Prairie Winds Band Grades 5-8
IF YOU ARE IN RED WING BAND 7/8: Please take this Google forms survey (it it literally only one multiple choice question!) that will help us determine the direction of our band for the spring term. Thanks for doing this promptly so that I can start planning for our return to in-person instruction!
JANUARY 2021: As our school division is not allowing any wind instruments to be played at this time, all traditional Band instruction is on hold. Head over to the Ukulele tab on this website to find your assignment for this week if you are in Band 5-6 at Red Wing, or Band 5-8 at Spruce Home or Christopher Lake!
Are you at home without your instrument? Do you want access to it? If you are interested in getting your instrument back, please fill out this Google Form and let me know!
Instrumental Solos of the Week
Every week I will post one or two solos from the Standard of Excellence Festival Solos books. Book 1 is suitable starting from Grade 5, while Book 2 is more advanced (usually good for Grade 7-8). The links to all the sheet music you will need to learn and play along with me, as well as the accompaniment tracks so you can have an at-home performance, are listed below (more instruments are coming for Book 2 so if you don't see your instrument, don't worry, it's coming)! If you want to do a private lesson over Zoom, contact me and we can arrange a time to play and learn some music together, refresh your memory for note reading or fingerings/valve combinations, anything you want!
Bagatelle
Book 1 Solo
Rondeau
Book 2 Solo
Past Weeks' Solo Features (In Case You Missed Them!)
Dance Song
One of my FAVOURITE Book 1 solos! I absolutely love this one.
Minuet and Trio
Book 2 Solo
Capriccio
Book 1 Solo
Little March
Book 2 Solo
Wooden Shoe Dance
This is the piece Hailey won her bass clarinet scholarship for! Liz also played this on her clarinet and rocked it!
Cavatina
Aaron played this on his trumpet at Festival this year! (Wooden Shoe Dance and Cavatina are both from Book 1)
The Sleigh Ride
By Mozart himself!
March from "Scipio"
Casey, Ella, and Liz played this solo at Festival this year. Gets clarinet players going over the break and brass up to the third partial!
Menuett
(March from "Scipio" and Menuett are both from solo Book 1)
Dance from Orpheus and Eurydice
(Book 2 solo of the week)
Book 1 - Melody
Jayce and Ella played this one at Music Festival this year. It's a beautiful piece - check it out!
Book 1 - Springtime Waltz
Audrey and Casey performed Springtime Waltz at the PA Music Festival in early March. With 3 beats in a bar this one has me dancing!
Book 2 - Ancient Ayre
Fionnlagh played this one at Festival this year.
Book 2 - March from the Overture to "The Occasional Oratorio"
I hope your love for this piece isn't too much for you to "Handel" (har har)!
Things To Check Out If You Don't Have Your Instrument
Mozart's Rondo Alla Turca...
... like you've never seen it before! This university student finger snaps Rondo Alla Turca in a stunning display of agility... and my fingers hurt just watching this! I challenge you to pick a song this week and film yourself snapping along with the recording, then send it to me!
Bugs Bunny conducting
Check out how fast the orchestra responds! Maybe I need to do some studying with the rabbit himself. Think of how amazing our bands will sound!
Alvamar Overture by James Barnes
My all-time favourite piece of band music! And also the hardest piece of band music I've ever played in my life - I had just graduated grade 12 and I played this at the International Music Camp (www.internationalmusiccamp.com). The third page totally kicked my butt! It still stands as the most rewarding piece I've ever played, and I just absolutely adore almost about everything about it!
The Balkan Paradise Orchestra
The Balkan Paradise Orchestra is a wonderful group of musicians from Spain. They won't let COVID-19 lockdown stop them from making music!
Prelude from Bach Cello Suite
Every time I see this video it just blows me away. Prelude from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 arranged for bass clarinet. Count how many times he breathes while playing.... then Google "circular breathing" and prepare to be mindblown!
Greg Patillo - Beatboxing Flute
Have you ever seen someone beatbox? Beatboxing is also referred to as "vocal percussion" and consists of lots of percussive sounds meant to sound like drums and cymbals, but all of the sounds are made with the human voice. Beatboxing by itself is cool, but beatboxing WHILE PLAYING THE FLUTE?! This guy is next level. Meet Greg Patillo, a beatboxing flute player. Everything this guy does is pure gold.
Trumpet Wedding Fail
Folks, if you are going to provide music for a wedding service, I urge you to practice and show up well-prepared! Maybe nerves got the best of this trumpet player, but whatever happened here.... I'm sure it made the ceremony memorable for the bride and groom (oh boy)!
Fun With Cleaning Instruments
