Sample of Piece Reflection

I chose to play measures 106 - 133 from Abracadabra as a representation of my playing now. 

I chose this section because it is the most technical of the piece with the chromatic scale. Also, there is the marcato section from 114 - 133 which shows the style of the piece. I think that right now I have all the right notes and rhythms as well as the correct articulations. I could work on intonation as well as getting the style of the piece since there is a shift from legato to marcato in the piece. I can also work on my tone because that is something that I can keep improving on. 

Musical Terms #2

Piece #1: Abracadabra

• Mezzo Piano - Medium soft 
• Mezzo Forte - Medium loud 
• Crescendo - Gradually increase the volume 
• Forte - loud
• Fortissimo - very loud 
• Marcato - spaced, forceful style 
• Tenuto -  style in which the notes are held full value 
• Staccato  - short, light style 
• Slur - Indicates a legato style, connects notes together 
• Diminuendo - Gradually decrease the volume 
• Ritardando - Gradually slow down 
• Accelerando poco a poco - Slowly increase the tempo 
• Subito - suddenly 

Piece #2: Horkstow Grange 

• Mezzo Forte - medium loud 
• Forte - loud 
• Mezzo Piano - medium soft 
• Piano - soft 
• Crescendo - gradually get louder 
• Diminuendo - gradually get softer 
• Fermata - Indicates the lengthening of a note beyond its value 

Final Pre Concert Reflection

Circle Rehearsal Reflection

Last class (10/8/14) we changed up our rehearsal practice. Instead of sitting in sections, we sat in four circles - the only restriction being that we couldn't sit next to someone in our section. I sat next to a trumpet and a clarinet and it really changed my perspective on our ensemble. I heard the lower and middle parts of the music which is different because I am so used to hearing the higher parts of the flute section. I realized that I need to be more confident when playing the melody but also listen for the parts that sometimes I didn't even know existed in order to be alert and stay with the music during parts where I rest. Also, this new style of rehearsal gives me an idea as to which parts I am to be louder and which parts where I am not the main person playing. I need to incorporate this into my practice and performance because at this point, the only things that need to improve for me is dynamics and style, both of which depend upon the other parts that are playing when I play. This new style of rehearsal really opened my eyes to the other parts of the ensemble which will greatly help my playing in practice, rehearsal, and concert. 

Artistic Performance Reflection

With our concert in a few weeks, it is important to give an artistic performance. I believe that this means we make the audience feel something. When we play His Honor, they should feel like they are at a parade. When we play Moscow, they should be put the war scene in Russia as the German troops invade. And finally, when we play Arabian Dances, they should be transported to the sands of the Middle East. This is making noise into beautiful art. When the audience feels like they are part of the song and the experience, then only has the performer(s) given their best. In concern to us, we need to add the little nuances of our pieces to show the emotion of the song. Right now, everyone should know the notes and the rhythms or atleast be practicing hard to get them. After that comes articulation and intonation, which is where we need work. Our band needs to be in tune with each other and small articulations in the music should not be ignored because they are what change the music. After that comes balance, style, and dynamics which are the nuances that change a mediocre performance to an awesome one. This is the type of stuff that I am trying to work on in my own practice to help improve myself and the band as a whole. I think that if each person works on those nuances, then our performance will be truly artistic. 

Practice Techniques

When I practice, I use a variety of techniques to help me practice better. Whenever I start my practice sessions, I always play from a low E to a C chromatically, using my mouth to change to octave from low to high and back on each note before moving to the next one.  This helps warm up my embouchure to play better when I get to my pieces. Next, I play through some scales to warm up. After that I tune myself before I start playing my pieces. Once I get to my pieces, I play through each one, just to figure out the trouble spots. Once I play through a piece, I work on all the trouble spots, one by one, till I start to understand the part better. When I find a trouble spot, I will play it over and over slowly, and then up to tempo eventually. Once I do this for one piece, I will do the same for all of my other pieces and finish up practice. This is my practice routine. 

