Letter from Jack (3/9)

Dear Concert Orchestra,

It was good to see you again last night- we made some strong progress with Williams and Marquez.

Some thoughts to guide your practice this week

Marquez

• We worked on stepping in time to a metronome (set to 100 BPM) and clapping the 2-3 clave rhythm found below. Feeling a rhythm like this, EXACTLY in time and in a relaxed fashion, is not something most of us are used to. It takes time to get the “feel” for this style of music. If you could each spend 2 minutes each day, walking around your house with a metronome clicking at 100BPM and clapping this rhythm, our orchestra will be better for it! We will return to this exercise as a group next week.

Williams

• The beginning is coming along! I appreciated your hard work and attention to detail during our work on this section last night. Let’s keep the tempo moving- we still have a tendency to slow down throughout this opening section.
• Anakin’s theme: Please notice the expressive/tempo markings found in this section of the piece. We have a tendency to ignore the rit. and rubato markings. Let’s be as expressive as possible!
• STRINGS, continue to work for pitch throughout this section.

NEXT WEEK 

6:45-7:15: Williams (focusing on Measure 85-148.)

• Violinists- I will have some kazoos for us to use- though you are encouraged to bring your own if you have a favored one already!

7:15-7:45: Larsen: Overture to the End of a Century (complete)

• Let’s do some great work on this one- details, details, details! Libby Larsen will be in to listen to us play on March 30th.

7:55-8:45: Marquez, Danzon no. 2 (focusing on Measure 164-282)

Thanks all- I can’t wait to hear your progress next week!

Jack.