Thursday, May 14, 2015

All Choir Concert and Dress Rehearsal Information

Dress Rehearsal for All Choir Concert
Friday, May 15 
First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto

Call Time: 4:45 pm

Release: 7:00 pm
Sign in and out: back parking lot (access via Byron St)
Snack: Bring a snack & water.

Uniform: (wear your uniform/outfit at both the dress rehearsal and the concert)

EITHER wear an accent piece (something like a scarf or sash) that represents your family’s heritage and ancestry (eg. the colors of your flag) with your Cantabile uniform (no hats).
OR wear a full outfit (eg, traditional dress) that represents your family’s heritage and ancestry (no hats).
OR wear full, Cantabile uniform.

Intermediate binders will be collected at the end of Dress Rehearsal - please bring your binder on Friday and turn it in before you go home!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
All Choir Concert
Saturday, May 16
First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto

Call Time: 11:30 am

Release: approx 3:30 pm
Sign in: back parking lot (access via Byron St)
Sign out: Intermediate Green Room (downstairs)
Snack: Bring a snack & water.

Uniform: (arrive wearing your uniform/outfit for the concert)

EITHER wear an accent piece (something like a scarf or sash) that represents your family’s heritage and ancestry (eg. the colors of your flag) with your Cantabile uniform (no hats)
OR wear a full outfit (eg, traditional dress) that represents your family’s heritage and ancestry (no hats)
OR wear full, Cantabile uniform. 




Friday, May 1, 2015

4/30/2015 Intermediate Blog

Musicianship notes
There are no musicianship notes today, and that's because ----> we are now officially done with musicianship!!
As of today there will be no more workbook assignments! Instead, we will be using the beginning of each rehearsal to even better prepare for the concert, just as we did today with imagine. (prepare yourself!!)

I am so proud of each and every one of you who has made a true effort and has learned musicianship with me.
I really enjoyed teaching musicianship to the smart, enthusiastic and cool kids that all of you are! A great honor indeed.

Some notes after all - 
--some of you asked if you may still continue working through your workbooks and the answer is - yes, of course! That would be just awesome. The more you learn the more you know! (Simon however will not be able to mark your work...)
--during the next rehearsals I will ask you to come with me so I can see what kind of knowledge you have gained throughout the year. This helps us Cantabile staff know where you're at, and it also helps us find out if there's anything we can do to help you progress and to improve our musicianship program.

I believe that's it guys.. Can't wait to see you next week...
Ron

Rehearsal Notes
Dear Intermediate,

We're almost there! You have one more rehearsal next week, and then it's dress rehearsal on May 15, and then concert on May 16! At this point, you should be practicing all your music. Please make sure that everything is memorized and ready to go, but particularly these three songs in this order:

Sesere Eeye (with energized moves!)
Bedu Pako
Doraji

I'm looking forward to showing you off on the concert!  :)

Friday, April 24, 2015

4/23/2015 Intermediate Blog

Reminder - Rehearsal on Thursday, April 30 is at an alternate location - First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto. 

All singers must sign in AND out with choir parents Michelle & Sandra in the church parking lot (accessed via Byron St)

Rehearsal Notes:


Dear Intermediate, 

You surprised me with how well you already knew the words and moves for Bedu Pako - you're practicing is paying off!  :) 

For this next week, I'm going to ask you to work on everything! That will mean:

- Practicing the moves and words for Bedu Pako and Sesere Eeye
- Practicing the words for Doraji
- Practicing Shine
- Making sure also that Imagine and Come and Sing are ready to go as well

From now until the concert, this will be your primary assignment - fixing whatever you personally need to work on.

See you next week at First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto!

Friday, April 17, 2015

4/16/2015 Intermediate Blog

Intermediate Notes

Musicianship Notes:

Hello Intermediate, 
You did such a great job yesterday at checking last week’s assessment. It was a great chance for all of us to remind ourselves how to write rhythm in to find out what our Do is according to the key signature.

Your assignment for next week is to finish (!) book II!
Enjoy and see you next week! 
Ron

Intermediate Rehearsal Notes:

Dear Intermediate,

I cannot tell you how impressed I was with your sound today on Sesere Eeye; your three-part harmony was confident and beautifully in tune. Very, very good!

Your only homework for this week is this:
Memorize the words for Bedu Pako Baramasa, and memorize all the moves.

You will find the link to the moves in the previous blog. Memorizing the words is critical; we cannot move forward on the song until you know the words very well, so please put some good time in working on this.

Thank you, and see you next week!

David

Next off-site rehearsal: Thursday, April 30 at First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto (it's where we had the Festival!)

