team member contributes to the whole experience of being a part of something larger than him or herself.  The rewards are easy to overlook but so valuable, especially to the child just starting out.

Please check for the Spring Concert date for your child below.  All concerts start at 6pm but students should arrive between 5:30 and 5:45.   Assembly performances will be held during the school day for students but parents are also welcome.  All students borrowing a school instrument will leave the instrument at school after the evening concert.

Holbrook May 10 at 6pm  (assembly May 22 am)

Hidden Valley, May 16 at 6pm  (assembly May 22 1:30pm)

Valhalla, May 17 assembly at 10:30am, concert at 6pm

Sequoia, May 23 assembly at 1:05pm, concert at 6pm

Strandwood, May 24 assembly at 12:00pm, concert at 6pm

Lastly, I want to thank each of you for your support of your child's journey into the world of instrumental music.  I sincerely hope this is just the beginning of a lifetime of music making for them.  I am so grateful to my parents for letting me sign up for band in 5th grade, their patience with my squeaky clarinet, providing private lessons, coming to my concerts, and encouraging me to go into teaching music.  I didn't know it then but it turned out to be my life's work.  

Looking forward to seeing you at the concert!   Mrs. Bromley