Intermediate Band

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Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2024 Winter Season
Week 15
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
1 More Rehearsal Before the Concert
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax

Objectives for Rehearsal include:

Quick Warm Up: Random Concert Scale, up and down
Chorale: Bach and Before for Band (bk2) – sight reading practice, random chorale
Trumpets of Seville – run through
Shake It Off – run through
Haunted Mansion – read through, all three movements
Pandora – read through
The Machine Awake – read through

INTERMEDIATE BAND: WINTER 2024 REPERTOIRE
1. The Haunted Mansion (Matt Neufeld)
mvt.1 The Haunted Mansion
mvt.2 Empty Portraits
mvt.3 Midnight Waltz
2. The Machine Awakes (Steven Bryant)
3. Pandora (Randall Standridge)
4. Shake It Off (Taylor Swift arr. Michael Brown)
5. The Trumpets of Seville (John O’Reilly)

INTERMEDIATE BAND: SUMMER 2024 REPERTOIRE
1. Essential Elements: Broadway Favorites (book)
2. Essential Elements: Film Favorites (book)
3. The Addams Family Theme (Vic Mizzy arr. Johnnie Vinson)
4. Mystery Afoot (David Gorham)

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Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2024 Winter Season
Week 14
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
2 More Rehearsals Until the Concert
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax

Objectives for Rehearsal include:

Quick Warm Up: Random Concert Scale, up and down
Chorale: Bach and Before for Band (bk2) – sight reading practice, random chorale
Shake It Off – read through, we will continue to work on tempo and bringing out the middle voices
Haunted Mansion – read through, all three movements
The Machine Awake – read through, we will touch on any remaining issues here
Pandora – read through, we will touch on any remaining issues
Trumpets of Seville – read through, we will touch on any remaining issues

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Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2024 Winter Season
Week 13
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
3 More Rehearsals Until the Concert
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax

Objectives for Rehearsal include:

Quick Warm Up: Random Concert Scale, up and down
Chorale: Bach and Before for Band (bk2) – sight reading practice, random chorale
The Machine Awake – read through, we will continue to work and clean up rhythms along with the recording. We will be reading this at least once every rehearsal until the concert. We want to make sure you are familiar with the recording and what is happening.
Trumpets of Seville – read through, then we will work on working to make sure the trumpets are comfortable with the tempo
Pandora – read through, continue to work on cleaning up rhythms and harmonic lines
Shake It Off – read through, working on tempo and lining up the bassline with the drummer, then working inner parts again.

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Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2024 Winter Season
Week 12
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax

As Promised: I have posted the rehearsal recordings from last week on the recordings page under the LOGIN menu. Here is a direct link to the recordings if you are curious.
REHEARSAL RECORDINGS – 2024-03-12

Objectives for Rehearsal include:

Quick Warm Up: Random Concert Scale, up and down
Chorale: Bach and Before for Band (bk2) – sight reading practice, random chorale
The Machine Awake – we will continue to work with this piece and the recording, but this time I am going to dig out our own sound system. Perhaps we might get better sound from that.
Shake It Off – continue to work on keeping tempo up, and working inner parts so they balance and can be heard
Empty Portraits – will play through, continuing to work on any remaining issues
Midnight Waltz – will play through continuing to work on any remining issues

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Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2024 Winter Season
Week 11
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax

Objectives for Rehearsal include:

Quick Warm Up: Random Concert Scale, up and down
Chorale: Bach and Before for Band (bk2) – sight reading practice, random chorale
The Machine Awake – we will dig into this work with the recording, starting by listening to it alone while reading our parts. We will continue to work on entries and counting, as well as ensuring the silences line up properly
Pandora – we are going to continue to work on this piece, starting by cleaning up the ending, then working the transition from the aleatoric section, we want to make sure when the entire band stops there aren’t any stragglers
Haunted Mansion – perhaps listening to the recording made last week… then working to clean up a few remaining issues
IF TIME: Empty Portraits – same plan as with mvt1

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Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2024 Winter Season
Week 10
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax

Objectives for Rehearsal include:

