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. 

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!  :)

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!

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!)

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!

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:

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

David

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.)

3/19/2015 Intermediate Blog

Musicianship Notes

Great work today with telling the difference between minor and major and singing both!

Remember where's the difference? 

Is it the 1? 

The 3? 

The 5? 

Or the 8? 

Remind me next time we meet.

Besides - I remind you to sing all of page 1A that was handed out to you, using Do, Mi and Sol. (use C, E, G)

This week you do not need to do any pages in your workbook - just do the worksheet (page 1A) that I gave you.

See you next week!

Ron

Rehearsal Notes

Good singing today, Intermediate! I was particularly impressed with your three-part work.

For next week, please make sure that you have all the words memorized for Bedu Pako. I just learned that we will be doing different moves than those shown in the video, so please do NOT practice those moves after all!!

However, please watch this video of Sesere Eeye a few times (and practice with it) to get a feel for the way that the moves should look: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SATEqK2NK5Q .

I'll see you next week!

Mr. Belles

3/5/2015 Intermediate Blog

Hello everyone!

We have an exciting event quickly approaching! Thursday, March 12th, 2015, you will be treated to a clinic with guest conductor Anthony Trecek-King, followed by the Cantabile’s Festival for Young Voices on Saturday, March 14th, 2015! 

Cantabile's Fifth Annual Festival for Young Voices:

A Celebration of Negro Spiritual and Gospel Music

Workshop with Guest Conductor and Festival Clinician, Anthony Trecek-King at FCC in Parish Hall: Thursday, March 12, 5.00-7.00 pm

Festival on Saturday, March 14 at Palo Alto First United Methodist Church:

Drop Off Time: 10.00 am

Drop Off & Sign in Location: church courtyard on Hamilton Ave

Pick Up Time: between 3.30-4.00 pm

You will receive a letter containing more details (eg. attire, lunch, what to bring, pick up instructions etc) on Monday, March 9.

Musicianship Notes

Today we worked on our rhythm reading whole, half, quarter, eighth and sixisixsixsixsixteenth notes!

Your assignments for next week's musicianship are:

1. Please finish working through page 24 in your yellow workbook (and as usual whoever has passed this point should continue 4-5 additional pages from where they’re at).

2. Look at the new songs you received today - What is their DO? 

Use our maaaagical ways of telling according to the key signature (of course).

See you next week!

Rehearsal Notes

Here are David's notes on today's rehearsal:

Very good work today, Intermediate! Most importantly, you need to make sure that you have the words for Gospel Train memorized. Please spend time on that until you have it perfect.

Also, please practice:

The Storm Is Passing Over at this link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr_c7rc1vG0 

and

Peter Go Ring-a Dem Bells at this link: http://www.giamusic.com/search_details.cfm?title_id=26096 (it's just audio, not video).

And look at this link to learn who Sister Moses is! 

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/history/harriet-tubman

2/26/2015 Intermediate blog post

Hello Intermediate!

Good job yesterday! We reviewed all the dynamics beginning from pianississimo all the way through fortississimo!!

Here are your exercises for this week:

1. Yellow workbook - finish all pages through page 20 (and as usual whoever has passed this point should continue 4-5 additional pages from where they’re at).
2. Another chance for those who haven't done this: Take all the songs we are currently rehearsing and write down each of their major scales on the top of the first page, including your new Gospel song!

Great! And now to David’s notes:

Intermediate, you learned Gospel Train with all three parts in about half an hour this week. Wow – that was quite impressive! Please memorize your own part on this song now. I wasn't able to find a recording of this particular arrangement online, but you know what part you are singing, and you have the music with you, so memorizing should be quite doable.

Also, please spend more time watching the video recording of Bedu Pako Baramasa - you will be learning the moves for this very soon! Finally, don't forget to listen to the pronunciation guide for Doraji; next week we'll see if Soprano 1, Soprano 2, or Soprano 3 have the most people who have practiced with this recording!

See you next week!

2/12/2015 Intermediate Blog

Hello Intermediate!

Good job today with showing Meri Chela Elena(!) how good you are with your major scales and your 2-1, 4-3, 6-5, 7-8 exercise!

Next time we meet is two weeks from now (Feb. 26th), so please note that you have one extra week to finish your exercises, which are:

1. Yellow workbook - finish all pages through page 16 (whoever has passed this point should continue 8-12 more pages from where they’re at).
2. Take all of the songs you are currently rehearsing and write down each of their major scale on the top of the first page.

Enjoy your time off and see you around two weeks from now!

Here are David’s notes:

Intermediate, what a good job this week! You were able to hang onto your own part when we were singing in five parts, and that's no easy task! Good work also on the moves for Sesere Eeye; that is starting to look quite impressive. You have some time off now (actually a whole extra week) but that doesn't mean that you should stop practicing!

Please practice the moves for Sesere Eeye with this video [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J9MpGNIa3BA].

Also, please practice your own part on Bedu Pako Baramasa with this video and watch the movements - you will be doing these very soon! (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5jLw_eN9zAk)

Also, please use this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9MpGNIa3BA&spfreload=10

for both music and movements.

HONORS

The Little Horses sung by Thomas Hampson: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PeoP4gMZrGI

See you in two weeks!

