Letter from Kaiser (4/16)
Hello Camerata Vivace!
“The Great Wave of Kanagawa” – Hokusai, 1831
It was SO wonderful to be back with you after my time away; my heart was full the moment I got to hear you play again. We have one rehearsal left before our community concert and have MUCH to accomplish. As a reminder, I am asking students to be at rehearsal at 6:55 if possible so we can a) be ready to start right away with little need for warm ups and b) to provide some feedback for anyone working on audition excerpts. We really need all hands on deck for this last rehearsal before our community concert!
Next week if you’d like feedback or help with audition excerpts, I will be at House of Hope in our rehearsal room by 6:30 to hear from you!
Things to work on ahead of our rehearsal (only a few GTCYS 10s left this season)!
Violin I: The first Valse at Rehearsal 6 feels less confident than the second one: Dotted quarter = 72, please work through this! Lord of the Rings: “Shortcut to Mushrooms” needs to feel secure right from the get-go.
Violin II: The first Valse at Rehearsal 6 feels less confident than the second one: Dotted quarter = 72, please work through this! Lord of the Rings @ 95 sounded pretty good tonight, but keep it up with a metronome!
Viola: Continue your good work in Ballet at Rehearsal 9. Rehearsal 8: you are part of the melody and can bring out that part. Keep up your confidence in Lord of the Rings, too!
Cello: Tune Ballet at Rehearsal 5. Tempo-wise, it is easy to let Ballet drag over time. Do not forget to keep up a steady pulse at your first Valse tempo (especially with slurred bowings).
Bass: I heard you worked on the Maestoso in Spanish Dance in sectionals, keep it up in your practice! Also look at Lord of the Rings and make sure your intonation is extra strong near the finale (starting at 222).
Woodwinds: Please continue to use a metronome in Ballet. It tends to drag around Rehearsal 7, along with many spots in the first Valse where there is a rest on beat 1: do not let that beat of rest take up more space than it is supposed to!
Brass: Lord of the Rings: 168: tuning! Additionally, keep up the work at the beginning and end to have clear articulations.
Percussion: Tempo changes in Lord of the Rings especially need some attention! Check with a metronome and don’t forget to give the song a listen!
Audition Preparation!
Keep up the work on your own as the audition deadline of May 19th approaches!
Jupiter:
Don’t forget to be memorizing Jupiter, especially if it will be your first Spring Festival!
See you soon!
Best wishes,
Kaiser