WGN CLASS NOTES: 2026/04/21

TO: WONDER WGN MEMBERS
MEMO: WGN CLASS NOTES: 2026/04/21
DATE: Tuesday, April 21, 2026

 

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MEMORY VERSES (SEE ALL)

  • Scripture of the Month: Psalms 136:1 – Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. – Psalms 136:1 New King James Version (NKJV)
  • Character Scripture:
    • Psalms 136:4 – To Him who alone does great wonders, For His mercy endures forever – Psalms 136:4 New King James Version (NKJV)
    • Exodus 20:6 – And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. – Exodus 20:6 King James Version (KJV)
    • Hebrews 13:5 – Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” – Hebrews 13:5 New Living Translation (NLV)
    • Matthew 9:13 – But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. – Matthew 9:13 New International Version (NIV)
    • Jude 1:21 – keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. – Jude 1:21 English Standard Version (ESV)

DRESS REHEARSAL (NEXT CLASS)

  • Really excellent work, everyone. We’re really impressed with everyone’s effort and level of progression this year. We have absolutely no major concerns for the concert. All we ask is that you all be attentive and patient during the dress rehearsal process, because it’s only logistics (getting on/off stage, and order of performances) that we haven’t rehearsed. Let’s wonder!
  • Performance Attire: Be sure you have your performance attire for each ensemble and prepare accordingly
    • Concert Black (all black): ALL instruments, choirs, ASL, flags, dancers
    • Wonder Black (wonder tee, black bottoms): Music Makers
    • Costumes: Theater

MUSIC FOUNDATIONS

  • No notes for this week.

PIANO 1

  • Practice Time: 10/5d
  • Practice your part on What Can I Share? and also practice the songs I sent home with you today.

PIANO 2

  • Practice Time: 15m/5d
  • Keep practicing the last piece in the book. First practice hands separately, then put hands together.

BUCKETLINE

  • Practice Time: 20m/5d
  • PLAY WITH A METRONOME ON BUCKET HEAD!!! 72BPM. Work on rhythms on Bucket stomp
  • Wonder Drumline Book
    • Practice all exercises (excluding “Rolls & Rhythms”) to the goal of memorization at moderate tempos (80-120bpm) and stick heights (mezzo-forte and forte (plus piano-forte for accent exercises). Keep utilizing the mark time to guide your ability to keep good tempo. Write in the foot work (lefts and rights) above the staff for “Count Up Legatos” and practice these individual measures to see how the feet align with the hands; keep in mind the subdivided ‘upbeat’ motion in the mark time to help with the measures that have a left hand starting on an upbeat.

DRUMLINE

  • Practice Time: 20m/5d
  • Practice your rhythms for your specific parts in the Drumline Book working all stick heights and a range of tempos. Keep prioritizing memorization! Also specifically target some “chop building” by taking tempos up past your personal threshold for “Legatos” and “Double/Triple Beat.” Snares, Flubs, and Quads also focus extra on the “Rolls & Rhythm Tree” exercise. All players need to memorize “Bacon & Eggs” cadence and keep looking ahead at learning “Piper’s Processional” cadence.

FLAGS

PRELUDE BAND (Beginner Students)

