February 2, 2026 Rehearsal Recap & What’s Next
What a productive and fun rehearsal this week! Here’s a quick recap of what we covered and what’s coming up next.
Music Fundamentals
We started with a rapid review of note reading, taking turns identifying random notes on the treble clef staff. We then revisited note values and rest values before jumping into our clapping exercises.
Using rhythms pulled directly from our current music, we practiced several one-measure rhythm patterns in 4/4 time, including one that required us to apply our understanding of the dotted quarter note and even a bit of syncopation. Nicely done!
Next week we’ll continue with sharps and flats, along with more hand clapping to reinforce rhythm skills.
“How to Band” – Practicing at Home
Our “How to Band” focus this week was practice habits, especially keeping practice realistic and sustainable.
I strongly encouraged limiting practice to 10 minutes at a time. Just like walking — very few people hit 10,000 steps before breakfast — practice is cumulative. Ten minutes once a day is fantastic. If you want to do more, add another 10 minutes at a different time.
A big tip: if possible, leave your instrument out on a stand or in a safe spot. Removing the “setup barrier” makes it much easier to get started.
We also talked about things you can do in a single 10-minute practice session, such as:
Finding your favorite note on your instrument and playing just that note whenever it appears in a piece (no rhythm required — just recognition)
Playing long tones to explore breath support
Experimenting with tonguing — short vs. soft articulations
Exploring dynamics, from very soft to very loud, while keeping a pleasant tone
Isolating and practicing any difficult section from rehearsal
Working through a lesson book
Playing from an easy pop book or along with YouTube for pure fun — this part is very important! If practice isn’t fun, it won’t stick.
Instrument of the Week: Flute
Our instrument of the week was flute. We talked about how we’ve already explored:
Trumpet (buzzing lips)
Saxophone (vibrating reed)
Percussion (hand motion)
Flute completes our tour of sound production methods by creating sound when you blow across an opening, much like blowing across the top of a Coke bottle.
Many of us tried making sound using just the head joint, then learned the basics of holding the full instrument and producing notes. We noticed how unique the feel is and how much air flute requires. Practicing in front of a mirror can really help with embouchure placement.
At the end of this session, Alan M. shared information about MakeMusic Cloud, which offers a wide range of excellent learning resources. Much of it is free, there’s a 30-day trial, and the yearly subscription is very reasonably priced. You can explore it here:
www.makemusic.com
Next week’s Instrument of the Week will be trombone.
Going Digital
It was fun to see a few of you starting to use digital music this week! Some aspects — especially foot pedals — may feel awkward at first, but stick with it. It truly does get easier, and before long it will feel just as natural as paper music.
Ensemble Rehearsal
We began ensemble rehearsal with Let’s Go Band!, running it several times at quarter note = 130. We followed that with Go with the Flow, also at 130 — it sounded great, and I love the bravery!
Shining Moments is coming along nicely. A special shout-out to Karen E. for doing a wonderful job carrying the melody. I’ll work on getting more players covering that part so we can hear the full beauty of the piece.
We then dug into Fandango Festival — and I was reminded (again!) that it’s in ¾ time . We took it at about quarter note = 110, just under tempo, and it’s shaping up very well.
Please be sure to review the road map for this piece:
At the end of measure 61, there is a D.S. al Coda, which sends you back to measure 13
At the end of measure 30, you’ll see To Coda, which sends you to the Coda section at the end of the piece
Practicing those jumps will really help your eyes get comfortable moving around the page.
With a few minutes left, we ran Beginner’s Rock! up to tempo — so much fun! We’ve accomplished a lot with that piece.
Looking Ahead
For next week, we’re all excited to get started on “Pirates of the Caribbean”!
As always, thank you for your enthusiasm, courage, and willingness to try new things. You’re doing exactly what you should be doing — learning, exploring, and making music together.
See you next week!