A Letter To My Band...

December 21, 2021

by Aaron Noe

I sent this letter to my students and band families this morning. I thought I would share it with you. I hope everyone takes time during this holiday season to find activities the refresh mind, body, and spirit.

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas!

I want to take a moment to wish all of our band members and band family a very Merry Christmas and to all of my students who may be celebrating another holiday this season, I want to wish you and your family joy and peace in your celebrations.

Last week was an amazing week. I heard so many compliments on your performance at the Holiday Concert. A video of your rendition of Sleigh Ride has been quite popular in my social media circles.

Our concert last week was moving in so many ways. I loved that we were able to celebrate the season with each other and help spread some holiday joy. However, it was much more than simply a holiday concert. As I look back at how far we have come over the past year and half I’m amazed!

When we first assembled in the Fall, many of you had not played in an ensemble for over a year and a half. While many of us honed our individual skills throughout the pandemic, we all felt the loss from being unable to make music together. Our ensemble skills were rusty - balance, blend, intonation, precision. When I compare those early rehearsals to what we accomplished this past week, I am thrilled about what awaits us this Spring!

I hope all of you take time to relax and recharge your batteries. After a year and half of working from home, this year has been challenging as we returned to the rigors of in-person learning. We have felt overwhelmed at times. Our bodies, our minds, and our emotions have struggled with the exertion of practicing skills we had not used in an online setting. All of us need this time to relax those muscle groups, massage the tensions, and regroup our thoughts through this vacation with family and friends.

Be sure to plan activities for yourself during your time off. Do the fun things you love. Find activities for your mind, body and spirit.

All the things we have planned for the new year and the new semester will be there when we get back in January.

Now is the time for you!