  • Practice Time: 20m/5d
  • Ensemble
    • Essential Elements Book 1 aka Yellow Book
      • Practice Little Swing and chant and celebration.
  • Rhythms (clapping https://photos.app.goo.gl/nrxnCqvWbuBghF7x5)
    • Huckleberry Jello
    • Gooseberry, Gooseberry
    • Pineapple, Pineapple
    • Huckleberry, Huckleberry
    • Jello (shh) lo
  •  Clarinet
    • Practice in method book and Chant and Celebration as mentioned in prelude band notes. Be careful with accidentals in Chant and Celebration
  •  Flute
    • Master #s 64, 67, and 68.
  •  Horn
    • Remember to work on knowing the first pitch of the music before it starts.
    • Do this when you warm up by hearing the pitch in your head or even sing your pitch before you play it.
    • Work on:
      • ♬ Chant & Celebration.
      • ♬ Time for a Little Swing
  •  Percussion
    • Practice individual instrument assignments. Also work on “Hugga-Hugga Burr” with buzz roll focus and look ahead at “A Little Bit of Swing” on snare drum + ride cymbal,  bells, and bass drum. Try to memorize all mallet parts (or get as close as you can!) and practice all parts with a metronome.
  • Saxophone
    • Chant and celebration – work on correct notes and then allegro section at 100 with metronome. Practice A Little Bit of Swing. For A Little Bit of Swing, especially work on measures 39-49. For yellow book #90-#93.
  • Trombone
    • Bring pencil to class!
    • For A Little Bit of Swing, especially work on measures 39-49. Ascot Overture. If extra time, work on yellow book #90-#93.
  • Trumpet
    • For next week for dress rehearsal – all trumpeters
    • Watch the conductor – keep trumpets on your knee – ready to be in playing position when conductor has her hands raised.
    • Perfect Ascot overture – Stay sharp on timing and and volume changes
    • Also work more on 1812 overture – get faster

TRAINING BAND (2nd Level Students or Above)

  • Practice Time: 30m/5d
  • Ensemble
    • Scales, arp & 3rds, 2 octaves (Use a metronome)
    • Practice 1812 overature with a metronome at 90 BPM. keeping a steady tempo is key at this point. Work on Ascot overture.
    • Review (Use a metronome)
      • Essential Elements Book 2 aka Red Book
  • Bass Guitar
    • Scales, arp & 3rds, 2 octaves.
    • Trouble spots
  • Clarinet
    • Get your fingerings down for the accidentals. It’s a little bit of the chromatic scale, so use those fingerings from the fingering chart. The Chromatic Fingereing is usually the 2nd one listed if there is more than one. The exception for that is Eb on the first line of the staff.
  • Electric Guitar
    • Scales, arp & 3rds, 2 octaves.
    • Work on warm-up routine, include scale work in the warm up
  • Flute
    • Technique: warm up on those octave slides (G, A, Bb), don’t stop the high note until it sounds lovely; work on playing Bb scales #1-4 at the same tempo.
    • Lesson book: #94 – practice D-Eb-D-Eb; #95 & 96 contain this progression as well.
    • Performance book: Ascot Overture needs to get up to tempo, so use a metronome
  • Percussion
    • Practice variations of rolls: buzz & open-stroke through 5-, and 9-stroke roll types. Apply this to “The Thunderer”. Practice “Hugga-Hugga-Burr” for these roll types, including also single-stroke rolls (32nd-notes with alternating sticking). Work on minor scales (with flats).
  • Saxophone
    • Scales, arp & 3rds, 2 octaves. Ascot Overture down
  •  Trombone
    • Scales: On page 40, work on key of Bflat 1-3. And eflat scale on handout. Page 47 (chromatic scale) low Bflat to high Bflat – again emphasizing speed (without sacrificing pitch)
    • Method book 1: work on speed for 88
    • For ensemble, practice Ascot Overtire (especially measures 51-56) and Blues at Frog Bottom (use online recording for rhythms) and Caravan.
    • Go back and forth from Bflat to Cflat (like in Caravan) using a tuner to make sure that you’re hitting the perfect slide position for that Cflat.
  •  Trumpet
    • For next week for dress rehearsal – all trumpeters
    • Watch the conductor – keep trumpets on your knee – ready to be in playing position when conductor has her hands raised.
    • Perfect Ascot overture – Stay sharp on timing and and volume changes
    • Also work more on 1812 overture – get faster

MIDPOINT BAND (3rd Level Students or Above)

