- All band practice charts for March are due BEFORE the Easter break. Please have them to me, with your minutes totalled at the top and a parent or guardian signature, by Wednesday, April 4th @ 3:30pm
- We have been joined by several of our Japanese students in senior music classes. In Senior Choir we have been working on the Japanese children's folk song, Hotaru Koi. I would like to look at Seasons of Love shortly in Senior Choir... stay tuned (no pun intended).
- Jazz Choir is working on Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King, in 4-part SSAA a cappella. It will be beautiful! And, for something completely different, get ready for a toe-tappin', knee slappin' good time with our newest piece, The Pop Bottle Hoedown. Yeehaw!
- IP 20/30 is submitting our Work2Live and SaskEnvironment video contest submissions before the Easter break. We will be putting them onto a DVD (using the iDVD program) next class so that we can mail them with the release forms, etc. before their respective deadlines (April 20th for Work2Live and April 29th for SaskEnvironment).
- IP 10 will be beginning a new project today.... the long-awaited MUSIC VIDEO! This will be a major project and will take several classes to complete. Given the time allotted to this assignment, it will also be worth a substantial portion of this term's grade. It's also going to be a lot of fun - and of course, there will be a "movie night" at the end of it all!
- Computers 9I are compiling the video footage for their news broadcast, which is due on Monday, April 23rd. We have had many class periods to plan, film, and edit this project, so no extensions will be permitted (unless extenuating circumstances require one, in which case, see me to make a plan).
- We have been doing some African drumming in Music classes this week. Rivier students have got rhythm! Our theory classes will turn into African drumming classes as we get closer to the end of the school year. That being said, those that have theory to do will need to use that time to complete all assignments and quizzes before the final June report card. Stay tuned for an African drumming ensemble sign-up sheet for the final concert!
- Rivier is in charge of putting together a choir for the Celebration of Life mass on Friday, April 20th (evening). I will be there to sing and play the piano, and I need as many of you with me as possible. It is a great opportunity to represent our school and our music program, and our talents are always so appreciated by everyone. There will also be a pizza party for all singers who are involved in this mass..... added bonus! I will be posting a sign-up sheet on my homeroom door asap.
- We (the IP 20/30 class and I) are looking for yearbook photos from ALL grade levels. We want candid shots of you and your friends and classmates, either on the outside school grounds or in the classroom, hallways at lunch, etc. If you want to be represented in the yearbook, please submit photos to us asap! We will do our best to represent everyone, but it is difficult to do without the help of the student body.
- Computers 8M is almost finished the photo editing unit. Soon it will be time to develop our photo editing e-portfolio by compiling our best work into an iMovie presentation, complete with titles, transitions, and background audio. When this assignment is complete we will be having a "movie night" class where we can see each other's work (maybe we'll even watch the iMovies that you made in Grade 7 Computers class that we ran out of time to watch!).
- Just a reminder that Parent-Teacher Interviews are tonight (Wednesday) from 4-7pm and tomorrow (Thursday) from 4-6pm. There are no interviews on Friday!
- Choral/Vocal Jazz 30 - there has been talk about doing a Grade 12 number for the final concert. At this point it is looking like "For Good" from Wicked. I may have a lead on an SSA version so that we can get a bit of extra harmony in there vs. the duet music that I have currently. We will work out a time to get together and learn it. It shouldn't take long at all.
- I will not be here on Friday, so Mrs. Moon is subbing for me. Choral 10/20/30, she will be teaching the music for Celebration of Life with you during your 3rd period rehearsal. Please consider signing up for the mass. I know it is a Friday evening which is a lot to ask, but your leadership and talents are so appreciated. (Plus, free pizza!) :o)
Whew! Lots to think about. I'm glad we are getting things organized. We only have a couple days left until Easter break! Time is really flying by. Before you know it, we'll be tightening up loose ends for our June concert, and then it will be Grad.... YIKES!
I'm thinking about an "Around the World" theme for our final concert. What do you think? So far we have:
- 3 Russian Folk Songs (Russia, of course!) - Senior Choir
- Pop Bottle Hoedown / Can You Feel the Love Tonight (USA) - Jazz Choir
- O'Leary's Ceili Band (Ireland) - Senior Band
- Walkabout (American swing jazz) - Level 3 Band
- Sakura, Sakura (?) (Japanese folk song) - Level 1 Band
- Cha Cha Del Sol (Spanish) - Level 2 Band
- African drums (Africa, of course!) - Various students
- Hotaru Koi (Japanese children's folk song) - Senior Choir
- Seasons of Love (American Broadway) - Senior/Jazz Choir
- The Steppes of Russia (Russian folk) - Senior Band
- The Happy Wanderer/Val-de-ree (USA) - Senior Band
- She's Like the Swallow (Canada) - Chandra, Quinn, Rebecca, Miss Campbell
- Prayer of the Norwegian Child (Norway) - Cassidy and Shea
This could be a lot of fun! Your thoughts? Any song suggestions?
*Edit* - I just thought of some more good ideas. O Canada for band (any level), plus possibly Pokarekare Ana (New Zealand) for any number of voices. It's easy, I've taught it to most of the senior students already (3-4 years ago, mind you), and it's a song near and dear to my heart, as I learned it when I was teaching on my internship in NZ in 2007. Also, when I was interning and singing with the Wellington Youth Choir, I did a really cool arrangement of O Canada with God Defend New Zealand, their national anthem. I arranged them as partner songs, meaning that they're both sung at the same time.... AND it would give us an opportunity to sing in the Maori language! That might be kind of cool for senior choir I'm thinking.
So many ideas! :o)
