Band
About Band
Our Spring Concert is coming up soon, on Thursday, May 30. The concert starts at 7:00 PM and is a "dress up" event. Please see the letter to parents attached below (also sent home with students) for complete information. Be practicing and preparing your music!
Before that, we will be marching in the Memorial Day Parade in Newport on Monday, May 27. The parade starts at 10:00 AM. Be memorizing "Cheyenne" and the cadence! We are also responsible for performing three patriotic pieces at the ceremonies in Gardner Park. Again, please see the letter to parents attached below for complete information. If you are able to help in any of the capacities listed, please contact Mr. Storrings.
Rehearsals
Band class meets every A and C day. Students should be prepared with their instrument, drum sticks, band music, and other reference materials for every class meeting
Lessons
Students should be attending or making up lessons to demonstrate their proficiency on concert pieces and marching music, and to ask for any help needed.
Attention, percussionists
All NCUJHS percussionists should have:
- their own pair of matched drumsticks to bring to each rehearsal
- their own copy of the lesson book
- a drum OR a practice pad to practice on at home.
Links to recordings of current concert pieces we are preparing:
Cheyenne
Recording from the publisher
All Through the Night
This is a beautiful folk song from Wales. It requires lyrical playing at a slow tempo. Recording from the publisher.
Dark Ride
This exciting piece makes much use of segments of the chromatic scale. It is intended to be played at a very fast tempo--but practice slowly at first! Recording from the publisher.
This recording is of a live concert performance by a middle school band. Nice job!
Enter Sandman
A classic rock tune by the heavy metal band, Metallica--and also the Yankee Stadium theme song of the great relief pitcher Mariano Rivera. We need to play the syncopated rhythms accurately, and observe all the special articulation markings. Recording from the publisher.
Dance of the Witches
Composed by John Williams, this is the theme music to the 1987 movie The Witches of Eastwick. We will be working on a new time signature, 6 /8, and will also have some chromatic passages to work out. This is the soundtrack recording from the movie, to give you an idea of the piece. It is an older band arrangement and no recordings of our actual arrangement seem to be available.
