In a minimum of 100 words, comment on how BOTH you AND the whole orchestra performed at last night's concert. Refer to tempo, dynamics, togetherness. You can also discuss concert preparation including personal practice, sectionals, daily rehearsals and Smart Music.
28 comments:
I thought that as a whole group, the Orchestra sounded good and harmonious. I think we ended Trepak well, considering the disunity during the rehearsal. In that same song, however, there was a point where the back of the orchestra was a few beats off from the front of the orchestra which we could work on.
Personally, I think I did alright but could have used more practice in Trepak and perhaps some brush-ups on the rhythms in Sleigh Ride when the tempo accelerated. As a group, we could further work on the dynamics and intonation on some of the higher notes.
I liked the sectionals but feel that they could have been more effective if more people showed up or it it were for a longer period of time. The lesson, I think, was most effective since we managed to get through material a lot quicker.
I thought that the concert went very well, especially since we had only practiced as a large group a couple times. I think everyone listened to each other and we stayed on beat.
I think measure 17-24 in Trepak could use some work. Everyone got off the tempo and no one was together. However, we managed to pull through and fix it before 30.
We should also focus more on dynamics. I think we were more nervous about making sure we all had the notes and forgot about the dynamics. The dynamics add a lot to the piece and we should try to focus on them more next concert.
I think if everyone practices 10 minutes a day every piece would be ten times better. My goal for next quarter is to practice more because I only practiced when absolutely necessary.
I thought the sectionals were okay. I find the lessons more helpful and I like how they are during the day instead of in the mornings when I may need to go in to see a teacher or make up tests.
I thought the holiday went really well, better than i thought it would go. The March was a success and the Trepak went surprisingly well considering the slight lighting problem we had at the beginning..we ended together which was great. I think that the Sound of Music needs more work. I couldn't really hear Mrs. Dunn's voice very clearly and I still felt that we were rushing during some parts of the song.. Sleigh Ride went well, but I couldn't hear the choir.. I enjoyed the sectionals, as they were more personal and we could work on smaller problems.
The concert was very good! Numerous people told me that they thought that the Orchestra was amazing. I did notice that during Trepak we were off for a measure or two but I was impressed with how quickly we were able to catch our mistake and come together again. I think that we also may have rushed a little in My Favorite Things, but it wasn't that bad. Our dynamics could have been better, especially in My Favorite Things, I feel like the first violins didn't really show any dynamic changes. I thought that the sectionals we had were very helpful, especially when it came to learning Trepak because that was very difficult. It was nice to have someone from honors help us. When I had my lesson I had to play with the Honors Orchestra and I found that very helpful because I was able to tweak things I did wrong and learn how to play the correct dynamics, speed, etc.
I thought that the concert went very smoothly and the orchestra sounded pretty good!
I was a little nervous about Trepak, however I thought that we played it well and the ending was clean. In the middle we started to lose unity, but we were able to fix that and end well. Also, with "My Favorite Things," I found it was hard to hear Mrs. Dunn and when we got louder, I couldn't hear her at all. I think it would've been even better had we been able to practice with her a few more times. In "Sleigh Ride," I couldn't hear the chorus (or practically anyone else) over the band, however my parents said they could hear all three groups.
In regard to the sectionals and lessons, I thought they were good and very beneficial because we were able to work on the smaller, difficult parts that were more specific to the section, while in class we're able to work on our togetherness.
The concert last night went off better than I expected, because we were mostly together, and I think a lot of us were looking at Ms. Minnis while playing, which really helped. The tempo for Trepak pushed at us a bit, because we hadn't practiced that fast, and a lot of us couldn't get all of the notes in the last stretch. Also, in the section where the first and second violins were on the on and off beats, we almost lost it, but we quickly got it back together. The March sounded quite nice, and was pretty much in tune. My Favorite Things could've been much improved, in terms of intonation. The whole piece seemed a bit flat, without dynamics. It also started out a little fast, but we managed to accompany Mrs. Dunn well.
I think I did pretty well, because I tried to play as loudly as I could during some sections where it was needed. For example, in Sleigh Ride, the orchestra could barely be heard over the band, so I tried to overcome that. I think I could've practiced more, and paid more attention to the fast notes and bowing in Trepak. I need to work on watching the conductor more, because it can sometimes be hard when the notes are difficult.
