Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Benefits of Music and Music Education

This PDF document is pretty much what every student, teacher and/or parent actively involved in music/arts programs already knows - but it's worth a second glance:

http://www.menc.org/documents/temp/benefits_of_music.pdf

And if such an important and valuable thing, why then would cuts in music and arts programs from our schools even be considered?

It seems to me that it's not merely a lack of resources or dwindling budgets, but a question of values.


Rob Birdwell

Monday, May 3, 2010

Spring Concert May 5 2010 at Linus Pauling 7:30pm


Hope you can all make our concert this Wednesday - here's a sneak peak at our set list...always subject to change!

  • Percussion Prelude
  • All Blues
  • Mission Impossible 
  • Jump, Jive and Wail
  • St. James Infirmary
  • Well You Needn't
  • Freeway Ska

I'm hoping to get a good recording - treats and mingling after.  Should be all done before 8:30pm!

Rob

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

NAMS Jazz Festival 2010 - Audio

Here are the performance audio tracks recorded at the North Albany Middle School Jazz Festival (4th annual - 2010!)

Call And Response
Summertime
Watermelon Man
Caravan
Rock Around The Clock
Bag's Groove

Congratulations to all on your hard work in learning the music and putting together an exciting and spirited performance!  We will likely reprise some of these tunes again, but it's good to have these recordings to listen back to.  Thanks to parents and families for all your support!

Rob Birdwell

NAMS Jazz Festival 2010 - Photos

Terry Poe Photography took photos of our performance - you can view and order your own photos from this link:

http://www.poephoto.com

The photos are excellent - have a look!

The instructions on the handout were to click the "clients" page then the "Jazz Festival" link - you'll be prompted to enter a code to access the photos.  It is: jazzfest2010

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Freeway Ska - New Tune for Early Bird Jazz Band

Here's a link to a slightly produced version of the score to Freeway Ska:

Freeway Ska (MP3)

If possible, download the audio file and copy it to your MP3 device and play along at home with your own part.  You might find that the tempo on this recording is challenging to play with at first - that's okay.  Simply take a bit of time to to practice your part slowly at first so you can work up to playing along with the recording.  It might take some time but you'll get it.  We don't necessarily need to play it this fast, but the tempo is about what I'd like to aim for.

Recall that "G.P." means Grand Pause, D.S. al Coda means Dal Segno: in other words, go to "the sign" at letter "B" until you hit the "coda" sign, then jump to the "coda".  These are short-hand musical terms that actually help to save ink and paper!

Finally, keep in mind that the written note is nothing without a real musician (you!) to breathe/pluck/drum life into it.  So strive to understand the original intent of the written notes (articulations, dynamics, phrasing, etc.), but don't forget to add your own sense of musicianship and expressiveness to the mix - that's called making music!

Have fun and enjoy playing your instrument(s)!

Rob

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Bass Basics

The following are some (of many) online resources for beginning bass players.
 
Reading Music (Bass Clef) Primer:
http://www.cyberfretbass.com/reading/primer/standard/index.php

YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SKtjWBPGXk

Quiz yourself on the notes:
http://www.studybass.com/tools/bass-clef-notes/

"Walking" bass lines (a bit more advanced, but very useful!)
http://www.adamnitti.com/bass_player_10.shtml

And finally, here's my own mini-primer (the Finale to Noteflight rendition):
http://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/6516e7c4e142f42beba448acb94dda36ee419b53

Early Bird Jazz Band to Play Gracewindws Music 2009-12-12

!!! EARLY BIRD JAZZ BAND GIG ALERT !!!

Where:  Gracewinds Music, downtown Corvallis
When:  Saturday, December 12
Time:   Start at 12 noon (arrive by 11:35am to setup)
Dress: "Nice" - Festive Colors!

What to bring:  all your music; stand; your instrument of course!

Drums provided; bass amp(s) provided; possibly guitar amps too.

We'll play a short (20 minute) set TBD.  Short and sweet - a great chance to play!