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

Final Concert Reminders

Dear Intermediate Singers and Families,

TOMORROW is our big Holidays With Cantabile concert! Please check your email for final concert reminders, and see below. Your conductors are looking forward to making incredible music tomorrow with all of you!

Holidays With Cantabile 

When: Saturday, December 6

Where: Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, San Jose

Call time: 11:00am 

Concert: 1:00pm

Uniform: arrive wearing FULL Cantabile concert uniform including black socks (boys)/stockings (girls), black dress shoes (no boots please!), and hair neat/off the face
Sign in: with Choir Parent at the curb - Cantabile volunteers will walk your child to Parish Hall.
Sign out: in Parish Hall with Choir Parent - at the end of the concert, please follow the choirs to Parish Hall. Prep 3 singers should be picked up from downstairs.

Practice Recordings

Please practice one last time tonight with all of your recordings! Click HERE to access the files. Make sure all your words are completely memorized - especially for Star Carol, Kalanta, and Walking in the Air!

O Sifuni Mungu Choreography Practice Video

Click HERE to watch me sing and perform the choreography for O Sifuni Mungu. 

Important Notes

Silent Night CANDLES: Hold your candle in your left hand at your side until the lights go down for Silent Night. Then turn your candle on (switch at the bottom) and hold it with both hands. Please do NOT play with it, use up the battery by turning it on before everyone is about to sing, or drop it (it will break!) - we do not have extras for everyone.

Kalanta of the New Year

The recording will really help you learn the Greek text – please use it!!

O Sifuni

Check out my choreography video! Then use the practice recording to make sure you know your notes and words – really listen to and practice the lines “thou fire so masterful and bright that giveth man both warmth and light” and “praise the father, praise the son, and praise the spirit three in one”. Those lines are the most unique – use the practice recording to help you learn them.

Sh’ma Yisrael

On the last page, those in Intermediate A singing the bottom two lines will come in together first, then those in Intermediate Honor who sing the second line from the top, and finally those in Intermediate Honor who sing the top line. Once we add the top line, we will repeat one last time with everyone singing, and diminuendo (get softer) all the way to the end. WATCH THE CONDUCTOR at the end because the tempo will slow down!

Solstice

Memorize where all the fermatas (pauses) are and make sure you are watching the conductor

Walking in the Air

When memorizing, pay careful attention to the text - make sure you know when you’re “walking” vs “surfing” vs “swimming”, etc. Watch the conductor for the big crescendo into the final, strong verse.

Cool Yule

All phrase endings are short, short, short! Keep it cool and jazzy. :) Watch the conductor for a reminder on which phrases go “down” and which go “up”. Page 6 (scat section) will be an Ensemble solo. We will crouch and snap as we practiced at the workshop. After this section is over you come back in with the next verse – we need a strong entry here! Be confident! Eyes glued to the conductor for the final phrase, “you’ll have a Yule that is cool” – make sure you follow the conductor’s tempo and watch for each note to be cued. Don’t forget the hand motions we added at the end!

Star Carol

All verses memorized! The “see he lies” verse is especially important because it is a Prep 3 and Intermediate solo. Unlike the other verses, this one is smooth and gentle because you are singing about the sleeping baby Jesus.

Silent Night

Please make sure you have all three verses memorized!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS WITH CANTABILE!