Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra  - For everyone who signed up for FREE tickets to the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra at their fantastic performance here at the beginning of October, the tickets are here... come see Mr. Edwards ASAP to claim your ticket (s).  IF you did not sign up and wish to get a ticket, I am starting a list to distribute tickets that are not claimed.

The FREE ticket is good for the BIG Nightmare Concert on November 2nd at 8:00 p.m at the concert hall.   These tickets are valued at $38.25.

Gr. 9 concert band did round 2 of the 90's test as chosen by Brooke - Page 8#15.  Class average was 75.2% so the next playing test will be on Thursday.

Gr.9 Concert Band did indeed do their first 90's Test today.  Page 9 # 23 was chosen by Kyla.  Class average was 80.2%.  Next Test will take place on Tuesday.

Happy Friday..... I am going to dedicate this video to all of our aspiring tubists.... specially Nick.... and if you know Nick, you will know why.

Band News

Band News...

1.  All the Jazz ensembles have successfully gone through their playing tests this week and I was suitably impressed with all of their efforts.  All marks have been imported into Power School and all of their mark breakdowns have been placed into their portfolios in the band room.

2.  Speaking of marks, all parents of students with a mark of 60 or lower in either Jazz or Concert Band should have received an email from me.  If you ever have any questions about your son's or daughter's standing in Band or Jazz her are some simple steps to follow:

Before you contact me, have a conversation with your son or daughter about their grade and ask them about it.  They should be able to specifically tell you why it is the way it is and what they need to do to fix it.  Before you have this conversation, you may want to take a look on Power School [our on-line grade book - https://ps.sjsd.net/public/] and see what assignment(s) are missing at this point.  If you do not know your Power School log in, please contact the school and they will let you know your login.  In addition, you may want to visit our web site - www.bandatwestwood.com and sign up via email on the right hand side of the page to get the up-dates.  As you can see when you visit the page, every assignment we have done is listed on the blog and on our dates page.

Missing assignments can be submitted without late marks for this first report and, as always, performance based marks can be re-tested at any time until mark cut off. 

I am available for help most days after school until 4:00.

If you have any questions, after completing the steps above, please feel free to contact me in at your earliest convenience.

3.  All ensembles both Jazz and Concert Band are approaching mark cut off on the 2nd of November.  By this time students must complete 4 sectionals and must submit their first self-asessment.

4.  Self assessments are to be completed following the guidelines laid out in the self-assessment documents located on the right hand side of  this blog.  In addition to the guidelines, you can also find a marking rubric.

5.  The 4 sectionals are to be completed on the students own time and must last a minimum of 30 minutes.  For this first set of sectionals, I have allowed concert band students to work with members other than their section, if they wish.  However, after these are completed, sectionals must be with members of their own section.  In addition, for any sectionals to count towards the students grade, they must be recorded in the the sectional book located at the front of the band room by my office.

6.  The Gr. 9 Concert Band is well on it's way to completing the 90's test.  We were hoping to go today; however, with both boys and girls V-Ball tourney's on, we will most likely not have quorum.  Consequently, we will have our first round on Tuesday.

6.  Recently, I have noticed that some of our students have been mistreating the equipment in the band room.  All classes have discussed the reality that we need to make sure that the instruments and the equipment that we have needs to be here in excellent condition for their children's children. We have all vowed to step up to the challenge and to be more vigilant.

7.  We have discussed the course outline and the marking scheme.  You can find all of this in the course outlines located to the right of this blog.  Besides the marking scheme, we discussed at length the uniform for band and concert requirements.  One of the big ones, is that students are not permitted to be absent the final rehearsal before a concert.   This includes doctor, orthodontic and dentist appointments.  Obviously exceptions can be made; however these conversations must take place ahead of time.  If a student misses the rehearsal before a concert, they will not be permitted to play.

The uniform is the same for Band and Jazz.

Here is the information we discussed about uniform:

Concerts and Uniform:

Concerts are a very formal event for everyone involved.  These events are the band equivalent of your mid-term and final exam and we treat them very seriously. As part of their assessment, all students must be present at the final rehearsal before a concert. If a student has an unexcused absence before a concert they will not be allowed to perform at the event in question and forfeit any evaluative mark associated with the performance.

