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I hope you’re all rested and recovered after Saturday’s shenanigans. It was a scorcher, weather-wise, but also, we were ON FIRE! We played really well, and every one of us should be proud of what we accomplished.

You did well to preserve your chops – our second half sounded just as fresh as the first half. While the pieces weren’t as technically challenging as in the first half, they did require control, dynamically speaking.

I’ve been on your case for years now about The Stripper. We are still not pulling back enough in order to make our crescendos successful. We end up getting louder – LOUDER – LOUDER. Not only is this hard on our chops, but it results in a less controlled sound. This happened on Saturday (we peaked too soon, then had nowhere to go for the piece’s climax). I have some ideas for this, which we’ll work on at our final rehearsal (I’ll program this piece for the Bourkevale gig – this will be a bit of an easier set list simply because we usually have some guests sitting in with us and it will be after a break in rehearsals).

Yes, there were moments where we weren’t together, but we recovered from them really well – and that’s what our preparation is really about. Mistakes, miscounting, etc, are going to happen – there will never be a perfect performance. The key is in how we recover from them, and whether we can cover it up enough so that the audience doesn’t realise it. I think we’ve achieved that.

This was one of our strongest Victoria Beach outings – I’m so proud of all of you. You put in an amazing effort!

Many thanks to the Woolisons, for hosting us once again. I had a lovely time at the barbecue, and I hope that everyone who attended felt likewise.

It was a great opportunity for me to watch and listen to you interact. I was really impressed because it looked a little bit like a family reunion – there seemed to be a lot of mingling, people were sharing from plates/coolers, etc. It really warmed the cockles of my heart to see those bonds outside of our playing. It’s easy to tell from our playing that we’re a team, but it was really nice to see that in action on the social side.

So, now we’re on the home stretch. Rehearsal this week is in preparation for 2 concerts in a row: Wednesday, August 22 at Concordia Village, and Monday, August 27 at Shaftesbury. (Details will be sent under separate cover – one for each gig, but the program will be identical for both).

Without further ado, here’s what’s on deck for Wednesday evening:

51 – Entrance of the Gladiators
8 – Themes Like Old Times
66 – Arctic Fire
5 – Broadway Journey
54 – The Drunken Sailor
63 – Hallelujah
65 – Moana
7 – Swing the Mood

I hope to see you all tomorrow!

Our gig at Victoria Beach is on Saturday. I can hardly believe it! (I keep telling myself that it’s earlier this year, which is true).

There are lots of details to cover, so I’m just diving in:

Most importantly, please take good care of yourselves. It’s supposed to be a scorcher, so sunscreen, bug repellent, HATS!!! (I bought mine today – it makes me feel like a movie star!), lots of water are all necessities. (I usually bring a change of clothes for the barbecue – it helps me feel a little fresher). I really don’t want anyone to incur heat-related illnesses, so we all have to be vigilant of both ourselves and one another.

It’s especially critical to drink a LOT more water than you think you need – even if you don’t feel thirsty. We all exhale water vapour with every breath – and this is especially true while playing. Most people talk about “spit” in brass instruments, but it’s almost entirely water vapour. I read about a study where they measured how much water came out of a trombone after a 2-hour rehearsal and it was something ridiculous, like over 1 LITRE. We will all need to make sure we’re drinking enough. Please, please, please keep a bottle or three beside your chair, and make sure you’re drinking while I’m addressing the audience! Even if you don’t think you need it, you probably do.

Speaking of – I will be doing more talking than I usually do in order to help you rest your chops. Some other suggestions that may help you:

• Keep the dynamic level down – do not give in to the urge to overblow (which you will experience – playing outside rips the sound from the instruments so we can’t hear ourselves and think we need to play louder. We don’t).
• Work out some breaks with your sectionmates – play 1 to a part in quiet sections and trade off as needed (no judgement here!)
• Bring things down an octave where you can.

Concert dress is: Millennium Band t-shirts (or any forest green short-sleeve shirt. In a pinch, a black short-sleeved shirt) and black bottoms. This is not a formal concert – please feel free to wear shorts (or a skirt) and sandals. Really, it’s about keeping you as comfortable as possible in the heat while still identifying us as a group.

