Good morning percussion ensemble members and parents.
Our first contest is Saturday at Bob Jones High School in Madison. Our official performance time is 11:50am. We will be performing 4 minutes of our show with 2 minutes still left to learn.
This week: Tuesday night rehearsal on stage, Wednesday sectional, Thursday after school. Friday dress rehearsal.
FRIDAY DRESS REHEARSAL:
2:30 4th block,—first push of equipment over to the middle school gym.
5:30 meet back at the high school fully dressed for the dress rehearsal, push remainder of equipment to the middle school
6:00 rehearsal begins
8:00ish final run through
8:10 assign instruments to parents and learn how to get on and off the floor (extremely important!)
8:30 Push equipment back to high school, load at that time
SATURDAY OFFICIAL SCHEDULE:
8:15am depart MSHS
9:30 arrive at Bob Jones, check in, unload
11:15 official warm up (inside if cold or wet, outside if nice)
11:35 transit, ready
11:50 perform
12:00 load, eat McDonalds cheeseburger, receive scores, go home and get ready for Knoxville regional
Eat breakfast before we depart. We will have McDonalds cheeseburgers and pies for everyone after the event. I would prefer as many to ride the bus home as possible and not check out. #1 we want you to help unload when we get home. #2 we are a unit, and together we need to be. I want to speak to everyone after the performance about the scores and the performance. Together.
IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!Please get me your waiver form TODAY. Thank you
Dad equipment drivers: We will want to get the truck and trailers ready during the rehearsal time. I will need to get you the box truck keys. The F250 can be picked up in the afternoon. The trailer keys should be with the box truck keys. Let’s communicate Thursday.
Thursday weather: There is a chance for severe weather Thursday. Don’t be surprised if we lose that rehearsal because of it.
This week’s ensemble goals: Uniformity in technique, performance, and musicality.
Words from the director to the kids: I am excited for this competitive journey to get started. But this is only the first step. We cannot put all of our eggs in one basket at this first contest. I know many of you are anxious because of the Hoover presence, but they need to be the last thing on your mind. You are to be focused on Mannin Veen and that’s it. I know I could care less how they perform or score because they aren’t going to Dayton. All roads lead to Dayton, Ohio for this ensemble. At that point we need to max out and peak. Not at Bob Jones. I am excited to get a read from these judges headed into the Knoxville regional.
I want to be clear about something. I want to tell you the truth about where we are as an ensemble and what we need to do to improve. Here goes.
Uniformity of Technique is a big deal in this activity. It’s on the judges sheet in plain print. This is our #1 weakness across the board. We hold the mallets differently, we strike the instrument differently, and we look dramatically different from one play to another. This is our issue………to fix.
Some problems are easy to fix. Like adding shaping or phrasing. That can be fixed in 10 minutes. Uniformity of technique cannot be fixed in 10 minutes. or even 10 hours or 10 rehearsals. It can be fixed only with a commitment from students and directors. Well, I have a plan and I am committed. No matter how well the show is designed, it doesn’t matter if we are not uniformed in our approach.
In this activity there is a saying “There are some groups well rehearsed, and some well trained. The best are both”. Right now we are well rehearsed. We need training.
From now until Knoxville, our priority is learning the show and improving tech as much as possible.
After Knoxville, it’s 100% commitment to technique development. In other words, doing the work and practicing things that just aren’t fun. But we are going to do them, and do them every day.
We have 23 straight days of rehearsals between Knoxville and Dayton. Each rehearsal we will dedicate 45 minutes to technique, 45 minutes to show. I will develop a technique packet specifically designed to work our greatest weaknesses. Bring the Band-Aids folks.
You see, the show can’t get better until you do. Put in the work. Trust The Process.