  • Practice Time: 45m/5d
  • Ensemble:
    • Scales, arp & 3rds, 2-3 octaves (Use a metronome) – pick a scale
    • Work on rhythms and notes on The Blues at frog bottom Clean-up caravan. Practice Caravan
    • Review (Use a metronome)
      • Essential Elements Book 3 aka Green Book
    • Repertoire (Use a metronome)
      • Continue to work on Caravan & Swing Fever for next week.
  • Electric Bass
    • Scales, arp & 3rds, 3 octaves.
    • Practice scales you know and sight-read some personal choice pieces
  • Electric Guitar
    • Scales, arp & 3rds, 3 octaves.
    • Practice scales you know and sight-read some personal choice pieces. The Essential Elements series doesn’t include a guitar book so use your private lesson method book.
  • Percussion
    • Prepare “Birdland” and “Take Five” making sure to use a metronome, starting slow and gradually working up especially with the more ‘aggressive’ chord progression changes. Preview our arranged versions and also listen to originals to get insight on how to ‘modify’ your parts to make them more effective and musical.
  • Saxophone
    • When playing the high notes, remember to keep your embouchure relaxed and the air supported. Use the alternate fingering for C when slurring the the B or Bb below it. Chormatic fingerings are usually listed 2nd. The exception is the A#/Bb, it is both the normal & chromatice fingering.
  •  Trumpet
    • For next week for dress rehearsal – all trumpeters
    • Watch the conductor – keep trumpets on your knee – ready to be in playing position when conductor has her hands raised.
    • Just be ready and sharp. – and i don’t mean sharps and flats
    • The pieces you worked on with Miss Carol – Bugle Boy?

PRELUDE ORCHESTRA (Beginner Students)

  • Practice Time: 20m/5d
  • Bass and Cello
    • Keep up the good work, and the usual practice routine. We only have one more regular class day.
    • Listen Daily: Suzuki 1 (Playlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPC7G0nvMEg&list=PL11XNZ_T1dFNYL-MUVJTQH7fh2TsJdjAg)
    • Watch:
    • Rhythms
      • Huckleberry Jello
      • Gooseberry, Gooseberry
      • Pineapple, Pineapple (strawberry, strawberry)
      • Huckleberry, Huckleberry
      • Jello (shh) lo (or “”cello – bow””)
    • Keep up with your practice routine:
        • Tune
        • listen to good tone on open strings + ringing tones
        • review all the pieces that we have learned
        • D Major scale
        • G Major scale
        • Song of the Wind
        • French Folk Song
        • Lightly Row
        • Go Tell Aunt Rhody
        • Twinkle Variation
  • Violin & Viola
    • Watch Pre-twinkle: Setup Exercises Videos: https://a-musician-is.com (password: amusicianis)
    • Listen Daily: Suzuki 1 (Playlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfU-O0JeFbY)
    • modified Penguins
    • Climb MOnkey- with bow
    • bowing the A string rhythm
    • cow, cat, table, bird dog exercise
    • walking fingers singing bow
    • Rainbows
    • Each rhythm 10X on each string every day
    • Huckleberry Jello Song
    • goose berry goose berry song
    • Huckleberry Huckleberry song
    • -pineapple pineapple song
    • Jello-lo Jello song
    • modified walking fingers with bow
    • Twinkle A Section Twinkle B Section
    • Twinkle twiwnkle little star
      • huckleberry jello
      • jello lo jello
      • gooseberry
      • hippity hoppity
      • huckleberry huckleberry
      • theme
    • -practice building stamina to play all the songs back to back
      • first day- practice all the songs with large breaks in between ( you may come down to rest position)
      • second and third day practice doing two songs back to back (you may not come down from play position but you may take a breath in between)
      • fourth and fifth day practice three songs back to back
      • fifth, sixth days practice all of the songs

TRAINING ORCHESTRA (2nd Level Students or above)

