MUSIC BRIDGES THE LANGUAGE GAP

March 30,2016  

FROM  GLOBE AND MAIL TRAVEL SECTION article March 29/16 by Margie Goldsmith: 

                                "I have something valuable to share- I have music"
When we travel we represent our country, but too often, because we communicate with words, we never have a chance to explain who we are .But our music breaks down barriers in a way that little else can because it is a language of the soul. (Read the article to understand what she is saying here) :So it doesn't matter if I have fancy clothes but no camels, no horses and no goats. It doesn't matter that my ger  has no fields and little sunshine. I have something much more valuable to share: I have music."

THANK YOU MARILYN AND PARENTS FOR YOUR MEETINGS THIS WEEK

It's good to hear from you!

Let's try out some of your BLOG IDEAS this week!

HOMEWORK

ADVANCED

 Ensembles, to be performed for the class -choose one to play April 19

ALL repertoire in Folder.All students continue to practice for perfect bowings, notes rhythms and Dynamics in 

new this week:JESU JOY OF MAN'S DESIRINGviolin 2 has many beautiful SOLI parts

                                           -----------------------------------------

INTERMEDIATES

BOWS on the BUS to be played in JUNE CONCERT

Check for perfect bowings, slurs, and perfect tuning

NEW THIS WEEK: Pizzicato Magic

BAROQUE FANFARE - for JUNE CONCERT

play all correct slurs and bowings SECOND VIOLINS: learn all SOLI PARTS WELL- you have the TUNE !!!

                                                    ----------------------------------------

BEGINNERS

• Continue bowing "I stop & you stop" : play on open strings first:

D D rest D,    A A rest A,

• NEW Lightly ROW- on handout sheet- practice the first two lines

• ALL Twinkles WITH 3 OTHER RHYTHMS

• Continue:  Long Long Ago

• ALL FOR STRINGS: Review page 16 #17 and 18 C and E strings

                                - continue through to the end of page 17 #23

                               -Learn well all new exercises using FOUR STRINGS

                               - Play them all every day! 

                                             ------------------------------------------

KEEP ON PRACTICING- YOU are  ALL LEARNING 

TO PLAY and READ EVEN BETTER !!!

TO PLAY IN AN ORCHESTRA

March 24th, 2016

CREATING SUCCESS THROUGH MUSIC

:When Arts Education takes the place in our society that it deserves, we will have much less delinquency and violence, and much more motivation towards noble achievement. 
My struggle is for a society in which art is not just an aesthetic dimension  of life. It is a primary instrument for the development of individuals and societies.
                                                                                     Jose Antonio Abreu

PARENT NOTES:

NEXT WEEK,Mar. 30/31: PARENT INFO MEETING first 15 min of EVERY CLASS

IMPORTANT INFO: Please do not miss it.

ALSO :Bring your thoughts, questions, suggestions.

BOOK THE FOLLOWING DATES INTO YOUR MAY/JUNE CALENDAR NOW

1.TENTATIVE DATE: Wednesday JUNE 1st at ROSE THEATRE

 west side, just south of Steeles and McLaughlin Road

2. CLASS for ALL TUES and WED students:

 TUESDAY MAY  24th

at Holland Christian Homes

corner of Steeles and McLaughlin Road

some class timing changes will be announced later, 

3. Annual JUNE CONCERT

TUESDAY JUNE 14

ALL CHILDREN PERFORM

rehearsal 4:15 to 5:15

CONCERT 6 PM to 7:30

at Holland Christian Homes

4. Final class and ANNUAL POOL PARTY

TUESDAY June 21st

HOMEWORK

ADVANCED
7 students continue work on Ensembles, to be rehearsed during Intermediate class this week and performed for the class early  mid April!
All students continue to practice for perfect bowings, notes rhythms and Dynamics in ALL repertoire in Folder.
Please think about which ones you think we can play BEST for our Video clips
-----------------------------------------

INTERMEDIATES

BOWS on the BUS to be played in JUNE CONCERT
CHeck for perfect bowings, slurs, and perfect tuning

BAROQUE FANFARE - for JUNE CONCERT
play all correct slurs and bowings
SECOND VIOLINS: learn all SOLI PARTS WELL- you have the TUNE !!!
----------------------------------------

BEGINNERS

new bowing "I stop & you stop" : play on open strings first:
D D rest D,    A A rest A,

Continue:  Long Long Ago

ALL FOR STRINGS:
Learn well all new exercises READING  G STRING
Play them all every day! 

------------------------------------------
BE DEDICATED TO YOUR DAILY PRACTICE THIS WEEK 
and SEE the DIFFERENCE!!!

MUSICAL GOALS: INSPIRED and INSPIRING!

 March 10,2016

 MUSICAL GOALS: INSPIRED and INSPIRING!

Here's what I am reading right now:

"Changing LIVES .." by Tricia Tunstall

an account of the incredible world -wide sweep of the El Sisteme orchestra program for children in Venezuela, now teaching 400,00 children there. I got my copy on Amazon,and am so glad I did!

