My MGP "Music Memoir"
I remember the summer before my sixth grade year. It was an exceptional time period. I was going to start Bradley Middle School in the fall and be in the school's band. Fortunately, Bradley offered summer band. Summer band focused on teaching about your chosen instrument and worked on reading music. I was excited to be able to learn the flute during summer band.
My teacher for summer band was Mrs. Gurwitz. Mrs. Gurwitz taught the woodwinds section. The woodwind instruments include the flutes, clarinets, base clarinets, oboes, saxophones, and bassoons. Our class was fairly large. We had people for all of the woodwind instruments except base clarinet and saxophones. The flute members had quite a few students. I had one particular friend who was close to me form elementary school. She was also learning how to play the flute. Her name was Nadia. Nadia made summer band a blast! Mrs. Gurwitz focused on our ombishier the first few days of summer band. When playing the flute, a person has to blow into the mouth piece correctly. She had us practice blowing into a straw and then use the head joint to blow. I found it easier to use the straw to know what it feels like to create a small hole with the lips.
Mrs. Gurwitz would have chair tests. Chair tests are Minnie tests that assess a person's musical skills. I remember Mrs. Gurwitz assigned Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star from the Division of Beat Book 1A. We had to practice that song thoroughly through and then play before her and our classmates. Who ever played the best with the correct notation and sound became first chair. The higher a person is in chairs, the more privileges you get in band. When there is concert pieces that require certain instruments to play higher parts or solos, the first couple of chairs in an instrument section receive those parts and the bottom chairs play the lower notes. However, Mrs. Gurwitz had chair tests all the time. The more a person practices, it is easier to play in front of the teacher and classmates. Playing becomes like second nature. When I played Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, I did okay. I did not get first chair, yet did not get last chair. I just played the best I could. I recall spending hours and hours a day practicing the flute. At some moments, I felt like my hands and mouth were going to fall off me. The pain was tremendous. My body was getting broken in to holding the flute just right, blowing correctly, and learning to read music with the flute fingerings. I do think the summer band with other people around me made the experience enjoyable.
Towards the end of summer band, we received two songs to play for a band concert. The songs were When the Saints go Marching In, and Old McDonald Had a Farm. I recall practicing them daily. In Mrs. Gurwitz class, we spent time on counting the songs and the flow of the rhythm. When all of the students were ready, we came together to play the songs during practice. We had the brass section, percussion, and the woodwinds. The brass section instruments are Tubas, Baritones, Trombones, French horns, and Trumpets. The day we did practice the songs, I recall the brass section sounding so powerful. The brass section was awesome! Mr. Gehimer the headband director spent time working on every section's sound.
The final day arrived for the end of summer band concert! I was ready to perform with the whole band. All of us worked really hard on our two songs. We had rehearsals and section classes working on both pieces. My parents were coming to the concert. When we arrived at the concert hall, I said bye to Mom and Dad. They sat in the audience chairs. I went to find Mrs. Gurwitz and the rest of my classmates. We all walked up to the stage to sit down in our seats for the songs. I recall Mr. Gehimer placed his hands up in the air to conduct the song of When the Saints go Marching In. The percussion started the song, and then the trumpets came in followed by the woodwinds with the rest of the brass section. We played that song without any mistakes. Then Mr. Gehimer placed his hands up for Old McDonald Had a Farm song. From this song, the brass started the song, followed by the percussion and woodwinds. The music made me feel happy, so I taped my foot through the second song. When our band was finished with both songs, the audience clapped. What was neat about the concert was the recognition. I was voted as a great flutist from my classmates. Mr. Gehimer gave me trophy that said my name. I was not expecting such a reward. As my parents took me home from the concert that day, I remember being grateful to have been in summer band and be given the opportunity to play the flute.
I remember the summer before my sixth grade year. It was an exceptional time period. I was going to start Bradley Middle School in the fall and be in the school's band. Fortunately, Bradley offered summer band. Summer band focused on teaching about your chosen instrument and worked on reading music. I was excited to be able to learn the flute during summer band.
My teacher for summer band was Mrs. Gurwitz. Mrs. Gurwitz taught the woodwinds section. The woodwind instruments include the flutes, clarinets, base clarinets, oboes, saxophones, and bassoons. Our class was fairly large. We had people for all of the woodwind instruments except base clarinet and saxophones. The flute members had quite a few students. I had one particular friend who was close to me form elementary school. She was also learning how to play the flute. Her name was Nadia. Nadia made summer band a blast! Mrs. Gurwitz focused on our ombishier the first few days of summer band. When playing the flute, a person has to blow into the mouth piece correctly. She had us practice blowing into a straw and then use the head joint to blow. I found it easier to use the straw to know what it feels like to create a small hole with the lips.
Mrs. Gurwitz would have chair tests. Chair tests are Minnie tests that assess a person's musical skills. I remember Mrs. Gurwitz assigned Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star from the Division of Beat Book 1A. We had to practice that song thoroughly through and then play before her and our classmates. Who ever played the best with the correct notation and sound became first chair. The higher a person is in chairs, the more privileges you get in band. When there is concert pieces that require certain instruments to play higher parts or solos, the first couple of chairs in an instrument section receive those parts and the bottom chairs play the lower notes. However, Mrs. Gurwitz had chair tests all the time. The more a person practices, it is easier to play in front of the teacher and classmates. Playing becomes like second nature. When I played Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, I did okay. I did not get first chair, yet did not get last chair. I just played the best I could. I recall spending hours and hours a day practicing the flute. At some moments, I felt like my hands and mouth were going to fall off me. The pain was tremendous. My body was getting broken in to holding the flute just right, blowing correctly, and learning to read music with the flute fingerings. I do think the summer band with other people around me made the experience enjoyable.
Towards the end of summer band, we received two songs to play for a band concert. The songs were When the Saints go Marching In, and Old McDonald Had a Farm. I recall practicing them daily. In Mrs. Gurwitz class, we spent time on counting the songs and the flow of the rhythm. When all of the students were ready, we came together to play the songs during practice. We had the brass section, percussion, and the woodwinds. The brass section instruments are Tubas, Baritones, Trombones, French horns, and Trumpets. The day we did practice the songs, I recall the brass section sounding so powerful. The brass section was awesome! Mr. Gehimer the headband director spent time working on every section's sound.
The final day arrived for the end of summer band concert! I was ready to perform with the whole band. All of us worked really hard on our two songs. We had rehearsals and section classes working on both pieces. My parents were coming to the concert. When we arrived at the concert hall, I said bye to Mom and Dad. They sat in the audience chairs. I went to find Mrs. Gurwitz and the rest of my classmates. We all walked up to the stage to sit down in our seats for the songs. I recall Mr. Gehimer placed his hands up in the air to conduct the song of When the Saints go Marching In. The percussion started the song, and then the trumpets came in followed by the woodwinds with the rest of the brass section. We played that song without any mistakes. Then Mr. Gehimer placed his hands up for Old McDonald Had a Farm song. From this song, the brass started the song, followed by the percussion and woodwinds. The music made me feel happy, so I taped my foot through the second song. When our band was finished with both songs, the audience clapped. What was neat about the concert was the recognition. I was voted as a great flutist from my classmates. Mr. Gehimer gave me trophy that said my name. I was not expecting such a reward. As my parents took me home from the concert that day, I remember being grateful to have been in summer band and be given the opportunity to play the flute.
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