Yesterday was a GREAT day for the 22 NBJH band students that attended the 2013 VanderCook Honorfest! The clinicians - Mrs. Stacey Dolan and Mr. Robert Sheldon - were engaging and enthusiastic throughout the day. They kept our student focussed on preparing an excellent concert. The performance at the end of the day was wonderful! The VanderCook College of Music Middle Level HonorFest, on Saturday, September 21st, is an opportunity for advanced middle school musicians to work with a clinician in a large ensemble. The HonorFest bands will rehearse during the morning and afternoon, and conclude with a performance in the early evening.
Middle Level HonorFest has been a part of Vandercook's Outreach Program for over 15 years, starting as an honor band for middle school and junior high students, and over the years expanding to include over 300 students participating from 30-35 schools. It's a great event for the start of the school year to motivate students and give them a positive experience. Typically, rehearsals for the HonorFest ensembles start at 9:00 a.m., break for lunch at 12:00 p.m., and conclude with a concert at 4:00 p.m., in which family and friends are enouraged to attend. "The VCM Honorfest is a great way for our students to take their talents and share them in a new venue with peers from across the Great Lakes region," says NBJH band director Greg Scapillato. "Our students come back energized about performing, and a broadened perspective on the band experience." Northbrook Jr High Bands will be sending twenty-four students to participate in the VCM Honorfest this year. The clinicians for the two bands will be Stacey Dolan of VanderCook and Robert Sheldon, composer and arranger for Alfred Music. The NBJH students will be divided equally between the two bands. The day will be a full one with lots of playing, learning and fun - and our students are excited to be a part of this wonderful event! A preview of the music our students will be performing can be found here. Every November, we honor U.S. veterans on the anniversary of the end of World War I. Each year, the Northbrook American Legion Post #791 holds a special Veterans Day Ceremony in the NBJH gym. The NBJH Wind Ensemble will performing patriotic selections to the ceremony this November. One important piece the band will perform is a tribute to all five branches of the armed forces. As each branch is honored, veterans and active service members from that branch are invited to stand and be applauded for their sacrifice. The performance of this piece has a long tradition among performing bands, and is truly a moving experience to witness. We invite all members of our Northbrook community, most especially our veterans and active service members, to join us at 10:30am on Monday, November 11 in the NBJH large gym. Practicing, and the benefits it brings, is of interest to many fields - not just music. Continued practice in music, tennis or any other endeavor will continue to yield benefits, even after we "learn" the thing we are practicing. “Why do I have to keep practicing? I know it already!” Read this (brief!) article on "The Neurological Benefits of Practice" — and then get back to practicing!
The NBJH Wind Ensemble will have the pleasure of joining bands from Wood Oaks Jr High and Field School at the Northbrook Band Invitational on Wednesday, October 23rd, 7:00pm. The concert will be held at Wood Oaks Jr. High.
This special event is hosted by the Wood Oaks and Field band programs. A third school is invited to the event, with each group performing two pieces of their selection. Finally, all three ensembles join in one mass band performance at the end! Our students are looking forward to this special opportunity! Many of our NBJH band graduates go on to perform in the bands at Glenbrook North H.S., and many of those participate in the GBN Marching Spartans. But...what is marching band? Sure, we know they perform at halftime at football games. Is there more to it? How do the students learn the complicated maneuvers? What drives them to perform in all manner of weather - heat, rain, cold? The Orange County Register in Santa Ana, California did an eight-page Sunday section delving deep into the "how" and "why" of high school marching bands. The piece is very well-done, and is well worth the read. Find out more here: http://www.charlesapple.com/2013/09/this-one-time-at-band-camp/ Post by Music for All. Its time! Both Jazz Bands and Woodwind Choir are ready to go!
Jazz Warehouse begins *today*, and meets every Tuesday that school is in session, 3:45pm-5:00pm. Jazz Factory and Woodwind Choir begin tomorrow, and meet every Wednesday school is in session, 3:45pm-5:00pm. See you there! |