The Brochure

About two weeks ago, Mr. Tomassi sent us as homework to investigate and do a brochure about Dixieland Music. We also had to burn a CD with a couple of songs as examples of what Dixieland Music was. This whole project came up, thanks to ou r up coming concert, in which most of the songs we were playing were Dixieland music. So I got home, and started doing some research about what Dixieland music was. When I had all my information I divided it up, and made a brochure with it. Then I had to do the final touches that were the pictures, and decoration.
This project was really easy, because mostly what you had to do was do research, undestand it, and write it up.
When I finished this project I understood what diexieland music was, its an early form of jazz music that was developed in New Orleans, and one of the most famous players was Louis Armstrong.

Reflection

When we are in class, we normally play the three warm ups, some lessons from the book and the songs for the next concert. Our three warm ups are called, the Remington, the Wind Orchestra Warm Ups and the Chromatic Scale Warm Ups. The easienst one for me, is the Remington, because we've been playing it since we were in sixth grade, and its very basic notes. The Wind Orchestra warm ups, is also easy, because once again we have been playing it since we were in seventh grade, and its not that challenging. On the other hand, the Chromatic Scale Warm Up is very challenging, and it makes me really think about what im playing, the other ones I already know them and its kind of automatic for me to play them, this one though is new, and its very chalenging, because you need to think about sthe fingerings, rhythm, and whats comming next if its a flat or a sharp or a natural note. I know that if I practice this quite oftenly I will be able to do it, because it should not be that hard, it only needs practice. Then after the warm ups we normaly play a couple of songs from the book, this year the book has not given me any very challenging stuff, that i havent been able to play. It has been pretty easy and not challenging, probably it will be more challenging later on, we are in page 15 or so. Finaly, we play songs that are part of our next concert. The songs that I find most challenging in general, are Saxophone Rag, American Exaultant, and Basin Street Blues. Saxophone Rag, is not that hard, because its very repetitive, it has the same rhythim practically the whole song, and repeats here and there. American Exaultant, is the one that troubles me the most, because its only scales, and it very but very fast. This song is one of the most challenging ones we have played this far this year, because of its speed, its not the notes, its the speed. On the other hand Basin Street Blues, gives me trouble everywhere, it is not that fast, but the rhythm is confusing, and I mess up a lot in that song. Then there is the clarinet solo, that is weird, and kind of hard because it uses a lot of d# and that note is very annoying to play because its your pinki doing the work. So this is a reflection of what we mostly do in class.

Last Classes

During the last classes in band, we have done the usual warm up which is The Wind Orchestra Warm Ups and a Remington. Then the last class before going out to Lagunazo, we played the Chromatic Scale Warm Ups which is a song, where you play all the notes in the chromatic scale until certain notes up and down. For me this is one of the most challenging things we play in class, because, first you need to keep up a rhythm, and then you have to be aware of the notes you are playing. For me going up the chromatic scale is way easier than going down, because I get really confused when you have to think of the notes backwards. After playing the warm ups, we started playing the music we played at the concert last Saturday. Most of this songs are really easy because they repeat themselves, and you just go back to the beginning of the song, or to certain measure line. The most complicated song for me to play, is Basin Street Blues, which we have played only twice, and is harder than the rest. The hardest part of this song for me, is the Solo the clarinet has, because you have to follow a certain rhythm, and the song is fast.