Hi, Progressions Students and Families,
I hope this message finds you well! Please keep moving ahead in your EE books, and do some review of your favorites. A neat way to review is to play your favorite song on each page starting at the beginning of the book. Figure out how many pages you know, and then decide how many pages to review (or how many songs to play) each day so you review the part of the book you know in one week's time. Continue to perfect and listen to your Orchestra music. Links to my previous messages are at the end of this letter.
For 1st years -
please continue to focus on your note-reading and playing your orchestra music without writing in note-names or fingerings. And of course, work on your assigned Suzuki solo from your Monday lesson teacher and your scales.
For 2nd years
- you should focus on your Suzuki solo, scales, and working through EE, so that you are comfortable reading notes on all 4 strings and counting all the rhythms in Book 1. All 2nd years will graduate from Progressions and go into MYSO Prelude Orchestra in the fall. Continue to listen carefully to your studio teachers so that you are prepared for your new orchestra experience in September.
There are seating auditions in August to determine where you will sit in the orchestra, so your work now and through the summer will prepare you! ("Seating" does not necessarily mean ranking, but it does allow the teacher to identify leaders.)
Note:
2nd year Progressions students do NOT have to audition in order to graduate to Prelude orchestra. But if you did a lot of hard work to prepare your audition video, you can send it to Ms. Janet by May 15.
This week's challenge is Sight-reading:
pick something in your binder that you have not played before and try it out. Pay attention to these things before you play:
key signature, time signature, bowings, accidentals, tricky rhythms (and rests)
. Try it out. Find a recording and listen. Then play again. Is it easier after you have heard a recording? Why do you think this is?
Weekly listenings:
I have two for you this week!
- First, this was sent out to MYSO families this week, so you may have seen it already, but this young lady is a Progressions Graduate so I want to make SURE you see it: The Swan.
- Second, this is a concert by four musicians from the Milwaukee Symphony. They played a concert in a building, but each was in their own room for social distancing. They explain how they pulled this off and also tell you about the music before they play. The featured work is Dvořák's "American" Quartet, which is my favorite string quartet. I hope you like it: The 414 Quartet Concert.
There's still time
to complete a fun Orchestra Scavenger Hunt during the next couple of weeks. To earn a certificate or prize, please complete by May 15:
Orchestra Scavenger Hunt
Have a great week, stay safe, and as always, thank your parents for their support of your music!
Mrs. Michels
Progressions Orchestra Director
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