上中管乐团｜2024 寒假集训

    第一天，乐团举行了一年一度的年度总结演讲。各位声部长上台进行了总结发言, 反思了过去一年的工作成果和存在的问题，为进一步提高演奏水平, 以及为更多场合的表演做好准备。

    On the first day, the ensemble held an annual speech. Leaders and students in charge of different instruments reflected on the achievements and existing problems of the past year's work in order to further improve and advance their performance levels and prepare for more incoming opportunities.

    要想吹的好，首先基础要打好。第二天，李欣老师为大家准备了针对不同声部的多样化练习。长笛声部的练习是一个很好的例子。他们去了校园内的小树林，借着树干练习如何调整演奏姿势，保持双手平放稳定。另外，我们也做了几项乐团的训练，其中之一就是呼吸练习。在李欣老师打着节拍的过程中，大家都会往手心吹气。在控制手掌与嘴的距离的过程中，我们学到了如何控制呼气的强度去表达音乐里的不同轻响。同时，这也让我们意识到，即使感觉气已经耗尽，仍然可以通过弯下腰来挤出一点多余的气。这些练习不仅让我们在寒冷的天气里暖和了起来，也给我们介绍了一种练习肺活量的新方法。李欣老师的练习既有趣又令人愉快，同时还确保每个人都能在集训结束后学到一些对他们练习或表演有帮助的东西。

    On the second day of our training sessions for the Winter Holidays, our conductor, Mr. Xin Li, came up with various individual exercises during practice in order to improve the basic techniques and fundamentals of different instruments. For instance, the flutes had followed Mr. Li into the forest, using the tree trunks to correct their posture and to practice keeping their hands flat and steady. 

    Aside from the individual exercises, there were several other practices we had done together. One of them was the breathing exercise. Everyone would take a deep breath as Mr.Li turned on the metronome. Then, everybody would start blowing out, carefully controlling the intensity so that the air would not run out too fast. We learned that even when you feel like you’ve run out of air, you could often squeeze out a bit more by bending down or to the side. This unique exercise introduced us a new way of practicing and enhancing our lung capacity. Mr. Li’s exercises were not only beneficial, but also fun to do, providing us with more opportunities to improve our own skill.

    在确保基本功扎实后，大家终于开始了曲目《更进酒》的排练。作为在《月夜》之后管乐团排练的第二首由陈黔谱写的中国乐曲，《更进酒》中飞快的节奏和困难的旋律再次让同学们叫苦连天。但在大家精益求精的精神和不懈的努力后，同学们还是演奏出了这优美的旋律。此外, 为了给排练增添一点乐趣，李欣老师还给了同学们上台指挥的机会, 而大家也是积极的把握住了这次机会, 体验了一把当指挥的快乐。

    After ensuring that the basic skills of the ensemble members were solid, everyone finally began the rehearsal of the repertoire "Geng Jin Jiu", which can be translated to "To Bring in More Wine". As the second Chinese piece composed by Chen Qian and chosen by the SWE after "Moonlit Night", the rapid changes in rhythm and intricate melody in once again posed a significant challenge for the ensemble. However, the dedication and determination to pursuit excellence, as well as the  unremitting efforts of the ensemble members allowed the successful exhibition of this beautiful melody. In addition, to add a little fun to the rehearsal, Mr. Li also gave the students the opportunity to conduct on stage, in which everyone actively volunteered and participated, experiencing the joy of being a conductor.

   接下来的几天，李欣老师也邀请到了三位往届的学长学姐们来为同学们传授经验：

    In the next few days, Conductor Li Xin also invited three former seniors to give speeches and impart their experience to the current students

    第一位学长是就读于新英格兰音乐学院萨克斯演奏专业的Jerry学长。在演讲中，Jerry学长分享了他对音乐和团队合作的深刻见解。他强调了乐团排练的重要性，尤其是如何与团队成员配合。他指出，在乐团中，指挥是核心，而乐团的成功取决于如何将指挥的愿景通过团队的协作呈现出来。他提到了几个关键点，包括眼神、动作、听觉和言语，这些都是乐团成员在排练中需要注意的方面。

    此外，Jerry学长着重强调了基础的重要性。他警告大家不要将乐团排练视为个人练习曲子的机会，而应将其视为集体协作的机会。他引用了李老师的话，强调了基础练习的价值。

    在演讲中，Jerry学长还提出了一个有趣的抢答问题：乐团排练除了谱子和乐器之外，还需要带什么？他的答案是笔！他解释说，笔是用来记录排练中处理每一句音乐细节的重要工具，以确保下次排练不会忘记。

    自我练习也是他演讲的一部分，他强调了长音、吐音和颤音的重要性。特别是颤音，他认为它是润色音乐句子的关键。

    最后，Jerry学长谈到了音准。他认为音准是一个好乐团和差乐团之间最明显的差异。他鼓励大家了解自己的乐器，知道在吹奏不同音符时可能出现的高低音问题，并提前找到解决方法。

    Jerry学长的演讲在上海中学管乐团成员中引发了积极的共鸣。他的见解和经验为大家提供了有关音乐和团队合作的宝贵教训。在演讲结束后，学生们纷纷表示感激，认为这是一次令人鼓舞和启发的经历。上海中学管乐团也将继续努力，以更好地实践Jerry学长所分享的原则，创造美妙的音乐。

    The first guest was Jerry, a saxophone player studying at the New England Conservatory of Music. 

    During his presentation, Jerry shared his insights on music and teamwork. He stressed upon the importance of the orchestra's rehearsals, especially on how to collaborate with team members. He pointed out that in an orchestra, the conductor is the essence, and that the success of the orchestra depends on how the conductor’s interpretation and envision of the music piece is exhibited through the team's collaboration. 

