Countdown begins, July workshop scheduled

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Curt Ebersole

Less than two months to go!

We’re now in the final stretch leading up to this year’s MEBCI Wind Conducting Symposium. We have plenty of room for additional Auditor registrations, but all 12 Conductor’s spots are filled. An email has gone out to all conductors asking them to confirm their repertoire. At this point, I am still looking for players on these instruments for both the Saturday and Sunday wind ensemble sessions. If you can recommend us to a friend or colleague, please do!

Bassoons
Bass clarinet
Horns
Trombones (including bass)
Euphonium

And don’t forget the Friday, June 1 rehearsal clinic which Dr. Thompson will do with the Westchester Symphonic Winds. The repertoire for this clinic will be Whitacre – Lux Aurumque and Vinson – Echoes of the Hollow Square.

Northern Valley Music Ed Workshop

In addition to this symposium in June, I will be running a workshop geared toward (but not limited to) first through fifth year instrumental teachers on July 25-26 at Northern Valley-Old Tappan High School. This workshop, “Instrumental Music Education: Real-World Solutions for Improving Your Ensembles,” is sponsored by the Northern Valley Staff Development Consortium. Please click here if you’d like to download a flyer, or email me directly if you have questions.

Conductors positions filled!

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Curt Ebersole

As of March 2, all 12 Conductors positions have been filled and fees paid. We still have plenty of Auditors positions remaining — I especially encourage music educators who are members of MEBCI to take advantage of this opportunity. The fee is only $150.00, and it is an outstanding experience.

We are still looking for performers for the Saturday and Sunday wind ensemble sessions. In particular, we need:

Bassoons – 2 each day
Bass clarinet – 2 each day
Horns – 3 each day
Trombones – 2 each day
Bass trombone – 1 each day
Euphonium – 2 each day
Tuba – 1 each day

I know it’s early, but I need to get moving on the personnel so this does not become a last-minute issue.

I’ll be contacting the conductors with more specifics in the next week. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in June!

Only 3 Conductor’s registrations remain!

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Curt Ebersole

We now have 9 Conductors registered for the 2012 Symposium. Don’t sit on the fence! If you are interested in conducting, make your move soon and register! I also want to continue to encourage local music educators, especially those who are MEBCI members, to take advantage of this great opportunity. MEBCI members can attend as Auditors for only $150.00. Many of you have heard about this workshop for years — maybe it’s time for you to consider attending?

I found these Tips for Conducting at a Symposium on Chad Nicholson’s blog. The list is terrific! It includes, tips for what you should do, but more importantly, what you shouldn’t do! Thanks, Chad, for permission to add this link!

7 Conductors now registered!

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Curt Ebersole

Dr. Mallory Thompson with Amy Wilcox in 2011

Within one week of launching the new WCS site, we have 7 out of 12 conductors registered. Only 5 spots remain once these registrations are confirmed with payments. If you are seriously considering coming as a Conductor, act today!

We have plenty of room for Auditors. As an Auditor, you have the “inside track,” attending the opening lecture/demonstrations with the Conductors, as well as the important closure at the end of each day, without the preparation time required to step onto the podium. A light breakfast and lunch buffet is included in all Conductor and Auditor registrations as well.

Please also consider attending as a Performer. Typically, we look to fill chairs in these sections: oboe, bassoon, horn, and percussion. So if you play one of these instruments, we especially encourage you to register. There is no registration fee for Performers, and you earn 3 hours of NJ teacher in-service credit for each lab session.

Use our online registration to register.

Conductor registration and more!

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Curt Ebersole

Conductor registration hits 25%

In less than a week, three Conductors have already registered for this year’s Symposium. If you are considering joining us as a podium participant, I urge you to shake off the winter blues and register! Once 12 conductors are committed, we’ll have no more spots left to step up and conduct.

We have unlimited spaces available for Auditors (well, as many as we can physically fit in the space!). Or, consider attending as a Performer in the lab Wind Ensemble– at no charge. You can find details on the Participation/Fees page.

Louis Alloro will speak again

Louis Alloro, Change Agent, will once again be a featured speaker at this year’s Wind Conducting Symposium. Louis’s work in Positive Psychology and Education makes him a perfect addition to our symposium agenda, in the area of motivation and leadership. This will be his fourth appearance at our event.

Score Study Workshop scheduled

Lastly, the annual Score Study Workshop has been scheduled for Tuesday, May 1 at 4:00 pm, in the Band Room at Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan. Curt Ebersole will once again lead this session. If you are attending a symposium such as this for the first time as a Conductor (or just want to brush up on score study), we urge you to attend. Thorough score preparation is key for getting the most out of a workshop experience such as this, so do consider attending.

More news and update will be forthcoming as we move toward June! Thanks for following our site!