JOHS Music Newsletter
April 17, 2020
Educational Resources
Practicing
Please please please take advantage of our smartmusic subscription. It is free only until June 30th! Don't wait. Go now. Go! Stop scrolling. Go to smartmusic and start exploring!
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Last week we focused on keyboard ear training, but this week we are focusing on note ear training without a keyboard.
Go to https://www.musictheory.net/exercises - click on "note ear training" under the "ear training" section. Before starting these exercises, click the gear in the upper right hand corner of the screen and be sure the "reference note" is turned on in settings.
To make this exercise a bit more approachable, listen to the reference note every time. Get used to hearing the different intervals.
Composition
Interested in creating your own music? www.musescore.com is a great free resource to start exploring composition. It takes some time to learn how to use the program, but once you do, utilize your theory skills and try to create a melody for your instrument!
GarageBand is also a very user friendly and fun way to create your own music, and it's free for all mac users. Check out this online beginners tutorial then dig in! Soundation is a good alternative if you do not have a mac, and you can sign up for a free account here.
Bonus points to anyone who can tell me the music source for the following meme and why it's funny!
LET'S MOVE!!!
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT - WILLIAM RICHMOND
Favorite color? Green
Favorite food? Mac and cheese
What clubs and organizations are you apart of? Wind ensemble, jazz band, Tennessee Youth Symphony
Favorite artist currently? Ben Rector
What has been your favorite pass time during the COVID19 quarantine? Playing games with all my friends and talking with them online
What do you miss most about school? I miss being able to see all my friends, especially since It's my last year of high school.
Do you have a secret talent? I have made INCREDIBLE songs about McDonald's.
What advice do you have for the underclassmen? Do marching band, especially your freshman year because it makes the transition to high school much easier and gives you friends from all grades.
listening snack
Armenian Dances: Part 1 composed by Alfred Reed
- Armenian Dances is a four movement-suite will part 1 (linked above) consisting of the first movement and part 2 the remaining three. Each part uses a number of Armenian folk songs from the collection of Gomidas Vartabed, an Armenian ethnomusicologist. Learn more here!
Cheek to Cheek performed by Pete Fountain
- Let me introduce you to the amazing jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain! Pete had such an interesting childhood story. As a child, Pete suffered from a lot of respiratory infections as a result from very weak lungs. One day his father took him to the doctor and the doctor suggested Pete start learning a musical instrument to help strengthen his lungs. They went to the music store that same day, picked out a clarinet, and the rest is history. Fun fact: Pete couldn't make a sound on the clarinet at first, but through practice not only did he become one of the most famous jazz clarinetists in the world, but also strengthened his lungs and improved his health! See? Playing an instrument is both mentally and physically beneficial! Not going to say I told you so, but I told you so.
- Owen Bradley produced this particular album (Cheek to Cheek, 1993) in Mt. Juliet, TN at Bradley's Barn. Owen has a statue on music row right here in Nashville because of his major contributions to the country music scene as a producer.
- One other fun fact is that my dad, Gary Miller, played lead trombone on this album. It's a small world!
When You Wish Upon a Star performed by Linda Ronstadt
- Feeling a little down during quarantine? Disney always lifts my spirits, so take a listen. Linda Ronstadt is a retired American singer who has won a ton of awards throughout her career and has recorded a diverse number of genres from rock to opera to latin. SHE IS AN AMAZING VOCALIST with so much control to her voice. Learn more about her here.
Student Sharing
Sadie making art with paper and a canvas!
Collin is renovating his tree house!
Here's another view of Collin's tree house
Austin made a table from an old door!
Austin also made these coasters!
Jess missing me!
A NOTE of inspiration (pun intended)
dinner with ms. miller: disney edition
Miller and Barna's Practicing Tip for the Week!
The meat and potatoes of a practice session. Besides having a quality, purposeful, engaged warm-up and a solid warm-down, what should you practice in the middle? Depending on your ability level and what you're prepping for this will look different. However, here's a general breakdown of what should be included in the middle (meat and potatoes) of your practice session.
- Pick 1 or 2 etudes to focus on each week. These should be technical exercises focusing on skills you need to improve or that are needed in your repertoire.
- Pick 1 or 2 orchestral excerpts to focus on each week. Some of you will need these later in life for auditions. Plus, they are great for developing a variety of technical skills.
- Solo repertoire - work on the solo literature you're planning on performing. This will be continuous over the many weeks leading up to your performance.
- Ensemble literature - work on the music you're performing with an ensemble.
Happy Practicing!
Ms. Miller
Leadership Training
Fill out this form by April 20th if you're interested!
Scheduling for 2020-2021
IMPORTANT! Guard, AICE music, and beginning strings still need more people to enroll in order for the classes to make it on the master schedule. If you have room in your schedules or know others who may be interested, please let me or a counselor know!
New members (current 8th graders) and current members should complete this form so we can start gathering interest and organizing the ensembles for next year. This form along with audition info will be communicated to current 8th graders through the middle school directors and is also available on the website under "become a member."