And the Fire Raged Practice Reflection

After working on measure 46 to 84 in class, here is my recording of that section after some more practice on my own. 

I think that I have improved a lot in this section, especially on the technique. My accuracy has improved greatly and I am playing almost all of the notes correctly with the right articulation. I think that I can still improve with continued practice and accuracy is an area I can always keep improving in. I think my intonation and tone was pretty good and clear throughout although at the end of the phrase it starts to get a little airy so I need to keep working on my breath support. Overall, this section is pretty good but requires continued practice to improve tone and technique. 

Sectional Rehearsal Reflection

Last rehearsal was in the form of sectionals as opposed to full band rehearsal and it was a really good use of our time because we got the chance to practice our parts so we could learn how to fit in and balance with the rest of the band. We practiced all three pieces, starting with the new March, then Prairie Songs, and finally And the Fire Raged. One part of the music that I felt that I played accurately and fluidly was the slow section of Prairie Songs, from the beginning to measure 34. This part is quite easy note - wise but it is very hard to get the articulation and intonation because the passage starts on a high F, which is very hard to hit with the right pitch without going up to it. However, I feel that I can play this part very accurately and most importantly, fluidly because it is in the legato style. A part that I need to work on in order to get it accurately and fluidly is the 6/8 section of And the Fire Raged, especially the continuous eighth notes section. This section is very fast and requires more technical skill, which is why I am working hard on it. I can play it, but not with all the right notes because of the accidentals throughout the passage. However, with a lot of practice, I can master this part accurately and fluidly. During sectionals, I really got a chance to hear just the flute part and really hear myself playing, something that is kind of hard to do when everyone is playing because you are not sure who is who. It also allowed our section to give constructive criticism to each other so we could all improve. I really got a handle on some of the more technical sections during sectionals because we practiced over and over again, unlike in full band rehearsal. Going over harder sections slowly and then up to tempo was an easy practice technique to make sure that we all understood the difficult passage. Overall, sectionals was quite productive for my section and I. 

Post Concert Reflection

I felt that this concert was a big improvement in terms of our band as whole and each person individually. I think that we accomplished an artistic performance but we have a lot of improvement to do in order to become better. In Horkstow Grange, I think that we did a good job playing with a legato style, but we need to shape our phrases more, which would make the performance more artistic. I also think that we could have done more dynamics and that would have helped the artistry of our performance. In Abracadabra, I think that we had all the right notes and rhythms to a certain extent but we also needed to work on dynamics and stylistic elements, such as playing legato or staccato throughout the whole piece. Also, we could improve our balance as a section and as a band because that is critical for artistry. Over the next few months, I hope to become a more artistic player myself and focus on all of the small details in my music to make it as good as possible. I would like to get better at sight reading, vibrato, and technical stuff in the next few months as I prepare for solo and ensemble as well as festival.