  • Practice Time: 30m/5d
  •  Ensemble:
    • Great job today! Please focus your practice on the three pieces for the end of the year concerts:
    • 1. Scales, arp & 3rds, 1 octaves – A Major
    • 2. Review – Suzuki B1-Your current book
    • 3. Tchaikovsky Themes
    • 4. Appalachia Waltz
    • 5. Boogie Woogie
    • * PRACTICE POINTS:
      • choose 1 practice point every time you practice a small section
      • always work on tricky sections
      • 1. correct rhythm, steady tempo
      • 2. correct notes
      • 3. bow direction
      • 4. intonation
      • 5. dynamics
      • 6. slow to fast with metronome (work on this LAST!) 🙂
  •  Cello
  • Viola and Violin
    • Listen Daily: Suzuki 1
    • Watch Pre-twinkle: Setup Exercises Videos: https://a-musician-is.com (password: amusicianis)
      • Please watch the videos if you are behind or don’t remember the pieces. They are in the video playlist bk.1
    • Review (Use a metronome)
      • Twinkle B1 to Allegro
    • D Major Scale
      • 1st exercise- play scale degrees 1,4,5,8
      • 2nd exercise- play scale degrees 1,3,4,5,7,8
      • 3rd exercise- play scale degrees 1,2,3,4,,5,6,7,8
    • I Can Read
      • Lesson 23 & 24 rhythm and pitch (DO THE RYTHMS WITH A METRONOME)
    • Table top exercise
    • Cat Cow
    • you should start practice with 3 old songs
    • All review songs
    • perpetual motion
    • allegretto
    • andantino
    • etude

MIDPOINT ORCHESTRA (3rd Level Students or above)

  • Practice Time: 45m/5d
  • Ensemble:
    • Great job today! Please focus your practice on the three pieces for the end of the year concerts:
    • 1. Scales, arp & 3rds, 3 octaves – A Major
    • 2. Review – Suzuki B1-Your current book
    • 3. Brandenburg
    • 4. Mozart
    • 5. Moonlight Odyssey
    • * PRACTICE POINTS:
      • choose 1 practice point every time you practice a small section
      • always work on tricky sections
      • 1. correct rhythm, steady tempo
      • 2. correct notes
      • 3. bow direction
      • 4. intonation
      • 5. dynamics
      • 6. slow to fast with metronome (work on this LAST!) 🙂
  • Cello
    • Keep up the good work. Only one more regular class time, and it would be nice to focus on refining points of these last few pieces that we know so well (maybe some of the earlier pieces, too).
    • Listen Daily: Suzuki 2-3
    • Watch:
    • Practice Routine:
      • Tune
      • Ringing tones (2x bows per note)
      • C Major 2-8ve scale
      • Review songs (Your choice)
      • Advanced: C Major 3 octave, a melodic minor 3 octave
      • Vibrato practice – elbow must feel open, support in the wrist, flexibility in the playing finger, only 1 finger down at a time. (or 4 and 3 together).
    • Review (Use a metronome)
      • Suzuki B1-Current
    • Repertoire
      • Witches Dance
      • Gavotte
  • Viola and Violin
    • Listen Daily: Suzuki 2-3
    • Review (Use a metronome)
      • Suzuki B1-beginning of B2
      • Practice everything from Suzuki Bk 1 and B2 up to Lully gavotte
    • D Major Scale through 2 octaves
      • 1st exercise- play scale degrees 1,4,5,8
      • 2nd exercise- play scale degrees 1,3,4,5,7,8
      • 3rd exercise- play scale degrees 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
    • ITP ex6&7 viola ex. 6&7 violin
    • Beethoven Minuet

CONCERT ORCHESTRA (4th Level Students or above)

  • Practice Time: 60m/5d
  • Ensemble:
    • Great job today! Please focus your practice on all three movements of the Mozart Quartet, since that is what you will perform in the final concert. Also, please review Sheep May Safely Graze and all of the midpoint and training orchestra pieces since you will be supporting us in those pieces in the concert (Mozart, Moonlight, Brandenburg, Tchaikovsky Themes, Appalachia Waltz, and Boogie Woogie). Thank you!
    • 1. Scales, arp & 3rds, 3 octaves – G minor
    • 2. Review: Suzuki B1-Current
    • 3. Mozart 2nd and 3rd movements.
  • * PRACTICE POINTS:
    • choose 1 practice point every time you practice a small section
    • always work on tricky sections
    • 1. correct rhythm, steady tempo
    • 2. correct notes
    • 3. bow direction
    • 4. intonation
    • 5. dynamics
    • 6. slow to fast with metronome (work on this LAST!) 🙂

