I am so pleased with how the concerts went on Tuesday!
Sanborn has such a wonderful culture to it, and feels like such a family. That was absolutely the feeling I had at both the morning and evening concerts. Mrs. Waddell has always brought such a rich musical experience to the school, and I am so pleased to have been invited, along with Miss Kolodziej, to join this year and help cultivate that further.
The Sanborn band is small, and young. With only 9 members, 7 of which are fourth graders, I am so pleased at how this group has consistently risen to the occasion, as was evident this week in particular. I told them as we were preparing to go in to play on Tuesday night that I so looked forward to every Monday morning, because I knew they would be there, ready to work. They are great kids, and will play a huge role in an exciting rebirth of Andover Bands. It takes a special group of kids to get me genuinely excited about driving to work on Monday morning!
Our last band class will be this coming Monday. I will bring in my tuba (as I have promised I would at some point), and we will play through some favorites, and talk about how to stay fresh over the summer.
I am looking forward to working with Lemuel at West Middle and Brigitte at Wood Hill next year!
As for the fourth graders, Sanborn's band will continue next year to be on Monday morning. Experienced musicians (this years fourth graders, and any others we find) will begin at 7:30, 15 minutes earlier, and go to 8:10. This gives us the opportunity to have a second separate band class from 8:10 to 8:50 for next years beginners, and thus not start everyone back at the beginning of Book 1, but rather continue to progress from where we left off!
For those who are renting instruments, I strongly encourage you to keep that up over the summer. There are opportunities for playing over the summer, via lessons and camps, and I will be sending out information about these soon, but at the very least, please encourage them to get it out now and then and keep it fresh, if even just for fun. Also, turning in a rented instrument and starting new in the fall also means starting over with rent-to-own equity. With Leonard's Music (and with most instrument retail rental companies), you are in a situation where everything you pay, less tax and insurance, goes toward the purchase of that instrument. That is all lost if you turn it in. I just wanted to make sure that was clear.
Please let me know if you have any questions. It has been a privilege working with these kids! I am excited for next year!
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