The shuttle runs (from the parking lot to the bandstand) will begin at 1:00 pm. 

Please be at the bandstand, ready to settle (and perform the obligatory band shuffle) no later than 1:30 pm!!! It is possible that we will not be able to fit in the bandstand this year – we’ll try, but we may have to move to the grass, which take us some time to get organised. Make close friends with your neighbour, because we’ll have to cuddle up, regardless.

Concert Programme

1:55 pm – Bb Scale – we’ll play this twice
2:00 pm – Concert Starts
51 – Entrance of the Gladiators
65 – Moana
64 – Bolero
5 – Broadway Journey
1 – The 80s
22 – The Stripper
66 – Arctic Fire

BREAK (20 mins)

Approx. 3:30 pm (I’ll make the announcement at the concert)
25 – The Blue Orchid
68 – Jazz Chaconne
8 – Themes Like Old Times
63 – Hallelujah
54 – The Drunken Sailor
26 – The Rowan Tree
7 – Swing the Mood

Since we are playing outside, it’s going to be more critical than usual to watch me. We can’t trust our ears outside because of the way the sound travels. I will do my best to bring any balance concerns to your attention after the warm up, and as I’m able to throughout the concert. I’m certain that our pieces are not going to sound to you the way they normally do, but that doesn’t mean that the audience isn’t hearing things.

After the performance, we’ll load up the shuttles and return our gear to our vehicles. We’ll then head over to The Woolisons’ cottage (I’m not posting their address online but I will announce it). If you have a folding chair, I would encourage you to bring it with you, or you may want to bring a blanket to sit on. (The Woolisons are amazing hosts, but I know they don’t have enough seating to accommodate all of us! We are a sort of invading horde).

Cost for the meal is $5/person, payable to Dave Patrick (our treasurer-timpanist-mallet-whistle-insert more percussion titles here – extraordinaire). He usually does a walkaround to collect when we’ve mostly congregated at the cottage.

I know I don’t have to mention it, but please, if you are able, help us out with loading/unloading the shuttles – especially the percussion equipment. (When it comes to percussion, please follow the directions of Dave, Bob, and Emily. They will let you know if any special care/handling is required. They are also Tetris champions of the world – it’s part of their job description). This may include waiting with gear at the parking lot for people to collect it – we don’t want lost instruments/belongings. If, at the end of the day, we have lost/found belongings, please let me know and I will send out a call in our next blog entry.

(I will have a rehearsal plan for next week – since we’re playing on Saturday, I’ll post that on Sunday sometime).

One final thought: have an absolute riot of a time on Saturday. This is a really fun gig (though a long blow). Let’s make the most of the fun part! You’re all completely prepared for this – I think it’s going to be one of our best performances ever, and I’m really excited what we’re bringing this year!

This is the time of year when I begin looking forward to next year’s repertoire. (I’m not even joking. I’ve got one new score in mind for our challenge piece next year. Spoiler alert: it’s not by Robert Buckley).

Here’s your chance to have your voice heard. If you have any suggestions (for brand-new pieces) or requests (from our existing repertoire – see the members page for two versions of our Library list), this is a good time to submit them for consideration. I can’t make any promises other than that I do take your preferences seriously.

I also thought that you might, perhaps, appreciate a bit of a glimpse behind the curtain (such as it is) into the sorts of things I take into consideration when I’m planning repertoire, as well as when things need to be done in order for your binders to be ready to go when we start rehearsals.

For the rest of the summer, I’ll be doing research (sporadically – this doesn’t consume my whole existence, but it is something I do at least a handful of times).  Usually, by the time we’ve wrapped up for the summer, I know which two brand-spanking new pieces I think the band should acquire during the off-season.

I will spend the fall listening to these pieces and still poking my nose about (in case I discover something interesting), but mostly just sitting with these choices and considering them in context with the rest of what I expect we’ll play. Basically, I’m puzzling out how all the pieces might fit for a strong season’s concert programme.

