Hey everyone.

200 points to any student who clicks on the title of this entry, prints it out and brings it to school WITH your homework log.

Speaking of which, here’s your assignment.  You will have two playing tests upon your return to school.

Mods 2a and 4a

Method Book: Standard of Excellence Bk. 2 – #2, 6-13

Song 1: Finale mm. 23-38
Song 2: American Spirit March mm. 13-32
Song 3: Carpathia mm. 1-20
Song 4: Mt. Ranier March (whole song)

Scales: Bb, Eb and F major scales.

Mod 3a

Method Book: Standard of Excellence Bk. 2 – #20-36

Song 1: Chester (whole song)
Song 2: Allegretto mm. 1-25
Song 3: African Folk Triology (whole song)
Song 4: Earl of Oxford’s March mm. 1-33

Scales: Bb, Eb, F and Ab

Blank homework logs are located here: PDF | Word.

Percussion:

All related music above

5, 7 and 9 stroke rolls
Ruff (Drag)
Single Paradiddle
Long Roll
Single Stroke roll (matched grip – suspended cymbal, tympani, etc…)

Percussion practice logs are here:  Word | PDF

You have my permission to use http://www.vicfirth.com/education/rudiments.html to help you out.  In fact, I absolutely insist you use http://www.vicfirth.com/education/rudiments.html to help you out here.

Students and parents: it is absolutely ESSENTIAL that homework assignments get completed and passed in weekly.  20% of your quarterly grade is nothing to play with.   When the low grade YOU earned comes, don’t complain and say that something was ‘given’ to you.  Mr. Gilliard doesn’t GIVE grades.  I just write down what you do.

All that said:

Mods 2a and 4a (7th grade)

Method book: Foundations for Superior Performance, Long Tone 1a, 1b and 1c. (p. 4) Please take the time to learn your fingerings correctly! If you do not put in the work NOW, you will STRUGGLE the remainder of the year.

Finale from Symphony no. 1 - mm. 13-21.

Northwinds Festival mm. 1-23

Please review the following concepts: Attack, Sustain, Release. Remember – attack is how we start a note. After that, we need to keep a steady stream of air going to sustain the note. Finally, we stop breathing in order to release the note.

Mod 3a (8th grade)

Method book: Foundations for Superior Performance, Long Tone 1a, 1b and 1c. (p. 4)

Fire Dance: mm. 45-67

Chester Variations: mm. 40-56

Please review the following concepts: Attack, Sustain, Release. Remember – attack is how we start a note. After that, we need to keep a steady stream of air going to sustain the note. Finally, we stop breathing in order to release the note.

Please remember that all sections at the beginning (mm. 1-19) are to be played tenuto so that the ‘sound of one note touches the next’. Same with Fire Dance at mm. 36 and mm. 60.

Scales: Bb major

Blank homework logs are located here: PDF | Word.

Percussion (3A only)

Welcome.  Let’s get you all busy.

You are required to practice the entire song for Fire Dance and mm. 1-40 of Chester Variations.  Three essential parts need to be covered: snare/tom, Bass and Suspended Cymbal.

Rudiments:

Single Stroke roll, played open for 4 measures at 90 BPM and closed at 120 BPM for 8 measures.

Double Stroke Roll, played at 120 BPM for 8 measures.

Flam – played as quarter notes for 8 measures at 90 BPM and for 8 measures at 120 BPM.

Percussion practice logs are here:  Word | PDF

Please look ahead to #33, 36 and 39 in Standard of Excellence book 2.  Three of your in-book playing tests will come from numbers 12, 21, 24 , 29, 33, 36 and 39.  Our goal is #40 by the end of the year.

5/18-5/26, Due 5/27

Mods 1 and 2

Book: SoE book 2, #24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31.  Be sure to practice singing your intervals in #20.

Scales: Bb, Eb, F, G minor (natural minor)
Songs: Prelude to a Festival (whole song review), Tempest (whole song) Asian Folk Rhapsody mm. 87-106 (entire song now available for you to listen to in the band music folder).

Please focus on playing notes out FULL VALUE and DYNAMICS.

Mods 3 and 4 and Wind Ensemble

Book: SoE book 2, #24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31.  Be sure to practice singing your intervals in #20.

Scales: Bb, Eb, F, G minor (natural minor)

Songs: Little Suite (all songs), Korean Folk Rhapsody (whole song), Circles of Stones (mm. 21-50 especially 37-50).

Tales of the Bay – Mvmt 1 (whole song), Mvmt 2 – mm. 20-33. Please check the band music folder and listen.

Watch your key signatures in each song.

Watch your articulations and dynamics in each song.  Do NOT chop notes short.

Don’t forget the blank practice log. PDF | Word.

Percussion Students

5 Stroke Roll, 7 Stroke Roll, 9 Stroke Roll, Flam, Double Stroke Roll (Open)

Songs: All songs related to your particular ensemble.

Percussion Practice Logs can be downloaded from here: PDF | Word

Students, please remember what your third quarter grades looked like WITHOUT practice logs. Now fill them out and turn them in.

