I am here, late again at school.  It just started to pour down rain, so I am in no hurry to leave.  I have completed the Jazz Audition packets, both virtually and in the real world with paper copies, and have uploaded them to the site.  For some reason, Firefox loads the 2017 audition packets, but just for trombone, tenor sax and bari sax.  But the same web pages load the correct 2018 versions in both Google Chrome and Apple Safari.  I think that I am going to have to call it "good" and brave the rain .... hopefully, my students can download the proper packet!  Argh! Sooooo frustrated!

Goodnight!

It's been a long, long time since my last Blog entry.  That is a thing of the past!  I will updating my blog more often as part of my "welcome back" tour!  It was a year ago that I was released after a month in the hospital, completely missing the beginning of the school year.  I am only now beginning to catch up.  Updating my website, and this blog, is one of the final steps to "catching up" to where I feel I should have been, and all of these resources will be availale to our community.  I hope that you check back often!

Mr. Spang

Special work commemerating Folly Quarter's 10th Anniversary!

An incredible new schedule that could allow us to be better than we have ever been before!

Top notch guest clinicians and artists to work with our students!

Guest soloists to perform with our ensembles!

No Practice Logs!  No, seriously, no practice logs!

So, before I sign off, I should mention that you will not need an instrument on the first day of school.  I can't wait to get started!

We are in the midst of preparing for our Winter Concerts which are coming right up, and the bands are just sounding better and better!

We are truly blessed to have a student teacher from the University of Maryland School of Music this year.  Maggie Shorb has been present at all our performances and many after school ensemble rehearsals.  Come Spring, she will be with us full time as she prepares for a career as a music educator.  I can tell you, she will be a fantastic one!

Under what else is new, I would have to say that I am glad to say that the FQMS Trombone Choir has returned and, although small, is growing and sounding great!

Signing off for now, and promising to be back soon,

Mr. Spang

It would be GREAT if you and/or family could attend one or more of the upcoming performances.  They are all AMAZING opportunities for you to hear OUTSTANDING musicians!  —Mr. Spang

U.S. Navy Band

Friday, December 2, 2011 @ 7:30pm

River Hill High School Auditorium

The US Navy Band is one of the elite concert bands in the entire world and they performing right in our neighborhood!  Their winter concert at River Hill always has excellent repertoire and is a lot of fun to listen to … and it’s FREE.  The whole family will enjoy it!

I am really bummed that I can't make this concert myself, as I will be attending a difference performance with my family up in Westminster, Maryland, but I sure hope that many of our FQMS band students and families take advantage of such a great concert!

Lyric Brass at Emmanuel

Sunday, December 4, 2011 @ 3:00pm

Emmanuel United Methodist Church

10755 Scaggsville Road, Laurel, Maryland 20723

The Lyric Brass play a Christmas recital at Emmanuel UMC in Laurel.  This is an excellent opportunity to brass playing of the highest level, and fun for everyone regardless of religion or instrument.  The Lyric Brass musicians are members of the premier military bands in Washington DC, faculty at the Peabody Conservatory, and Mr. Spang on tuba.  The recital will be about an hour in length and FREE.  (A free-will offering will be taken to benefit the Music Ministry at Emmanuel.)  Great for the whole family!

It's a scary thing to commit to a January performance with a middle school jazz ensemble, but both our jazz bands did a great job at the Jazz Reunion Concert at River Hill HS.  Thanks to Joe Fischer and Mike Blackman at RHHS for being incredible hosts (and the O'Brien family for procuring and feeding our kids all that pizza).  It was a great experience getting to work with Kyle Coughlin from Howard Community College, who was the guest artist and brought his quartet for a fantastic second half to the concert.  Dr. Coughlin came out and worked with our Gold Jazz Band, giving the band some great pointers, and then sitting in with the band and blowing through a great solo.  It's fantastic for the kids to hear live jazz up close with someone who's a master of the form.  I highly recommend you pick up on one of Dr. Coughlin's CDs.  Kyle Coughlin joined us for a solo on Charlie Parker's Yardbird Suite, conducted by our incredibly talented high school intern, Matt Wigler. 

Later that month, both bands traveled to Towson University for the Townson University Jazz Festival.  I think we were the only middle school to perform, much less have two bands.  We got great feedback from our clinicians and judges, and were simply blown away by guest artist, Bela Fleck and Dave Matthews Band saxophonist, Jeff Coffin.  I got the chance to speak to Jeff Coughlin after his incredible set with the Towson Faculty Jazz Quartet.  He was so very complimentary of our bands (he judged and commented on our Gold Jazz Band) and highly encouraging of what we are doing at FQMS.  I have to give an extra shout-out to the Blue Jazz Band for performing so great, even with our two rehearsals before the trip being canceled due to snow!  All of us had a fantastic 15 hour field trip and a great day of Jazz!

In addition, the work was selected to the Bandworld magazine's Top 100 Works Written for Band (2010). This is simply thrilling!  Congratulations to Mark on this wonderful accomplishment.

We are looking forward to performing the "official published" version of the work this Spring!

We had six students earn spots in the Howard County Middle School Honors Band!  Congratulations go to Sara M., Shane M., Miles M., Matthew B., Colin W., and Caleb C.!  I can't wait to hear their performance.  If you would like to learn more about the Howard County GT Band program, please click over to the County Music Website.

Folly Quarter was cited in a blog advocating for music in our public schools.  Our program was referenced by the author Tommy Foster as an example of what great can be made by school students.  It was a real pleasure to be contacted by Mr. Foster, who asked many insightful questions about our school system and program before posting his blog.  It's worth a read:

http://tommycanthearyou.blogspot.com/2010/11/long-term-effects-of-excellence-in.html

Okay! Now to get ready for Chamber Symphony rehearsal!  Keep practicing!

Then, after school, we had the first rehearsal by the Blue Jazz Band.  The first rehearsal is always a bit rough, as kids learn where to sit, how to read "jazz," and take in some sightreading.  Well, this is the biggest Blue Jazz Band I think FQMS has ever fielded, and I must say, they sounded pretty great for the first rehearsal!  I was really pleased, and I am excited for what these kids will accomplish this year.  Now, on to tomorrow and the first rehearsal by the Gold Jazz Band !!!

Our new Student GT Intern, Matt Wigler, was there and promises to make this a really interesting year for FQMS Jazz!  Make sure you check out his website at www.mattwigler.com . You have to see and hear Matt to believe what this FQMS Alumn can do!