Author Archives: eric_grush

GoodNews/BandNews 4-29-13

What are we doing this week? – Getting ready for the big concert next week!

All GoodNews/BandNews posts

In this edition:

  • Results from Jazz MPA performances
  • Sign-up for Chic-Fil-A dinner at Band on the Quad May 8
  • 4 free music lessons – first parent to email Mr. Grush wins them
  • Invitation to sit in on professional jazz band rehearsals
  • Music and Arts Cary Store customer appreciation day Sat. May 4 from noon-4pm

 

Results from Jazz MPA performances

I could not be more proud of the improvement and effort we have made over the past weeks.  Our performances were definitely our best to date!

Right now I am able to report on the first and third priorities I had for taking groups to perform.

First priority was to get to hear other MS and HS jazz bands, and did we hear some great ones!  The Jordan High School (Durham, NC) Jazz Combo and Jazz Band were outstanding.  Their combo had 4 horns like ours and they played some nice  harmony.  Their Jazz Band had complete instrumentation of 5 trumpets, 5 trombones, and a clarinet soloist.  We also heard the Stanback MS (Hillsborough, NC) Jazz combo and Jazz Band.  They were incredible – full instrumentation as well and playing original arrangements played by the Count Basie Band.  We have a lot of which to be proud and also a lot to which to aspire!

Second priority was feedback from the judges.  There was a problem copying audio files to my USB drive and the event chairs are still trying to find our files.

Third prioiry was to receive ratings from the judges.  This was not a competition so there are no ranking of first, second, third, etc.  Judges rate each group based on standards. 

I is superior (like an A)
II is excellent (like a B)
III is average (like a C) 

MS Jazz Band earned an Excellent rating
US Jazz Band received an Excellent rating
US Jazz Combo received a Superior rating

 

Sign-up for Chic-Fil-A dinner at Band on the Quad May 8

Because students need to arrive at 5:30pm to warm-up and the concert starts at 6:00pm, getting dinner will be difficult.  If you would like to have dinner from Chic-Fil-A waiting here for your student or for your entire family, simply sign-up on the google form.  Special thanks to Karen Crow for organizing.

Band Chic-Fil-A dinner sign-up

Of course, you are invited to bring your own picnic to eat during the concert if you prefer! (alcohol not permitted)

 

4 free music lessons – first parent to email Mr. Grush wins them

I was sent a gift certificate for 4 free lessons from Musicians Learning Center.  Email me to claim them.
186 Wind Chime Ct  Raleigh NC 27615
Expires 8-31-13

 

Invitation to sit in on professional jazz band rehearsals – first Thursday of every month

Mr. Terry Blalock, who has worked with our jazz groups and judged our jazz groups at MPA, has invited Cary Academy Jazz students to sit in with his jazz band, the Moonlighters.  They rehearse the first Thursday of each month at the Glenaire Retirement Community in Cary.  Contact Mr. Grush for more details. I WOULD TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY WITH A PROFESSIONAL BIG BAND!

 

Music and Arts Cary Store customer appreciation day Sat. May 4 from noon-4pm

The Cary store has been renovated and now carries more “Step up” instruments.  They are calling it a pro shop.  It is definitely worth stopping by.

 

 

GoodNews/BandNews 4-22-13

What are we doing this week? – Jazz students are playing for judges on Thursday.  Wish us luck!

All GoodNews/BandNews posts

In this edition:

  • Jazz students to perform Thurs. 4-25 at NC Music Educators Music Performance Assessment (MPA)
  • LOTS MORE volunteers STILL needed for Band on the Quad Concert and Awards – May 8
  • Sign-up for Chic-Fil-A dinner at Band on the Quad May 8
  • Summer Technology Camp with Mr. Grush
  • Raleigh Area Flute Choir Benfit Concert May 2 

Jazz students to perform Thurs. 4-25 at NC Music Educators Music Performance Assessment (MPA)

MS Jazz Band, US Jazz Band, and US Jazz Combo travel to the NC School of Science and Math on Thursday to perform for judges.  The Music Performance Assessment (MPA) is hosted by the NC Music Educators Association and is similar to the Dixie Classic that we attended last year in Richmond, VA.  The difference is that this is not a festival run by a company looking to make a profit.  So, it costs the students nothing and we receive invaluable written, recorded, and live feedback from three outstanding jazz educators.

Wish us luck and look for details in next week’s newsletter.

