To ensure some tasty snacks each week, we have started rotating sections responsible for bringing treats.
For our Dec.4 Dance Party this Sunday, we’re calling on reed players to bring a nut-free snack or beverage if they can.
Author: soh
Friendsgiving Potluck Dinner Nov 20
As we come into a season reserved by many for reflection and thankfulness, we want to celebrate something we are all thankful for – our incredible and ever-growing SoH community! So we’re hosting a Friendsgiving potluck dinner after our session, at the Community Art Center.
Sunday Nov 20
5:30-7:30p
You can sign up here to let us know what you’re bringing. All contributions must be nut-free.
Smaller groups are welcome to play music throughout the two hours as background entertainment! The sign up for performing is here. A couple notes: individuals can sign up with a maximum of two different groups. Groups can play up to three songs/~15 minutes, and of course they do not have to be in our SoH repertoire. Please, no open jams.
[Photo by Heather Martin]
Halloween Dance Party
School of HONK turns two years old, and we’re celebrating with a
Kids’ Halloween Dance Party and Blinky-Light Parade
Sunday, Oct 30, 3-6 pm
Cambridge Community Art Center (119 Windsor St, Cambridge)
Our dancers have some really easy, fun dance moves for kids to learn and master in no time at all, and then perform, in costume for the whole neighborhood. Free and open to kids of all ages and their families.
- 3:00 pm Dancers meet at Community Art Center to learn dance moves along side School of HONK band
- 4:15 pm Band and dancers make our way to Clement Morgan Park for a dazzling sunset show
- 5:15 pm Step off for blinky-lights parade around the neigborhood before returning to the Center
Don’t forget a costume, or polka dots, or blinky-lights, or whatever puts you in the spirit of the season.
To learn more about our School and see our dancers in action, check out Patrick Johnson’s video of our Mardi Gras Dance Party earlier this year.
Push It
School of HONK charts here.
School of HONK dance moves:
School of HONK performance:
Salt-N-Pepa original recording:
Send us your HONK! Fest 2018 photos and videos!
Did you catch the School of HONK at HONK! Fest this year? We had a blast performing many times throughout the weekend, and are collecting YOUR photos and videos of our sets to show off to the world!
If you have media to share, please contact Maggie at schoolofhonk@gmail.com . Thanks to everyone for a great HONK! Festival!
Banner photo by Greg Cook.
HONK! Trombone Choir 2016
School of HONK is once again hosting a trombone choir, to perform Sunday in Harvard Square. It is open to all trombone and tuba players participating in the festival.
Rehearsal: Saturday night after dinner (~ 10 pm)
Performance: Sunday, 5:00 pm call, at the Harvard Main Stage
We are performing an arrangement of the traditional Greek/rebetiko tune, Miserlou, familiar to most of us from Dick Dale’s surf-guitar interpretation. Our arrangement has four trombone parts and a tuba part. It is not necessary to practice/memorize your parts before the weekend, nor will we be reading from sheet music: we hope to teach the entire tune by ear in about 20 minutes on Saturday night. But, for those looking to prepare…
Trombone 1 – If you’ve been playing trombone for 2 years or less, this is the part for you. You’ll open and close the tune with a very simple, rockin’ beat, and for part B, we’ll all be playing one of the most beautiful melodies ever conceived.
Trombone 2 – If you’ve been playing more than 2 years, but want a simple and very fun part, this is the part for you. Your vamp (along with the Trombone 3 part) will keep our train moving, and provide part of the essential chord structure that defines the song.
Trombone 3 – Also for players with more than 2 years’ experience, and good middle range, this part is similar to Trombone 2. But it is slightly more complicated in part C, and essential to defining the changed chord progression for that section of the tune.
Trombone 4 – This is for lead players with a very high range (strong playing up to high A#, aka Bb). This part takes the first turn on the melody, in the upper range, as well as the “bridge” melody for part C. Here is an audio file of the complete T4 part.
Tuba – For any strong tuba players with a good sense of rhythm, this part carries the long-long-short (street beat) rhythm in each bar, in contrast to what trombones are playing. It is a relatively easy part to play and remember, but really needs to be staccato throughout, so as to keep our tune from slowing down.
NOTE: If anyone is interested in playing any part other than Trombone 1, kindly email kevin@schoolofhonk.org so we can send further details/clarifications.
Want to host visiting HONK! musicians?
The HONK! Festival is just a few weeks away, and organizers are still looking for local residents who can help house visiting musicians during the weekend (Oct 7-9). Click here if you’d like to help.
Camp HONK returns to Porter Square!
This year’s Camp HONK was a special one. We learned more than a half dozen songs in two weeks, composed some of our own, and performed everyday of the week on parade. Check it out.
JP Porchfest this Saturday
School of HONK will take the party to our friends across the river, July 9, 12-2 pm, at the Sam Adams Brewery.
(Photo by Steve Rogers Photography)
School of HONK plays Porchfest!
School of HONK returns to Somerville’s Porchfest this Saturday, May 21, 4-6 pm, in front of the VFW Dilboy Hall (corner of Cutter Ave and Summer St). Come join our musical party, and don’t forget your dancing shoes!