Klarinet Archive - Posting 000947.txt from 1998/11

From: "Carl Schexnayder" <carlsche@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Area All-State
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 07:05:37 -0500

J. Blake Arrington Wrote:

Do you actually get the concert music before the All-Region and All-
State clinics. I'm a sophomore in college and when I was in high
school, after we made the band, then we would show up on a
Friday(for Region) and a Thursday(for state) and then practice the
music from 8am to 8pm and then perform in a concert on Saturday.
I guess that we just do things weird in Arkansas.

J. Blake Arrington

Hi:

One of the things we do in our area for our District Honor Band is to have a
reading session, (which everyone is required to attend), a week or two
before the actual honor band rehearsals. The idea is to read through all
the music and make sure the members understand how the music should be
played. The students are then expected to practice the music for a week or
two, as the case may be. The guest conductor shows up on the Thursday
evening for a three hour rehearsal. The group rehearses day and night on
Friday, (about nine hours), and has a rehearsal from nine to eleven thirty
on Saturday morning, and the concert takes place at two in the afternoon.
The works very well.

In our All-State Band, the students are given the music on the day of the
audition and are expected to learn it by the time the first rehearsal rolls
around, (about a month later). This works very well, also.

In the "Mid-America" National Honor Wind Ensemble, my students were told
that they had to re-audition for chairs upon arrival. This audition was to
be on the music the group was to perform, which was sent to them in the mail
along with a recording of the pieces. The students were told that, if they
could not play their parts satisfactorily, they would be removed from the
group. When that group got together for the first rehearsal, it was almost
every bit as good as the final product!!!! I don't remember all the
details, but the NBA National Honor Band had a similar requirement. So
there are ways of getting around that problem.

Of course, one of the best things about being in an honor band is that you
have the opportunity to play with students who play very well and to observe
their attitudes and rehearsal skills, etc. This is information you can take
back with you and you may be able to influence some of the less dedicated
members of your school ensemble to be more enthusiastic and dedicated.

If there are some members in the honor band that don't seem to be terribly
motivated and haven't bothered to learn their music, there's not a lot you
can do about it except to make sure that you emulate the very best players
and citizens in the group and that you don't pick up the bad habits of those
you complain about.

There will always be people you can look up to in life and, as for the
others, just try to give them the benefit of the doubt, if possible.

Stay Motivated,

Carl Schexnayder

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