In April, my wife and I went to Italy for the first time–Milan, Venice, and Florence, wow! Our overseas travels have usually been to the UK and Paris in July-August. But a huge magnet drew us into Italy this spring—our granddaughter was studying in her freshman year at New York University’s campus in Florence and her 19th birthday was in late April.
Stage before concert, Vivaldi’s Church, Venice
Our first stop was Milan to see the magnificent Milan Cathedral. Then we saw “The Last Supper” painting by Leonardo da Vinci at St. Maria delle Grazie church. Next, we attended an opera at the fabulous Teatro Alla Scalla. At the cathedral, we saw not only the interior but also a portion of the rooftop. At the opera house, we saw Giacomo Puccini’s La Rondine (The Swallow).
Next was Venice, where our hotel was near the Piazza San Marco. Also, nearby was Church of the Pietà – Saint Mary of the Visitation. It’s known as “Antonio Vivaldi’s Church” because he became a priest there so that he could compose, teach and perform music. He was there, with several interruptions, between 1703 and 1740. He produced over 500 compositions. On 22 April, we attended an evening concert by the renowned ensemble, I Virtuosi Italiani (The Italian Virtuosos)—superb entertainment!
“Our First Concert!”, Skyview Elementary Band, 12-18-2019
My, oh, my—how far they have come since that first day of band class on 7 October! Here they are on 18 December, 73 days later, playing “Jingle Bells” and other tunes on stage at Skyview Middle School in Bothell. It was their very first concert before a large crowd of parents, relatives and friends.
The band is comprised of three sections: brass, woodwinds and percussion. The percussion section started the concert with a stellar, choreographed rendition of “Hot Cross Buns.” Then the woodwind section played “Merrily We Roll Along.” These clarinet and flute players are exceptionally strong this year. Next, the brass section was featured, playing “Lightly Row.” Dan Carlson is the Band Instructor and is assisted by Jane Lin, Percussion Instructor, Tyler Rogers, Woodwind Instructor, and me, Brass Instructor (here at Skyview in my 9th year).
After the sectional features, the whole band played “Good King Wencelas,” “Jolly Old St. Nicholas,” and “Jingle Bells.”
When the band returned to school on 6 January 2020, it began preparing for its Spring Concert on 11 March at 7:00 p.m. at the Northshore Performing Arts Center (NPAC), located on the campus of Bothell High School (please see http://npacf.org/about-us#directions). The Final Concert of this school year will be at Skyview Middle School Gymnasium on 27 May at 6:00 p.m. Please mark your calendars.
Full Orchestra, Meadowdale HIgh School, Edmonds, 12-17-2019
Seven different bands and orchestras from Meadowdale High School (MHS) in Edmonds performed a dozen pieces at the Winter Concert in the Great Hall on 17 December. My wife and I were there to see and hear our granddaughter play in the 22-member Concert Orchestra. Emily Hurd conducts the bands, and Nathan Rengstorf conducts the orchestras.
Four trumpeters, MHS Wind Ensemble
The Concert Orchestra played “Greensleeves” and “Danza, II Allegro.” As a trumpet player and teacher, I especially enjoyed the Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, and Full Orchestra. “Minor Alterations: Christmas Through the Looking Glass” was the most memorable piece to me, and it was a huge treat to hear the Full Orchestra play “The Polar Express.” The 61-member Full Orchestra blends strings with brass, woodwinds, and percussion for a big, colorful sound. The concert concluded with the Combined Orchestras (71 members, including two guitars and two percussion) playing “Boughs of Holly.”
The Meadowdale Arts & Music Booster Organization (MAMBO) was there to support and promote the school’s music program. Learn more about MAMBO at http://www.mhsMAMBO.org.
Classes for the Homeschool Connections Intermediate Jazz Band are held at Woodinville Alliance Church
My 51st trumpet student is my first homeschooled student. He now lives in Lynnwood, but until this year, he had been attending Harbour Pointe Middle School in Mukilteo, where he was a band member. When he and his parents decided to leave the public school system, he asked them, “What about playing trumpet in band?” They found the solution at Homeschool Connections (please see http://www.connectionsnw.org).
He participates in the Intermediate Jazz Band class on Wednesdays at Woodinville Alliance Church (http://www.wachurch.us/). There was an evening band concert on 2 December at Northlake Christian Church in Bothell (see http://www.northlakecc.org). It was called the Connections Christmas Concert, featuring the Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Bands; Intermediate and Advanced Jazz Bands; and Jazz Combo.
