Announcements 1/28/13

Spring Semester is off and running! We are already getting really close to the February 12 Ensemble Concert. Please encourage the students to practice, as we are playing some incredibly difficult music so far.
1) All-West Honor Band participants will need to find their own way to Memphis this Thursday. Meet in the large lobby of the Convention center between 11:30 and 12 to register. Mrs. Ison will meet you after you register to take you to the Hotel. It is right across the street from the Convention Center.

2) Butter Braid pastry sales start next week.

3) The next Booster meeting will be Thursday February 7 at 6:30 pm in the Band Room.

Announcements 1/7/13

Welcome back, everyone! Hope you enjoyed having your kids home for Christmas and New Year's Break. Now it's time to jump back in with both feet! After such a great semester, it's hard to imagine how it could get much better; but I am very excited about the selections we are playing for our concerts this semester!
1) Booster meeting will be tomorrow, Tuesday, January 8. We will be discussing a few things, including the upcoming Miss Harmony Beauty pageant.
2) All-West Tryouts are this Saturday at Arlington High School. Those students who are trying out have been given their audition times.
3) UTM Honor Band will be Jan. 24-26. Schedule and info for those that were selected will be given out today (Monday, January 7)
4) Jazz Band will start back next Monday, January 14. It will still be on Mondays from 3:30-4:30. 5)  Over on the right side of this website, you will see a link to the schedule for the spring semester.

All-West Recordings

Here is the link to where you can listen to and download the All-West recordings for this year.  http://www.wtsboa.com/members_only/detail_pages/all_west_band_music.php

History of the CD

Here is a link to not only a history of the CD, but also some information on the Technology behind how a CD works.

Synthesizers

Two songs in our field show - "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" and "Mr. Roboto", deal with the impact of synthesizers on pop music.  Here is a quick history of the RCA Electronic Music Synthesizer (notice in the pictures that the first synthesizers did not have keyboards, they looked like huge computers.)  Also, here is a history of the Moog synthesizer, one of first synthesizers with a keyboard and a name that has become synonymous with the synthesizer instrument.

Evolution of Records from 1900-1920

Here is a brief overview of some important dates in the history of Records.

Benny Goodman

One of the Jazz songs we are doing features the clarinets.  The song is "Let's Dance" by Benny Goodman - one of the greatest jazz clarinet players of all time.  Chances are, if you have ever heard an old recording of a clarinet player just tearing up a solo, it was Benny Goodman.  Found out more about him here.