Concert Update: July 14th

Volunteers Needed

Listed below are the jobs that we are looking for volunteers with:
  • Friday: Set – Up @5:00
  • Saturday: Banquet Set- Up @ 4:00
  • Saturday: Banquet Clean-Up @ 6:00-6:30
Please send mail to Annie DeSalvatore by Friday, July 15th if you would like to help out and specify which tasks you would like to be assigned to. Thank you so much in advance!!

Rehearsal Schedule

Friday, July 22

6PM Registration in the high school lobby
7-9 PM Rehearsal starts promptly in the auditorium — we have a lot of work to do in 2 short hours.

Saturday, July 23

1:30PM Late registration in the lobby
2-4 PM Rehearsal
5 PM Dinner in the Shevron Center at the High School
7 PM Concert
There will be raffles and prizes so tell all your friends and family and neighbors to come out and enjoy the show!

 

Practice Suggestions

Mr. John Flaver sends along his suggestions for how to prepare for the Semper Fidelis March:

Dear VVS Alumni Band members,
Please go on YOU TUBE and type in Sousa Semper Fidelis “The Presidents Own” US Marine Band

Please Listen and watch this video as this performance serves as a model for our upcoming performance.

Please follow along with your written music.

Please aim for: Rhythmic Integrity, strict tempo, clean crisp articulations, attention to all dynamics, accents, and following the three laws of natural musical expression, which are: LOW NOTES SEEK HIGH NOTES, HIGH NOTES SEEK LOW NOTES, AND SHORT NOTES SEEK LONG NOTES.

Please note that an upside down letter V is an accent mark indicating a short value. An accent marked as a decrescendo sign is a full value accent.

TRUMPETS, PLEASE MEMORIZE measures 50-65 in Semper Fidelis.

Please note that All repeats are good and there is NO STINGER at the end of this march.

Please use a light pencil markings as gentle reminders for all the above.

In the event band members have not played their instruments for quite some time, I would like to suggest short practice sessions that include:
Slow ascending and descending Major scales slurred, two octaves through the Circle of 4ths, in the written Keys of: C-F-Bb-Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Cb-E-A-D-G.

Then follow this up with scales in thirds and arpeggios, using the Circle of 4ths template as shown above.

Finally, go over all parts that are challenging for you.

I look forward to making music with you.

Musically,
John Flaver

Concert Update: July 11

Steering Committee Meeting

There will be a meeting of the steering committee on Tuesday, July 12th at 7PM in the VVS Music Suite. Everyone interested is invited to attend.

Payment

Please send in your payment if you haven’t done so already ($12.50 for t-shirt, and $12.50 for each dinner ticket ordered). Mail your check payable to “VVS Music Boosters” by Wednesday, July 13th to:
Annie DeSalvatore
c/o E.A. McAllister Elementary School
217 Kinsley Street
Sherrill, NY 13461

Volunteers

If you’ve volunteered to help set up, please arrive at school by 5PM on Friday, July 22.

Remaining Pieces Now Available

Parts Available!

You may now download parts for all eight (!!!) of the pieces that are scheduled for the concert on July 23rd:

  • 60’s Superhits
  • Overture on a Shaker Tune
  • The Phantom of the Opera
  • Instant Concert
  • Fate of the Gods
  • Festa
  • Semper Fidelis
  • Stars & Stripes Forever

Go to our Parts page and download & print what you need!

Just added: Youtube videos of each of the pieces for reference.

Meeting Date Set

The next meeting of the alumni band concert steering committee will take place on Tuesday, July 12th at 7PM in the VVS Music Suite. If you’re in the area, please attend to help make final preparations for the concert.

 

More Parts Available!

We now have parts available for your perusing and practicing pleasure:

* Instant Concert
* The Phantom of the Opera
* 60’s Superhits
* Overture on a Shaker Tune

PDFs of these are available from (and the remaining pieces will be made available when ready on) http://vvs-music-alumni.org/parts/. You should have received an email with the password that you’ll need to access the parts themselves when you completed the signup form on the Convert Info page — http://vvs-music-alumni.org/concert-info/.

If you’ve signed up but haven’t gotten this email (check in spam or other folders — Gmail decided that mine should go into a ‘Promotions’ folder), send an email to info@vvs-music-alumni.org.

 

 

Steering Committee Meeting June 16th

If you’re in the area — join us for the next meeting of the Alumni Band Steering Committee, which will take place at 7PM on Thursday, June 16th in the VVS music suite.

Everyone interested in helping to plan and organize the concert is welcome!

 

Concert Information

The newly organized VVS Alumni Band will perform our first concert that’s free and open to the public on July 23rd in the VVS High School Auditorium in Verona, NY.

Click here for the concert schedule and more information about participating in the band.