Rehearsal and Performance reminder dates:

5/21 and 5/27, 4-5:30 pm. (Wind Ensemble)

Concert – 5/29, 7pm at TJMS in the Multipurpose Room. (Concert Band and Wind Ensemble)

Six Flags – June 5.

June 11 – Eighth Grade Recognition Program at Flowers H.S.

Practice dates for Concert Band are forthcoming. They will happen during the school day (not after school).

We’re coming down the home stretch.  There are TWO practice log assignments left.

This is one of them.

Please look ahead to #29, 33, 36 and 39 in Standard of Excellence book 2.  Three of your in-book playing tests will come from numbers 12, 21, 24 , 29, 33, 36 and 39.  Our goal is #40 by the end of the year.

5/10 – 5/17, due 5/18

Mods 1 and 2

Book: SoE book 2, #20, 21, 22, 23, 24,25.  Be sure to practice singing your intervals in #20.

Scales: Bb, Eb, F, G minor (natural minor)
Songs: Prelude to a Festival (whole song review), Tempest (whole song) Asian Folk Rhapsody mm. 57-86 (entire song now available for you to listen to in the band music folder). Good job in class on 5/14 (especially Mod 1). Begin working on the last section from measure 87 to 106.

Mods 3 and 4 and Wind Ensemble

Book: SoE book 2, #20, 21, 22, 23, 24,25.  Be sure to practice singing your intervals in #20.

Scales: Bb, Eb, F, G minor (natural minor)

Songs: Little Suite (all songs), Korean Folk Rhapsody (whole song), Circles of Stones (mm. 1-39).

Tales of the Bay – Mvmt 1 (whole song), Mvmt 2 – 1-29. Please check the band music folder and listen.

Don’t forget the blank practice log. PDF | Word.

Percussion Students

5 Stroke Roll, 7 Stroke Roll, 9 Stroke Roll, Flam, Double Stroke Roll (Open)

Songs: All songs related to your particular ensemble.

Percussion Practice Logs can be downloaded from here: PDF | Word

Students, please remember what your third quarter grades looked like WITHOUT practice logs. Now fill them out and turn them in.

Rehearsal and Performance reminder dates:

5/21 and 5/27, 4-5:30 pm.

Concert – 5/29, 7pm at TJMS in the Multipurpose Room.

Six Flags – June 5.

Practice dates for Concert Band are forthcoming. Stay tuned.

4/30-5/07, due 5/08

Mods 1 and 2

Book: SoE book 2, #17, 18, 19, 20, 21 ,22, 23.  Be sure to pay close attention to some of the examples and questions/exercises that discuss intervals and all of the assignments. I *will* be checking them.

Scales: Bb, Eb, F, G minor (natural minor)
Songs: Prelude to a Festival (whole song review), Little Suite for Band no. 2 (all of Marionette, Swirls and Calliope), Asian Folk Rhapsody mm. 58-71 (entire song now available for you to listen to in the band music folder).

Mods 3 and 4 and Wind Ensemble

Book: SoE book 2, #17,18,19,20,21,22,23
Scales: Bb, Eb, F, G minor (natural minor)
Songs: Little Suite (all songs), Korean Folk Rhapsody (whole song), Circles of Stones (mm. 37-46).

Tales of the Bay – Mvmt 1 (whole song). Please check the band music folder and listen.

Don’t forget the blank practice log. PDF | Word.

Percussion Students

5 Stroke Roll, 7 Stroke Roll, 9 Stroke Roll, Flam, Double Stroke Roll (Open)

Songs: All songs related to your particular ensemble.

Percussion Practice Logs can be downloaded from here: PDF | Word

Students, please remember what your third quarter grades looked like WITHOUT practice logs. Now fill them out and turn them in.

To ease some of the burden, I’m adding on an extra day for this week’s practice log.

Focus on attack and release and tone production.

Mod 1 and Mod 2 will have separate assignments, effective next week.

Log assignments:

Mods 1 and 2 (7th grade)

Bb and Eb scales

Cardiff Castle – mm. 29-44

Activity March – mm. 1-13

Excelcia – mm. 1-15

Mods 3 and 4 (8th grade)

Cardiff Castle -whole song, focus on phrasing.

Activity March – mm. 1-13

Excelcia – mm.28-41

Blank practice logs are located here: PDF | Word.

Please print one and use it, as needed.

Covered in class today:

Attack – how we begin playing the note.

Release – how we stop playing the note. (stop breathing)

Intonation – Tuning and adjusting instruments, using your ear to hear differences in pitch so you can adjust properly.  Also covered in this video:

Log assignments:

Mods 1 and 2 (7th grade)

Bb and Eb scales

Cardiff Castle – mm. 1-20

Activity March – mm. 1-13

Mods 3 and 4 (8th grade)

Cardiff Castle -whole song

Activity March – mm. 1-13

Excelcia – mm. 1-18

Blank practice logs are located on the downloads page. Recordings of songs will be available shortly.

30 min a day, 5 days a week! You can DO IT!

And leave a comment. Sorry for the delay.  Here’s a question you can comment on: What do you like about the music you listen to ? Please make sure to identify yourself, otherwise you won’t get credit.