By the time late February/early March rolls around, it’s time to get approval to make the purchases on behalf of the band. (I contact the Executive Committee and provide them with a rationale for the selections – what I think they’ll add to the band’s development and how they fit within our library – as well as listening links to help them determine for themselves whether they agree with my assessment. I usually have a back up plan in case they’re not thrilled about what I’ve proposed. That’s never actually happened). Once the choices have been approved, I place the order.

Next comes the Librarian’s job. When he gets the scores, he copies all the parts so that the band has pristine originals in case something gets lost or we give away all the flute binders and we need music in a hurry. By early April, he needs the complete list of repertoire that I expect to draw from for the whole summer, because organizing the binders takes time. He monitors whether we need to make new copies, replace banged up binders, build new binders, etc. What he also does (that you may not realise) is optimise the layout of pages as best he can so your page turns are as easy as he can make them. (Seriously – if you have a nasty page turn, it’s the publisher’s fault. You librarian has given you the least bad option).

Things I take into consideration for new pieces:

• level of difficulty – we should have one challenge piece (that we’re all learning together – even me) and one easier piece. That usually works out to a Grade 3 and a Grade 4 piece. (I also want to make sure that anything selected is something we should be able to master – I’m tough, but I want us to give awesome performances).
• instrumentation – I try to find pieces that feature multiple sections in prominent roles, and that don’t feature sections for long passages that we’ve historically had a tough time filling.
• the 2-year rule of thumb – I try (but don’t always succeed) to have a 2-year rotation. That means that we will likely play half our repertoire for two consecutive years, then give it a rest. For example, next year, you won’t see Bolero and Hallelujah (although Hallelujah will likely be one of our Hail Mary pieces – we’ll call on it if we’re in a pinch), and you can be guaranteed to see Arctic Fire, Moana, and Broadway Journey.
• other repertoire – This is where things get complicated. We need: easy pieces (for Victoria Beach and Bourkevale), at least one challenging piece to really sink out teeth into, things that seniors will love, things that children will love, at least one march, some slower music, contrasting tempos, a mix of art music (Classical, contemporary concert band) and pop music, Canadian content, music from different eras, music in different styles, etc. (Some pieces do check off multiple boxes: Arctic Fire is challenging, art music, and Canadian).

Because we are such a diverse group – we have some pretty new musicians right on through some seasoned ones – I have to examine my crystal ball (which doesn’t have a better warranty that your own) and imagine all possible scenarios for our make up in the summer. What happens if we have all newer players? Well, we need enough easier music so that they feel comfortable performing and we can play a double set at Victoria Beach. What about if we have no trumpets? I have to get my scores out and do some serious analysis to reassign those parts. How about if we have really experienced players? I need to have enough challenging music available that they feel they’re working.

We have a unique ensemble for a number of reasons: short rehearsal season, disparate playing levels, variable attendance, wide variation of audiences. These factors all have to be evaluated when it comes to choosing repertoire.

If you have in your possession a score that you would like us to read, please feel free to contact our Librarian (info@mbmillenniumband.com is the best way) and he’ll make arrangements with you to work it into our sight-reading schedule.

On a final note, we resume our regular rehearsals on Wednesday, August 8. I hope everyone has had an enjoyable break, and I look forward to our reunion on Wednesday!

 

JULY 25 IS THE DEADLINE TO REPLY RE: SUPPER AT THE WOOLISONS’! (More details below).

The challenge this year, with Victoria Beach falling so soon after the break, is that I have a fair amount of administrative details to bring to your attention about this gig. Here’s what I have for your review and consideration today:

• The band is paying for parking for us – we will have vouchers available at the Aug 8 rehearsal. There will also be someone at the gate on the concert day for those who can’t attend the Aug 8 rehearsal. We would very much appreciate for band members to carpool as much as possible. If you are someone who needs a ride to Victoria Beach on August 11, please, please, please let us know ASAP so we can try to accommodate you – I will be trying to connect drivers with riders on Aug 8 at rehearsal. I recommend that you email the band (info@mbmillenniumband.com) and be sure to include what area of the city you’re in so that we can pair you up with someone nearby.
• The committee needs final numbers in order to ensure we have enough food at Victoria Beach. If you did not attend/did not vote at the July 11 rehearsal, and are planning to eat with us after the concert on August 11, please comment the total number of people in your group (yourself + spouse + guests). If you already voted, please only report changes (+1, -2, etc). I will be adding to the total I’ve already counted. Please let us know no later than July 25.

