Symphonic Winds - Superior!

The Dutch Fork Symphonic Winds were awarded with a Superior rating in Class V at the South Carolina Concert Band Festival.

I sincerely appreciate all the hard work all the students have done in order for us to accomplish what we have at festival this year. The future is looking brighter each day.

Concert Festival - Round 2

Today the Symphonic Winds will go to festival and perform in Class V. This means that they will be playing 2 grade 5 compositions. Again, the poor children, are being held to high standards. We could have taken much easier music and even played one grade 5 and one grade 4 and would still be classified as Grade V. Not us. We will be playing two of the most difficult grade 5 pieces. We could have even went in Class VI and played easier music but it really isn't about the "labels" to me. We have completed the work and today is chance for us to show off what we do everyday. We make music, we create, we share our talents...Everyday.

Concert Band - SUPERIOR!

The Dutch Fork High School Concert Band was awarded the rating of Superior at the South Carolina Concert Band Festival. They received a Superior rating in every caption in the sightreading area also. Way to go!

Concert Festival - Round 1

In just a few hours, the concert band and I will be performing for a rating (score) at Lexington High School as part of the South Carolina Concert Band Festival. This is our younger group and we will be performing in Class III. I am very proud of them already. This group has perhaps improved more in the past 3 months than any group I have ever taught. The truth is that we have already met our goal. But as the saying is "To Know, You Must Go!" meaning that to know what you have really accomplished and to be able to build on events, you must attend them. Are we perfect? No. Is a Superior rating a sure thing? No. Will we build on how we do today? Yes! Many people, even myself at some times, have said I am pushing the band program too much during my first year. My response is just this, if high expectations are set, high level results can happen.

Tomorrow is round two with the Class V wind ensemble.

For Your Listening Enjoyment

Here the links to the concert last Thursday. It came out pretty darn good if I do say so myself. My thanks to Dan for recording it.

Concert Band - Grade III

Bunker Hill March

Shaker Varaints

Portrait of a Clown

Symphonic Winds - Grade V

Rough Riders March

Nitro!

Variations on a Korean Folk Song

Pre-Festival Concert

We will have our Pre-Festival Concert Thursday, March 19th at 7:00 P.M. in the Dutch Fork High School Auditorium. We will be performing the following compositions:

Concert Band

Bunker Hill March by John Edmondson

Shaker Variants by Elliot Del Borgo

Potrait of a Clown by Frank Tichelli

Symphonic Winds

Rough Riders March by Karl King

Nitro! by Frank Tichelli

Variations on a Korean Folk Song by John Barnes Chance

If you would like to observe a short rehearsal, you may arrive at 6:00 p.m. I will be rehearsing the Symphonic Winds before the concert.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Growth

There is no growth without discontent. The road to leadership is very rough. It will hurt, and you will learn through the hurt. One must risk in order to grow. It never ends.

Struggling Lately

I feel as though I have been treading water lately. I have been in many meetings about many different things lately and I am just having a difficult time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Things at my "new" job have been more difficult than I expected that is for sure. I have never encountered so many obstacles and as much resistance to things ever. If, as they say, over coming the obstacles makes you stronger, by the time I am done, I should be ready for some cage fighting! I am sure I would just get bashed if I started listing the problems so I won't. I may get bashed anyway. That is the main reason I don't post very often any more.

I know I can build a championship band at Dutch Fork. I also know I can't do it alone. It sure would be easier to just leave things alone. Certainly there is a chance that I won't succeed at Dutch Fork. Certainly there is a chance that what I want and what other want just aren't the same. I am becoming a better band director every day and will be better for it all in the end. I sure am lucky to have my Cindy in hard times.

Is It Worth It?

This a question only you can answer for yourself. I asked several of my classes how many of them practiced at home individual at least 5 days a week for a minimum of 40 minutes. Not very many of them do. I would say about 20% of them. The fact is that we will not be rewarded as a band program until that number rises significantly. That is the great equalizer in the band world. I have heard all kinds of things like we don't have as much money as Band A or Band B or we don't have the same kind of schedule or we don't have as good of a band director (I had to slip that in.) but the truth is that we have all we need with us. How much does it cost to practice consistently and with purpose? Nothing, that is free.

In conclusion, when the commitment level rises so will the successes. There is no shortcut. Just do it. Everybody can help in this. Parents tell your children to practice. Students tell your friends to practice. Band directors tell your students to practice. I promise it will work. If everybody in our band program practiced 5 days a week for a minimum of 45 minutes, we wouldn't have any problems with being worried about our success.

Is it worth it? You bet! If I could do it for them, I would.

Update

Bet you thought I went away didn't you? Nope, I am still chugging away. The festival music is getting better. Will we actually go? I don't know yet. There is no point in going to concert festival if we are not prepared. Are we better than ever? Yep. All the groups are playing well. I enjoy the concert band very much lately. They had the most to learn at the beginning and seem to appreciate it the most now. Sometimes it's not about a rating. Sometimes it's about how much you learn. I get better with each band I work with and I have learned a lot with each one. I never give up on any of my kids and the concert band is showing me why.

This past weekend we were at region band. Yet another night away from home. My booster club president was a great help and fun too. We both got paid the same thing this weekend. Cindy even came up and spent the day with us Friday.

The improvements may not be obvious to all in the band program but they are becoming more apparent to me each day. I can only hope that others are seeing and hearing it too.