Challenging Section Reflection

I felt that this section of the piece was the most challenging because there are a lot of runs in the section, which requires fast fingers. Also, the intonation can be difficult as some of the notes are high, and even though they are easy to play, they are sometimes hard to play in tune. Also, breath control is important because the runs in the section are very continuous and if you don't breathe in the right places, you are effectively cutting the phrase off and making notes shorter. Breath control is one of the main things I need to work on in this piece as well as articulation because all the notes are tongued and I need to work on my double tonguing in this section to make it easier to play. The notes and rhythms are quite simple and easy, but the other things, such as articulation and breath control are important to make this section sound better.

Challenging Section Performance

This is measures 95-111 from Moscow, 1941. I felt that this was the most challenging section of the piece.

Musical Terms and Ability Reflection

Musical Terms
Piece #1: Arabian Dances

• Tutti - The part of the piece that is played by the whole orchestra, not the solo instrument. 
• Forte - Loud 
• Fortissimo - Very loud 
• Tr - trill 
• Crescendo - Gradually get louder 

Piece #2: Moscow, 1941

• Andante - Walking speed 
• Poco accelerando - To gradually get faster 
• Poco ritardando - To gradually get faster
• A tempo - Return to the original tempo 
• Diminuendo - To gradually get quieter 

Ability Reflection 

I think that this music is easy as far as notes and rhythms go, because there is nothing too complex. Of course, there are some trouble spots, but those will be fixed with practice. This music gives me the opportunity to work on things beyond notes and rhythms, such as articulation, intonation, style and vibrato, which will help when we get music that is harder to learn. 

Introduction

This is the first post on my 2014-2015 band blog. My name is Harshini Sivakumar and I am a sophomore here at IA. I play flute and have been playing for 2 years now and I have really enjoyed playing flute. I also play piano and have been playing for 8 years, which really helped me learn flute because of the solid foundation I have received about the basics of music that are common in all instruments. I love to play fast music, but I am now playing more slow music and I really enjoy slow music that has a direction; music that is going somewhere. I also love to play both contemporary and classical music. My favorite composer is Chopin. I really love his waltzes. This is a little bit about me and my musical background. 

Final Concert Reflection

This concert was probably one of our best so far because we have grown so much as a band and as people and it was really a great concert. We had many things that were better than they ever were, and some things that still needed work. Overall, I thought we really played our hardest and have done so much but have so much to do for next year. Our first piece, March to the Scaffold, was very well executed (no pun intended!), and we really started off the concert well. The beginning was very good; we had good dynamics. From m.25 to 51, the running phrases that were played could have had more space between them. At 51, I thought our dynamics were quite good and we had lots of space and a marcato style. At the coda, I thought the people playing melody could have been louder from 79 to 88 because the harmony took over a little bit. At m.88, we did a really good ritardando and had a lot of dynamic contrast in the diminuendos and the sudden fortes. The articulation from 96 to 107 was really good and that part was really solid. The solo was good, and at m.118, I think that we could have had more of a Ta - Da but we were louder than were normally are, which was good. Overall, the piece was quite good. The next piece, Sun Cycles, was quite good as well. The solo at the beginning was good, and the harmony in the background was really nice. At the second section, Journey through the Sky, I thought it was a little faster than in rehearsal, but it still sounded clean and clear. The dynamic contrast was really good between the melody and harmony, but at m.55 we could have been louder and more confident at the entrances. The rest of the section was really good. The third section, Underworld, was pretty good, but it could have used some more work. The dynamics were good, but we could have been more confident. The ending was quite good and grand. Overall, this piece was the one that required the most work of the three but it was still good. The final piece, Brave, was the best of the three, I thought. The first section, Fate and Destiny, was really good, though the first notes could have been more confident. The second section, Touch the Sky, was quite good, especially the fast section, because all the eighth notes were very clear and intonation was good. From m.46 to m.72, the melody was really good because we held the tenuto notes out and we had good tone. The solos in the third section, Noble Maiden Fair, were really good, and the section had a peaceful and calm vibe to it. The fourth section, The Games, was really good. Our articulation on the eighth notes were really good and clear. Overall, I thought that section was one of the best of the song. The final section, Merida's Home, was a spectacular ending. We had really good tone and articulation. The intonation was also good in the high register. The ending was huge and grand, a perfect ending to a wonderful final concert. This whole year has been one of new experiences, both good and bad, as we all came to the IA, not knowing what to expect. Band has been a really fun experience, as I got to meet so many new people and have a class to truly express myself musically. This whole year was so much fun, and I can't wait for next year! 