My first private, half-hour lesson with him was on 20 November. I always listen to my students play before I choose an instruction book for them. From his middle school band days, he still has the Essential Elements, Trumpet, Book 1, so we decided to keep working out of that. In addition, I had him buy 101 Jazz Songs, Trumpet, published by Hal Leonard, so that he can have fun becoming familiar with some well-known pieces.
I found that his range topped out at D on the staff. So, on the first day, I taught him to play “G” above the staff, and before I left, he had played a note above high C above the staff. Also, he was making an “H” sound into the mouthpiece. Students who do that will not be able to play at fast tempos or learn double- and triple-tonguing. So, I taught him to make a “T” sound into the mouthpiece. He now has to work to make these techniques natural and habitual.
At this stage, my first job is to help him learn the fingering and embouchure positions for each note in the chromatic scale. We want him to develop instant recognition of the names and settings for each note within a two-octave range, low to high G. It is not enough to memorize things intellectually. We must learn by doing. That means “practice, practice, practice.”
I asked how he chose the trumpet. He said there was no demonstration at school where he could try playing various instruments. He chose trumpet from photographs!
According to the Homeschool Connections website, the Intermediate Jazz Band is taught by Robin Strangland. She plays and teaches French horn and plays trumpet in the Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra (SWOJO—see http://www.swojo.org). She started the Homeschool Band in this area in 1993. She and her husband run the Northend Jazz Camp. The Advanced Jazz Ensemble is taught by Kevin Hall, trumpeter. He is a Director of Jazz at Henry M. Jackson High School in Mill Creek. Twice, he has received the prestigious “Outstanding Soloist Award” from the International Association of Jazz Educators. He is a Festival Director for the Snohomish Valley and Mill Creek Jazz Festivals. You’ll find more information about both these instructors at http://www.connectionsnw.org/about-us/.
Wind Ensemble, Meadowdale High School, Lynnwood, Emily Hurd, Conductor, 10-30-2019
It was a full house in the Great Hall of Meadowdale High School (MHS) in Lynnwood on 30 October to hear the concert by six groups of musicians—Percussion Ensemble, Concert Orchestra, Symphonic Band, Symphony Strings, Wind Ensemble, and Chamber Orchestra. All told, they performed 15 pieces.
Why would I attend? Not because I might have a private trumpet student who was playing in one of the two bands—I don’t. Not because MHS is in the Edmonds School District and I live in Edmonds—that wouldn’t do it. Nope—I gladly went because my precious granddaughter plays in one of the groups—that’s it!
Nathan Rengstorf is the director of the three orchestras, while Emily Hurd is director of the Percussion Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble. I particularly enjoyed “Technology,” “Wood Splitter Fanfare,” “The Irish Baker,” “Waltz of the Wicked,” “Puszta Mvt. 1,” and “Incantations.”
At “Crack the Jazz Code” band camp, Music Works Northwest, Bellevue
My 8th-grade trumpet student from Mercer Island has played in six recitals—one with a piano accompanist—but needed to get some ensemble experience to prepare him for joining a band when he gets to high school. You see, there is no band program at St. Monica’s Catholic School, where he is now a student. So, his parents enrolled him in a one-week jazz band camp held at Music Works Northwest in Bellevue. The camp is for ages 11-15 (middle and high school) at the level of two years of school band or orchestra.
The “Crack the Jazz Code” camp culminated in a concert on Friday afternoon, 19 July. The camp director, Christian Pincock, trombonist, led the 15-member group in a program of six pieces:
“Flip Top” by Ted Curson, trumpeter
“Cantaloupe Island” by Herbie Hancock, pianist
“Cute” by Count Basie, pianist
“Comparsa” by Candido Camero, percussionist (bongos and conga drums)
“Watermelon Man” by Herbie Hancock, pianist
“C-Jam Blues” by Duke Ellington, pianist
At the concert, the brass section was comprised of 7 trumpeters and two trombonists.
Music Works Northwest offers two dozen summer camps. For more information, please see http://www.musicworksnw.org/ and http://www.christianpincock.net. For previous posts about my trumpet student, please see my blog posts of 10 May 2019, 21 May 2018, and 18 November 2017. This was his first experience playing jazz in an ensemble.
