NEWS
Virtual Choir Project: Spring 2020
Distance learning was a challenge, and we delved into it quickly! It was overwhelming for many of our families, and some students were more fully engaged than others. For those reasons, I did not attempt to work with the existing chorus that had begun rehearsing for the spring semester. As a special project, however, I invited students to participate in a virtual choir project. I gave very detailed directions for listening to my accompaniment track, positioning the camera, etc. It was intimidating, but 18 brave students followed all of the steps and submitted videos. I had edited audio for several projects with the church choir I accompany, but this was my first attempt to edit a virtual choir video. (We are ALL learning new skills during this pandemic!) I am so proud of these volunteer singers and the final outcome. Click the YouTube link below to see and hear it!
Distance learning was a challenge, and we delved into it quickly! It was overwhelming for many of our families, and some students were more fully engaged than others. For those reasons, I did not attempt to work with the existing chorus that had begun rehearsing for the spring semester. As a special project, however, I invited students to participate in a virtual choir project. I gave very detailed directions for listening to my accompaniment track, positioning the camera, etc. It was intimidating, but 18 brave students followed all of the steps and submitted videos. I had edited audio for several projects with the church choir I accompany, but this was my first attempt to edit a virtual choir video. (We are ALL learning new skills during this pandemic!) I am so proud of these volunteer singers and the final outcome. Click the YouTube link below to see and hear it!
Covid 19 - Distance Learning
Kudos to teachers around the world for finding ways to continue our work in spite of incredibly difficult circumstances. We approach it in very different ways because we are inherently unique, and our teaching goals are specific to our own school's needs. Some of our student populations are consistent in technological literacy, and some have, across the board, few resources or very low technology skills. Most of our students are on a wide spectrum. Some have access to a variety of devices and were adept in their use even before it became a required skill. Some have few resources at home and have struggled to figure it out with parents who were even less skilled than their children. Yet we have reached out, worked together, shared ideas, and persevered!
Holiday Concert 2019
My 3rd & 4th grade chorus performed their Holiday Concert on Dec. 18. I feel so fortunate that a very musical member of our support staff volunteered to assist me this year!
"For the Children" - two part inspirational opener
"I'm singin' this song for all of the children, because the seeds we sow for them today can grow."
"Kwanzaa" (Teresa Jennings) - two-part with percussion ensemble
"Light a Little Candle" (Mac Huff) - two-part song for Hannukah
"Jamaican Noel" (Linda Spevacek) - two-part song with percussion ensemble
"When the Lights All Shine" (Teresa Jennings) - thoughtful two-part closer
"The glow is rising all over the world, and now we're starting to see.
A light that shines out from anyone here is a beacon for you and me."
Theme Song 2019-2020
My principal shared a poem with me that represents our theme for this school year: Roots and Wings. I set it to music and created an accompaniment with piano, bass and drums (all on my Casio Privia keyboard) then recorded the vocals. I also saved an mp3 of the accompaniment track that we can use throughout the year for performance. I'm really happy with the result! Click the YouTube link below to hear the song.
Covid 19 - Distance Learning
Kudos to teachers around the world for finding ways to continue our work in spite of incredibly difficult circumstances. We approach it in very different ways because we are inherently unique, and our teaching goals are specific to our own school's needs. Some of our student populations are consistent in technological literacy, and some have, across the board, few resources or very low technology skills. Most of our students are on a wide spectrum. Some have access to a variety of devices and were adept in their use even before it became a required skill. Some have few resources at home and have struggled to figure it out with parents who were even less skilled than their children. Yet we have reached out, worked together, shared ideas, and persevered!
Holiday Concert 2019
My 3rd & 4th grade chorus performed their Holiday Concert on Dec. 18. I feel so fortunate that a very musical member of our support staff volunteered to assist me this year!
"For the Children" - two part inspirational opener
"I'm singin' this song for all of the children, because the seeds we sow for them today can grow."
"Kwanzaa" (Teresa Jennings) - two-part with percussion ensemble
"Light a Little Candle" (Mac Huff) - two-part song for Hannukah
"Jamaican Noel" (Linda Spevacek) - two-part song with percussion ensemble
"When the Lights All Shine" (Teresa Jennings) - thoughtful two-part closer
"The glow is rising all over the world, and now we're starting to see.
A light that shines out from anyone here is a beacon for you and me."
Theme Song 2019-2020
My principal shared a poem with me that represents our theme for this school year: Roots and Wings. I set it to music and created an accompaniment with piano, bass and drums (all on my Casio Privia keyboard) then recorded the vocals. I also saved an mp3 of the accompaniment track that we can use throughout the year for performance. I'm really happy with the result! Click the YouTube link below to hear the song.
Spring Concert 2019
The chorus (3rd & 4th grade with some selected 2nd graders) performed our Spring Concert with the school band on May 23. We performed twice during the school day (for K-2 then 3rd & 4th grades) along with our evening concert. Several of the musical selections were very difficult, all in 2 or 3 parts! I am so proud of the hard work, focus and concentration that made this concert such a success.
Repertoire included the selections listed below from our performance at the mall with the addition of:
"Morning Song" - an a capella 3-part setting of a song of the Tihanama tribe combined with Amazing Grace sung in Cherokee
"Spiritual Jubilee" - a medley of nine spirituals in 2 parts with a rousing 3-part ending that presented our most challenging material
Students played drums and shakers for "Morning Song," and we added student percussion and choreography to "Oye."
Mall Performance for Music in Our Schools Month (2019)
The chorus (3rd & 4th grade with some selected 2nd graders) performed at the Bergen Town Center on May 20 to celebrate Music in Our Schools Month.
Our program:
"Come, Follow Me" - a capella, three-part round from the 17th century (reprised from our Holiday Concert)
"Music Alone Shall Live" - traditional German round sung with English lyrics
"Music Has Brought Us Together" - upbeat two-part selection by Jerry Estes
"Oye" - three-part English and Spanish language composition by James Papoulis
"Don't Let the Music Stop" - partner song by Eugene Butler with an appropriate message for Music in Our Schools Month