    Moreover, he mentioned several key points, including eye contact, movements, hearing, and speech, which were all aspects that the SWE members needed to pay attention to during rehearsals. 

    In addition, Jerry emphasized the importance of fundamentals. He cautioned against seeing orchestra rehearsals as an opportunity to practice individually, but as an opportunity to work together. He quoted Mr. Li and emphasized the value and significance of basic exercises. 

    In his speech, Jerry also asked an interesting question: What do you need to bring with you to rehearsals in addition to the score and instruments? The answer is a writing utensil, required to mark specific details of the music piece that students might ignore during individual practices. 

      Then, Jerry emphasized the importance of articulations and dynamics. He believes that vibrato, in particular, is the key to polishing musical sentences. 

    Finally, Jerry talked about pitch. He believes that pitch control is the most obvious difference that sets apart between a successful and experienced ensemble from an unsuccessful and amateur one. He encouraged everyone to gain a thorough understanding of their own instruments; to recognize the high and low pitch problems that can arise when playing different notes, and to discover solutions in advance.              Jerry's speech sparked a positive chord among the members of the Wind Ensemble. His insights and experience provide valuable lessons about music and teamwork. After the presentation, the students expressed their gratitude and found it to be an inspiring and enlightening experience.

    第二位学长是就读于伯克利音乐学院爵士音乐作曲专业的Tommy学长。在他的演讲里，他分享了他在做一位爵士鼓手深造旅程中的感悟：

"Sound is money, and rhythm is everything"

 在他的分享中，提到了演奏、声音和音韵三要点。他以别具一格的方式用鼓声表达内心作为示例，演奏了《生日快乐》和《一闪一闪亮晶晶》，令人耳目一新。此外，他提出我们在乐团中要学会倾听旁人的声音，也要学会发声。倾听是为了感受和谐，发声是为了珍视自己的声音。从Tommy学长身上，我们看见了他的自信与对音乐的热爱。对打击乐的信手拈来毫无疑问来自于他曾经无数次的练习，瓶颈期时不气馁而勤于反复练习，顺境时不骄躁而努力提升。他在千百首韵律中感受音乐，当音乐融入其生活时，他明白用乐音来表达想法，用节奏来表达内心，这或许就是“操千曲而后晓声”最好的体现。

    The second guest is Tommy, who is currently studying jazz composition at Berklee College of Music. In his talk, he shared his insights from his personal experience as a jazz drummer: "Sound is money and rhythm is everything." In his sharing, he mentioned three key points: performance, sound, and rhythm. He used the drums as an unique expression of his mind, playing "Happy Birthday" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars", which was refreshing to listen to. In addition, he suggested that we should learn to carefully listen to others and to speak up during ensemble practices. The act of listening is to feel harmony, and to speak is to value one's own voice. From Tommy, we can see his confidence and tremendous love for music. His expertise and adeptness in studying and playing the drumset  undoubtedly comes from the countless practices he had done; from not being discouraged when experiencing his lows, but remaining diligent through repeated practices. He is also humble, and still strives to improve. Music is integrated into his life, as he uses music to express his thoughts and rhythm to express his heart. 

    集训的倒数第二天，我们有幸邀请到了学姐Keishin来做了一次非常有启发性的讲座。曾任管乐团副团长的她非常热情地与我们分享了她任期内许多珍贵的时刻，给予我们相当中肯的如何管理大型乐团的宝贵建议。她的演讲是一次充满真情的回忆之旅，她强调了团队合作的重要性，对同伴的热情支持，以及成为一个充满活力的乐团的快乐和收获——乐团中的每个人都奉献了自己的时间和激情。令人感到惊喜的是，我们还看到了许多珍贵的老照片，这些照片不仅展示了我们的指挥李欣老师多年前的风采，还有上海中学管乐团从一个小型音乐团体发展成为今天这样一个壮大、团结的乐团的可喜变化。Keishin学姐的演讲给我们所有人都留下了深刻的印象。通过她的宝贵分享，我们不仅了解了她的个人进步和成就，还见证了乐团多年来的发展和演变。

    Our last guest was Keishin, who  came to give a very enlightening lecture. As the former Vice Leader of the SWE, she was very enthusiastic in sharing with us many of the precious moments of her tenure and giving us valuable advice on how to manage a wind ensemble with such tremendous quantity. Her presentation was a heartfelt trip down memory lane and she highlighted the importance of teamwork, the passionate support of her peers, and the joy and reward of being a dynamic ensemble – with everyone in the ensemble dedicating their time and passion. What's surprising, was that we also saw many precious old photos, prepared by Keishin, which not only showed the Mr. Li in his 20s, but also the gradual changes of the Shanghai High School Wind Ensemble from a small musical group to such a large and united ensemble today. Keishin's speech left a deep impression on all of us. Through her valuable sharing, we not only learned about her individual improvement and achievements, but also witnessed the significant progression and evolution of the ensemble over the years.

    1月17日上午，上海中学管乐团迎来了备受期待的集训考核，这是对同学们一周辛苦付出的成果进行检验的重要时刻。此次考核不仅决定了暑假前往维也纳的资格，更是同学们对自己努力付出的收获进行的一次盘点。大家都怀着忐忑的心情走进了那间教室, 迎接考核, 而这也标志着这次寒假集训的圆满结束

    On the morning of January 17th, the Shanghai High School Wind Ensemble ushered in the highly anticipated  concluding assessment, which was an important moment to test the results of the students' meticulous work for the week. This assessment not only determines the qualifications for the incoming trip to Vienna during the 2024 summer vacation, but also takes account of the students' hard work. Everyone walked into the classroom with apprehension to meet the assessment, which also marked the  successful resolution to the Winter Holiday training.