Parent Orientation

Another year, another crop of parents asking interesting questions at the orientation/vendor fair for our Elementary Instrumental Music Program. It's been so darn hot, we thought the turnout would be low, but many families came, and I hope we answered all the questions.

Steady Beat

I like to start out the year with easy music classes - easy for me, easy for the kids. One of the activities I like is a follow-the-teacher where I mark the steady beat by some action to some music with a strong pulse. I do this with K-2nd grade, and as I watched the first and second graders, I noticed that some kids were not really paying attention and some were just moving to whatever weird spirit moved them.

Must think of more steady beat activities (and it won't be bouncing tennis balls with these young 'uns!).

A New Kind of Hymn

When I got married in the Mennonite church, the congregation participated by singing one of my favorite hymns, O Pow'r of Love. Yesterday our string trio played in a wedding where the bride had requested that we play the Beatles' tune In My Life. I had arranged the song for us, but we weren't sure if it was to accompany a candle-lighting, a water-mingling, or what, so when we arrived, we inquired. Turns out, we were to accompany a singalong! I hoped that the printed words for the guests matched the tune, and I think they did. I wasn't watching, but the cellist said she watched the bride singing along, enjoying herself greatly, so I'm glad that I spent the time to arrange the song and add some value to the ceremony.

Adventures in Lesson Planning in Music Appreciation

Although I have a lesson plan pretty well mapped out for the year for K-3rd grade, every year I reinvent 4th-6th grade because circumstance dictates that I do.

Last year the teachers asked me to do music appreciation with the upper graders (or, as they said, we want to learn about the composers). Since we have mixed-grade classes, I teach the same thing to all upper graders, so this year I have to come up with a whole new curriculum. Last year I was topical (scary music at Halloween, jazz for Black History month, etc). This year I'm going with an historical timeline, beginning with Gregorian Chant.

Today I worked on a powerpoint presentation with video, but for the second lesson I plan on teaching the kids to play the dies irae on pitched instruments and sing it. Then the dies irae will pop up during the year as other composers have used it in their works.....

Scheduling Lessons

So, no matter what you do, when you set up private lesson times with people, something will go awry. Today is the first week of private lessons after summer break, and I had three students lined up. I shuffled a few around so they could get where they needed and 1) the first student came late 2) second student couldn't make it (and called during the first lesson which I moved so she could make it) and 3) I'm waiting for third student who is supposed to be here in 5 minutes.*

I'm thinking of sending out email reminders on the day before each lesson!

*She came on time!

Pop Music for String Trios

Occasionally I play with a string trio for weddings. I enjoy the chance to play chamber music at such a happy occasion. It's always interesting what people want played at their wedding. Our cellist is always happy not to play the boring Pachelbel Canon (which I don't mind), and I'm always happy not to play the wedding march by Wagner (ugh). The last wedding I played I arranged One Hand, One Heart by Bernstein from West Side Story to be played while the couple mingled water together. That was lovely.

For an upcoming wedding (soon), I just found out that the bride wants three pop tunes. I've looked all over the internet to find string trios of Beatles, etc., but probably because of copyright issues, none are sold. I've seen some string quartets advertise a list of pieces they play, some Beatles, but they must do their own arrangements.

So, I have my job cut out for me. I will start to arrange various songs for string trio. Then perhaps I need a page on my website listing all the songs our trio will do. In my copious spare time.....