The sectionals to me were pretty rushed and often started late. I think it did help with the notes and intonation, but it would have been more effective if we were all more focused and had practiced more at home. The smart musics did help, because it forced us to practice.
Overall, I thought the concert went very well. I think we played the March well, but could have worked more on the dynamics. I was worried about how Trepak would sound because of the ending, but there wasn’t a problem with that. However, there was a moment in the beginning of the piece where the back section was a measure or two behind the front section. We recovered, but I think that more practice could have helped with that. I found it hard to hear the vocals in both My Favorite Things and Sleigh Ride. My parents, however, said they heard everything clearly, but it was extremely difficult to hear from where I was sitting.
I think the lessons went better than the sectionals, because they were a longer period of time and I was able to accomplish more. I think the productivity of the lesson/sectional depends on how many people attend and will be different every time.
I think that the concert was a success overall. The Nutcracker March sounded in tune and the rhythms were good, but we lacked dynamics, which really bring the piece alive. Even though the lighting people screwed up our transition to Trepak, it sounded much better than in the rehearsal. I think we were a little off the beat at times, but came together. This, too lacked dynamics. For My Favorite Things, I could not hear Mrs. Dunn because, yet again, we failed to successfully play with the proper dynamics. Apparently we sounded excellent and Mrs. Dunn was clearly audible, because she had a microphone, but it still seemed that we were too loud. I believe Sleigh Ride was excellent and a great way to end the night.
I think the sectionals were more helpful than the lessons because there were few people who showed up for lessons and everyone had different instruments, so the lessons focused more on the group. The sectionals were more tailored to an individual section, which I believe helped more. I could have worked more on Trepak instead of practicing Sleigh Ride and the March, and I will work harder on capturing the dynamics better.
I think that after our rehearsal on Monday night where everyone did not even finish playing at the last note, our concert went very well. It was very hard to hear the rest of the orchestra so far in the back and surrounded by other cellos, but from what I could hear we sounded quite good as a whole and my parent said that it was one of the best concerts they had seen so far.
However, to prevent the pre-concert anxiety attack for Ms. Minnis I think we can all improve by putting in a little more effort to orchestra. While some students really do practice, others ignore Ms. Minnis’ constant reminder that 10 minutes can make all the difference. Even if you bring your instrument home only on the weekends you can get 30 minutes in. Also as a annoying as smartmusic may be it is really helpful for getting you to practice and actually hearing what you sound like.
When looking at my own preparation I think I definitey could have focused more on the plucking in The Nutcracker March. We have had so many plucking pieces like Pizzipeezy and Carmina Burana that I have gotten in the habit of just plucking notes on the right beat, but sort of in tune. While it would be nice to bow more, I should have really worked on getting the “muscle memory” in the plucking. I also have a tendency to practice a little of what needs work, but practicing a lot of what I already know. Even though the sectionals were early in the morning, they really helped force me to practice the more challenging parts of the pieces and make sure that I was playing them correctly because there were only a few of us. It would also be good for me to limit the amount of talking I do in class because even if I am talking and paying attention I know I’m distracting those around me.
notsI believe the concert was great overall. The music was exciting and it sounded great! Considering how the regular and honors groups only practiced together at the rehersal, it was great!
In the beginning of Trepack it was a bit rough because there were two different tempos- people were not looking up because there were too many notes to play per measure. My favorite things was very pretty, Principal Dunn did an amazing job. Sleigh ride was beyond fun to play, however I could barely hear the orchestra and I could not hear the singers whatsoever.
Personally, I think the sectionals helped more than smartmusic. With sectionals you are encouraged to improve and it is exciting and fun, but smartmusic feels like a chore that is dreaded. However, the concert was so much fun and it went well.
I thought the whole orchestra sounded good in general. Also, Trepak was played the best we have ever played so far, in my opinion. The violas were able to stay on beat and the cellos were able to stay off beat. I think many people were able to stay on beat was because they looked up at Ms. Minnis and followed her pace. The sectionals helped prepare us and helped work on certain sections that we struggled with. The Monday night rehearsal helped us perfect the four songs the most out of all of our group sessions. Many people told me the concert was the best we had ever had.
