I really want to know how you think we're doing.  Let me know via e-mail or post or facebook message. 

I'll also let you know how I feel we're doing.  Together, we're working on making excellent music together.  We're exploring better intonation and musical expression.  I hope we're developing a sense of camaraderie in that we're doing this hard work together.  I want all of us to be proud of what we're going to accomplish in our concert at the Buskirk-Chumley in May.

I hope that you all had your instruments at home during the snow days you've had over the past few weeks.  You should have had plenty of time to practice!   You know I had to emphasize the practice aspect.   It is through your personal practice that our group rehearsals become more productive.

We all know that we will be filmed for a project at WFIU on monday, February 22.  For that, I need you to do the following:
1. Dress nicely
2. Prepare your parts
3. Be prepared to be on your best behavior, which, I need to reiterate, should be your regular behavior.

These are the things that I think we should focus on for the project.
Mozart
Elgar
Sokol

Our schedule will be:
6:30 Tune (quickly and efficiently)
6:40 Mozart 
7:00 Elgar
7:20 Sokol, Twice the rising sun, (approach in the following three sections)
- Beginning to Letter F
- Letter G to Letter P
- Letter P to the end
8:00 Break
8:15 Prokofiev
Movements 1, 2, and 3

I'm looking forward to our next rehearsal!

I'm so pleased with our being back together in rehearsals.  I want to hear from you about our new direction.  This direction is to give us a piece or two where we can develop the sound of excellence and use that to springboard that sound of excellence to more challenging works, like the piece, Lt. Kije.

It's ok to leave your comments about that here for all to see. 

As for your most recent rehearsal after the Composition Competition, I must say that you were sounding as if you had the potential to be fantastic in your next concert.

And, speaking of the Composition Competition, I really can say I would have loved to perform any one of them.  We made a choice based on input from you, the audience, and the composition professors.

And, before I forget, I want to make sure all of you are planning on coming to rehearsal on February 22.  A producer from WFIU would like to attend the rehearsal and videotape it for an article on our organization.  That means that they want you to be there.  We will want two volunteers, preferably a senior and another who in fairly new to the orchestra to volunteer to be interviewed for this video article.  Please consider volunteering.  We will choose from among the volunteers.

Regarding our rehearsals, please arrive early enough to be seated with your instrument out and ready to tune by 6:30.  There are too many late arrivals which delays our planned rehearsal schedule.

Now, for our next rehearsal schedule:
6:30 Tuning
6:40 Mozart, Divertimento
7:00 Sokol, Twice the Rising Sun
7:40 Elgar, Nimrod from the Enigma Variations
8:00 Break
8:15 Prokofiev, Lt. Kije

I look forward to seeing all of you there on Monday, before 6:30.