Quick Warm Up: Random Concert Scale, up and down
Chorale: Bach and Before for Band (bk2) – sight reading practice, random chorale
Recording Night – we will be making rehearsal recordings tonight
The Haunted Mansion
Shake It Off
Trumpets of Seville
Pandora
The Machine Awakes
After recordings are done: The Machine Awakes: we will focus on @74 to the end, cleaning up rhythms and ensuring the silences line up properly. Then we will back up to @53 and do the same kind of ‘clean up’ work

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Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2024 Winter Season
Week 9
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax

Objectives for Rehearsal include:

Quick Warm Up: Random Concert Scale, up and down
Chorale: Bach and Before for Band (bk2) – sight reading practice, random chorale
The Haunted Mansion: read through, all three movements. Once we do a run through then we will do each movement separately and break down any remaining issues we might have
Shake It Off: will continue to work through a few of the challenges with the inner parts
Pandora: similar to above, we will be digging into this work starting from the end and working backwards
IF TIME: The Machine Awakes: we will focus on @74 to the end, cleaning up rhythms and ensuring the silences line up properly. Then we will back up to @53 and do the same kind of ‘clean up’ work

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Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2024 Winter Season
Week 8
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax

Objectives for Rehearsal include:

Quick Warm Up: Random Concert Scale, up and down
Chorale: Bach and Before for Band (bk2) – sight reading practice, random chorale
Trumpets of Seville: read through only
The Machine Awakes: we will run through the sections of this piece we worked on last time, but adding the recording.
Mystery Afoot: we will be working on the ending, then backwards from there
Shake It Off: read through only
The Addams Family: we are going to get back to this piece this week, reviewing the work we have done in the past with regard to swing music. From there we will start at the beginning of the piece and work our way through it, correcting issues as we go
IF TIME: Pandora: similar to above, we will be digging into this work starting from the end and working backwards

INTERMEDIATE BAND: WINTER 2024 REPERTOIRE
1. The Addams Family Theme (Vic Mizzy arr. Johnnie Vinson)
2. The Haunted Mansion (Matt Neufeld)
mvt.1 The Haunted Mansion
mvt.2 Empty Portraits
mvt.3 Midnight Waltz
3. The Machine Awakes (Steven Bryant)
4. Mystery Afoot (David Gorham)
5. Pandora (Randall Standridge)
6. Shake It Off (Taylor Swift arr. Michael Brown)
7. The Trumpets of Seville (John O’Reilly)

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Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2024 Winter Season
Week 7
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax

Books Needed for the Summer Season: as discussed this evening in rehearsal, we will be using two repertoire books to augment the summer season’s repertoire this year. After taking a vote during rehearsal, it was decided we would be using the Essential Elements Broadway Favorites and the Essential Elements Film Favorites books. Both books are published by Hal Leonard Publishing. Be sure to purchase the book for your instrument.

If you are intending to play with the band during the summer months this year, please order these books soon as they might take time to arrive. Thanks.

NOTE: we are going to remove Anne McGinty’s Rainbow Bridge from the folder for this season. It is a lovely tune, but it will take more rehearsal time than I am willing to dedicate to it this season.

Objectives for Rehearsal include:

Quick Warm Up: Bb Concert Scale, up and down
Chorale: Bach and Before for Band (bk2) – sight reading practice, random chorale
Trumpets of Seville: will do a read through of this piece, then continue to work on areas that need attention
Shake It Off: will start by reviewing the work last week with the bass line… cleaning up the rhythm so everyone is on the same page, then we will dig into the piece itself… starting with the end and working backwards
The Machine Awakes: we will run through the sections of this piece we worked on last week, but this time with the recording. Hopefully we will see how the work we did fits with the recording. Then we will continue to work backwards through the piece cleaning up rhythms and notes
IF TIME: Mystery Afoot: we will be working on the ending, then backwards from there

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Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2024 Winter Season
Week 6
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax

Objectives for Rehearsal include:

REHEARSAL CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER

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Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2024 Winter Season
Week 5
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax

Objectives for Rehearsal include:

Quick Warm Up: Bb Concert Scale, up and down
Chorale: Bach and Before for Band (bk2) – sight reading practice, random chorale
The Haunted Mansion, mvt 1-3: we will be reading through all three movements of the Haunted Mansion in order, I will read the program notes for each movement, and we will get a feel for the over all structure of this piece as a whole
The Machine Awakes: we will continue to work on this piece, this time working from the end
Pandora: similar to above, we will be digging into this work starting from the end and working backwards
Shake It Off: will start with bass line… cleaning up the rhythm so everyone is on the same page, then we will dig into the piece itself… starting with the ending and working backwards
IF TIME: Trumpets of Seville: will continue working on this piece from last week

