Parents,
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, and a Happy New Year!
I wanted to take a moment to discuss the importance of our efforts towards our upcoming Carnegie Hall performance!
As most people know, Carnegie Hall is recognized as one of the premier performance venues in the world! It is most performers’ goal to perform in Carnegie Hall. It is a rite of passage, signifying that they have reached that pinnacle of success in their career. As a band program, we are so fortunate to have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The memory of this performance will last for the rest of our lives!
As we prepare for this event, I would like your support by asking you to encourage your child to practice their music at home every day. The music we have selected is very difficult, and requires our best effort in order to be able to have a great performance. This is unlike any event the band has prepared for in the past, and because of this, it will require a much greater effort from every individual. There is not enough time during class, or after school, to prepare the music. This music requires a good portion of that preparation to be done at home.
Currently, we are not experiencing the level of success on the music that I would expect. I know some of this comes from the recent holiday break, and spending time with family. Now that we are back into a regular schedule, I am expecting every student to make the commitment to learn his or her parts.
As a parent, you can check on your child every day, to ask if they have practiced, or even tell them you want to listen for a few minutes. Share in this process with them, and the reward of the performance will be that much greater in the end!
So, let’s “band” together and help the students realize their potential! With a little bit of encouragement from home, I am confident the students will rise to the challenge, and have an experience that will last forever!
Sincerely,
Mr. Barfield