The 44-member fifth grade band performed its third and final concert of the school year under the direction of Dan Carlson on the evening of 5 June at Skyview Middle School in Bothell. The audience of family members, relatives and friends totaled more than 100.
The program was comprised of five pieces:
“Frere Jacques” (4-part round)
“Major Scale Skill” (Concert Bb Major)
“Montego Bay” (Calypso song)
“Regal March” (by Bruce Pearson)
“Eye of the Tiger” (arr. by Gerald Sebesky)
Mr. Carlson presented awards to 10 students among the three sections: percussion, woodwinds, and brass. The brass section consisted of 9 trumpeters and 7 trombonists. The award categories were Leadership, Most Improved, Most Inspirational, and Most Outstanding.
Please click on any photo to enlarge it.
Dan Carlson, Orchestra and Band Director, Skyview Middle School, Bothell, 2018-19
L to R: DeeDee Kelly, Nancy MacDonald, and Robert E. Kelly
Sunday, the 17th of March, was St. Patrick’s Day, celebrating the life of the patron saint of Ireland who died during Lent on this date in 461 A.D. My wife’s cousin and her husband, DeeDee and Bob Kelly, in Edmonds are thoroughly Irish, so I offered to play a few Irish tunes for them in their own condominium. They chose five traditional Irish songs:
“When Irish Eyes Are Smiling”
“Danny Boy”
“Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral”
“Molly Malone”
“My Wild Irish Rose”
I played three instruments: my Getzen Eterna Severinsen trumpet, Super Olds cornet, and Jupiter pocket trumpet.
Dan Carlson, Band and Orchestra Director, Skyview Middle School, Bothell
The Spring Band Concert at Skyview Middle School in Bothell was really two concerts on one night: one at 6 p.m. and the other at 7 p.m. on 13 March 2019. The first part was by the fifth and sixth grade bands. The second was by the 7th and 8th grade bands. Both are under the baton of Conductor Dan Carlson.
The 5th grade band performed 8 short pieces from Standard of Excellence, Book I, by Bruce Pearson and one sheet music piece, “Yankee Doodle.” Mr. Carlson is the SMS Band and Orchestra Director. Students in this band come from four nearby elementary schools: Canyon Creek, Crystal Springs, Fernwood, and Lockwood. Mr. Carlson is assisted by three sectional instructors: Jane Lin (percussion), Tyler Rogers (woodwinds), and me (brass—i.e., trumpet and trombone).
The 6th grade band performed “Canto and Caprice” by James Curnow; “Dueling Dragons” by Robert W. Smith; and “Legend of the Alhambra” by Mark Williams. All but three of the 17 brass players at the concert were in my class last year.
I did not stay for second concert by the Jazz Band, 7th Grade Band, and 8th Grade Band which started at 7 p.m., but, here again, most of the brass players were in my class when they first started.
Concert Orchestra, Bryan Kolk, Conductor, Garfield High School, Seattle, 20 December 2018
Aidan Grambihler, Principal Trumpet, Concert Orchestra, Garfield High School, 2018-19
On 20 Dec 2018, all the orchestras at Garfield High School gathered with the choirs and bands to present their Mid-Winter Concert to a packed audience in Quincy Jones Performing Arts Center in Seattle. The principal trumpet in the Concert Orchestra is my student. He’s been taking lessons with me almost three years, starting in his last year at Washington Middle School (see my blog posts of 13 April and 25 July 2016). For several years, it’s been his ambition to play in the GHS orchestras. He’s made it, and I’m proud of him!
Here is a photo gallery of the GHS Concert Orchestra, followed by some others on the program. Please click on any photo to enlarge it.
GHS Concert Orchestra
Other Orchestras, Band, Choir, Soloist, and Ensembles
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![53604431_10218355190294005_2415175743945310208_n[1]](https://i0.wp.com/glennstrumpetnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/53604431_10218355190294005_2415175743945310208_n1.jpg?w=163&h=217&ssl=1 "53604431_10218355190294005_2415175743945310208_n[1]")
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![54799541_10218355189813993_961483370431250432_n[1]](https://i0.wp.com/glennstrumpetnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/54799541_10218355189813993_961483370431250432_n1.jpg?w=162&h=217&ssl=1 "54799541_10218355189813993_961483370431250432_n[1]")
Glenn's Trumpet Notes 