2011-2012 Concert Band Goals

I am super stoked for this year's band class. With the new system of Wind Ensemble and Concert Band being separate bands, I am interested in how smoothly everything will run. As a band, one of my goals is to prove all of the Concert Band naysayers wrong. Many have considered us to be the "bad band," when the reality of the matter is that we are just a significantly younger and less experienced band. This doesn't mean that the music that we play will sound worse than Wind Ensemble because our music is picked to match our playing style as well as talent level. My next personal goal for this year is to make as many people as possible love coming to band as much as I do everyday. I was very disappointed at the end of my freshman year when so many talented kids quit just because they thought that band wasn't any fun and wasn't worth anything. Though I know it is nearly an impossible task to insure that every student in band this year will continue next year, I want to see at least ninety percent of them returning. Personally, one thing that I would like to work on this year is my balance and dynamics when I play. I don't think its any surprise to me or any sitting around me that I have a tendency to play just a bit louder than what is written. The other facet of my playing that I would like to improve upon is my ability to figure out complex rhythms. After I hear a rhythm or how something should sound I usually can duplicate that back with my own instrument but I would like to increase my ability to decipher a complicated rhythm and be able to play it the first time (just maybe not at concert tempo). Overall, by June I would have like to have seen every student develop some other reason for enjoying band, whether it be the music we play, the fun environment, or the fact that it is a relaxing period to prepare you for the last two blocks of the day. Also, I look forward to playing well at every Concert and playing our pieces better than Wind Ensemble plays theirs.

This year i hope to simply play good music. Although this is a simple goal, it will require some work. A realistic goal I could set for myself would to work on tuning and controlling pitch. I think the entire concert band could use that. Concert band as a whole can play the songs, but the fine details are often overlooked. Like wmaguiredragonslayer said, the idea that concert band is a "bad band" is not the point. Consisting of mostly underclassmen, i think the band is fine for what it is. Working on pitch is quite a process that will require some work. I think with the tuning exercises we do in and out of class, we will make a progressive improvement. That is all i can think of.

My goal for the year is to improve my participation in class to become a better player. The participation in counting and sight reading will help my concentration as a player and Mr. Cincotta can help me with what I am doing wrong. I would also want to practice more often now that the soccer season is over for me I have extra time after school. Practicing is important for anything especially for band because the learning of new pieces four times a year requires practice and persistence.These goals will make me a better trumpet player and get me through out the year.