Practice Blog #15 - Reflection

For my final blog, I practiced the second half of Brave, from m.130 to the end. This section needs more work than the first part, but it is slowly improving. In the first section, The Games, I need to work on clearing up my eighth notes so they don't run together in m.134 to 154. At m.157, I need to work on making sure all the notes don't run together in the chromatic scale and each note is heard. At m.162 to 171, I need to work on making my tone better than it is right now, especially when I have to hold the long notes at m.162. For the final section of the piece, Merida's Home, I need to work on intonation and pulse throughout. In m.171 to 189, I have to work on making my tone clear and having more dynamic contrast throughout. At m.205, I have to work on my intonation so I do not go sharp in the higher register. From m.213 to the end, I need to work on my pulse because there are lots of long notes and rests. At the end, I need to work on making my eighth notes clear so the ending is clear and makes a big impact. Overall, this part needs the most work in the song. 

Practice Blog #15

This is my final practice blog.

Practice Blog #14 - Reflection

For my fourth practice blog, I practiced the first part of Brave, from the beginning to m.130. Overall, I think this section really good. In the first section, Fate and Destiny, I need to work on making sure all my notes come out because I start really high. Also, I need to count in the first part to make sure the eight notes are even. In the second section, Touch the Sky, I need to work on making all the eighth notes clues in m.14 to 30. From m.46 to 86, I need to hold out the dotted half notes till the next beat and not release them early. This is also a good place to improve my tone, because it has to be clear and beautiful. In the third section, Noble Maiden Fair, I do not have the melody, but the long notes that I play have to have a beautiful clear tone. Also, I have to work on my dynamic in this contrast through this section. I also need to have a more connected style at this part. Overall, this part is pretty good. 

Practice Blog #14

This is my fourth practice blog. 

Practice Blog #13 - Reflection

For this blog, I worked on Sun Cycles. This piece is a very interesting one and I really like the way it sounds in class. Overall, I feel I have good notes and rhythms, as well as pretty good tone and intonation. In the first passage, Sunrise, I don't play much but during my part I need to work on slurring all the notes together in order to achieve a smooth, connected tone. In the second passage, Journey through the sky, I need to work on articulating every note at the beginning part from m.22 to 36, in order to get every note out. From m.44 to 55,  I need to work on dynamic contrast because m. 44 -47 are soft and then m.48 is louder. Then, at m.65, I need to work on timing because all my notes are not together and I need to count the rests properly. For the third passage, Underworld, I need to work on having a smooth, connected style and tone throughout, as well as counting all the half notes properly in m.101 to 106. In the final passage, Renewal, I need to work on slurring and adding some dynamics to color the section a little bit. At the end, in m.121,  I need to stagger breathe and hold the long note so it doesn't fall flat. Overall, this piece is good, but requires more work. 

Practice Blog #13

This is my third practice blog. 