INTERMEDIATE BAND: WINTER 2024 REPERTOIRE
1. The Addams Family Theme (Vic Mizzy arr. Johnnie Vinson)
2. The Haunted Mansion (Matt Neufeld)
mvt.1 The Haunted Mansion
mvt.2 Empty Portraits
mvt.3 Midnight Waltz
3. The Machine Awakes (Steven Bryant)
4. Mystery Afoot (David Gorham)
5. Pandora (Randall Standridge)
6. Rainbow Bridge (Anne McGinty)
7. Shake It Off (Taylor Swift arr. Michael Brown)
8. The Trumpets of Seville (John O’Reilly)

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Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2024 Winter Season
Week 4
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax

Oscar Nominated Film Recommendation: The Last Repair Shop

I have received many emails this week from band members who have taken the opportunity to check out The Last Repair Shop, an inspiring film about a small instrument repair shop located in Los Angeles which specializes in repairing school instruments free of charge.
The film is co-directed by Halifax native, Ben Proudfoot and includes some heart felt interviews with both students and the techs themselves.
It is less than 40min long and has been nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Documentary Short Film.
If you are interested, the film has been posted on YouTube (legally) and is available to watch. For your convenience, the movie poster is a hyperlink that will take you directly to YouTube.
Also, here is a CBC article about the film posted on their website on Tuesday of this week: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/the-last-repair-shop-ben-proudfoot-1.7092743
Enjoy! I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Objectives for Rehearsal include:

Quick Warm Up: Bb Concert Scale, up and down
Chorale: Bach and Before for Band (bk2) – sight reading practice, random chorale
Midnight Waltz: will continue our work with this piece in one, focusing not only on staying on beat and rhythm, but also beginning to look at notes and stylistic concerns
Haunted Mansion: do trumpets have straight mutes? Will start our work on this piece with the opening, but will continue to work through the piece, stopping where necessary to address any issues
Rainbow Bridge: will start with the ending and work backwards, then dig into the opening few measures @1-16
Trumpets of Seville: will start @9 to establish tempo and style, will look at the castanet part, dig into the soli trumpet part, shot notes at @19 and then a focus on the coda to the end
IF TIME: Machine Awakes: no electronic sounds tonight… will focus on @49 thru 53 (the lift/land) then continue on from @53. We will be looking for rhythmic accuracy, but also digging into some of the melodic elements as well.

INTERMEDIATE BAND: WINTER 2024 REPERTOIRE
1. The Addams Family Theme (Vic Mizzy arr. Johnnie Vinson)
2. The Haunted Mansion (Matt Neufeld)
mvt.1 The Haunted Mansion
mvt.2 Empty Portraits
mvt.3 Midnight Waltz
3. The Machine Awakes (Steven Bryant)
4. Mystery Afoot (David Gorham)
5. Pandora (Randall Standridge)
6. Rainbow Bridge (Anne McGinty)
7. Shake It Off (Taylor Swift arr. Michael Brown)
8. The Trumpets of Seville (John O’Reilly)

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Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2024 Winter Season
Week 3
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax

Objectives for Rehearsal include:

Quick Warm Up: Bb Concert Scale, up and down
Chorale: Bach and Before for Band (bk2) – sight reading practice, random chorale
Mystery Afoot: review 6/8 time and how it works with regard to eighth notes. We also have a theory handout that addresses Compound Time Signatures available HERE
Empty Portraits: beginning working on tempo changes, will focus on @1-13. Then we will focus on the ending @71 thru to the end
Pandora: working on the aleatoric section of the pieces first (@24-26) so that we all are comfortable with this. Then we will back up and work through the opening up to @26
Shake It Off: will discuss the division of parts in this Flex-Band arrangement, just to make sure the parts match the score. Then we will work on the opening and the ending primarily
IF TIME: Haunted Mansion: do trumpets have straight mutes? Will start our work on this piece with the opening, but will continue to work through the piece, stopping where necessary to address any issues

