heritage guitar newsletter no. 3 february 2015 – 3rd quarter · heritage guitar newsletter no. 3...
TRANSCRIPT
Heritage Guitar Newsletter No. 3
February 2015 – 3rd Quarter
Performance for the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at The Douglass School on January 19 The Justin Holland Project: Dr. V, Maria Maldonado (voice), Dorothy Griffin, Diana Miranda & Chris Meyer
Justin Holland was a 19th –century African American pioneer of the classical guitar, community leader, and abolitionist. Born in Norfolk, VA in 1819, he left for Massachusetts in 1833 to study music where he learned to play the guitar. He attended Oberlin College in 1841 and moved to Cleveland where he was a music teacher, arranger and the first African American professional in the city.
Hello Guitar Parents and Students! Welcome to the 3rd edition of the Heritage Guitar Newsletter for this school year. Perhaps the most important bit of information I can communicate in this edition is the importance of daily practice. With the winter break and snow days, students have had the opportunity to get way ahead of their peers or way behind. Those who have taken advantage of the time off and have continued to practice daily have moved ahead at a consistent rate. I encourage all students to stay engaged even when there is no school.
Beginning Guitar
This is an awesome Beginning Guitar class. Students have now learned all their notes through fifth position on four strings. They will soon learn about accidentals (sharps, flats and naturals) and how key signatures work. Sight-‐reading and technical skills are getting stronger every class. Keep up the great work!
Intermediate Guitar
This class has missed the most instructional time due to inclement weather. It is this class that exemplifies the various amounts of effort made by individuals. For this reason, we just started an aggressive review of everything these students should have learned in middle school. With reinforcement of basic skills, we should be able to get back on track with our curricular objectives. The 3rd Quarter goal is to know all major and minor scales up to 4 sharps and 2 flats and to apply this knowledge in music that meets these criteria. I have also decided that it is best for the Intermediate Guitar class not to perform on the Cluster Concert on March 18. Preparing for a concert often stifles instruction. Students will, however perform on our April 30th concert.
Advanced and Artist Guitar
These classes are currently working on very similar projects. They are both preparing to perform for First Friday of Leesburg on February 6 (see calendar of events). On February 6, students will be performing in small ensembles (duos, trios, quartets and quintets) as well as playing solos. We have been given two hours of performance time for this event. Every group will play different repertoire (of their choosing). This creates responsibility for each individual in the group. I’ve been very impressed with some of the efforts made and look forward to this event.
Both the Advanced and Artist students have been invited to perform and participate in the Peabody Fret Festival on March 1. Please see information in this newsletter. I will need one parent chaperone for every 10 students. If you are interested, please contact me at [email protected]
Guitar Level Placement For 2015 – 2016
I have been monitoring student progress throughout the year and have a rough idea of who should be in which level for next year. That being said, I am always impressed with what students will do when trying to meet a goal. Most students will move up by one level. It is possible, however, for a student to skip a level or even two. This is determined by an audition. I plan to have audition materials for Artist Guitar available by the end of February. Auditions will take place in April. Good luck and Happy Practicing!
2015 ALL-‐VIRGINIA GUITAR ENSEMBLE (AVGE) AUDITIONS
This marks the third year that the Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) will hold an All-‐State Guitar event as part of the VMEA conference. I encourage higher-‐level students to audition for this incredible opportunity. There are two audition dates and locations in Loudoun County. The first is on April 25 at Heritage High School and the second will be May 2 at Potomac Falls High School. For audition materials and information, please go to: http://www.loudoun.k12.va.us/Page/146691 Should a Heritage student win a place in the AVGE, I will arrange to cover the expenses associated with this event.
UPDATED CALENDAR OF EVENTS
February 6, 2015 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm – Advanced & Artist Guitar Students will perform for First Friday of Leesburg at the Sona Bank, 10 West Market Street, Leesburg 20176. Students should arrive at 6 pm.
February 28, 2015 – The Artist Guitar Class will perform at the Rust Library at 12:30 pm. Students need to meet me at the Rust Library by 11:30 to set up. You will be fed pizza…. Compliments of the Rust Library! This performance is free and open to the public.
March 1 for Artist and Advanced Guitar Classes -‐ Fret Festival at Johns Hopkins’ Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, MD. This is a one-‐day guitar festival. Please see information in this newsletter and check out: http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/preparatory/departments/guitar/fret_festival/
March 18 (Wednesday) 7 pm – Cluster Concert at Heritage in the Gym. Artist and Advanced Students will perform. Students will stay after school for rehearsal from 4 -‐ 6. Pizza will be provided at 6 pm, compliments of the Heritage Music Boosters. Concert is at 7 pm. Parents and family members encouraged to attend.