Practice Blog #12 - Reflection

For my second practice blog, I worked on March to the Scaffold from m.51 to the end because that is where I start to play the melody. From m.51 to 71, I think that I got all the notes, rythmns and dynamics, but I need to work on having more space between thenotes and making it cleaner and march - style. At m.79 to 88, I need to make sure I know where I have to breathe and get out all the high notes in tune and on time. I need to watch my dynamic contrast from m.88 to 96 because there is a lot of different dynamics in that passage. From m.96 to 107, I need to make eight notes quicker and sharper so they will stand out. At the end, I need to work on the intontation because the high E is very easy to get out of tune and it sticks out as dissonant. Overall, this piece is progressing satisfactorily. 

Practice Blog #12

This is my second practice blog.

Practice Blog #11

For my first practice blog, I decided to practice some scales and etudes. However, my camera was not uploading so I'll just write about it instead of uploading a video. I worked through the circle of 5ths for scales, doing C Major, G Major, and D Major on the sharp side and F Major, Bb Major, Eb Major, Ab Major and Db Major on the flat side. I also worked on my Bb and F chromatic scales. I also did some etudes from a book that my teacher gave me. Etudes are very important because they help develop technique and allow you to focus on small things without worrying about the song as a whole. I worked on improving my technique, range, intonation, and articulation by playing through some etudes. Also, this helped with my sight reading because I sight read most of them the first time I played them. This really will help me through the next blogs as I get to our band music.

Musical Terms in Music

Piece #1: March to the Scaffold

• Allegretto Non Troppo - A rather fast tempo that should be performed moderately 
• Forte - To play loudly 
• Crescendo - To gradually increase the volume of a particular passage 
• Fortissimo - To play very loudly 
• Diminuendo - To gradually decrease the volume of a particular passage 
• Piano - To play softly 
• D.S al Coda - A note indicating that the performer must repeat back to the sign before playing the coda
• Coda - The ending portion of a piece 
• Ritardando - To gradually slow the tempo 
• Fortississimo - To play extremely loud 
• Fermata - To hold a note past its value 

Piece #2 - Sun Cycles 

• Più Mosso - A directive to the performer that the music should have more motion 
• Forte - To play loudly 
• Diminuendo - To gradually decrease the volume of a particular passage 
• Mezzo Forte - To play moderately loud 
• Poco Ritardando - To slowly decrease the tempo of a piece 
• Piano - To play softly 
• Fermata - To extend a note past its value 
• Mezzo Piano - To play moderately soft 
• Crescendo - To gradually increase the volume of a passage 
• A tempo - To revert back to the original tempo 
• Crescendo Poco a Poco - To slowly increase the volume of a piece 
• Fortissimo - To play very loudly

Piece #3 - Brave 

• Misterioso - To play the passage mysteriously 
• Soli - A directive to perform a section of the piece as an ensemble instead of a solo 
• Forte - To play loudly 
• Mezzo Forte - To play moderately loud 
• Ritardando - To decrease the tempo of a passage 
• Diminuendo - To decrease the volume of a passage 
• Crescendo - To increase the volume of a passage
• Pianissimo - To play extremely softly 
• Subito - Suddenly 
• Mezzo Piano - To play moderately soft

Festival Reflection

Festival was a very new experience for me, as this is my first time doing Festival, and I thought it was a very fun and enriching experience. I thought that we did a lot better than we were expecting, and that we are definitely improving as a band. First, I would like to talk about the performance. Our three songs were very good, and I thought that our confidence was reflected in our music. Mad Anthony was the best song out of the three, obviously, since we have been playing it since November. Our beginning was really good and we had lots of good dynamics, intonation, breath control, and articulation throughout the piece. The trio from E to I was really good and the clarinets played out a lot better than they did at rehearsal. In terms of the flute, I thought that our section did a very good job with the little runs that we played while others were holding out notes especially in section A and B. Mad Anthony was definitely the best piece. Next was Old Irish Tune. This was also better than in rehearsal and I think we really captured the style of the piece. This song wasn't perfect, but it was very good. There were some intonation issues in the flutes when we got to the lower range, but we managed to keep a steady pitch as much as possible. I also think we had lots of good vibrato in this piece, which is very important. Overall, this piece was really good. Finally, Three Folk Miniatures. I think this song was truly the difference between a 1 and a 2. The first movement was really good, except it was way faster than it should have been. The trumpets sped it up at m.6 and it was almost too fast. The dynamics and everything else, including the flute solo was good, but the tempo was off. In the second movement, the opposite happened. At m. 7 and 8, the trumpets slowed down their part, which is not good because it becomes really boring to listen to with no forward motion. The third movement was the right tempo but it lacked some articulation and style. Overall, this piece needed the most attention and work. Festival was a really good experience and one that I will always remember.

