So anyways, year 3 of my brass ensemble program has come to a close. Year 4 will be starting this summer. It's amazing how far my brass ensemble program has come, in terms of the literature we've played, the people that have come and gone, and the skill we've developed. When I first started the program back in the summer of 2016, it was just the Harbor Brass, and there were 10 students in the group, most of all of which 1st and 2nd year players. They seemed pretty lost at that time, not knowing really how to play independently and confidently, and I was taken back by that, scrambling to find music that they could play. I figured it out, though, and we have been having great concerts since. I started the high school group, the Penn Cove Brass, the next summer in 2017, and with that I was able to use more challenging music.
But yeah, our final concert of year 3 was on Monday, and it was a great concert. They all are, really. But this one really showed how good these guys can play together. We've been doing a great job rehearsing, so both groups are really in sync with their timing & rhythm, and they are opening their ears up for tuning and are really sensitive towards each other when they play.
There are a number of individual mistakes, though, more than I would like, which shows me that there could have been more preparation in individual practice, as well as some more work on their parts in their lesson, perhaps. I mean, I know that individual mistakes are bound to happen, but there can be such a thing as "too many mistakes", particularly when I want to push these guys farther. Our trumpet section in the Penn Cove Brass...they have a very difficult job, perhaps the most difficult in the program. As brass ensemble music gets more advanced, the trumpet parts get higher and more technically challenging, while the horn and trombone parts do to a lesser extent. And the trumpet players in the PCB are all freshmen, and shy ones, at that (they rarely say a word in rehearsal). So building their confidence is really quite challenging, but I really feel like the stepped up and did a great job this year. We have a ways to go as a group, but I'm very excited about the future of the Penn Cove Brass...and the Harbor Brass, for that matter.
Oh, and yes, I'll try to share some of the performance video.
And, since I've been having so much fun and success with my brass ensemble program in Oak Harbor, I am starting a similar one in Anacortes this summer! They've got a great band program there, so this is very exciting! Good for business, too.
Take care and value music.