The key to a fun day at the beach is practising good self-care. Expect to require sunscreen, bug repellent, lots of water, a hat, and I would recommend that you pack something warm/rain resistant, just in case! Check the weather, and plan accordingly. It would also be a good idea to take some sort of folding/lawn chair for use at the Woolisons’ cottage, as I know, while they are amazing hosts, they don’t have enough seats available for everyone. (I wouldn’t either if 30+ people were to descend on my house!)

This year, we are rather more numerous than we have been in past years. We will try to fit ourselves into the bandstand, but there is a chance we may need to migrate to the lawn due to our numbers as it’s always been a tight squeeze for us. (I hope we can all be good cuddle-buddies and remain under the shade! Well, I won’t be, but that’s okay).

Our first performance was a smashing success! I received so much positive feedback from the residents at Lindenwoods that I can’t even begin to relay it all to you. The highlight, for me, was being stopped by three men, ages 94, 95, and 97, who just gushed about your playing. The 95 year-old used to dance the jitterbug and was taken back to those days by “Swing the Mood.” The 97 year-old told me that from the first notes we played, he knew our band was something special. (Apparently, this fellow is rather musically inclined – his 95 year-old friend listens to his recordings, and he’s known to put on a bit of a show for the residents, so I’m told).

I am really pleased with our playing. We had a couple of moments, but we recovered very well. It’s tough to play outside – the sound gets sucked right out of us, and it’s very important – more than usual – to rely on me, rather than your ears. So we should be very proud of ourselves! I am especially pleased with your attention to the dynamics all the way through – you remembered your crescendos!! (You can’t see me, but I’m doing a happy dance).

I can’t believe how quickly the summer is passing! We’re now at the break – we all have 2 weeks off – well, those of us who aren’t at Band Camp or performing in Folklorama, that is.

Here’s what’s on deck at our next rehearsal – August 8 at Bourkevale – we’ll be doing a lot of running pieces as this is our dress rehearsal for Victoria Beach.

Here’s what I’ve come up with as a concert programme for Victoria Beach. We will be rehearsing from this list – expect spot-checking rather than running through everything:

(There will be no sight-reading piece this week)

Scales
51 – Entrance of the Gladiators
65 – Moana
64 – Bolero
5 – Broadway Journey
1 – The 80s – TENTATIVE
22 – The Stripper
66 – Arctic Fire

BREAK (At the concert – I have no idea where our break will fall this week!)

25 – The Blue Orchid
68 – Jazz Chaconne
8 – Themes Like Old Times
63 – Hallelujah
54 – The Drunken Sailor
26 – The Rowan Tree
7 – Swing the Mood

Take care of yourselves, have a wonderful time at Band Camp (for those going), break a leg (for those playing at Folklorama), and I look forward to seeing you again on August 8!

PS – I’ll be posting important information about Victoria Beach in a second blog post in a few moments. This is the admin details, so please make sure you take a moment to read it – Spoiler Alert: There is a July 25 response deadline!!!

As always (I’m so spoiled!), your efforts at rehearsal this week were above and beyond. While mistakes will happen, the key is how we can recover from them. I am convinced that we are all ready for this! In fact, I think this is the most ready we’ve ever been for our first concert – certainly, within my tenure. I’m so proud of everything you’ve accomplished this year! So, let’s have a blast next week!

Our first concert takes place at: Lindenwoods Terrace – 490 Lindenwood Drive East.

There is parking available across the street. I seem to recall that the lot on the building side is pretty small.

Dress is BLACK BOTTOMS and Millennium t-shirt (forest green short-sleeve shirt or black short-sleeve shirt).