In the book's Prelude, Ms Tunstall, a piano teacher, says:
"An inherent limitation of the  private lesson format.. the drawback [to] the experience of music-making is the experience of making music alone. How much easier.. I always think- not to mention how much more fun, and maybe even more musically satisfying- if they could play all together.
[In] El Sisteme, the guiding ideal of the orchestra as a school for civic community is so strong as to effectively transcend the the distinction between musical education and social transformation"
and to close the chapter she says: "the children of the United States-[and I submit, Canada] can benefit greatly from an educational vision that brings not only skills and training but also community, artistry, discipline and hope."

Maintaining this humbling and inspiring message as our highest ideal, we wish all MATT students and parents a very happy March Break!

MUSIC - Building Peace in a Troubled World

SO we at MATT thought we were just learning music!

HERE'S A STORY THAT WILL INSPIRE PARENTS AND THEIR YOUNG MUSICIANS!

The Euphrates Institute of Principia College in ST Louis Mo. is a nonprofit organization     whose mission is:

       "to prepare for peace, where the world needs it most - in and with, the Middle East"

The "2015 Visionary of the Year" honored by the organization is Zuhal Sultan. How does she help fulfill this mission? The College published this story in their Winter '16 magazine:

At the age of 17 Ms Zuhal started the Youth Orchestra of Iraq, which "brought together young people from every religion and ethnic group in Iraq, to build bridges through music. The  orchestra members overcame incredible obstacles of war, violence and lack of resources to perform successfully throughout Europe, and Iraq, giving people a symbol of hope and accomplishing what no politician has been able to do- unite the disparate groups of an Iraq that threatens to splinter apart"

  

 HOMEWORK 

BEGINNERS

    

1. Scale of D: long bows   TRY SOME RHYTHMS on each note 
         eg.       Mississippi Hot Dog 

                     Run Pony - 

                     Misissippi Mississippi

2. "ALL FOR STRINGS"  Review # 5- 8. NEW 9 and 10 Keep your eyes on the notes. Play each exercise 3 times with excellent position and full bows Listen for perfect tuning. 
     

3. ALL lines of Long Long Ago: Here's the order again:

  line 1,line  2, line 1, line 3, line 4, line 4, line 1 line 3!

4. REVIEW YOUR LINES AND SPACES; Start at the bottom to name lines and spaces

Viola LINES: F A C E G, SPACES: Great  Big  Dogs  Fight 

Cello LINES: Great  Big Dogs Fight Always  , SPACES: All Cows Eat Grass

Violin LINES: Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge, SPACES: F A C E

5. TWINKLE -long bows- smooth, beautiful sound         

          (A) Mississippi Hot Dog - upper half of bow, use elbow 

          (B) Run Pony - long, short short full and half bows

          (C) Misissippi Mississippi middle bows

 INTERMEDIATE

1. NEW this WEEK: Baroque Fanfare- learn well up to bar 6

2.THE BOWS ON THE BUS- review: 

           BEGINNING THROUGH TO BAR 74 WITH CORRECT STACCATOS AND SLURS.

PRACTICE ALL THE BOWS ON THE BUS tune SECTIONS incl. those after bar 74.

                                                                                               

3. REVIEW: MAMBO-  ALL !! WATCH out for LOW f's and C's !!

4. Rosa Lee- LONG BEAUTIFUL BOWS!

ADVANCED 

WE WILL BE VIDEO RECORDING some of our pieces  

EARLY APRIL- BE READY TO STRUTT YOUR STUFF

                                 

            Remember CHARTS ARE REQUIRED- everyone needs to bring                                           it to CLASS each week please-  NO EXCUSES!

IT is very gratifying when to see that some of our "Advanced students " are  striving for continued progress and excellence. You should be proud of you have accomplished ! 

GOALS:

1. to max out the benefits of the program, 

2. to make a strong contribution to the ensemble, 

HOW?

1. keep track of the assignments each week and 

2.get "on top" of your difficult passages.

PAYOFFS

 Doing this will absolutely guarantee: 

1. more success AND 2. more enjoyment!

                      REPEAT assignment: find one hard passage of four bars  or more in each purple piece below, for us to work together on in class. Please search carefully to find your hardest parts and work on them ahead. 

  You will be asked for a "tricky part" at least once, so mark these in with pencil for easy locating when asked.

                                                                        

                                          Queen of Sheba:  OMIT BARS 32 TO 60:

                                          Brandenburg 

                                          Mozart 
                                          Sine Nomine    

      Continue work on Billy Tell, Bro James, Londonderry Air, La Paloma, Silverbirch  

           

                       

           HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEK, ALL OUR FABULOUS YOUNG MUSICIANS!
       MARCH BREAK IS COMING SOON (no classes)- ENJOY!!!

                                        

The Euphrates Founder includes this information as part of her extensive and informative report about the motives and facts of ISIS . She calls Ms Sultan the "anti ISIS: "she is recruiting young people from all over the Iraq to unite, harmonize and promote tolerance and co-operation"