 

LOTS MORE volunteers STILL needed for Band on the Quad Concert and Awards – May 8

We have jobs that need to be done now (to prepare) and jobs to be done at the concert.  As my minister says, “please volunteer so no one has to be voluntold!”

Please sign-up and email me with questions.

Band on the Quad volunteer sign-up

 

Sign-up for Chic-Fil-A dinner at Band on the Quad May 8

Because students need to arrive at 5:30pm to warm-up and the concert starts at 6:00pm, getting dinner will be difficult.  If you would like to have dinner from Chic-Fil-A waiting here for your student or for your entire family, simply sign-up on the google form.  Special thanks to Karen Crow for organizing.

Band Chic-Fil-A dinner sign-up

Of course, you are invited to bring your own picnic to eat during the concert if you prefer! (alcohol not permitted)

Summer Technology Camp with Mr. Grush

For the 15th summer, Mr. Grush will be teaching a Summer Technology Camp (part of SummerQuest) for rising 4th-8th graders.  While I would love to have current CA students join us (a few usually do), I’m hoping that many of you can recommend the camp to siblings, friends, and incoming CA students.  Here is a link to our wiki site from last year.  Feel free to forward to insterested students/parents and have them contact me.  Thanks!

http://ca-techcamp-2012.wikispaces.com/

The camp runs from 9am-4pm the weeks of June 24-28 and July 8-12.

SummerQuest information and registration

 

Raleigh Area Flute Choir Benfit Concert May 2

Spring Concert = Stop Hunger Now Benefit

          Thursday, May 2, 7:30pm

          Holy Trinity Lutheran Church

          Corner of Clark & Brooks Avenues, Raleigh 27607

 

Composers represented: Bach, Mozart, Holst, Bartok, Fucik

 

Instrumentation: 

          C flutes, piccolos, alto, bass, & contrabass flutes

 

Personnel:

          Irene Burke, Erin Munnelly, Ann Pearce,

          Cathy Laffoon, Debbie Benson, Rosene Rohrer,

          Tom Mease, Kim Kittner, Lauren Robbins-Pollack

 

CDs for $15: Carols for Flutes, Tapestry, Christmas Images

 

Questions or more info?  919-616-6173

          www.raleighflutes.org/RFC

 

 

 

GoodNews/BandNews 4-15-13

What are we doing this week?– cleaning pollen off of everything!

All GoodNews/BandNews posts

In this edition:

  • Mr. Grush’s New York trip was very successful
  • MANY volunteers needed for Band on the Quad Concert and Awards – May 8
  • Seniors – information needed for Awards Program by Fri. 4-19
  • Writers – I am asking some of you to write about band events – due Fri. 4-19
  • Summer Technology Camp with Mr. Grush
  • Music Camps for Percussion and for Jazz

 

New York trip was very sucessful

Thank you students for making Ms. Drtina feel so welcome and for working so hard.  She is eager to come back and I am eager to have her come back and work with small groups.

The Village Vanguard and the Lion King were incredible.  I have many ideas to discuss with colleagues from the Brain conference, too.  However, I am most excited about a connection I made with the music department at the Fieldston School in NYC.  They have numerous, bands, jazz bands, and combos.  The department chair is a fabulous jazz teacher and a touring jazz musician as well.  The directors at the Fieldston school are interested in collaborating with us!  So, I’ll look into how we might do that.

 

MANY volunteers needed for Band on the Quad Concert and Awards – May 8

Plenty of jobs for everyone!  Please sign-up and email me with questions.

Band on the Quad volunteer sign-up

 

Seniors – information needed for Awards Program by Fri. 4-19

Seniors – please fill out info for the Awards program in this google doc.  Do it now and you won’t forget.  🙂

Seniors – info for the Awards program

 

Writers – I am asking some of you to write about band events – due Fri. 4-19

I am asking about 25 students to write about events from our year.  These descriptions will be printed in the Awards program for May 8.  If your name is listed, please type a description directly into this google doc.  Email me with questions.  I need them by this Friday.  Thanks!

 Write about band events

 

Summer Technology Camp with Mr. Grush

For the 15th summer, Mr. Grush will be teaching a Summer Technology Camp (part of SummerQuest) for rising 4th-8th graders.  While I would love to have current CA students join us (a few usually do), I’m hoping that many of you can recommend the camp to siblings, friends, and incoming CA students.  Here is a link to our wiki site from last year.  Feel free to forward to insterested students/parents and have them contact me.  Thanks!

http://ca-techcamp-2012.wikispaces.com/

 

2 percussion  Camps and 1 Jazz Camp

I do not have direct experience with any of these camps, but they look to be excellent.

http://mattsavagedrumcamp.com/          Marching percussion

 

http://www.summerjazz.org/home.shtml        Jazz

 

Summer Concert Percussion Camps at Cardinal Gibbons High School

Camps are open to all students rising 5th graders and above through high school

Camps include training on snare drum, mallets, timpani, drum set and more! Beginners Welcome! Please tell all your percussion students and parents.

