March 25, 2020

Good afternoon, ACS Bands!

Just a quick note today to let you know that I was working on a few videos yesterday and today, but am having some trouble uploading. 

Keep a lookout! 

-See you soon!

-Mr. Hammond

March 23, 2020

Good afternoon to all!

I spent some time in school early this morning before the "crowd" arrived, and have been working at home for the last few hours.

Unfortunately, I have to repor that it has been a frustrating few hours.  A lot of it was spent trying to learn how to better share videos back and forth with you, and with the larger group of music teachers in our area.  

I will spare you the story except to say that it looks like the tools that work best for one group, don't necessarily work best for the other. 

It's also a good time to point out that I am very much still learning, too.  I can relate to the frustration you feel when you feel like you have wasted an entire morning doing something "wrong."  But I need to remind both of us that the time was not wasted even though there is little to show for it.  I won't make the same mistakes again, and I can get to work solving new problems.    The same is true for you if you are struggling to learn anything new right now, even if it has nothing to do with music. 

The biggestproblem is that I am behind on my phone calls to you.   I expect to be in school early again tomorrow, and then back here to get in touch with some of you.  I'm anxious to hear what you've been up to!

See you soon, 

Mr. Hammond

March 22, 2020

Concert Band Members and Parents, 

This morning, I put recordings of 3 of our pieces in Google Classroom.   (Update: I checked at noon and discovered that I had mistakenly scheduled the post for tomorrow.  It has been fixed.)

Musicians can practice by playing along.

Parents can help by:

1. Asking your musician to play the music (I mean, click play on the video, not actually play it on their instrument) and show you that they can follow along in their part. 

2. Making sure your musician knows how to slow down the YouTube video so that they can practice tricky spots at a slow speed.

3. Allowing them some time to practice on their instrument.  I know it might be stressful, but please give some thought to what might work in your house at this time.

4.  Encourage them to practie in different ways.  Play along with the recordings, sure. (Note - they know some ways to practice very quietly!  Ask them about it!)  But also, play without the recordings.  Time with their instrument can be time away from screens, and that can be very good for young minds.  Help them figure what a good balance looks like.    

Musicians, you can help by:

1.  Listening. You have told me many times that music is easier to learn when you know how it sounds. You are absolutely right about that. If you know these songs, it is because you have heard them a lot.  So listen to these versions over and over. (Bonus - this can be done quietly if practicing on your instrument creates stress in your house.)

2.  Try to follow along in your part.  Listen to what the other parts sound like, but try to keep your place in your own music.  What does the music sound like in the places where you are supposed to come in?  Who has the melody part when you are playing?  You or someone else?  What else is happening in the music that your audience should be able to hear?

3. Find the tricky spots and practice them slowly.  Once you can play them on your own, can you slow down the YouTube video and play along?  If not, ask some friends or let me know and I will try to help.

4.  Can you play the whole thing with the video?   Remember not to play it any faster than you can play the tricky spots.  So, if you can play the tricky spots at half speed, can you play the whole thing at half speed?  

5.  If you can't play your instruments out loud, can you tissle or hiss your part with accurate fingerings?

(By the way you can do this without even having an instrument!      Air drum? - Same thing!

I hope you find that useful! 

See you soon, 

-Mr. Hammond

March 20, 2020

Good afternoon!

I had to take yesterday off due to a planned absence, but here's a quick update.

First, I understand that playing an instrument in a croweded house may not help to redcuce stress for everyone in the house.  I'm going to be working on lots of other ways to make music, or to at least experience music with varying degrees of "school-ish" guidance.  

For instance, the other day, I learned some new things about how to use Google Classroom.  I've started to post a bunch of listening examples, elementary band, concert band, and especially in the jazz/rock band classroom.  I expect to post a lot more in all classrooms over the coming days.   For now, there is no requirement for the listening examples.   Please do not feel you have to listen to them all at once, but check them out as your are able.   

Everyone in Concert Band, and their parents, should have recieved an email that was meant just to touch base and make sure you are aware that there are several classrooms in Google that are now open to you.  For instance, if you want to check out some Booster Band music, I can include you even if you don't normally play in that group.  I will also work on adding some horn parts to steel drum band music, if you want  to take a look at that. 

