Burlington Teen Tour Band

The Band's new Photo

2011-10-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

Here it is hot off the press!

A special thank you to Jamie of http://www.jamiebuismanphotography.com/ for all her working setting up and taking countless shots until the perfect picture! Also to Karen Heyden of Target Creative for the photo touch up - you would never know there was a man standing by one of the landing gear! If you need phtographer work or creative graphic designer - please contact these people, you will not be disappointed!!

If all goes well we will be having our picture taken on-board the HMCS Haida in the very near furture!

Hawaii Tour Updates

2011-10-08T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hawaii Tour

November 21 – 29^th, 2011

Is your account up to date with your tour payments??

It is very important that your tour payments be up to date! Boosters have to keep to a payment schedule with the airline and tour company and they cannot do this if band families are not making their payments. Please check with the Booster Treasurer to see where you stand. Linda can be reached at treasurerbttb@gmail.com or at any band practice in the front lobby. DO NOT leave it to the last minute to find out what you may have outstanding. As of today everyone’s account should be at $2,100.00 with a final payment of $190.00 (depending on the finalize tour cost) by October 30th

Things to bring:

· Important: - Passport, Health Card,

- Out of Country insurance.

· Red Band Jacket—MANDATORY—do not pack in your suit case as it is required for travel.

· For the flights—No jeans material clothing is to be worn. No underwear should be showing from your waistbands. No t-shirts, sweat pants or gym shorts are to be worn on the flight. Dress appropriately as you are representing the band and the city.

· Prescription drugs—in original container. Keep these in your carry on and not in the luggage under the bus in case you need them. Be sure to inform your chaperone of any medication or allergies you have.

· All items required for your band uniform (red shirt, Navy blue socks, clean shoes, white gloves)

· Maple Leaf shirt (if you have one) not mandatory but highly recommended. Spirit wear will not be allowed to be worn in place of the band red jacket during the tour.

· Bathing suit and towel

· Toiletries

· Money belt or pouch

· Personal spending money (US dollars)

· Sunscreen, sun glasses, hat

· Comfortable footwear for sightseeing and free time.

Things to remember:

· DO NOT pack your band jacket you WILL need it for the flight

· Ipods, cell phones, etc are brought at your own risk! Remember cell phones have high charges for phone calls and texts PLUS roaming charges.

· ALWAYS say please and thank you.

· Never eat with your hat on in any type of sit down restaurant.

· If you burn easily, you should consider getting a base tan before leaving – You do not want to burn in the first couple days and ruin your tour.

· ALWAYS travel in groups of four (4) or more. Those not doing so will be paired up with a chaperone or staff during free time.

· Only do things that will make your parents and our city proud of you and the band!

During the Flight

Our band has an outstanding reputation whenever we travel for being extremely well mannered. On the flight staff will discuss with the flight crew about allowing band members to change seats so you can sit by your friends. This will not happen until the cabin crew feels it is safe to do so. Once you have changed seats you are not to move around the cabin except for washrooms visits. DO NOT forget we are not the only people on the flight and the crew has a job to do, so be respectful to all on the flight.

Once the plane lands all BTTB members and chaperones will remain seated until ALL other passengers have left the plane. Management will give the signal when it is ok to leave the plane.

While in the hotel…

· DO NOT yell out the windows to fellow band members

· DO NOT yell or talk loud in the hallways

· DO NOT let doors slam

· DO NOT run in the halls

· DO NOT clog up the elevators so other guests cannot use them

· DO NOT walk around shirtless

· DO NOT play loud music in the rooms

· DO NOT disturb other guests

· DO remember who you are representing at all times!

· DO use please and thank you ALL the time!

· DO take lots of pictures...not for facebook but for your parents!

New members going on their first tour

There will be a meeting for you with the Drum Majors on Wednesday November 9^th following practice.

Please make arranges to stay a little later so you can attend.

The Tour Itinerary

The itinerary is only a guide which can and will change as the tour progresses. ALL changes will be announced and it is YOUR responsibility to listen for any and all changes. Remember, the tour itinerary will be finalized when the tour is over! You will receive a copy of the itinerary at the luggage weigh in day and your parents can print off copies from the band web site.

Money and Purchases in Hawaii

Hawaii can be very expensive! Over 90% of all products are shipped or flown in. Spend wisely! Do not purchase items in Hawaii that you can get at home you will just be wasting your money. Purchase items that are unique to Hawaii that you can not get back in Canada.

Every room has a safe, use it for your extra money or any expensive items you are leaving in the hotel room. Know how much money you have at all time.

Passports

Do not forget your passport must be valid six months after we return. If you speak with the Passport Office they will tell you, you will be fine. However, please keep in mind that it is the US custom officer who has the final say while we are trying to clear customs, NOT the passport office. As it states on the Canada passport website:

“You should not travel with a passport that will expire during your trip or shortly after your planned return. Some countries will not allow you to enter if your passport is set to expire shortly after your planned return date. To avoid difficulties while travelling, we recommend that you obtain a new passport before leaving if there is any chance that your passport could expire during your travels or within 6 months of your return.”

Once we land in Hawaii your chaperone will be collecting your passport for the duration of the tour. All passports will be locked away for safe keeping and returned on the last day of the tour. A lost passport will cost money, delay the band and cause issues with the customs officials.

Hotel Rooms

Hotel rooms are our home away from home. They will be kept neat and tidy at all times. This will allow the hotel staff access to the room for cleaning AND it will ensure you and your room mate do not lose any free time because you are in your room cleaning it! There will be room checks!

Weather - November

· Average temperature in November is Mid 70’s to mid 80’s

· Temperatures can drop 10 degrees at night.

