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