The camp dates are July 8-12, 2013 and July 15-19, 2013 at Cardinal Gibbons High School.  The camps are very reasonable at $250 per week.  For more information or registration everyone may go to www.cghsnc.org/summercamps for more information or contact me at hsargent@cghsnc.org

 

 

GoodNews/BandNews 4-8-13

What are we doing this week? – getting to work with band director MS. Judy Drtina while Mr. Grush is gone Tuesday and Wednesday!

All GoodNews/BandNews posts

In this edition:

  • Mr. Grush in New York Tuesday and Wednesday.  Band Director Judy Drtina will direct classes.
  • Band on the Quad Concert and Student Recognition on May 8
  • US Course Registration
  • While at school, do NOT leave instruments anywhere except your band locker
  • Duke Jazz Ensemble – Friday April 12, 8:00pm, Page Auditorium, Duke West Campus

 

Mr. Grush in New York Tuesday and Wednesday. Band Director Judy Drtina will direct classes.

Mr. Grush will be attending a confrence on Learning and the Brain, focusing on motivation and mindsets.  He will also have a chance to visit the Fieldston School and observe some of their jazz classes, meet former CA 7th grade teacher Todd Shy for dinner, see the Lion King on Broadway, and visit the Village Vanguard jazz club.  He’ll make it home just in time to hear the 2 MS classes pass-off their music on Thursday.

Substituting for Mr. Grush will be Ms. Judy Drtina, who is the former band director of the O’Neill School in Southern Pines.  She is a SUPERB musician and outstanding teacher who has been helping our classes over the past  weeks.  She is a trumpet and horn player as well as a barbershop quartet singer.  We are extremely lucky to have her directing classes while Mr. Grush is gone.

 

Band on the Quad Concert and Student Recognition on May 8 at 6:00pm

Assuming we have good weather, this one will be back outside.  As a matter of fact, the MS classes will perform an assembly for the MS student body on the day of the concert – OUTSIDE too!

This is a heads up.  If you were in band past year, you know what a huge production the final concert is.  My goal is to have the sign-up list for parent volunteers ready on next Sunday, April 14.  We will need about 30 parent volunteers.  I will also be asking a number of students to write reflections for the program.  We have 12 seniors this year, so I am going to have to organize the concert and recognitions differently to try to keep it to 90-120 minutes. 

 

US Course Registration process

Please let me know if you have questions about C block band classes (Band, Jazz Band. Combo) or the music theory class I teach.

US Jazz Combo
Students who wish to register for Jazz Combo are also required to register for US Jazz Band.  Also students need my permission in order to register for combo.  We will have openings for a piano, bass, and guitar player next year.  If you are interested, please speak to me in person.  If you  know of someone not in band this year who is interested for next year, please have her/him speak to me in person.

US Advanced Music Theory 
Open to rising juniors and seniors.  Students need to have my permission in order to register.  Interested students should speak to me in person.

 There is a one trimester music theory course open to sophomores.  Interested students should speak to me in person.

 

While at school, do NOT leave instruments anywhere except your band locker

We have had a number of instances recently with instruments being left in the middle school, upper school, PE locker rooms, etc.  Luckily, the missing saxophpne was found.

The only instruments we have ever lost have been left somewhere they should not have been.  PLEASE do not let your instrument turn up missing.  Take it to the bandroom in the morning and retrieve it at the end of the day. The bandroom stays open until athletic practices are done, so instruments should NOT go into either gym or outside.

Leave instruments in the bandroom during the day and take them home each night.  Personal instruments are not covered by school insurance.

 

Duke Jazz Ensemble – Friday April 12, 8:00pm, Page Auditorium, Duke West Campus

Trumpet players will want to see John Faddis.  Bass players shuld go to meet John Brown.

 

Duke Jazz Ensemble, Director John Brown

Guest Artist Jon Faddis (trumpeter, conductor, composer, educator)

Friday April 12, 8:00pm, Page Auditorium, West Campus

$10 general admission, $5 seniors and students

tix- tel. 919-684-4444 or

www.tickets.duke.edu

or purchase at door