· Water temperature averages 75 degrees in November

· Although November is the beginning of the rainy season in Hawaii, it usually does not rain for long and more time then not there are sun showers followed by rainbows.

More information to come, such as

- Luggage weighing and colour coding day

- Hawaii send off party

- Itinerary updates

- Airline (which flight you are on)

- Instrument packing instructions

- Meet your chaperone

Ensemble Playing Tip by Bill Hughes

2011-08-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

Whether you’re a member of a local youth orchestra or a grade 7 band member, these tips are important points for anyone involved in an ensemble.

1. Watch the conductor.

Whether they mention or not, most conductors love a performer who watches regularly and takes cues from their direction. When your director stands at the front of the band obviously ready to say something or begin a piece, stop talking and make eye contact with him or her. Memorize your first note so that you can breath and play with the first beat. Try to be able to look up at the conductor at least every few bars, and if possible, at the start of each bar. Look ahead in your music, and when you notice that you have an entrance, look to your conductor to see if he or she has any cues and respond to them. As well, if your conductor offers you any specific suggestions, try to follow them as best you can. Be aware of fermatas and time changes. If you show your conductor respect in these ways, in time he or she will value you as one of their best ensemble players.

2. Be ready to start on time.

Speaking of respect for your conductor, being ready with your instrument and music out is another great way of showing your dedication to ensemble. Though it may seem less important to someone in a junior high band, if you’ve chosen to be in a musical ensemble, make the most out of your time and the conductor’s by starting on time. There are few things that annoy a conductor more than an ensemble player, particularly a section lead, who comes to the band late or not at all. If you’re out having a coffee when you should be playing a solo, chances are you won’t have a solo for long.

Decide where your priorities lie; if you don’t want the benefit of ensemble experience, then consider leave the ensemble. If you want to stay and enjoy band, then rethink how disrupting your ensemble really benefits anyone, including yourself. If you just don’t enjoy the band or its conductor, leave it and try to find an ensemble with which you can arrive enthusiastic to each rehearsal.

3. Know your music.

Yeah, yeah, we all remember grade 7, when your practice time was like a half an hour a week for some of you, if any time at all. Well, beyond grade 7 (hey if you’re in grade 7 and want to be better than the other gr. 7s, follow this tip!) you need to actually look at your music between band nights. Along with your regular warm-up and private study, you should incorporate regular time to review your ensemble pieces and smooth out any complicated rhythms or tough technical passages. The last thing you want is to be singled out in band to play a particular passage and demonstrate to everyone that you do not practice.

Preparing for Hawaii

2011-07-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

The BTTB has had a proud and distinguished career in representing Burlington and Canada around the world at historic events. From the D-Day celebrations (40^th and 50^th anniversary) to the liberation of the Netherlands by Canadian forces (50^th and 60^th anniversary) to name a couple and now to be the only non-American band to be invited to the 70^th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbour is another honour we are extremely proud of!

Four months today the BTTB will be boarding the plane to return home from what I believe will be a tour of great memories! Of course when you think of Hawaii you think of paradise and there is no doubt that Hawaii is a beautiful place to visit.

The mountains, beaches, greenery, palm trees, laid back life style, the music, traditions, the history of the island and the people and of course Pearl Harbour. All of these will combine into what will stimulate the senses in so many ways. Add to that the visit and performance at Pearl Harbour while Bernie Comito, our Pearl Harbour survivor and his wife Jackie will be with us the entire time. No doubt this will be a very emotional time.

We still have lots to do as we prepare for the tour including lots of practice, many performance leading up to the tour, lots of documents to get ready, tons and tons of tour logistics, getting our newer members ready,

Below are several various web links to site related to our tour.

Pearl Habour

The movie trailer – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr6pVUv9cJQ&feature=BFa&list=WL469DE7E16931856A&index=2

News reel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAnOtWm5OrM&feature=BFa&list=WL469DE7E16931856A&index=3

1945 Color Video Vintage Footage

Great video of a Spontaneous Victory Parade in Honolulu in1945.

Take a look at this video-absolutely fabulous! Notice the cars and jeeps, youth. The guys in khaki or gray shirts and black ties are Navy officers or chiefs. The rest are Army or Marine. How young they all were to do what they did.

http://vimeo.com/5645171

President Roosevelt’s “day of infamy” speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VqQAf74fsE – the real speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2_bAd39pAA&NR=1 – from the movie “Pearl Harbour”

Wikipedia - Hawaii

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii

Pictures / slide shows of Waikiki Hawaii

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv09gaQ_XLc&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYCypZUfmXg&feature=bf_next&list=WL469DE7E16931856A&index=9

Polynesian Culture Centre

http://www.youtube.com/user/polynesiancultural#p/a/f/0/Py0FD1nMS88

Our hotel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdnA_KggG8g

Hawaiian Web Cams

http://www1.honolulu.gov/multimed/wme.asp

http://www1.honolulu.gov/multimed/waikiki.asp

If you find a web site of interest email it to bttb@Burlington.ca so we can share it with others.

Welcome to the NEW BTTB blogspot page!

2011-07-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new BTTB blog page. Unlike the old page, this one will not only have blogs while the band is on tour but we will also post blog throughout the year on a wide range of topic from a number of contributors (band staff, band members, parents etc.) Posting on practicing locations, band weekly updates etc WILL NOT be posted here. Those will contiuned to be emailed out, posted ont eh band website - members area and on the band information tape.

There will be lots of information post here in the upcoming weeks and months as the BTTB prepares for the upcoming Tour to Hawaii. However, please keep in mind all official information will be posted on the Band's web site, member's only area.

If you have any suggestion for topics please forward them to bttb @burlington.ca

OR

If you would like to submit a blog to be posted please submit your idea to bttb@burlington.ca

Thank you!