We take great care to plan our concert dates in advance.  You will be told the Winter Concert and the Final Concert Dates during the first few weeks of class along with all other performance dates and times.  These dates will be posted on the band website for your convenience.  Attendance is mandatory at concerts.  In the extreme circumstance that a student cannot attend a concert, Mr. Edwards must be notified and an alternate test date may be arranged where the student will be asked to play all of their performance pieces in front of Mr. Edwards.

Concert uniform:

Men are to wear a dark suit or dark sports jacket and dark pants, tie, matching dark socks and dress shoes.

Ladies are to wear a dress [leaning towards the summer dress style and not the formal ball gown type], and matching dress shoes.  Please keep in mind that a “Dress” is a one-piece ensemble and not a skirt and a blouse.

Please be forewarned that we take our uniform VERY SERIOUSLY at Westwood, and any student that shows up to a concert without the above mentioned uniform will not be permitted to play until they are dressed appropriately.  In addition, if the student fails to change into the proper uniform, they will not be permitted to play and forfeit any evaluative mark associated with the performance.

Hope you all caught my error and watched Cam at 10:00 local and not 12:00.... ooops.  In case you missed it, here he is warming up at the festival.







And here he is playing at the festival in-front of a massive crowd and accepting a very big statue..... as this year's winner ...WAY TO GO CAM!

As tomorrow we will all be at and inservice, I thought I would publish something for you today.

Here's a new approach to the double trumpet - double bone quartet....

Band News - Mark cut off is just around the corner.  let's make sure everyone's up to speed on the mark cut of date and any outstanding assignments..... that, of course, will include sectionals and self-assessmnets.

If any clarification is needed, please check the important dates page and the self-assesment guide on the right side of this blog.

Jazz bands will have their playing test on either Wednesday or Thursday depending on the day of the school calendar.  See the previous post regarding the specific testing sections.

Gr 9 Concert Band will start their run on the 90's test on Wednesday.

(Gotta love that hair)

http://montrealdrumfest.com/

So, the latest update on Cam is that he is in Montreal as we speak and enjoying the drum festival.  He will have to demonstrate his skills in front of a live audience on Saturday.

Here is the info if you are interested in watching him live on Sat. on the web - see below for details.

Welcome to the V-Drums World Championship

And the finalists are...

• Congratulations to Eastern Regional Finalist - Steve Mitchell (Brampton, ON), Western Regional Finalist - Issah Contractor (Vancouver, BC), and Youth Division Grand Prize Winner - Cameron Cordoviz (Winnipeg, MB)!
• Our expert panel of judges chose this year's finalists based on several criteria including originality, versatility (multiple music styles), technique, visual tricks, and overall performance.
• All three of our finalists will perform on the Montreal Drum Fest stage on Saturday, October 20th, alongside this year's special guest performer Tony Royster Jr.!
• Thank you to all who auditioned for the Roland V-Drums Contest and please check back soon for the announcement of the National Grand Champion who will go on to represent Canada at the International Finals being held in Frankfurt, Germany in March 2013!
• 
  
• Can't make it in person? Visit www.roland.ca on October 20th (Saturday) at 11:00am EST ( that would be noon here) to watch the Roland V-Drums Contest National Finals live!

Proof that great minds think alike......

Dagger, Mystery, Zappy and Gammy

A Self-Assessment information link has been added on the right hand side of the blog.

Also, to clarify - the Jazz testing will begin towards the end of next week.

Congratulations to the Gr.10 Concert band.  Jesiee M chose page 7 #3 today and the class was triumphant scoring 91%.  Well done 10's.

Thanks for Nick Pollett for bringing in some Jon Gomm.

I have decided to share his composition Passionflower with you.

So band news for this week:

Gr 11 and 12 Concert Band are on their way with new music. Recordings can be found at the link at the bottom left of this site.

Gr 9 Concert Band - is finished their auditions and move on to the 90's test next week.