I have been in touch with a few seniors in order to learn more about what the online experience looks like from home. They walked me through what they were seeing, and some of what they could do with the online tools.   I expect to keep working with them in order to better use those tools.   If you are interested in helping me discover what is possible and learn new ways that we can use these tools to benefit all ACS musicians, please send me a message and let me know.  I'll put you on the development team!    Also if you are finding cool stuff online (or offline) that might other musicians might like, let me know!

Right now, I'm going to get back to work posting information and listnening materials in Google Classroom, so please be sure to look for those!

Take care, everybody.

Do the best you can with what you have.

Stay in touch with your friends, teachers and others who care about you.

See you soon!

-Mr. Hammond

March 17, 2020

Good morning!  I hope you are all well and managing this transition to remote learning without too much stress.

Today's focus is on ensuring that ACS musicians can access Noteflight files in their Google Classroom.

They should be able to identify their own parts within a score, and select them so that they can clearly see only their part, if they choose.

This is a simple process, and it will make it easier to use noteflight as a practice tool.  Musicians can hear their parts alone, hear how they fit with other parts, and play along, either slowly or at full speed.   It will also eventually make it possible for you to create and arrange your own music for various instruments.

The pieces available right now on your Google Classroom are pretty simple ones, and generally old news excellent review.   In the long run it may be best to think of Noteflight on Google Classroom as a place where we can share common warm-up kind of stuff, original arrangements, and opportunities for you to create new music.

(And true enough, the scale stuff - while it may not be your personal favorite - is very relevant.  What an amazing opportunity you have to bang those out and become a scale expert so you can spend practically no time on them in lessons in the future!  Signed, your friendly neighborhood scale nerd.)

I also expect to be in touch with several of our juniors and seniors who will be helping to work out some of the bugs for accessing Google Classroom, Noteflight and SmartMusic at home.   

Keep an eye on your Google Classroom over the next couple of days as things are added, and as I continue to discover more and better ways to use it.

Thanks to all of you for your efforts and your willingness to adapt.

See you soon, 

-Mr. Hammond

*Bonus - if you would like to be added to the Mardi Gras Band classroom, Steel Drum Band classroom, Purple Ghost Blues Band, ACS Unplugged, or the Guitar Club, send me a message, and I will add you.

2019-2020 Performances

NYSSMA Solo Fest

    Potsdam May 1,2

    Carthage May 8, 9

Spring Concert

May 21 7:00  ACS Auditorium

NYSSMA Majors

May 28  Indian River HS

1000 Islands Half Marathon

Date and Time TBA

Graduation Prelude Music

Friday, June 26 6:00

JH Bi-County Band

November 2  2:00  Lowville Academy

Veteran’s Day Concert

November 14  7:00

Area All-State

November 23  2:00  Indian River High School

NYSSMA Conference All-State

December 5-8  Rochester

Clayton Christmas Parade

December 7  Riverside Drive, Clayton

Holiday Concert, Grades 6-12

Dec. 17 7:00  ACS Auditorium

Bi-County Jazz Band

January 26  2:00  ACS Auditorium

Mardi Gras

February 25

Booster Band.  All Dates To Be Confirmed 

December 2  6:15 Alex Bay Arena??  (Girls vs. Masena)

December 11  6:30  Alex Bay Arena?? (Boys vs. Masena)

December 13 5:00 Alex Bay Arena  (Girls vs. Salmon River)

December 13 7:00 Alex Bay Arena (Boys vs. Malone)

December 18 7:00 Cerow Arena  (Girls vs. Oswego)

January 8 7:00 Cerow Arena  (Girls vs. Skaneatles)

January 13 5:00  Alex Bay Arena  (Girls vs. Canton)

January 15 6:30 Alex Bay Arena (Boys vs. Ogdensburg)

January 22 6:30 Cerow Arena (Boys vs. Canton)

January 24 7:00 Alex Bay Arena (Girls vs. Clinton - Senior Night)

January 31 TBD Cerow Arena (Boys Tournament)

February 1 TBD Cerow Arena (Boys Tournament)

February 14 6:30 Cerow Arena (Boys vs. Norwood-Norfolk)

Play offs, etc… TBD