INTERMEDIATE BAND: WINTER 2024 REPERTOIRE
1. The Addams Family Theme (Vic Mizzy arr. Johnnie Vinson)
2. The Haunted Mansion (Matt Neufeld)
mvt.1 The Haunted Mansion
mvt.2 Empty Portraits
mvt.3 Midnight Waltz
3. The Machine Awakes (Steven Bryant)
4. Mystery Afoot (David Gorham)
5. Pandora (Randall Standridge)
6. Rainbow Bridge (Anne McGinty)
7. Shake It Off (Taylor Swift arr. Michael Brown)
8. The Trumpets of Seville (John O’Reilly)

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Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2024 Winter Season
Week 2
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax

FOR MORE INFORMATION about the intermediate band program, contact the executive director of the Second Chances Band Program, Chris Ward at eloboesolo@gmail.com

Objectives for Rehearsal include:

Quick Warm Up: Bb Concert Scale, up and down
Chorale: sightreading practice, random chorale
The Addams Family: a quick review of swing music and how it works with regard to eighth notes.
Midnight Waltz: working to tempo, also working to get it so that I can conduct it in one
Sightread – Rainbow Bridge: read through
The Machine Awakes: will start rehearsing this piece with the recording, working out sections and figuring out how it will work
IF TIME: Trumpets of Seville: will start with the opening, then work out the close. Once these are secure we will read through the piece

INTERMEDIATE BAND: WINTER 2024 REPERTOIRE
1. The Addams Family Theme (Vic Mizzy arr. Johnnie Vinson)
2. The Haunted Mansion (Matt Neufeld)
mvt.1 The Haunted Mansion
mvt.2 Empty Portraits
mvt.3 Midnight Waltz
3. The Machine Awakes (Steven Bryant)
4. Mystery Afoot (David Gorham)
5. Pandora (Randall Standridge)
6. Rainbow Bridge (Anne McGinty)
7. Shake It Off (Taylor Swift arr. Michael Brown)
8. The Trumpets of Seville (John O’Reilly)

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Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2024 Winter Season
Week 1 – READING SESSION
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax

FOR MORE INFORMATION about the intermediate band program, contact the executive director of the Second Chances Band Program, Chris Ward at eloboesolo@gmail.com

Objectives for Rehearsal include:

Quick Warm Up: Bb Concert Scale, up and down
The Addams Family: read through
The Haunted Mansion mvt.1: read through
The Haunted Mansion mvt.2: read through
The Haunted Mansion mvt.3: read through
The Machine Awakes: listen to recording, then read through
Trumpets of Seville: read through
Shake It Off: read through
Pandora: read through
Mystery Afoot: read through
Rainbow Bridge: read through

INTERMEDIATE BAND: WINTER 2024 REPERTOIRE
1. The Addams Family Theme (Vic Mizzy arr. Johnnie Vinson)
2. The Haunted Mansion (Matt Neufeld)
mvt.1 The Haunted Mansion
mvt.2 Empty Portraits
mvt.3 Midnight Waltz
3. The Machine Awakes (Steven Bryant)
4. Mystery Afoot (David Gorham)
5. Pandora (Randall Standridge)
6. Rainbow Bridge (Anne McGinty)
7. Shake It Off (Taylor Swift arr. Michael Brown)
8. The Trumpets of Seville (John O’Reilly)

FEES for Winter 2024:
In January, each member of the Second Chances Intermediate Band will be asked to pay the fall season’s registration fee. If they do not already own them, they will also be asked to acquire the following books: Bach and Before for Band (bk1), Bach and Before for Band (bk2). These books will be used regularly during rehearsals this season.

$175 registration fee (1st group)
$90 registration fee (2nd group)
$50 registration fee for a student currently in high school or attending a recognized post secondary institution
$15 estimated cost of each book listed above

Halifax Community Band Festival
Don’t forget about our very own Halifax Community Band Festival being held at Mount Saint Vincent University on May 24th through 26th 2024! This is the weekend we host players from various different community bands from all over the Maritime provinces for a fellowship of music making and networking. Make sure you mark it on your calendar! It’s a great chance to learn from great guest conductors and meet new friends who love to play as well!
website: https://www.secondchancesband-ns.com/hfx-band-fest/

Second Chances Community Band Society of Nova Scotia

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