Gr. 10 Concert Band is on to round 3 of the 90's test on Monday - where we know they will be victorious. Jazz Bands are all getting ready for their playing tests in a couple of weeks.

Sr. Jazz - Huesos (mm 9 - 51) and Sing Sing Sing (mm 9 - 70).

InterJazz -Big John's Special - Brass (57-73) Saxes (73 - 90) Longest Hour: Rhythm section - Both the "A" section and "B" section grooves. BlackBird - Drums 4 bars funk 4 bars samba. Nate - (mm 33-52)

Jr. Jazz - South Beach: (mm 103 - 117) Drums: play exact drum part at mm9 for 8 measures.

Westwood drummer extraordinare, Cameron Cordoviz, winner of the Canadian Rolland V-Drums Competition, will be interviewed on CJOB today some time between 4:15 and 5:00. Check it out!

Gr 10, 11,and 12 Concert Bands: Results from the first round of 90's tests have been placed in your portfolios. All Bands: Please be reminded that you are welcome to re-test your mark on your own time. Your mark will never go backwards and help is always available from 3:30 - 4:00 - 5 days a week.

On October 3rd, we were blessed with a wonderful performance by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.  Thanks to Mr. Cichosz for the amazing photos:

Round one of the 90's test is complete and the 12's have come out victorious by the skin of their teeth.

Here's how the numbers sat after day one:

Gr 10 Concert Band -Test piece:  Page 9 #23, as chosen out of a hat by Allison G = 88.33%
Gr 12 Concert Band - Test piece: Page 10 #31, as chosen out of the sorting hat by Nick P = 89.82% [which I graciously rounded up to 90%]
Gr 11 Concert Band - Test piece - Page 10 #27, as chosen out of a hat by Devon L = 85.33%

That means that the 12's will move on into new music and course outlines and the 10's and 11's will go on into round 2 of the 90's test.

So, it is Friday..... so I am left to post a little something for your viewing pleasure that is a little out of the ordinary.

As we all make our way through the Thanksgiving weekend it is a time to give thanks and a time to get together with family and friends.

When I think of dessert, I love good bowl of ice cream.  Here's a guy who puts a very unique spin on getting ice cream for his friends.  It is okay if your Mandarin is a little rusty... it is not needed to comprehend the brilliance of this video.

For me the jaw dropping moment is when I realized that as he produced each item it also disappeared off the menu.

Let see....

 - We had the WSO here on Wednesday along with some of our friends from Lincoln Middle School and Sansome Elementary.  More on this wonderful event to follow when we have some photos for you.

- Grade 10, 11, and 12 Concert  Band will begin their 90's test on Tuesday.  This particular playing test is a team activity where the class average on the number chosen at random from our exercise book (I Recommend), by the first student to walk into the class, must be 90% or higher.  Each section will be asked to play the example chosen and this mark will be recorded in the grade-book.  As always, students are able to re-test this exam if they are unhappy with their mark.  And, as with all re-tests, their individual mark cannot go backwards from a re-test, as I will always record the highest mark.  For this exam the requirements are:  Gr. 10 - pages 7 - 10, Gr.11 and 12 - pages 7 - 12.

- Gr. 9 Concert Band is doing well as they make their way through the audition process.  Still to go are the: Bass Clarinet, Baritone, Tubas, String Bass and Malletts.  As well, the 9's are also preparing for the 90's test as described above.  The 9's are responsible for pages 7 - 9.

- Grades should be on line some time next week.

In Jazz news, all of the bands are working though their repertoire.  Please look to the website - www.bandatwestwood.com to find the mp3's of all the music we are working on.

 - All groups should be well in to their sectionals.  Each student is required to do 4 sectionals per reporting period.  Sectionals are organized by the members of each section and meet for a minimum of 30 minutes outside of class time.  Each student is responsible for recording their own name in the sectional book.  Cut off dates for sectionals are defined on the dates page located to the right of this column.

Next up for all ensembles will be a review of the course outline and the self-assessment policy.

I have added the important dates link for 2012-13 on the right hand side.