Last day

The last day of school is always bittersweet for me. I can easily shed a few tears...or more. I really loved this group of 8th graders. They were extremely talented, full of personality, way too chatty, and very receptive to what the music offered them each day. The groups that follow them have their own personalities. My 8th grade girls are generally very quiet and compliant - it will make rehearsals more disciplined and create better flow. They are all very musical and want so much.

At the end of 4th pd today, I had a discussion with my 7th graders who are currently in Advanced Treble - they are the returning members of thisTMEA group.

I asked, "What are you looking forward to about 8th grade?"
They all answered very confidently, "TMEA!"
My heart swelled!

I hope, as a teacher & choir director, I can create an musical experience that stays with them forever.

Choir members revealed

Today, during 7th period, letters of congratulations were delivered to the newest members of Advanced Treble Choir (AT). I asked 3 of my 8th graders to deliver all of the letters. They said the girls were very excited. There were a few disappointments and I've already heard from those parents. This sounds crass, but I do this every year, I'm used to it. I know what to expect.

Tonight, we had a student/parent meeting of new AT members. About 75% of the membership was present. I talked about the submission process, the extra rehearsals, costs, etc. All of the information was received positively. There is so much parent support in this group of kids.

I must stop for a moment and mention that over half of my present 6th graders (who will be 7th graders in August) went to TMEA in their 5th grade year. In 2011, Benignus Elementary Chorale and Schultz Elementary Shining Star Orffestra were both TMEA honor groups. In 2012, Schultz Elementary Drum Corps was a TMEA honor group as well. So, these 6th grade parents know the expectation level changes with this invitation. There are a few differences though. Learning the music is different and rehearsal time is exponentially greater.

I guess I gave all of the needed information because there weren't many questions afterward. Parents are very happy to have their child involved in this group and they are happy to get involved in the process.

Tomorrow is the last day of school. This is always the hardest day of the year for me.

Composer Dialogue #2

Today, I gave the idea of pairing 2 folksongs in a musical set to the composer. I told him that I want to use the a cappella, slow folksong first then musically transition to the more brisk folksong. I stopped myself and said,

I have to be careful b/c I want to tell you what I envision, but I don't want it to come across like I am telling you how to compose. That is not my intention.

 His response was honest & exactly what I needed to hear:

The more I know your intentions the more I can give you a song that you will be happy with. Please tell me what you want and I will work with it. I would much rather spend time getting what you want early on than re-write over and over to get there. I view this as your program and composition.

Aside: On the first piece, I have begun a music theory analysis - so that a teaching plan will evolve. I'll do this on each piece. Also, for each piece, I will utilize a "teaching copy" of the music and a "conducting copy" of the music. The teaching piece will have all rhythms, solfege, music theory analysis, etc. Anything that dominates the beginning of instruction will go into this copy. It is a messy copy of music. All pencil markings and scribble. All polishing - markings, dynamics, cues - will go into the conducting copy. This looks like a beautiful map of the music with beautiful, neat colors and lines.

I received 3 shipments of single octavos today. Perusal copies. It is all I can do to leave them on the table and not go through them. Until Friday. That's the first real dig into the music.