2017-05-11

【Aiden in English】

        The Wind Ensemble is a band purely for classical music. It is the standard band, with each section contributing to the piece in its own way. Not only does that describe the band, but it also touches on the concert program.

        The Pennbrook springtime is full of the track, baseball, and music. It’s interesting because all kinds of concerts pretty much involve the entire school. Whether you play an instrument or don’t, one way or another, you are going to be listening to the band's play. I believe this is good to expose fellow students to music since not everyone has the same amount of opportunity to listen to music.

        The Wind Ensemble represents the classical section of the music in our school. Our program contains mostly classical pieces of art, as well as songs for a younger age group. However, this is the time that maturity begins to set into many students. For example, it isn’t required for the conductor to yell at a section to be quiet when another has the melody. Particularly in the piece Pavane, by Gabriel Fauré. The song demonstrates the subtlety and contrast held in music, only slightly differentiating melodies. It really is, probably, the most beautiful song I’ve played.

        A competitor to the Pavane for the most beautiful song in this performance would be Appalachian Morning, by Robert Sheldon. It sounds like a Civil War documentary, which I am completely fine with. By the way, I fully recommend listening to the songs I mention, because unless I say so, the music is amazing. For example, Appalachian Morning is truly a sunrise over a mountain ridge moment.

        I think that this year has shown maturity in bands. The eighth grade is pretty much when those who want to quit because of lacking skills quit, and talented students indeed grow serious. I also think, from a musical perspective, that a player becomes open to his or her surroundings. No longer do saxophones play as loud as they can, or trombones point their bells at the stand. Along with these changes, they open their ears. As a musician, hearing is an underrated skill. Essentially, hearing is what a musician plays for. However, the players also need to listen to how their sounds as wells as their spots in the ensemble. The idea is to get out of the way when you’re not important and seize the moment when you are.

        Finally, the eighth grade is a confidence builder for players. By now, you don’t have a buddy to lean onto most of the time, so when it’s your cue, go for it. And I think this was personally the greatest improvement for me. In-band, I used to be hesitant, as well as scared to make a mistake. I still am worried to screw up, but no longer afraid to hide it. I lay on mental cues, no uncertainty involved. That’s how, I think, a player improves. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.

【紅霞譯文】

        管樂隊純粹演奏古典音樂，可以說非常正統，各個器樂部分扮演不同角色，不僅恰好表明樂隊性質，而且在節目編排上也體現這種吹奏組合。

        賓溪初中春季開展田徑、棒球、音樂等項活動，大大小小的音樂會紛至沓來，學校生活因之而多姿多彩，無論你是否參與表演，器樂聲不絕於耳，同學們身臨其境感受音樂薰陶，畢竟並不是所有人都有相同的機會欣賞音樂。

        本校管樂隊展現音樂傳統元素，節目主要選自古典藝術作品，外加年輕人喜歡的歌曲，好在眼下正值許多學生開始走向成熟階段，指揮不必在旋律進行的地方大聲提示把音量放低，特別當演奏加布里埃爾·佛瑞《帕凡舞曲》時，要反映出音樂的典雅風格及對比效果，其中旋律變化非常細微，這首樂曲大概是我演奏過的傑作中最動聽的。

        還有一首可以與《帕凡舞曲》相媲美的作品就是羅伯特·謝爾登創作的《阿帕拉契亞山的早晨》，它聽起來像戰爭紀錄片，本人根本不在乎什麼題材。順便說一下，我真心為大家舉薦前面所提到的幾首曲子，要不是因為悅耳，我何苦多費口舌，舉例來說，《阿帕拉契亞山的早晨》真實描繪出山間日出時一幅美景。

        我覺得今年管樂隊趨於成熟。初中三年級演技水平相當可觀，瞎起鬨的混仔早已甩手不干，動真格的演員進步顯著。本人還認為，從音樂角度來說，大夥開始講究人為因素，薩克斯管不再是吹得越響越好，長號拉管避免動不動就碰到譜架。有了這些變化，演員們豎起耳朵，不過作為音樂家，並非人人都把聽覺當回事，而視聽能力畢竟是音樂家應有的基本素質，況且演員在合奏中需要聽清自己的聲音拿捏彼此契合程度，目的在於不需表現的地方要及時收手，當進入高潮時必須切入得當。

        初中三年級終於樹立起演奏信心。時值今日，大多數場合下你身邊沒有朋友陪伴，因此該做什麼就幹什麼，這正是我個人最大的收穫。以往我在樂隊總是磨磨唧唧唯恐出糗，眼下我依舊擔心捅漏子，只是不再害怕露怯，把手指踏踏實實地放在鍵鈕上，我覺得演員的成長無異於不怕犯錯。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2014: Fifth Grade Mother's Day(五年級母親節)

Crosslinks(相關博文):

2016 Seventh-Grade Spring Concert(2016年初二春季音樂會)

2015 Mont Band Spring Concert(2015年蒙小管樂隊春季音樂會)

2015 Sixth-Grade Spring Concert(2015年初一春季音樂會)

2014 Fifth-Grade Spring Concert(2014年五年級春季音樂會)