March 20 (Friday) 7 pm – LCPS Guitar Festival Opening Concert at Loudoun County High School. This concert will feature the Texas Guitar Quartet. https://www.youtube.com/user/TXGQ Extra Credit for Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Guitar students; required for Artist Guitar students. Admission is FREE.
March 21 (Saturday) 3:15 – 8:45 pm: LCPS Guitar Festival/Assessment for Artist Guitar Class (REQUIRED). Workshops by The US Navy Band’s Country Current, Michael DeLalla, Gary Smallwood, The Threefifty Duo and The Texas Guitar Quartet. Dinner catered by Moe’s -‐ $12.50 per student.
April 30 (Thursday) at 7 pm: Guitar Student Concert. This concert will feature students from the Intermediate, Advanced, and Artist Classes. Beginning student may perform if they are ready; this will be determined, as we get closer to the performance date.
May 27 (Wednesday) at 7 pm: Guitar Solos concert. All Advanced and Artist Guitar students who receive an “A” on their performance test will perform. Alumni are welcome to perform as well. A brief award ceremony and reception will follow.
Peabody Fret Fest at Johns Hopkins University March 1, 2015
Dear Students and Parents,
We have been given the green light on going to the Peabody Fret Fest at Johns Hopkins University on March 1. I am inviting the Advanced and Artist Guitar ensembles to participate in this full day guitar experience.
Each ensemble will perform and all will participate in workshops, attend master classes and concerts. I have printed the information from the website, but you are welcome to go online to see other information regarding this event at www.peabody.jhu.edu/fretfest
Prices:
• If all students (32) participate: $70 + meals • If 25 students participate: $75 + meals • If 20 students participate: $80 + meals
o If we only have 20 students, we may end up sharing a bus with either Tuscarora or Woodgrove to cut the price down.
If you plan to participate in this field trip, please fill out this form and return it to me with a $20 deposit by Friday, February 6.
Name of Student (PRINT): __________________________________________________
Student Signature: _______________________________________________________
Those who choose to participate will receive a formal permission form that will require a parent/guardian signature.
Best Contact Information:
E-‐Mail:
Phone:
For questions, please contact: [email protected]
Practice Tips
• Try to practice in the same space every day. o If you are used to practicing in the same environment all the time, you will be less
distracted by visual noise or various room acoustics. • Start with a short warm up routine for both hands.
o We have done some of these in class, but you can create your own. • Begin with material you don’t know.
o Your concentration is best early in your practice session. o Use the latter part of your session to review materials
• Take a 5 -‐ 10 minute break for every 25 minutes of concentrated work. • Don’t force memory!
o While playing from memory is not a bad thing, if you memorize something incorrectly then you will have practiced mistakes (bad habits).
o Always practice with the music in front of you, do not count on your memory until you are absolutely certain that you have memorized good fingerings, tone, phrase structure, dynamics, rhythm, etc…
o Even after you have memorized something, go back and look at the musical score periodically.
• It is better to practice 5 – 10 minutes a day than no minutes per day. o Each practice session develops short-‐term retention. By practicing daily, information
moves into long-‐term understanding. o If you practice 1 hour one day and skip the rest of the week, you will have very little
retention of the material you practiced previously. o Although it is better to practice 5 – 10 minutes per day than no minutes per day; it is
better to get more than this amount on a regular basis. The 5 – 10 minute idea is only when there is truly no time left in your schedule that day.
Practice = Work
There is no short cut to becoming a good musician. Some people can get by with their natural aptitudes up to a point, but this is short lived. At some point, it takes dedication and a strong work ethic to improve.
You Are Your Own Teacher
I am a coach and can make suggestions on how to improve your understanding, but if you don’t put these suggestions in to action, there is little I can do.
• You know how to read music • You know what whole steps and half steps are and how they are applied on the guitar • Rhythm is math; sometimes you must solve the problems… use a metronome as your calculator • You have to make your fingers move, I cannot do this for you • It is your choice to use efficient fingerings (often indicated in the music) • It is your choice to have a consistent and efficient position for the guitar • The guitar does not play itself; you must do the work.
If you need extra help from me, we can meet during your study hall or after school. I will be happy to help in any way I can… just ask. Dr. V