Letter from Emma (10/20)
Hi Sinfonia East,
Thank you for your work last week! We had a great hour of sectionals followed by a run-through of both of our Fall Festival pieces (the Strommen and the Tchaikovsky).
Next week, we will…
- Spot check the Strommen and Tchaikovsky and perform a run through of each
- Read the Nocturne
As we prepared for Fall Festival, our success is going to depend on personal practice.
To prepare for next week, you need to…
- Practice the Strommen from 25 to 61 with a metronome.
- Start at quarter note = 80 – pay attention to articulation, tone, and bowings
- Repeat 3 times accurately
- Increase the metronome by 2-3 clicks (up to 82 or 83) and repeat
- Continue until you are able to play at quarter note = 120
- If you reach your speed limit (and keep messing up), slow the metronome back down and get some more slow practice under your belt
- Isolate technical sections of your Fall Festival music and play them SLOWLY. Gradually speed them up using the same process as above.
- Violins and Violas – SLOWLY play the double stops in the Tchaikovsky. Check your intonation against a piano or a tuner – listen to what “correct” sounds like and replicate it on your instrument. It will be helpful to think about what finger patterns you are using as you play.
- Listen to the Strommen and the Tchaikovsky at least 3 times each
- Figure out your notes and rhythms for the Nocturne (listen to it here)
Special Challenge
The “special challenge” is back this week! Email me the correct answer to the question below. The section with the most responses will get special recognition next week.
The Nocturne that we are starting was written for a famous piece of historic literature/theatre. What is this piece of literature, and who wrote it?
Go make music, and go change the world!
In community,
Emma Fischer