February 9, 2026 Rehearsal Recap
Hello everyone,
What a full and rewarding rehearsal this week!
Music Basics
We began with some brief note-reading exercises, focusing on strategies for identifying notes that don’t come easily yet. We reviewed the idea of having a “favorite” line or space on the staff and using it as a reference point, along with two common approaches to note reading: alphabetical thinking and mnemonic memory.
From there, we dove into sharps and flats. Using the visual layout of a piano keyboard, we talked about what sharps and flats physically mean—moving up or down by a half step—and how that translates to your instrument as additional fingerings to learn. We also discussed key signatures: where to find them and what information they give us about a piece of music. For the repertoire we’re working on right now, the most common accidentals you’ll see are F♯ and C♯, and B♭ and E♭.
We wrapped up our music-basics segment with some hand-clapping rhythm exercises. I’ll admit—those were surprisingly tricky for me, but you all handled them beautifully!
How to Band: Tuning
For our “How to Band” segment, we talked about tuning. We reviewed free tuner apps available for smartphones and why tuning matters: every body and every instrument has slight variations that can affect pitch. Using the tuner, we explored how small changes in embouchure (how you use your lips) can raise or lower pitch, and how this connects to the physical idea of longer tubes or strings producing lower notes and shorter ones producing higher notes.
In practice, these adjustments are usually made through small changes in how your instrument is assembled. This is where your method book, private instructor, or a good YouTube tutorial becomes especially helpful for your specific instrument.
Instrument of the Week: Trombone
Trombone was our featured instrument this week. We reviewed the instrument families we’ve talked about so far and how trombone is unique in using a slide—rather than keys or valves—to change pitch. Alan M. brought in several trombones to try, including two plastic models, and talked about the differences between plastic and brass instruments.
Plastic trombones are significantly lighter, which can be helpful for sore or weak shoulders and wrists, and they tend to be quieter because they don’t project as strongly as brass. Alan also demonstrated a practice mute that fits into the bell of the trombone, making home practice much friendlier for housemates and neighbors.
Looking Ahead
At the start of rehearsal, I shared a bit about Open Door Band’s planned quarterly cadence. The full calendar is always available on the website:
https://www.opendoorband.org/calendar
The rehearsal on the last Monday of each quarter will be a casual opportunity to showcase our progress with friends and family. This quarter, that date will be March 16—same place, same time. We’ll simply add some chairs to create a small “audience.”
Ensemble Time
We started ensemble playing with our concert B♭ scale, still focusing on just the first five notes. Then we did our first group tuning exercise. Alan M. generously provided our reference pitch on tuba, and each of you worked to match that sound. You did great! For now, the goal is simply to listen and play—fine adjustments will come later.
We also talked about the importance of listening for the lowest voice in the room when playing together. A good rule of thumb: if you can’t hear the tuba, you’re probably playing too loud.
We then jumped into Pirates of the Caribbean. We listened to the recording and sight-read the piece just under tempo. It’s marked at quarter note = 100, so we started at 80 and then brought it up to 90. And right on cue, measure 26 perfectly demonstrated our “listen for the tuba” rule—tuba and trombone carry the melody there. Throughout this song, I found myself grinning from ear to ear. It’s such a joy to recreate music that’s so familiar and beloved. If you’re not already familiar with the soundtrack, I encourage you to give it a listen on Spotify or YouTube.
We followed that with our crowd-favorite Beginners Rock!, playing it a couple of times for a fun and confidence-boosting win. You’re now securely at the marked tempo—well done.
Next, we revisited Fandango Festival, listening and reading through it twice. We were able to bring this up to the minimum listed tempo of quarter note = 120. We’ll aim to push it just a bit faster in the future, but considering this was only our second look at the piece, you all did an excellent job. There’s a lot of bravery required in this music, and you rose to the challenge.
We wrapped up by listening to and reading through Shining Moments twice as well.
Closing Thoughts
What a great rehearsal. I’m enjoying our time together so much, and I’m loving the experience of learning conducting alongside all of your musical growth. It’s truly inspiring.
I was reminded this week of a quote by theologian Karl Barth:
“Music is a miracle, but it is not the miracle that it exists;
the miracle is that it happens at all.”
Thank you, each and every one of you, for helping to make this music—and this community—happen.