Please make every effort to be there for 6:30 pm. There are a lot of us, so the band shuffle will take longer than usual! Warm-up begins at 6:55 pm, and our first piece will begin promptly at 7:00 pm.

This is the Place with Posts, so if we’re playing inside, they will need to be taken into consideration when it comes to seating – we will likely be spread quite widely. If the weather is fine and not too hot, (i.e. safe for the residents), we may play outside under the pergola, in which case, we’ll be narrow and deep in terms of our seating. Either is possible, so please bring your clothespins, plexiglass, or whatever music securing devices you have at your disposal, but don’t be disappointed if they set us up indoors.

Concert order is:

Bb Concert Scale (we’ll probably play this twice)
51 – Entrance of the Gladiators
66 – Arctic Fire
63 – Hallelujah
65 – Moana
5 – Broadway Journey
54 – The Drunken Sailor
8 – Themes Like Old Times
7 – Swing the Mood

Let’s have a fantastic time!

See you on Wednesday!

Since we’ve been joined this summer by many, many, new-to-us faces, (which has my heart all a-flutter – I’m just so happy to have everyone!), I thought I would provide a bit of a run-down on what is our most high-profile gig: the annual trek to Victoria Beach!

This year, the date is Saturday, August 11. We always choose a Saturday because it’s an all-day event, and this one has really snuck up on us! (We have our gig next week, two weeks off, one rehearsal, then the Beach!)

Your executive committee mobilizes and really pulls out all the stops to make this a most enjoyable day at the lake for us.

Because the band pays for parking, we try our level best to carpool. If you are someone who needs a ride, please make yourself known. I’d like to avoid the last-minute panic if possible, so please don’t be shy about speaking up. (Email, comments on the blog, speaking to me – Elizabeth – directly – all of these are ways to help us help you have a day at the lake).

It’s also good for you to know that Victoria Beach is a pedestrian community – they strictly limit the use of cars. There will be a shuttle (usually we have two) moving percussion and other heavy instruments from the parking lot to the bandstand where we perform. Anyone who has mobility concerns will be able to hitch a ride as well.

We arrive hungry (around lunch time) and perform for about an hour, rest for 20 minutes, then play for another hour. (Don’t worry – it’s the one concert where I do my level best to drag out the talking in order to help your chops. I won’t lie to you, though – it is a long blow).

We do have an audience – largely weather-dependent. But, what you may not realise is that the band’s sound carries throughout the community, so there are folks listening to us play from their cottage yards. In other words, it’s a bigger audience than it looks. The other thing to be aware of is that your committee promotes this actively by publishing concert information in the local newspaper and by strategically placing posters throughout the Victoria Beach community. We are well-hyped!

After the playing is done, the partying begins. We are extremely fortunate to have friends (Jim and Frances Woolison) who graciously open their cottage to us for the remainder of the afternoon.

The band takes care of supper – we ask for a contribution of $5/person to help with food costs, payable to Dave Patrick (our treasurer and the man behind the timpani – among other percussive-type things). Dave will walk around collecting lunch money at the Woolisons’ cottage (so we don’t solicit money from someone who isn’t there).

Friends, family, spouses, nearest and dearest strangers – as long as they pay their $5, they can eat with us. It is BYOB.

It’s a really fun day, and I hope most of you will be able to join us!

The committee does need to know numbers in order to make sure we provide enough food. I will do a “show of hands” at rehearsal on Wednesday to get a count, but I know some of you are not able to be there.

If you are not able to get to Wednesday, July 11’s rehearsal, but you are planning on attending Victoria Beach, please comment below with the total number of people are in your group (that would be yourself, plus any non-band members you are bringing to share in the food) on or before July 20, 2018.

Once again, folks, your dedication and hard work is paying dividends! This week’s rehearsal was unbelievable! I’m so thrilled that we’ve managed to have both Broadway Journey and Arctic Fire performance-ready! (I had complete faith in you – I just thought we might need some more time before debuting them). This is an accomplishment not to be undervalued, so please take a moment or two to pat yourselves on the back!

