Welcome to the
Herberg
Middle School
Band
Supporting the individual in and through the arts in our school.
We have moved!
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Items of Interest
3 Steps to Success:
1. Practice everyday.
2. Practice listening.
3. Model the masters.
Please beware of internet instrument purchases.
This is a really good statement about them:
"The problem with lower priced imports is they are trying to manufacture an instrument that meets a price point rather than manufacturing an instrument that meets the needs of the music student. These instruments are made using inferior materials. They are often in need of repair and repair shops are not likely to work on them, or at least not willing to guarantee the work. Students will be frustrated because they are playing an instrument that is in constant need of adjustment. Band directors will be frustrated because the student is often without an instrument because it is in for repair. You will be better served to buy or rent an instrument from a reputable music store. Some brands to consider are Selmer, Yamaha, Buffet, Leblanc, and Artley."
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For the school year:
** Band students will need to have a 1/2" 3-ring view binder for class.
This will be used to create an organized portfolio of work that was accomplished throughout the three years a student participates in band.
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Instrument Cleaning & Care
~ Clean your mouthpiece, at least once a week, in warm soapy water.
(If you play when you are sick...clean it after each time you play.)
~ Be sure to take the reed off of your mouthpiece after playing.
* You should see the stuff that can grow inside a dark, moist mouthpiece that doesn't dry out. Yeah...it's gross!
~ Keep your instrument clean.
Woodwinds: Swab out the moisture after every playing session.
Brass: Get rid of as much water as possible after playing and once a month give your instrument a bath. If you don't know how, please ask me. There are some things that you can do that would damage the instrument.
Caring for your band instrument
Supplies
Reeds, valve oil, cork grease, care supplies, etc.
Please restock your supplies when necessary.
Reed players should have, at least, 3 working reeds in their case and a good cleaning cloth.
Valved brass instruments - Got valve oil?
Trombone players - "Superslick" is the best stuff I have used.
Music Shops
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Ways to enjoy the arts in our area:
vvvvv Links vvvvv
The Rainbow Resturant - Pittsfield
Dottie's Coffee Lounge - Pittsfield
South Mountain Concerts - Pittsfield
The Bershire Museum - Pittsfield
Massry Center for the Arts, Albany, NY
Williams College, Williamstown, MA
Norman Rockwell Museum - Stockbridge, MA
Listening
West Point Band
The West Point Band is the Army’s oldest musical organization and continues to provide world-class music to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets and to serve as ambassadors of the United States Military Academy and the Army to local, national, and international communities. Its innovative programs and performances are enjoyed across the globe through regular television, radio, and recordings. The West Point Band traces its lineage back to a single drummer and fifer left to maintain the tradition of military music at West Point after the Revolutionary War. Over the next 200 years, the band evolved into one of the most capable and versatile professional performing groups in the world.
US Navy Band
The United States Navy Concert Band, the premier wind ensemble of the U.S. Navy, presents a wide array of marches, patriotic selections, orchestral transcriptions and modern wind ensemble repertoire. As the original ensemble of the Navy Band, the Concert Band has been performing public concerts and participating in high-profile events for over 85 years.
Collaboration with celebrities has become a hallmark for the Concert Band. The band was featured with Arthur Godfrey of NBC radio fame in 1927. Gene Kelly was guest star for the first episode of "The Navy Hour" radio program in 1945, which the band produced for an astounding 23 years. More recently, the band featured guest artists Tony Curtis and Gregory Peck. In 2002, the band was filmed performing "America the Beautiful;" the performance was broadcast by the NFL prior to each game during opening week.
NY Philharmonic
Founded in 1842, the New York Philharmonic is the oldest symphony orchestra in the United States. Read a complete historical overview, visit the New York Philharmonic Leon Levy Digital Archives.
