Elizabeth Stoke
Music 103
Dr. Ring
December 2, 2015
Final Band Paper
I have greatly enjoyed my time in the Longwood wind symphony this fall
semester. We have played many wonderful songs and I have improved as a
player tremendously this fall. This semester is my final semester in the wind
symphony. I have completed my general education requirements and now I
have a time conflict with one of the classes that I need for my degree. This
saddens me but I have gained a lot form my time in the wind symphony.
I was very impressed with the songs we played this semester in wind
symphony. Refracted Moonlight was my favorite song. It was a very beautiful
and powerful song to play. I enjoyed that it was inspired by moonlight sonata.
That is one of my favorite pieces of music. I really enjoyed when Kristen
Topham played Clair de Lune on the piano at our concert. Her playing was so
beautiful and it was the best part of my night. I also really enjoyed Sab Adzida!
It was a mix of African tribal dances and it was made to engage an audience of
children into the performance. This is useful for music education majors or
anyone in the education major. Music is powerful tool that can be very useful
to anyone who needs to lead a group of children, it can help children remember
facts with songs, and it can help keep a class on schedule by having the
students switch activities by using music. I also enjoyed Divertimento. I
enjoyed the changing tempo through the piece. I should just say that I enjoyed
all the pieces because I also enjoyed the Klaxon. It was an upbeat and fast
Elizabeth Stoke
Music 103
Dr. Ring
December 2, 2015
paced song. Those are my favorite kinds of songs. I love the energy Klaxon
produced. I also enjoyed the change in dynamics. It created a great effect for
the audience. These pieces were wonderful and I really enjoyed playing them
in the concert.
I feel as though I have accomplished a lot of personal growth in my
playing this semester. I have been working had to improve my playing. I have
worked on scales to improve my range. I have also worked on my finger
dexterity. I have also been working on recognizing key signatures. I realized a
fact about scales a long time ago, when I was first learning, that greatly
improved my playing. I realized that you only had to memorize half the scales
because each scale was just the other scale but with flip signs. For example,
the A flat scale has A flat, B flat, E flat, and D flat. The A sharp scale has every
note sharp except ABE and D. This realization helped me to learn my scales a
long time ago and it still helps me today when I am trying to read a key
signatures. I have also been giving my all every class. I have never missed a
class and I am always ready to play. I have worked hard to improve my playing
and I will miss the band and the French horn next semester. I wish I could
stay in the wind symphony forever however, I have to move on to my major and
minor classes so I can graduate. I am excited for the upcoming winter concert.
It will be my final concert and I will be able to show my skills one more time.
Elizabeth Stoke
Music 103
Dr. Ring
December 2, 2015
I am very grateful that I got the opportunity to continue playing the
French horn after high school. I didn’t’ think I would get a chance to play
French horn again and I really enjoy it. I have enjoyed a lot of great music
from our first concert. I also enjoyed playing at convocation. I love to play
Pomp and Circumstance because it is a song that was in Disney’s Fantasia and
that was my favorite song a young child. I believed that convocation went very
smoothly even with the unpredictable weather and that we played clear and
precise. I believe that this is be best I ever played at convocation. I also
enjoyed that convocation was shortened. Even though I enjoy playing the
music for convocation and watching the seniors get capped, it was very hot in
the gym and I was ready to leave.
I have worked hard to improve my skills but sadly my time in wind
symphony has come to an end. I don’t know if I will have another opportunity
to play French horn again in the future, however I will always be grateful for
the fun times I had in the Longwood wind symphony.