Our next rehearsal is a dress rehearsal (you don’t have to come in uniform – but it is our final rehearsal before our first gig this year so rehearsal format is a little different) – we’ll begin with the usual scales and a sight-reading piece to warm-up. The first half of our rehearsal will be a dry run of the concert programme (below). In the second half, we’ll work on tweaking anything that needs it, and we may (if time permits) do some prep work for Victoria Beach.

Concert Programme:

51 – Entrance of the Gladiators
66 – Arctic Fire
63 – Hallelujah
8 – Themes Like Old Times
5 – Broadway Journey
54 – The Drunken Sailor
65 – Moana
7 – Swing the Mood

Concert dress is: black bottoms and Millennium Band t-shirt. (Also acceptable is any forest green, short-sleeved shirt. The final option is a black short-sleeved shirt).

Bruce will be bringing our t-shirt inventory on Wednesday evening, so you can see him and one can be yours for the low, low price of $12. What a steal!

If you know you would like to purchase a shirt, please email the info@mbmillenniumband.com and be sure to include your name and the shirt size you expect to require by Sunday evening – July 8. The information will be passed on to Bruce first thing Monday morning.

I think that covers the rehearsal-related topics, so I’ll sign off for now. I hope you all have a wonderful week – stay hydrated, sun-screened, and please take care of yourselves as we hit our heat wave!

(Fair warning:  I have two other topics to bring to your attention, which I will do in two separate posts, so I’m being a bit spammier than usual this week).

See you on Wednesday!

Another incredible effort this week from everyone! It’s fantastic to see so many people out week after week, and even more wondrous to hear the improvements in everyone’s playing!

I know we spent a lot of time on Broadway Journey – I still have hopes that we’ll be able to play it at our first performance. To that end, here’s a listening link to give you a bit of a feel for how it sounds.

We have two more rehearsals until our first performance! I’ve reviewed what we’ve played so far this season, and I’m confident that you are all ready for this. I have not yet determined whether we can risk putting in Broadway Journey – our next rehearsal will confirm that. The good news is that we have about  a concert and a half’s worth of repertoire that we’re ready to perform, so slashing Broadway (in order to give us a bit more time with it) won’t leave us high and dry.

Here’s the list from which I’ll draw upon for our rehearsal this week (titles in parentheses are alternates). Please note that if the title isn’t on this list, it won’t be on our first concert programme:

5 – Broadway Journey
7 – Swing the Mood
8 – Themes Like Old Times
(22 – The Stripper)
(25 – The Blue Orchid)
(26 – The Rowan Tree)
51 – Entrance of the Gladiators
54 – The Drunken Sailor
63 – Hallelujah
64 – Bolero
65 – Moana
66 – Arctic Fire
67 – Holiday

Have a wonderful Canada Day weekend, and I hope to see you on Wednesday!

First – the fun!

In rehearsal this week, we had a little discussion about Julius Fucik. Click on this link to view a screen capture of a discussion that, well, is worth a read. (It’s pretty funny and I think we can all relate – you don’t have to log in to view it, although it will likely prompt you to do so). Warning: there is some profanity!

Also, this is an image of Fucik in all his mustachioed glory:

As I said, both glorious and a little terrifying.

This week’s rehearsal went incredibly well! Thank you so much for your dedication and an all-around great effort. The band is sounding fantastic – we are going to be very well prepared for our first performance!

Countdown to concert: 3 rehearsals remaining.

On deck for our rehearsal this coming week will be – in no particular order:

5 – Broadway Journey
7 – Swing the Mood
8 – Themes Like Old Times
51 – Entrance of the Gladiators
54 – Drunken Sailor
57 – Wade in the Water
58 – Les Miserables
63 – Hallelujah
64 – Bolero
65 – Moana
66 – Arctic Fire

You may notice that the rehearsal pace has shifted a bit – instead of working on six pieces, we’re now at about 9 pieces per rehearsal. This is because of your hard work – we’re really starting to get to know how these pieces sound, so the focus of our work is more on polishing them off! Now that we’re doing better at balancing our sound, the little comments and inner parts are bubbling up where they need to be. It’s really awesome to hear the difference!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend, and that we’ll see most of you out on Wednesday!