November 9,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The debut concert of our middle schools’ Honor Band is Saturday, November 18 at 2 p.m., RHS Little Theatre. $10 at the door. Please plan to attend!
The District Honor Band was designed to recognize Ridgewood’s middle school students who excel in music performance and who would gain from an additional opportunity aimed at providing differentiation for advanced and advancing musicians. Unlike many honor ensembles that simply provide an “all star” conductor-centered ensemble experience for like-aged, the Ridgewood 7th & 8th Grade All-District Honor Band goes several steps further by partnering advancing middle school musicians with advanced student mentors from the RHS Band Program, while also providing the students with small group instruction led by professional certified music teachers according to instrument group. Leading up to the November 18 concert, the Honor Band will meet for three four-hour rehearsals, including sectionals, mentoring sessions and full band practice.
For the inaugural season, RHS Band Directors Jeffrey Haas and John Luckenbill are serving as the conductors. The band’s concert program will include “Into the Storm,” by Robert W. Smith, “Evermore” from the recent Beauty and the Beast movie, “West Highland Sojourn” by Robert Sheldon, and David Shaffer’s “Pinnacle March.”
Any 7th or 8th grade student who is enrolled in his or her school’s curricular band program was eligible to participate in the Honor Band. Although an audition was not required, participating students submitted a video recording via Google Classroom, which included specific scales and a musical excerpt used to determine placement within each section of the band.
Funding for the District Honor Band was provided by the Ridgewood Board of Education in cooperation with the Ridgewood Friends of Music. Sheet music and folders were provided by the education division of Music & Arts retail music store.
