Sway  Norman Gimbel, Pablo Beltran Ruiz  arr. Rick Stitzel
http://www.halleonard.com/viewaudio.do?itemId=7470725&fileName=http://s3.amazonaws.com/halleonard-audio/07470725.mp3

Woodchoppers Ball  Joe Bishop, Woody Herman  arr. Michael Sweeney
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/Woodchopper-s-Ball/5392843#   Click listen and then the play button

Harlem Nocturne  Earle Hagen, Dick Rogers arr. Rick Stitzel
http://www.jwpepper.com/10052550.item

Cantaloupe Island  Herbie Hancock  Arr. Mike Kamuf
http://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/media-player.jsp?&type=audio&productID=10028077

Caravan  Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, and Juan Tizol  Arr. Michael Sweeney
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/look_inside/3022232/audio/4423

Thank you for listening!

Dear NMEA Division I All-County Jazz Musicians,

Congratulations on your selection into this truly select ensemble!  You have distinguished yourself as one of the finest musicians in the county.  Make sure you get a chance to thank everyone involved in helping you achieve your success including your parents, all of your band teachers, and anyone else who inspired you throughout the years.  You should also thank your All-County chair people, Mr. Martinez and Mr. Bracco, for their tireless efforts to provide us a musically enriching experience.

Please log on to www.BandBrilliance.com and scroll to the bottom of the page and click “NMEA Jazz Ensemble” to listen to the program.  Be aware of the way the musicians play each note in terms of their length.  Jazz articulations are very unique and need to be played very precisely in order to have a tight sounding band.

Sway  Norman Gimbel, Pablo Beltran Ruiz  arr. Rick Stitzel
Woodchoppers Ball  Joe Bishop, Woody Herman  arr. Michael Sweeney
Harlem Nocturne  Earle Hagen, Dick Rogers arr. Rick Stitzel
Cantaloupe Island  Herbie Hancock  Arr. Mike Kamuf
Caravan  Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, and Juan Tizol

Please mark with pencil all accidentals outside the key of Concert B flat.

Additional Practice

Band Brilliance Intermediate Band Method

pp. 97-102 Jazz Improvisation, articulations

pp. 7-9 Chromatic work will greatly help your jazz playing and sight-reading

pp. 14-19 Builds your playing chops

pp. 113-116 Works on specific skills on your instrument

pp. 10-13  Please be able to play and identify all articulations

pp. 24-25 Please read the section on balance and intonation

pp. 30   Review time signatures

Great Practice Resources by Nassau Music Educators Association

http://www.nmea.us/  At left under Practice Room click “Practice Resources”

We’ll be working all aspects of playing as everything counts.  This includes tone, balance, blend and intonation, phrasing, articulation, dynamics, musicianship, nuance as well.  When practicing, please be aware of all dynamics while practice measure by measure, beat by beat, note by note when necessary.  Be sure to get together with your band director several times, and don’t forget to thank them!

I look forward to meeting you and thank you in advance for your dedication to this wonderful art of music.

Mr. Michel Nadeau
Director, NMEA Division I Jazz Ensemble

The physics of instruments:

Winds do the opposite of string instruments in various temperature differences.

Hot weather – Piano strings and stringed instruments go flat because the string stretches

Cold weather – Piano strings and stringed instruments go sharp because the string contracts

High humidity causes a pianos soundboard to curve and expand which adds more tension to the strings which causes them to go sharp. Conversely, low humidity causes a piano soundboard to contract which releases some tension which causes it to go flat.

Note:  If pianos have been tuned incorrectly, it will usually be flat (strings stretch with use), therefore, a poorly tuned piano on a hot day will be substantially flatter than a piano tuned at A = 440.

It is not correct for the piano to play first.  This is a good example of when a good ear works against the musician.

Musicians will be lip the note in the direction of the piano note, not giving the musician an accurate tuning assessment.

Correct procedure to tune with a piano:

1. Performer and instrument is warmed up
2. Performer plays before the piano
3. Piano plays tuning note (see “preferred tuning note”)
4. Performer adjusts accordingly.  If sharp = pull out, if flat = push in
5. Repeat the same process until tuning becomes beatless
6. Accompanist presses right pedal, performer plays tuning note which creates the sympathetic vibration from that note and overtones.  This sympathetic vibration should clearly ring out from the piano if performer is perfectly tuned.  This last step should be practiced in order to become accustomed to this ringing sound.

In reality, a performer will typically stand in the waiting area for several minutes prior to entering the performance room.  It is at this time that it is crucial for the musician to continue to blow air through their instrument to keep it warm, otherwise, the instrument will flatten and the result will be that the performer will play flat for their tuning and push in, making them sharp for the entire performance.  All musicians must be aware of the temperature differences between the warm-up location, hallway, and performance location and may need to tune again between movements or pieces. 

Possible help

Taking a walk through all areas, if possible, prior to the performance would be recommended to note these differences.

Tuning with the performance piano prior to concert.

Note:  high humidity expands the crown of the piano and pushes the bridge even more against the strings, therefore,

it stretches the strings and causes the pitch to rise.