STATUS OF WINTER CONCERTS: As I begin to try out holiday-themed repertoire for our Winter Concerts with each class, I am communicating regularly with our district’s VAPA department and MMS administration regarding the viability of the live performances we have planned for Thursday, December 9th. At present, the district policy for performances of this kind is to hold them outdoors with masking and distancing. Even in our region’s beautiful climate, December weather always has its fair share of curveballs that may make an outdoor concert problematic and logistically difficult. It may be safer and more practical to record our performances indoors during school hours and release them as a video that can be shared online. I am hoping to reach a decision by the end of October or early November.
BEG. CLASSES: Both beginning classes are moving along steadily in their respective Sound Innovations books. There are no major updates this week as we continue to progress through Sound Innovations. Students and their parents can expect daily playing assignments in SmartMusic that reinforce the day’s learning for the foreseeable future.
INT./ADV. CLASSES: I have a better understanding of the issues in SmartMusic that made last week’s assignments so frustrating. Things should (fingers crossed) be back to normal this week with that platform. We will also be trying out several potential Winter Concert pieces during classes this week. It’ll be weird playing joyous Christmas/Hanukkah music while we’re in the middle of spooky/creepy Halloween season, but what can you do? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
PLAYING MASKS: If you are a wind instrumentalist, or the parent of one, check out the post below to see if you might be interested in purchasing a more durable and permanent playing mask.
