Conferences

I love conferences!

I know it's not a typical thing to say--it hasn't always been this way. My first year of teaching I dreaded them.

I have really come to appreciate the opportunity to sit down and talk with parents and students. It has really become a chance to sit down and talk about progress and improvement, with the emphasis on 'talk.' I like to sit and chat, just a conversation about things, not a big confrontation or anything dramatic.

That is what conferences should be--a continuation, a dialogue--not the be all, end all; THAT'S awesome.

Mr. Kuehner

Sorry for not having posted for a while. Last week I had the honor of taking 4 awesome students to an honor band at Simpson College in Indianola. Students got their music about a month in advance and individually prepared their music. On Jan. 17th, those students from around the area came together to form 2 bands under guest conductors. They had never met as a group before, but they rehearsed for about 5 hours and gave an evening concert. It is a great experience!

Which brings me to my real point--the guest conductors. Usually honor bands are directed by people who are talented and well respected music educators. This year, one of the band directors at the honor band was the person I had the honor of doing my student teaching with--Leon Kuehner. He taught for over 30 years at Hampton-Dumont before "retiring." He still serves in so many capacities furthering music and education in the state of Iowa. He is a talented director, a wonderful teacher and an even better human being. He has received a national honor--and is completely deserving.

http://globegazette.com/news/local/retired-h-d-band-director-honored/article_57915826-470a-11e1-94b1-001871e3ce6c.html

Information

As we draw ever closer to solo/ensemble (Feb. 9 @ PCM) I have posted a link on the band website for performance times and information. If there are any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Over the next 2 weeks, we will be working to put solos together with the piano and small groups together with all their members. It's an exciting time!

Concert and a Break

What a great way to end the first semester! I am very proud of all the groups that played on the 20th! Awesome job! Break is always a great chance for me to recuperate and see family and friends--but it also goes by really quickly! I write today sitting in my office having just put my room back together. My grades are almost complete, but I'll spend some time working on those today and Monday. To me, the most exciting thing is handing out new music! The 7-8 band has been working a little on one new piece for a couple of weeks, but everything we will be playing at the Parade of Bands in March needs to be handed out before students come back. The same thing is true for choir--new music! It's exciting, but there is a lot of work to be done!

I hope you all have had a great holiday week! Happy New Year!

Turn up the Heat!

The motherboard went out on the furnace in the band room on Monday evening, which has made for a very cold last couple of days. The closest a new motherboard could be found was Kansas City, so Tuesday, Wednesday and part of Thursday were very cold in the band room! We didn't have lessons those days and group band rehearsals happened in the equally HOT choir room downstairs. We watched a Mannheim Steamroller video and discussed some performance styles. Thankfully the heat is back on and working so we can have some great rehearsals today!

Students were sent home with a note about the concert on Dec. 20th. It is at 7PM at the middle school. I'd like choir students to be here by 6:30 for warm-up and band students by 6:40. Students have been asked to dress nicely--no jeans or tennis shoes if at all possible. If this is a problem, give me a call or email. I have some nice clothes that I can lend out!

It should be a wonderful concert! I am very much looking forward to it!

Awesome stuff!

Here is a link to an article in the Cedar Rapids Gazette that I think is way cool for a couple of reasons:

1) It talks about students who have taken it upon themselves to organize and have fun with something that is educational and musical.

2) I know the band director there through Wartburg College.

It's a short article and a very cool story!

http://thegazette.com/2011/11/23/north-cedar-sixth-graders-happy-to-be-band-geeks/

The Little Stuff

Lots of little things in this post, so I'll get to it.

As our concert draws closer (Tuesday, Dec. 20) we are spending more and more time in rehearsal working on the little things. This can get a little tedious at times, but all the groups are really starting to hear what they are capable of putting together--AWESOME!

Butterbraids came in last night. It's always hectic trying to get them packed up and back to the middle school in time for students to take them home on the bus. Let me know if you have an incorrect order.

We will be starting some solos/ensembles for the 7-8 band students following Thanksgiving break. All 7-8 band students participate in a solo or small group. They will perform these pieces on Tuesday, February 9th at PCM Middle School.

I hope everyone has an awesome Thanksgiving break!