Newsletter #19

Newsletter for 2/19/09

In this newsletter:

1) Schedule for next week - sectionals for Adv Sym will begin at 6:45am (yawn)
2) Boston schedule - rehearsals and meeting
3) SAVE THE DATE - March 17 (St. Patrick's Day) - our next concert!!
4) Planning has begun for next year
5) Period 7 - save the date, April 24!!!
6) Good concerts this weekend

1) Well, this is the official last week of earlybird morning sectionals for Advanced Symphony. I AM CALLING ALL SECTIONALS FOR 6:45am in order to finish up the pieces. This way, we don't have to continue the earlybird sectionals into March (we'll go back to some after school sectionals). Here's the schedule for this last week of February:

Tue - 6:45 1st violins
Wed - 6:45 2nd violins
Thu - 6:45 Violas
Thu - 2:30 - 3:15 Basses
Fri - 6:45 Cellos

Parents and students - thanks for you ability to make these sectionals - it's made a real difference!!!

2) All Boston students have been given music and a blue schedule sheet. All rehearsals are considered mandatory - that is, unless you have a VERY valid excuse (important practice, work, other rehearsal, etc...) - just consider that we have only 4 rehearsals to pull this trip music off!!

Next Monday (23rd) from 4:30 - 6:30 is the first rehearsal on the schedule - please move heaven and earth to be there.

3) Well, our concert was cancelled in December (but, it is available on the blog as a downloadable link) so March 17 is your next opportunity to hear the Titan Orchestra program. All groups will be playing an Irish or Scottish piece and the Boston Trip orchestra will play their music (they leave 2 days later). Concert is here at West at 7pm, call time will most likely be 5:30 due to some staging that needs to happen.

4) Planning has begun for next year. Boot camp will be 2 weeks before school begins - Boot camp is mandatory for all incoming freshman and Advanced Orchestra members (new requirement this year). All other students are strongly encouraged to participate as we will be reading music and having guest artists come to perform and work with us. The schedule will look something like:

9 - 12 - Freshman
11 - 3 - Advanced Orchestra
11 - 1 - All other orchestra members (in Symphony Strings or String Ensemble)

Any parents who have questions about placement and/or orchestra commitment, please contact Ms. Silberman. Students will be given audition and commitment requirements for the various levels of orchestras and auditions begin in April.

5) ALL STUDENTS AND PARENTS in PERIOD 7... you will be needed here at school from 1pm - 7m on April 24 which is a GRADING DAY - NO SCHOOL. I need your help because we're going to have a workshop for 4th and 5th grade string students in West Salem and you will be teaching and inspiring those students - you will also perform as a group on their concert at 6pm.

Period 7, MARK YOUR CALENDAR! April 24 1-7pm

6) The Corvallis Symphony is playing this weekend - check for their information by google searching Corvallis Symphony.

There's a great bluegrass concert in Stayton this weekend - for more info:

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200902190312/ENT/902190305

Have a great weekend!
~Ms. S
silberman_daryl@salkeiz.k12.or.us