February 5 Rehearsal notes

Hello Intermediate Group!

Right before we begin our weekend - here are our notes:

Ron:

Good job yesterday with the key signatures and scales!

We will continue working on finding our DO through understanding our key signature.

Your assignments for next week are:

1. pages 5-8 in your yellow workbook (whoever is past that point please continue 4-6 extra pages FROM WHERE YOU ARE at the moment)
2. Complete your Key signature page so that you know the scale for each key signature! I’m going to check this myself next time to make sure all of you have this completed.

David:

Intermediate - what a good rehearsal! I still cannot believe that you were singing in four parts! I am very proud of you. Intermediate Honors, you really, really did an excellent job in your own rehearsal perfecting Bedu Pako.

For next week:

Doraji - memorize the pronunciation perfectly

Bedu Pako - listen to the recording and sing along with the melody; we'll learn the harmony later.

Imagine - start memorizing this, and pay attention to the rhythms that we worked on this week.

See you next week!!

Assignments and information about Doraji

Hi everyone, good job on our last rehearsal! We're really getting to understand why we need these key signatures...

This week's assignments:

1) Begin our second workbook!! (Pages 1 through 4) ***

2) Finish marking our key signatures - make sure you write down the names of the scales that each key signature stands for. 

3) Take each and every scale and sing it, using do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do. For example: The key signature with 5 sharps is B Major, right? (why?? because the last sharp is an A sharp and then we go a half step above - of course that's why!)

So it's a B Major - go to the piano and play the note B because that is your Do! Then sing the major scale using B as your Do. Good!

Repeat this with all of the scales you have written in your key signature page.

From now on we will take a look at the key signatures of all the songs we work on! Now you are able to recognize the Do of each song you sing!! (well, with a few exceptions...) That's a great and very important skill to have!!

*** For some reason, it seems like some of you didn't understand how much you should continue with the workbooks.

So, for those of you who have already passed beyond page 4 of the second workbook - please continue for four to six more pages every week. 

Also, conductor David asked to post these comments:

1. Please use this link http://picosong.com/L5tw/  to learn precisely how to pronunciate our Doraji. Listen to it repeatedly around a kazillion times, until you know exactly how to sing it!
2. You can also watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7Gb6rGycbk, but learn how to actually say the words from the previous file.

“Doraji”’s pronunciation must be perfect for our upcoming rehearsal!

See you soon…..

This week's assignment + interesting details about our group's songs...

Hello young singers!

Your next week's assignment is to:

1) finish your first workbook. If you already finished your first workbook please continue from where you are and complete 4-6 pages until next week's meeting. Eager for more?? Continue as you wish - our great Simon will mark it all up to make sure you got it right!

2) complete the key major scale page you were given.
Remember the two tricks:
For scales with sharps - find the right most sharp and just go up a half step - that's your Major scale!
Example: what is the right most sharp in the key signature that has 3 sharps? G sharp. Go up a half step - you're on A - that's your major scale! The A Major scale!
For scales with flats - find the second to last flat and that is already your Major scale!
Example: what is the second to last flat in the key signature that has 4 flats? A flat. That's it! That's your major scale! The A flat Major scale!

You guys did a very good job figuring out these major scale key signatures during our last session, so continue the good work!

3) memorize the movements and gestures from the following videos. You already know the music and words, so enjoy learning the rest...

Sesere Eeye
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SATEqK2NK5Q
This is another excellent link for a performance of the song. This song is traditionally sung in a bright, nasal style which we will attempt to imitate in class to see how we sound. It is form the Torres Strait Islands, off the coast of Australia. (Between Australia and Papua New Guinea.) You will find specific information on the second page here.

Bedu Pako Baramasa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whp-McnWZzI
This piece of music is a folksong from Uttarakhand, a state in the north of India, in the Himalayas. More than anything else, the words speak about friendship - the friendship between the singer of the song and the singer’s friend, Narani (My friend, Narani - meri chhela, Narani.)

Doraji

This is a very old song from Korea. “Doraji” is a beautiful flower native to east Asia. The singer of the song walks through these flowers on a mountain pass, and they remind the singer of days from his or her childhood.

Imagine 

This is a song by John Lennon (of the Beatles) written after the group broke up. It was recorded in 1971 (nine years before his death), and encourages everyone to imagine a world where all people live together in harmony.

Enjoy your weekend!
Ron

Welcome and next weeks assignments

Hello dear students and parents,

This Thursday was our first rehearsal and I was very glad to meet such lively, cooperative and knowledgable kids!

Newcomers - Welcome to the Intermediate group! We are very glad you joined us! Your assignment is to progress as much as you can with book I.  I would like you to catch up with the rest of the group by the end of this month, meaning at least finishing book I. If you do it earlier - great!
Let me know and you'll get an enormous high five from me...
Your books are very clear, but still - feel free to write me if you have any questions. You met Simon during our first rehearsal - hand him your book when you come in to rehearsal and he will check your assignments.

The rest of the group - Your assignment is pages 34-36 in book I. If you are past this page - good job! Continue with the books 5 pages or more every week.

Please feel free to mail me directly at ronsheffer1@yahoo.com in case you have any questions.
I wish us all a great semester, and don't forget -

Step Step, Half Step,     Step, Step, Step, Half Step  !!!

Ron