I’ll agree with what most people have been saying in that it was a fairly successful concert. I’d imagine that I was not the only one concerned after that Monday night rehearsal, and I think we should be proud of how we were able to make such drastic improvements in just a few days. That being said, though, there were certainly areas that could have used improvement. Since the honors and concert orchestras play together only on occasion, it’s difficult to ensure that we’re all playing together at the exact same time. Differences in tempo definitely affected our overall togetherness. We played these songs for long enough that we probably had most of it memorized: a good reason to look up at Ms. Minnis more often.
Personally, there were definitely areas that I’d look to improve as well, most notably in the Trepak. Despite practice at home, the end of the piece proved difficult because of the increase in tempo and the fact that one missed note is very difficult to recover from. For future sections like this, I will be sure to pay more attention to specifics and be better prepared for the concert.
The concert last night was by far the best covert yet! And many people told me this.
One way that we could improve our playing even more is that we could four more on dynamics. We spent so much time in rehearsal working on the notes that we completely forgot about dynamics. Another thing that we did not use to its fullest is bowings, they are written in for a reason so we should use them.
I thought that the sectionals were useful but i iced the lessons better because i think we were able to get through material faster and more efficiently and that you know what we need to work on the most to make the piece sound the best as a group
As everyone has been saying, I think that the concert went relatively well, especially considering where we were with the pieces at the beginning of the week and the snow day that we had on Tuesday which certainly threw a monkey wrench into the whole thing! As for our performance, there were some rough patches. March went well though I still think that bowing problems were pervasive throughout the first and second violin sections. The articulation in a piece like the March is very important and in order to make the sound match the music on the paper, bowing is a very important element to consider. I also think that that there were problems with dynamics as many people have previously noted in both pieces, March and Trepak. Again, in order to created the perfect sound during a piece, a performer must adhere to what is written in the music, especially the more minute aspects such as dynamics or even bow lifts. Another issue with Trepak was stamina through phrases, for lack of a better term. I felt like each phrase "died" a little at the end and this made the whole piece feel a little unbalanced. My Favorite Things was our best performance of the night in my opinion. The only problem was that we sped up towards the end so this created a little problem with coordination between Ms. Dunn and the rest of the orchestra. However, all other aspects of that piece worked well. I felt that Sleigh Ride was well executed in terms of the orchestra but the band was outplaying us a little bit so the sound was a little uneven. I also think that the beginning of the piece was a little rough but it was difficult to coordinate all three ensembles starting at the same time.
With regards to my own personal preparation for the concert, I feel like I could have invested more time in the challenging parts of the music, such as the end of Trepak or the bottom of the second page in March. Both of these parts were difficult in terms of rhythm and intonation and I didn't prepare enough in order to execute them well during the concert. For the next concert, I am going to try to identify some of the challenging parts early on and then work through those parts as diligently as possible in order to deliver a solid performance come concert time.
All in all, I think this was one of the top performances that we have delivered in a long time!
Individually, I think that I played moderately well. Although i didn't hit all the notes, I did hit most of them and I was able to play at many different dynamics. At the beginning of the year I admit that I neglected to practice, but as the concert came closer I began to pick up the practicing pace a little bit more. This made a tremendous improvement on my skill level, so next time around I'll be sure to start practicing earlier!
The Orchestra as a whole I thought was excellent! We did Trepak way better in the concert than we did in the rehearsal, and I was very impressed that we were able to pull it all together. We could work on dynamics a bit, especially because I could barely hear Ms. Dunn in My Favorite Things or the choir in Sleigh Ride. Overall, everyone did a great job, and I think next concert will be even better.
Overall, we did a much better job in the concert than I expected. In Trepak, we did quite well, considering how it sounded on Monday's rehearsal. Of course, it wasn't perfect, but it was okay, which is saying something seeing as it was pretty bad earlier. We ended on time, which was a result of the fact that more people watched Ms. Minnis, in order to ensure that they played at the correct tempo. We did lose unity at one point towards the beginning, but we did manage to come together again after a couple measures. Especially considering the lighting problem in the beginning, it could have been much worse. In the March, I think we did a nice job; although, it wouldn't have hurt to work on the dynamics more.
In My Favorite Things, I could only hear Mrs. Dunn some of the time; although, I'm not sure whether this is because I was in the back or because she was overpowering us (or some combination of the two). I think the dynamics needed work, as dynamics can make a piece much more interesting and we did not really use that to our advantage. The fact that we rushed it was still kind of a problem, albeit only a slight one. I also thought that some of the pitches seemed off.