Practice Blog #10

For this blog, I practiced the entire Three Folk Miniatures. I took into account the things I needed to fix and tried to fix them. In the first movement, I made sure I did the forte - piano in the trill, and kept the pitch steady during the trill. Also, I made every note was on the beat and staccato. For the second movement, I made sure I slurred all the notes that needed to be slurred and kept the piece moving forward. I need to work on my breath control. Right now,  I can make it 3 or 4 measures, but I run out of  air quicker than I want to, so I really to work better phrasing. Also, I thought that m.23 to 31 was a lot more controlled than it was the first time, and I worked on hitting all the notes at 31. In the third movement, I worked on the style of the piece - marcato - and made sure it stayed that way the entire time.  I also worked on spacing my 8th notes at m.35 so they wouldn't clump together. Overall, I think this piece has gotten better, but it still needs some work.

Practice Blog #9 - Reflection

For this blog, I worked on the last half of the third movement of Three Folk Miniatures. For this part, I need to work on clearing up all the notes in m. 35 - 41, where I have repeated notes. Sometimes, they don't come out as staccato notes and they clump together. Also, I need to work on the 2/4 measure because not all of the 16th notes come out. Also, I need to make sure I have the right rhythm in m.42 to 44 because the time signature changes a lot there. My trill at the end is pretty good, it just needs to be more smooth and even. My timing on the notes in 24 to 27 are good and right with the beat. This section definitely needs more work.

Practice Blog #9

This is my fourth practice blog of the semester.

Practice Blog #8 - Reflection

For this practice blog, I worked on the third movement of the Three Folk Miniatures. I worked on the first part of it from the beginning to m.24. In this section, I need to work on making sure I have the correct tempo and all the notes come out in this section. I also need to the 3/4 measure and count that rhythm properly. Also, I need to work on the trill in measure 8 because it is a bit slow and uneven sometimes. I have all the notes and the rhythms correct, especially on measure 5. Overall, this is the better part of this movement.

Practice Blog #8

This is my third practice blog of the semester.

Practice Blog #7 - Reflection

For my second practice blog, I worked on the second movement of Three Folk Miniatures. This is the slow, flowing movement of the piece and I think I showed that. I did a good job of demonstrating the style in this movement, as well as accurate notes and correct articulation. I need to work on better breath control and phrasing, especially during a slow part like this, and intonation. Some of the low notes sometimes dip a little flat, which I need to work on. Also, because of the long, slower notes, I have a chance to practice my vibrato, which is very important in slow parts of this piece. I need to work on making it more noticeable, because I can hear it but it does not translate across the audience.

Practice Blog #7

 

This is my second practice blog of the semester.

Practice Blog #6 - Reflection

For this practice blog, I worked on the first movement of Three Folk Miniatures. Although my part doesn't have the melody, it is still very important because it keeps the pulse and keeps the melody on track. First, the positives. I think that I had very good rhythm and pulse and kept on the beat well, and I think my staccatos were very crisp and separated. I need to work on my trill at the beginning and be clearer on the forte - piano. Also, I think that my pitch needs to be better on the trill, as it tends to waver. Overall, the first movement was quite good.

Practice Blog #6

 

This is my first practice blog of the semester.