Valley Youth Summer Band Camp

The Valley Youth Summer Band Camp is a summer enrichment music "camp" right here in Corvallis. Middle and High School musicians are encouraged to register and participate - it's fun!

• 4 rehearsals in the evening
• 4 noon-time performances all in the Corvallis area!

For the latest information and registration details for the Valley Youth Band Camp, see the following links:

1. Valley Youth Summer Band Camp main page - contact Julie Duffy for more information
2. Music director Rob Birdwell's Valley Youth Band Camp page

Early Bird Jazz Band Spring Concert 2012

A FREE concert at Linus Pauling Middle School, featuring the Early Bird Jazz Band (music director Rob Birdwell).

Monday June 4, 7pm

Caravan as performed by Valaida Snow

More information about Valaida Snow and her life.

Early Bird Jazz Band 2011-2012

The Early Bird Jazz band will meet in the Linus Pauling Middle School Band Room every Tuesday and Thursday at 8am.  Our first session will begin Tuesday, October 4 (8am).  Please do your best to help your student arrive a few minutes early so that they are ready to play right around our class start time.

The fee is $30 per month (October through June) -  please pay by check monthly, quarterly or in full, to Rob Birdwell.   Scholarships are available for those who qualify - please contact me if you have questions.  I will be providing a variety of materials (music, studies, exercises).  Each student will have their own Early Bird Jazz folder, which will contain these materials and it is the student's responsibility to maintain the folder contents and bring their music to class.

It is the responsibility of the parent/family supply their student with a suitable instrument for Early Bird Jazz Band.  Standard instrumentation for this group is Trumpet, Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Baritone Sax, Trombone, Piano, Bass, Guitar, Drums.  Other acceptable instruments may include Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, Violin, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet and Tuba, but students playing these instruments are encouraged to take up one of the other doubles (e.g., Tenor Sax, Bass).  Students who play Piano (portable keyboard), Bass/Guitar (with amps and cable) and Drums may need to bring and store their own equipment to the school in order to participate. There is currently only one piano and one drum set in the band room - taking turns is not a desirable strategy as this will limit the student’s ability to actively participate in class.

I look forward to working with your student and having a great year making music!

Rob Birdwell

North Albany Middle School Jazz Fest - Jan 29 2011

The Early Bird Jazz Band will perform at this fun festival on Saturday, January 29.  It's at the North Albany Middle School in Albany, Oregon.

Our exact performance and workshop time TBD, but probably sometime between 10am and 2pm.

Be sure to come early or stay longer to hear the other bands from all over western Oregon.  The director's show their stuff in a "director jam" at noon - which is always fun!

A List of Bands that Feature Good Horns by Jackson

Early Bird Jazz guitarist Jackson S. (an 8th grader in the Early Bird Jazz Band class of 2009-2010) gave me a handwritten list of what he deemed bands with "good horns."  He wrote it on a little piece of paper in front of me, in about a minute, every band named exactly correct.  I've had his list for some months now and before I archive the paper, I want to transcribe it as it seems very interesting and worthy of exploration:

Good horns:

• The Specials
• Streetlight Manifesto
• The Toasters
• Fatter Than Albert
• The Aquabats
• Voodoo Glow Skulls

Good rhythm section Ska (per Jackson, "many edge towards punk"):

• Operation Ivy
• Left Alone
• Some Rancid Songs

I had the sense that Jackson was merely scratching the surface of the bands he could have named.  I won't be surprised when I add his own band to the list someday.

Jackson's love of Ska music was one of the main inspirations for my tune Freeway Ska.

Rob Birdwell

Big 12 Major Scales

I love scales - not so much the scales themselves but the world of melodies they opened up for me.  Having them under my fingers makes many things much easier - like sight reading, improvising and even composing!

But I recognize that not everyone likes scales - they can be viewed as tedious and boring.  But once we recognize that scales serve as the fundamental building blocks of melodies, chords and other great musical things, we begin to get to know them and see them for what they are:  cool!

So take some time in your daily routine to befriend these 12 major scales on your instrument - each one has a  unique character.  Some have a few more flats and sharps than others, but they will be there for you someday so get to know them well!  Good things start to happen once you have these under your fingers!

The Big 12 Scales - Alto Sax
The Big 12 Scales - Baritone Sax
The Big 12 Scales - Bass
The Big 12 Scales - Clarinet
The Big 12 Scales - Flute
The Big 12 Scales - Guitar
The Big 12 Scales - Horn in F
The Big 12 Scales - Piano
The Big 12 Scales - Tenor Sax
The Big 12 Scales - Trombone
The Big 12 Scales - Trumpet
The Big 12 Scales - Tuba
The Big 12 Scales - Vibes-Drums

My junior high music director, Bill Wicker, introduced me and all the students to the big 12.  He had posters on the wall that said things like:  "Practice makes perfect?  Phooey!  But perfect practice makes better!" and other helpful quotes.  He had a challenge that very few students took him up on called the "Super Big 12" - which was to play all 12 major scales in two octaves, including the arpeggios!

The beauty of learning your major scales is that the minor scales are included, for free!  A couple examples:

• Play a C scale but start on A - that will give you the relative minor scale (A minor)
• Play a C scale but start on D - that will give you a dorian mode minor scale
• Play a C scale but start on B - that will give you a very cool locrian mode minor scale

Most of all, have fun and enjoy playing your instrument!

Rob Birdwell