I think we did a pretty good job with Sleigh Ride, considering that all three ensembles only practiced it all together two or three times. I could not hear the chorus, but according to my family, this was not a problem for the audience. I liked the fact that it was all three ensembles put together: I thought it was really cool that we were able to do that.
I think the sectionals were very helpful. We were able to work together as a section, something that we did not do much of in the first quarter. Additionally, the lessons helped in addressing individual issues. Smart Music was helpful because it allowed us to practice with the recording, something that is much more helpful than practicing yourself, in my opinion.
As for myself, I think I could have practiced more. I still found the ending of Trepak difficult, because of the increasing speed and the fact that it can be hard to pick up again if you get off. I feel like I could have done better with more practice, and I will certainly remedy this in the next concert.
I believe last nights concert was tremendous! The beginning of the march was strong and in tune in my opinion. The March was by far our most confident piece and most prepared for. Of course it all went well until the lighting malfunction...In Trepak, i was hoping for a flawless ending and in fact it was better than flawless. As an Orchestra, we all could have worked on being on tempo, especially in Trepak. I felt that the group as a whole was slacking to stay on beat for some of Trekpak and that was the only major flaw in the piece. To be honest, My Favorite Things could have been so much better. Either we should have practiced more with Mrs. Dunn or we just did not do well. Personally, i could barely hear Mrs. Dunn and in Sleigh Ride, i never heard the chorus. Probably since i sat right next to a band member. Overall, i thought the lessons were very effective compared to the sectionals. Lots more work was done during the lessons and i was more awake.
I think that the group for the most part sounded good together, seeing as we had played for the first time together as one group on monday and for the secing time last night. I think that most of our songs were great. To make them sound even better I think that we should play a little louder. I think this would beniftit the Orchestra because then we would be able to hear each other easier and have a better Idea were each section is in a song and we will be less likely to be sepoerated, like in Trepak. I think that one section was rushing, or perhaps the other section was not watching and that we had our moment, but as soon as we realized it we fixed it, figured out were eachother were, and continued on, flawlessly. I think that the ending in Trepak could have also been a little stronger. It felt a little weak to me. I think over all we did a great job, but we need to not be afraid to play, and to play with confidence. I think that over all we did fabulus, and all of our hard work payed off.
I believe that the overall performance of the orchestra at Wednesday's concert was very good. Over all four pieces that we played, we sounded well prepared and executed well overall. I believe that the March was our best piece of the concert. We were solid on dynamics and sounded very sharp on the short, staccato notes. Trepak also sounded solid as a piece of music as well, hoverer it was easily the piece that we could have improved upon the most. I felt like early on in the piece that the violins and cellos were not together on the same tempo, however we did do a good job in fixing that quickly. We also stayed together at the ending, but I think that it could've sounded much sharper if we had a little more time. Also, I think the violins did a good job in the middle section by playing separately on and off the beat. My Favorite Things was a piece that we knew well going into the concert. However, I think when we started playing it, we were a bit surprised at how much slower we were going. I think this caused us to lose focus, causing the beginning to sound a bit rough. I think if we had even just one or two more rehearsals with Mrs. Dunn at that tempo, that piece would have sounded excellent. Finally, I though Sleigh Ride sounded excellent. It really was impressive for all of the ensembles to be able to play in unison with only one practice together, and the temps were steady and the rhythms sharp. Personally and for the whole group, I feel that a little more time devoted to practice at home could have made us sound sharper and more prepared. Regardless, our orchestra executed very well and put on a great concert.
Graham Skeats
I think that the concert went very well and that Trepak went off much better than it had during the rehearsal. However, it could still have been better and the Honors Orchestra probably made up for a lot of our mistakes so we could practice more, especially on parts like the melody in Trepak where we really need to be close to perfect because it is the most recognizable part. Overall, i felt that the group performed well and we had excellent stage presence during the concert. As an individual I think that I played key parts well and knew when I needed to back off and just play eighth notes on Trepak. The way to improve both the group and myself is just to practice. Slowing down and practicing the rhythm in Trepak would have really helped and I might have been able to master it.
I thought that we did much better in the concert than we did in previous practices. Of course, the presence of the honors orchestra helped a lot, but I feel like we were holding our own without them. I still feel like I should have practiced more, so I could have helped us sound even better. There were some points in March that I could have practiced that I had some problems with, along with some points in Trepak, but we all did great in Favorite Things and Sleigh Ride.
