Band, Orchestra, and Theatre Updates and Tee Shirts

October 27th,

2020

Band

Bands Prepare for Collage Concert and Adapt to Remote Practice Challenges

Mr. Gillespie has been working with each of the bands to prepare for the December Collage Concert. This includes various levels of sight reading and learning major scales. Music for each band is being sent within the next week.

Concert Band

The students are working in smaller groups to keep a steady pulse when the students are playing by themselves, which is a challenge when there is no conductor or peers to keep in time. The students are improving and last week worked on orchestral excerpts unique to their instruments. For the Collage Concert they will be playing a piece called "April" by Aaron Perrine. The music for that piece should be out to the students this week.

Symphonic Band

This groups’ focus has been working on how to practice effectively to do the important work of helping to find and isolate deficiencies. Last week, they focused on theory work to recognize various major keys associated with specific key signatures. Symphonic band will be playing the 1st movement from Gustav Holst’s first suite for military band.

Wind Ensemble

This group is taking a deep dive into much more challenging sight reading, long tones for intonation and tone improvement, and effective practice techniques. Some very technically proficient individuals will be working on the much faster 2nd and 3rd movements of Holst’s 1st Suite in Eb.

Percussion Ensemble

The students have been working heavily on rudiments and researching interesting drumming styles and techniques from around the world, which were shared with the class. Each student will be playing a solo or collaborative performance at the end of the semester. With Soundtrap (a part of the Music First app through the district) there may be a chance of doing a collaborative composition for the Collage Concert.

Jazz Bands

The focus of both bands has been for the students to learn how to improvise. Normally, jazz bands work on repertoire and solos. They are learning how to listen, practice, read and improvise over various jazz classics from different epochs of jazz history and culture. The students are doing quite well and producing great music as improvising musicians. Until in-person performing can happen, students and parents are encouraged to listen to more music in their home (preferably jazz).

Orchestra

Students are gearing up for coached sectionals. SPU orchestra, BHS, and other High Schools are learning a piece by a Brazilian composer to collaborate on a project produced by SPU. Students are engaging on the Teams platform about different composers and learning about music from under-represented groups.

Theatre

Ballard High School Playmakers presents

Greater Tuna

The Ballard High School Playmakers will start the year with their first ever virtual production: the comedy Greater Tuna. Livestreamed November 5, 6 and 7,

The play is an affectionate comment on Southern life, small-town living, and the attitudes that go with it.

Debuting in Austin, Texas in 1981, Greater Tuna is the first in a series of four comedic plays written by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard, each set in the fictional town of Tuna, Texas, the "third-smallest" town in the state. With its quirky characters, Greater Tuna is a funny presentation of many aspects of life in a small town.

“Most of the Southern comedies performed at Ballard High School are lighthearted, and this play pokes at the stereotypes of small communities with humor and does not pull punches,” says Theatre Director Shawn Riley. “It’s very relatable, and very silly and over the top. The authors are laughing with small backwoods towns and not at them.”

*Apologies to cast member Madelyn Skinner, playing Raymond Chassis, Tuna HS Football Coach.

Make it Dinner and a Show

For this kick-off show, we’ve partnered with Tom Douglas Restaurants (Serious Take out in Ballard) who is putting together a special “Greater Tuna” dinner box. A portion of each box sold will support BPAB programs. Details will be coming soon and you will be able to order in advance to enjoy dinner AND the show during every night of the performance

To keep track of production updates, go to https://www.ballardperformingarts.org/theater

General Information

Upbeat Software Purchased

Ballard Performing Arts Boosters is thrilled to announce that we have purchased Upbeat Music, a software program that allows for more collaborative playing time together.

Due to your generous donations over the years, and class fees, we were able to spend $5,000 ($15/music student) to purchase subscriptions for all music students and teachers. This collaborative app allows music students to engage better with remote learning, foster social connections, which has been a crucial missing piece during remote learning, and stay motivated to continue with their music studies.

The directors hope to roll the Upbeat Music App out in the next few weeks to our students with scaffolded lessons on how to use it successfully. It will be used by students to collaborate in small groups, to work in sectionals, and even to create small ensemble virtual videos. Our Vocal Jazz group and many instrumental students have tested Upbeat over the past few weeks, and are excited about the possibilities that it provides. Concert band students have also started using the software. Mr. Gillespie reports “a bit of a learning curve, but it will be a great tool to help the students interact and play face-to-face.”

Upbeat Overview

Upbeat allows for small group work where the students themselves are providing the recording. For example, a lead student plays and records, then the other students use that as a backing track that they then use to record their parts. At the end of this process, a video with all parts playing together is created that the students can then use to analyze their playing and share with their teacher and peers. Duets, trios, and quartets (and larger) can be recorded in real time from home with no specialized skills or video-editing tools required.

Upbeat is also being used by the music programs at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School, Garfield High School and Ingraham High School.

Here is a video to better understand how it works,

The Show Must Go On Direct Giving Campaign

A direct giving campaign that will replace our major in person fundraisers will kick off November 5. Watch for details on how you can support our award winning program this year, when instructors and coaches are more vital than ever, and into the future,

Tee Shirts

This year’s Ballard Performing Arts educational theme and tee shirt design is “Unity and Community.” The shirt is being printed and all students will receive one. Shirts will available for curbside pickup at Ballard High School. Look for more details and dates soon.