Thursday, April 9, 2015

4/8/2015 Ensemble Blog

Ensemble Rehearsal Notes

Hello Ensemble!  During Wednesday’s rehearsal you did some very good work on solidifying the notes/rhythms of the four main pieces you are working on right now.  At the end of rehearsal, everyone promised to make sure all that hard, tedious work stays in place for next week so we do not have to re-do what was already accomplished.  Please do your part to keep your word so we can get to the really fun stuff…making music and dancing! 

Also, please review the attached seating chart.  It is not perfect and does not reflect our new members this semester.  We will fix that next week.  I felt that not everyone was in their proper place last rehearsal and that some sections, specifically the Soprano 2’s, were very spread out, so let’s check on this next week.   

Goza mi calipso:
·         Review the opening of the piece, paying attention to the articulations and dynamics, so it is completely solid next week. 
·         Soprano 1’s, speak through the words of the verses over and over and over until they are automatic!!
·         Remember that at measure 56, we return to measure 26.  We do not go back to rehearsal marking A as is indicated in the score. 
·         Your memorization date is 4/22 for this piece.  Please have from rehearsal marking E to the end memorized for next week. 
·         Please work on the choreography (particularly from E to the end) using this video clip to help.  Remember to mirror the dancers and make sure to notice the movements your part is doing! 

Day Break:
·         Review what we worked on during class, pages 8 to the end, beginning at rehearsal marking 4.  Also review the beginning of the piece, as we will be working on it next week.  If you have been absent, know that we have learned the notes/rhythms/text for the entire piece, so please prepare at home for next week.
·         Your memory date for this piece is 4/29.  Let’s aim to have from rehearsal marking 1-3 memorized for next week!
·         Everyone promised to listen to the recording by next week.  Please make sure you do so several times to get a feel for this piece. 

Bedu Pako Baramasa:
·         Practice speaking the text from beginning to end.  Begin to memorize.  Do not stumble for words!!
·         Review pages 7-9.  This section was addressed during Wednesday’s rehearsal.  If you were absent, please work on this.   
·         Review the choreography for the cannon.  Please refresh these movements so you do not have to watch others to know what to do.
·         Your memory date for this piece is 4/22.  You already have the cannon memorized, so please add on from measure 52 to the end for next week, memorized with choreography. 
·         Please watch this video to add the choreography! Remember to mirror the dancer!

Let It Shine:
·         On Wednesday we worked out problem areas in pages 3 and 4 and reviewed the remainder of the piece.  Please be aware of any problem spots you as an individual may have and do your best to work through them this week. 
·         Always remember who is singing the melody and make sure you can hear them.  If you cannot hear the melody, you are too loud!  All three parts have a chance to shine in this piece!
·         You have already memorized this piece in the past.  Now that it has been fine-tuned over the past three weeks, be ready to sing it from memory again next week! 

Aural (Listening) and Theory Skills:
·         Please practice singing the following at home:
1.      Major Scale on solfège with hand signs
2.      Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, and Melodic Minor Scales on solfège with hand signs.
3.      Scale Intervals both ascending (going up – Do Re, Major Second) and descending (going down – Do Ti, Minor Second)
4.      Sing Legato on solfège syllables, note names (this was problematic on Wednesday….let’s try again next week!), counts, and if you are up to even more challenge, scale degrees!
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Musicianship Notes

Hello Musicianship A & B!

Here is what to look over in the coming week:
If you are still completing the worksheet, just remember the tricks for finding sharp and flat key signatures:

Sharp: last sharp, and half step up (that's 'do')
Flat: second to last flat is ‘do’ (or last flat is 'fa')

Remember how to find the relative minors? Go to 'la'. You can also write in a note a third below 'do'; check the key signature to see if that 'la' is modified in any way, and that becomes your relative minor! For example, in A major (the first example), A is do. If we write in a third below it, we write in an F, but if we look to the left, that F needs to be sharp! Therefore, the relative minor to A major would be F# minor, not F minor! Be careful with this, it's tricky!

If you have a copy of Book 5 and you are in Musicianship A, please make sure to be careful that you don't confuse the way the book notates major scales (We use M, the book uses +, but in our system, + is augmented!) and the way it notates chromatic solfège. (Stick to do di, re ri, ti, te, la, le etc)

If you received a copy of book 5 and you are in Musicianship B, unless you were told to actually do the assignments in the book, please do not mark in them! Use the sight reading packet in the back and glance over the theory if you need the reinforcement. 

We're coming up on the last classes before the final concerts and evaluations, so if you have any questions, please make sure to ask me!

See you all next week!

Michael

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