NSYWE News

Update Information for Parents and Students

Please check your email for important updates to the current NSYWE Schedule.

If you need a drive to rehearsals, please email me.

If you have room in your car for another musician and their instrument, Please let me know.

Rehearsal Notes

Hello Everyone, I am looking forward to seeing everyone on Friday night.

If you are unable to attend all or part of the weekend, please let me know ASAP (nsywe@eastlink.ca). (Thanks to everyone who has already e-mailed…)

Important Information

• Please do a self check for any COVID symptoms or do a rapid test before coming to rehearsal.
  • If you are a close contact or have symptoms, do not come to rehearsal.
• Masks are required at all times in the building.
• Playing masks and bell covers are required while playing.
• All other Covid protocols are still in place for NSYWE.
• Do not bring a music stand. Dartmouth Music Centre has plenty!
• There are two classrooms for your cases and other items. Do not bring unnecessary items into the rehearsal room.
• Our set-up can remain all weekend and large instruments can be left overnight at the Dartmouth Music Centre.
• No cell phones are permitted in the rehearsal room.
• A lunch room will be available.

April 8, 9 & 10 – NSYWE Rehearsal Weekend

Dartmouth Music Centre (DMC)
Halifax Regional Arts (Music East)
35 Major Street, Dartmouth (click for Google Maps link)

Friday
6:00 pm                                 Set up committee
6:30 pm                                 Musicians arrive
7:00 – 10:00 pm                Rehearsal with breaks

Saturday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm     Instrument clinics #1
(percussion, oboes, French horns, trumpets, saxophones)

12:30 pm –  2:30 pm        Instrumental clinics #2
(trombones/low brass, flutes, bassoons, clarinets)

12:30 pm – 2:30 pm        NSYWE Committee AGM

2:30 pm – 5:30 pm          Rehearsal with breaks

(If you have any questions about the clinic timing, please e-mail me. Musicians in the first clinics can leave and return or stay at the DMC.)

Sunday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm     Rehearsal with breaks
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm        Lunch
1:00 pm –  2:30 pm          Rehearsal with breaks
2:30 pm –  3:00 pm         Clean-up committee

 NSYWE Music

• Florentiner March is on our website. Log in to access the music.
• Prayer for Ukraine will be handed out at rehearsal.

May 6, 7 & 8 – NSYWE Rehearsal and Concert Weekend
Change of Location:
Acadia Festival Theatre, Wolfville (click for Google Maps link)

Friday Evening, Saturday & Sunday

Concert: 2:00 pm, Sunday, May 8, 2022 with our guests, the Stadacona Band of the Royal Canadian Navy. Freewill donation at the door.

Note: Acadia University requires everyone to wear a mask everywhere on campus, including inside the Festival Theatre Building.

If you have any questions do not hesitate to e-mail me.

Thank you,
Hope

If you are unable to attend all or part of the rehearsal please let me know as soon as possible. Thank you to those students/parents who already let me know.

NSYWE Covid Protocols

All NSYWE COVID protocols will continue for the March Rehearsals.

Please do a self-check for symptoms before each rehearsal. If you have any symptoms or are a close contact, please do not come to rehearsal.

What do I need to bring for rehearsal this week?

1. Playing masks and bell covers are required. Extra masks, hand sanitizer and puppy pads will be provided by NSYWE.
2. Please bring your own music stand and music.
3. Small snacks for breaks will be provided by NSYWE.
4. Bring inside shoes if you are on the stage area to avoid salt and snow from damaging the stage.
5. Bring a lunch or go out to a near by restaurant.
6. Wear your green NSYWE T-shirt for Thursday’s (March 17, St. Patrick’s Day) rehearsal. New members will be given their shirts on Wednesday.

NSYWE Spring Schedule

March 16, 17 & 18 – St. Andrews United Church, Halifax

Because this week’s rehearsals are on weekdays, parking will not be free on all streets.  Give yourself time to find a parking location. Bring change for the meters or use the Hot Spot app.

Wednesday, March 16^th 

9:00 am – 9:30 am     Arrive and Set up

9:30 am – 1:30 pm     Rehearsal with Breaks

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm     LUNCH (on your own)
Bring a lunch or go to a nearby restaurant

2:30 pm – 5:00 pm     Rehearsal with Breaks

5:00 pm   Clean up stage area

Thursday, March 17^th  St. Patrick’s Day!

Wear your green NSYWE T-shirt. New members will be given one on Wednesday.

9:00 am – 9:30 am          Arrive and Warm up

9:30 am – 12:00 noon   Rehearsal with Breaks

12:00 noon – 1:00 pm   LUNCH (on your own)

1:00 pm – 5:00 pm        Rehearsal with Breaks

5:00 PM                             Clean up stage area

Friday, March 18^th

9:00 am – 9:30 am          Arrive and Warm up

9:30 am – 12:00 noon    Rehearsal with Breaks

12:00 noon – 1:00 pm    LUNCH (on your own)

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm          Rehearsal

3:00 pm                                Clean up all chairs, stands and put away percussion.                                                           (Everyone please stay a few minutes to help.)

April 8, 9 & 10 – Cole Harbour High School or the Dartmouth Music Centre                                              (TBD)

May 6, 7 & 8 – St. Andrews United Church, Halifax

Concert – Sunday, May 8, 2022 with the Stadacona Band

NSYWE Music and part assignments

We will not perform Serenade.

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me (text 902-497-3297 or e-mail).

Thank you,

Hope

Hello Everyone,

I am sad to say we will not be able to hold or January 28-30 and the February 4-6 concert weekend.

Dr. Hopkins and I are still working on finding dates to reschedule the rehearsals and the concert with the Stadacona Band.

When I can confirm dates and locations I will let you know. Music has been ordered and I will also let you know when it is available.

If I have to rent a large tent in June to play outside we will give it a try.  I am still hoping we can get together in the spring.

Keep practicing even though it may be hard to keep motivated during online classes and no in-person rehearsals.

PRACTICE TIPS ( Mark Adam, Acadia University, from his Masterclass last year on “How to Practice”… These are only a few of his keys for practicing.)

“How to Practice”

What do I need for my practice session?  What don’t I need? (cell phone?)

• • Organize what you need. (Instrument, pencil, music, stand, chair, metronome, etc.)

How do I organize my practice time?

• • Set a goal.
  • What am I going to accomplish?

Do feel good about what I accomplished in each practice session?

• • Set a new goals for the next practice session.

BOOK SUGGESTION from Dr. Wendy McCallan, Professor and Co-Chair, Joint Department of Music Education, Brandon University School of Music

Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy (ISBN-10: 162656941X)

It’s time to stop procrastinating and get more of the important things done! After all, successful people don’t try to do everything. They focus on their most important tasks and get those done. They eat their frogs.

There’s an old saying that if the first thing you do each morning is eat a live frog, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’re done with the worst thing you’ll have to do all day. For Tracy, eating a frog is a metaphor for tackling your most challenging task—but also the one that can have the greatest positive impact on your life.

Eat That Frog! shows you how to organize each day so you can zero in on these critical tasks and accomplish them efficiently and effectively. The core of what is vital to effective time management is: decision, discipline, and determination. And in this fully revised and updated edition, Tracy adds two new chapters. The first explains how you can use technology to remind yourself of what is most important and protect yourself from what is least important. The second offers advice for maintaining focus in our era of constant distractions, electronic and otherwise.

Don’t forget you can always reach out to me with any questions you may have.  Take care and have a great start to 2022.

Thank you,

Hope