I thought that the concert went very well. In trepak we needed work at some parts and in some parts I felt like one section was rushing, but overall trepak was good and we all ended together. I think that the march was really well, our tempo and dynamics were really good and we stayed together. The sound of music needed work because we were too loud so Ms. Dunn's voice was hard to hear, and we went too fast at some parts. I think that everyone should practice at least three times a week for at least 10 minutes because that will allow for all of the students to focus on anything they had trouble with and work those troubles out. I think that the sectionals were a good idea, but I like lessons more because they are during the day and I sometimes need to see a teacher or work on schoolwork in the mornings.
The concert went well. The Orchestra played every song well, but a few songs, Trepak and Sleigh Ride, had a few mistakes. In Trepak, during the last quarter of the piece, the back section fell behind. However, we were all able to pull through. In Sleigh ride some parts of the orchestra fell behind when the tempo accelerated.
As for dynamics, we sounded a bit quiet. This could have been because i was seating at the back, though.
I think our best piece was My Favorite Things because we did the staccato and legato bowing well. The dynamics were played well, and the notes were played accurately.
March was also a very well-played piece. Most of the second violins hit those fast, linked notes.
The sectionals were very effective because everyone got the individual attention they needed to make significant improvements.
I think the concert was very good. I think all of us together was very good. Trepak was a little messy at the fast part at the end but I think that we didn't sound bad but didn't sound our best. To improve this, I think everyone should practice as much as they can and go to sectionals and lessons. Also, everyone should do their smart music and use it to practice a song. I think I could do better by practicing at home a lot with the parts I am having trouble with. In the concert I think I did good but not perfect. At the end of Trepak, some of us were at different tempos and were mixed up. Also, in the beginning of some songs we were quiet and then we got louder.
I think the concert went very well and that all of the pieces sounded balanced and together. Trepak went well compared to the group rehearsal. We finished it all together, but did get off in the middle of the piece. Luckily, we managed to fix this by the end of the piece. The other pieces sounded on beat and harmonious, which wouldn't have been possible if we all hadn't listened to each other and watched our conductor. One thing that I think will help us and make our music sound better is if we all put in at least 10 minutes of practice each day. If everyone did this, we would all know the music and be able to play every part of each piece during a concert, thus eliminating any fuzzy sounds to the pieces. I know this would benefit me, as there were times during the concert when I had to stop and get back on track because the music was too fast for me. Overall, the concert was a success but could be improved by more practice on everyone's part.
Julia Canora (Sorry this is late)
I thought the concert went okay although we rushed a lot during trepak. Personally, i was really far in the back so it was a little difficult to see the tempo. But once i realized that i was really far ahead. i waited so i could catch up. in my favorite things, i think the orchestra as a whole thought we were going to go faster than we did. so we all started playing really quickly at the pace we normally played in rehearsal but when ms dunn started singing we were all suprised and had to slow down a lot. i think that rushing is a big problem so we really should work on our tempo. as for dynamics, i think we did that fairly well. we always have something to improve on so if we continue to practice dynamics we can get amazing at it. our togetherness was okay throughout the concert more so in the end of the song rather than in the beginning. but mostly our togetherness was okay.
sorry this is really late ms minnis it completely slipped my mind!
I thought that the Orchestra performed pretty well as a group. However, there were some mistakes. In Trepak, we completely fell apart in the beginning, but rebounded well in the end. Regarding the sound of music, I think we played too loud, but maybe that was because I was so immersed in the orchestra and behind Ms. Dunn. The march was great all around. Sleigh ride was good, but once again I could not hear the choir at all. We had good dynamics in all of our pieces, but the tempo was a problem. Sections were getting ahead of each other occasionally, producing an awkward sound. Personally, I practiced pretty late for this concert, something I definately need to do for next time. The sectionals were a good idea, as i thought they helped sections fix our their kinks.
I think everyone played very well at the concert. I saw that we stayed on tempo except at certain times in Trepak where we go messed up and but we could have worked a little bit more on dynamics and we were mostly together except on one time in Trepak. I think that i could've spent a little bit more time practicing but i feel that the sectionals and class everyday helped a a lot. I noticed that there weren't as many smart musics and I'm not complaining but maybe a little more of them would've helped. Overall the concert went very well but there were some small thing that we could've worked on.
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