June 29, 2026 Director’s Notes
We had some new faces with us today! Please join me in welcoming Scott T., Ann T., and Sue T. We’re so glad you’re here!
Morning Learning Session
During our 9:00 learning session we covered:
Basic note reading
Rhythm reading
Breathing exercises
Adaptive strategies to make playing your instrument easier
Next Week’s Learning Session
We’ll be exploring going digital with ForScore!
If you already have an iPad, please install the ForScore app before rehearsal and bring your iPad with you. If not, no worries—you can still enjoy the demonstration and learn along with the group. This is simply an opportunity to see another option for organizing and reading your music.
Rehearsal Highlights
Pirates of the Caribbean kicked things off as our “easy” warm-up.
We then introduced our newest piece, Champion. After listening to a recording, we played through the entire piece together.
Everyone was using the simplified version today, and we discovered that simplifying the parts leaves a few musical “holes” in the overall sound. I’ll be working on some beginner-friendly adjustments so it becomes a satisfying stand-alone arrangement. Stay tuned!
Celebration for Winds continues to sound terrific. Great work!
We listened to Wipe Out and played through it twice. I think our biggest challenge going forward will simply be maintaining a steady tempo—but that’s something we’ll improve with repetition.
We also introduced Raiders March, listening to the original recording before working through it several times. I mentioned a podcast series I had listened to years ago about the music from Raiders of the Lost Ark. I was delighted to discover it’s still available!
If you’re interested, here’s the first episode (of four):
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Kp48rxsUpNUj7Z9QDXbsO?si=dpqrfeUcQ7yEnwv9hZs9HQ
It’s a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at this great film score.
Finally, we wrapped up with everyone’s eternal favorite—Beginners Rock!—and even finished a few minutes early.
Music for Next Week
Dance of the Magyars (new)
Champion
Incredibles (new)
Fandango Festival
America The Beautiful (new)
Go With the Flow
Raiders March
Looking forward to seeing everyone next Monday! Have a wonderful week, and happy practicing!