Monday, April 13, 2015

4/9/2015 Intermediate Blog

Intermediate Rehearsal Notes

Rehearsal on April 16 is in our normal location - Parish Hall at Foothills Congregational Church. 
Our next alternate location rehearsal is on Thursday, April 30.

For Thursday, please practice the words and movements of Bedu Pako. You must come better prepared!  Make sure to practice the words so they are perfect. You should be able to render confidently every consonant and every vowel:

Bedu pako bara masa,
Bedu pako bara masa, Narani!

Kafale pako cheta, meri chhaila, Narani!
Kafale pako cheta, meri chhaila.

Afu khandi paan supari
Afu khandi paan supari, Narani!
Menne pilondi bidi, meri chhaila, Narani!
Menne pilondi bidi, meri chhaila.

Almora ki Nanda Devi,
Almora ki Nanda Devi, Narani!

Nanitale ki Nena, meri chhaila, Narani!
Nanitale ki Nena, meri chhaila.

Terra khuta kana budi,
Terra khuta kana budi, Narani!

Mera khuta pida, meri chhela, Narani!
Mera khuta pida, meri chhela.

Bedu pako bara masa,
Bedu pako bara masa, Narani!

Kafale pako cheta, meri chhaila, Narani!
Kafale pako cheta, meri chhaila.
In order to learn the movements, you can use the video in the link below, and also use these phrases:

1)      Open left hand
2) Eat fingers, Eat fingers
3) Crossed hands shoulder tap 1-2
4) Hands on hips
5) Light bulbs, Light bulbs
6) That's a yummy berry
7) Light bulbs, Light bulbs
8) Crush some nuts
9) Give it to me, I'll put it in my heart
10) Give it to me, I'll put it in my heart
11) Look at my beautiful hands

12) Temple, Temple, Temple
13) Pray, Pray, Pray
etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=infFje5QiSs&feature=em-share_video_user

Musicianship Notes
So on Thursday we had an assessment with live dictations and quite a few professional musicianship questions. I would like to give a huge GOOD JOB to Mingyuan, Nen and Sarah who got everything perfect!

Good job to everyone else who did a good job.

Next time we meet we will find out what the true answers for all of the questions and dictations are!! Yay!!  Until then please finish working your way through page 35.

See you on Thursday!


Friday, April 3, 2015

4/2/2015 Intermediate Blog

Intermediate Musicianship notes
So, today we continued using quarter and eighth notes and used our new 16th notes.
After we got to know them more personally (!) we used them in our song "come with me and sing with me". Good job! Next time we will sing it as if you're inviting a good friend who is a bit shy to come and sing with you!

This week's assignment is to review what you have learned up until now, since we will be having an assessment assignment next week, which means I will:

- Dictate some rhythm (quarters, eighth, sixteenth)
- Ask you to recognize scales according to their flats/sharps, 
- I might ask you to write the intervals of the Major scale (T,T,ht,T,T,T,ht) 
- Ask you to recognize notes within a scale (you will be asked to write down what notes I play for you using "Do/Re/Mi/Fa..." or "1,2,3,4,5...")

This assignment is personal, so each of you should do it quietly on your own, and it is to be handed in once you’re done. Doing this assignment is just a good way of us making sure each and every one of you is doing well.

Looking forward to seeing and hearing you guys next week!
Ron

Rehearsal notes
Good work in an unusual location today, Intermediate!

You have only one assignment before next week. It is absolutely critical that you learn all the words in order for Bedu Pako. Please have this ready to go so that we can learn the moves perfectly next week. You will find the moves at this link here:


David

Friday, March 27, 2015

3/26/2015 Intermediate Blog

Intermediate Rehearsal Blog

Musicianship Notes

Hello everyone!
Yesterday we did some rhythmic dictations with quarter and eighth notes and you guys were awesome! We later took that rhythm and used it for a short song/choral we sang together:

Come with me 
and sing with me…
Come with me 
and sing with me…
Come with me and sing the music!

Fun!

Your assignment for next week is to continue through page 29 in your yellow workbooks.

Rehearsal notes

Here are David’s notes on yesterday’s rehearsal:

Dear Intermediate, 

Doraji is starting to sound beautiful! We still don't know the words as well as we should, though. Please spend some extra time with the pronunciation guide this week making sure that you have the words pronounced correctly and memorized. If you finish that, make sure that you have your words learned for Bedu Pako Baramasa, then that will be all that you need to do for this week. Keep up your beautiful singing!

(Note: Honors, please also practice your specific part for Sesere Eeye - Soprano 1, 2, or 3. I will need your support on that in the weeks to come.)