RECORDERS 1

  • Practice Time: 10m/4d
  • Remember Practice Records
  • Practice:
    • Fingering for all the notes you’ve learned so far.
    • Practice concert behavior: rest position, playing position.
    • Work on Concert Piece: Peace Like a River every day you practice. Practicing playing in front of other people!
    • Practicing tonging and slurring with the songs Smooth Slurs (pg 22) and Songbird (pg 25)
  • Don’t forget to blow out and clean your recorders!
  • You guys did such a great job in the lunchtime performance! Let’s finish strong and keep up the good work. Happy practicing!

RECORDERS 2

  • Practice Time: 15m/4d
  • Remember Practice Records
  • Practice:
    • If you wrote a second original composition, finish it up and give your song a title! We’ll share them next week
    • Practice Alleluia round on page 20. Remember the C# and F#.
    • Play Skip to My Lou just from the beginning to the double bar to where it says Rhythm Variation which is measures 1-8(Page 23)
    • Concert Pieces: Peace Like a River and In Christ Alone. Practicing playing in front of other people!
    • Don’t forget to blow out and clean your recorders!
  • You guys did such a wonderful job performing at lunch! I’m very proud of each one of you! Keep it up and happy practicing!

PRIME CHOIR

JUNIOR/SENIOR CHOIR (YOUTH CHOIR)

SIGNS AND WONDERS: ASL SIGNING CHOIR

DANCE

GUIDED PE

  • No notes for this week.

ART (DRAWING & WATERCOLOR)

  • Please complete your self-portrait this week and bring it back with your photo next week 4/28.

ART (TEXTILES – NEEDLE PUNCH)

  • Please remember to bring your needle punching kits to class. For those of you who have not finished the collaborative project or personal project, please work on it at home and bring it to class 4/28!

ART (PHOTOGRAPHY)

  • 1st Year Students
    • No notes for this week.
  • 2nd+ Year Students
    • No notes for this week.
  • Wonder Student Photography 25-26 Folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AA9Lot8NgFikQ1gPnG49q3-STs4nDSAj?usp=drive_link
    • Add your top photos for the end of year projects and yearbook, include the usage in the title: wonder-YY-YY-name-collab-1, wonder-YY-YY-name-individual-1, wonder-YY-YY-name-sequence-1, wonder-YY-YY-name-yearbook-1, wonder-YY-YY-name-slideshow-1 (For exampe: wonder-20-21-doe-john-collab-1). If you have trouble, you can get help during class.
    • Specs: 5×7″; Individual & Sequence Photos must be horizontal; Others can be horizontal or vertical

THEATER

  • Next week is the dress rehearsal. Keep practicing your speeches adding dynamics. If you have additional props you’d like to use, be sure to bring them next week.
  • Theater Photo Album [LINK] – Add a photo or a screenshot of the costume items your child will need before next class
  • Peace Theater 25-26 Spreadsheet: [LINK]
  • History II: Creation to the Resurrection: Covers the period from 4004 B.C. to c.A.D 33

LITTLE MOVERS & LITTLE SHAKERS

  • Remember to listen to recordings daily this week

LITTLE CYCLES

  • Remember to listen to recordings and check out your books daily this week.

MUSIC MAKERS 1

MUSIC MAKERS 2

DISCOVERY

PLAYROOM WITH HELPING HANDS

  • After Lunch Check-in: Please be sure to check your student in room 212
  • Check-out: Please be sure to quietly check your student out in room 212 or (playground) with the Playroom Helping Hands

COMPUTER SCIENCE (STANDARD APPLICATION)

  • Topics Covered: Inheritance. For further review, you may reference https://learnpythontherightway.com/chapter/chapter-24.html

COMPUTER SCIENCE (FUNDAMENTALS OF EMBEDDED PROGRAMMING)

  • No notes for this week.

JUNIOR HELPER

  • No notes for this week.

STUDY HALL

  • No notes for this week.
Wonder Memo

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