Sorting through Old Files

This summer during Strings Camp, we played a simplified version of Leroy Anderson's The Syncopated Clock. The kids liked it, and it was fun. We took turns playing the tictoc as percussion accompaniment.

I gave out my last 2nd violin part which I had written to supplement the score I had (which only had one violin part which was too advanced for my kids who have just played for one year). I had originally written that out years ago when I worked with the Finale software.

The year I took composition lessons in Chicago, my teacher, James Falzone, suggested that I switch over to Sibelius, and I did, leaving a number of pieces I had arranged, typed out, or composed for students on my computer in Finale form.

Now, four years later and a new computer OS, my Finale Print Music no longer works, and it was also having trouble on my laptop (still running Leopard). A call to support at Finale did not help, but I figured out to download Finale's Notepad - the simplest version of Finale. And free. I think I get it free because I had purchased Finale Print Music, but I think anyone can get it for a free trial, and I think that it's pretty darn cheap to purchase.

If you open up a Finale file, you can export it to an .xml file which Sibelius will open, so I have been been a busy bee the past two days converting files over. This has been tedious, but it has also been very good. I have thrown out music that I know I will never use again, but I have also found hidden gems. Some I will be able to use with our prep orchestra this fall - music that has been too easy for our 3rd and 4th year players, but perfect for those second year kids. Also, I have found a few pieces that I started composing that I never finished, as well as some pieces that would be fun to resurrect.

I usually go through my physical file cabinets to look for music for the coming concerts, but I often forgot to see what is on my hard drive, and this has given me a great reason to revisit that music.

Summer String Camp

I always enjoy the final concert of whatever it is I have been working on, and today was no exception. The Summer Strings Camp finished our two-week stint and played for our families in an informal concert.

On the program:

Our version of Frère Jacques in minor alá Mahler

Pachelbel's Canon
Scarborough Fair
John Ryan's Polka
The Syncopated Clock
All My Loving (Beatles)
Dynamite (Taio Cruz)

I especially enjoy working with these kids. They are happy to come and play, they work well with each other, and we all have a good time.

Fresh Start to a New School Year

It is definitely the catalog season for music teachers. Today I got the Sweet Pipes catalog (all things recorder) and I got pretty excited when I opened it up to the first page. Chris Judah-Lauder has come out with a new recorder curriculum for beginning students which has pdf and powerpoint files. It's called Recorder Success, and I think I will be making a purchase this week. She also has a book called Recorder Games, also with pdfs and powerpoints of short activities.

I know that I the curriculum I have been using and adapting is quite adequate and great for teaching beginning recorders, but I am ready for something new and different. Perhaps these lessons will supplement what I already do and not completely replace my tried-and-true ways.

I am also looking ahead to teaching beginning strings and this year I think I am going to put a notebook together of ideas from Paul Rolland's The Teaching of Action in String Playing. I have been watching the videos and reading the book. Last year I implemented the use of the Bunny Bow Hold chart where each student fills in a grid of 100 squares, one square for each time they make the right hand into the correct bow shape (bunny with ears sticking up) before ever holding the bow. This year I am going to add the Shoulder Shelves chart to the violin and viola students to get them to hold the instrument correctly. I will need to consult with my cellist friend about what to do for cellists....

This really is the New Year for me, not Jan. 1. I love the anticipation of a new school year!

Summer String Camp Begins

There is nothing like coming back from a two-week vacation (including the wedding of one's daughter) and having the weekend to prepare for summer string camp. It would be one thing if I had known ahead of time just exactly who would be coming, what instruments they play, what level of playing they are, but I guess I'll just chalk it up to living life on the edge!

Actually, upon reflection, it went pretty smoothly. After all, string kids are the very best, and the hardest part was trying to figure out how to turn on the air conditioner. Props to the office manager who cheerfully helped me out in a variety of ways so that when the first student walked through the door at 12:30, I was one bite of my sandwich away from being ready to greet him.

I have 27 students registered, and the more strings, the better the sound. I have one student who has switched from cello to bass, one from violin to cello, and no violas.

This year I started with a few rounds which lend themselves to great multilevel work. First of all, you can have the very beginners start with some sort of easy ostinato while the others get to play in a round. Pachelbel Canon, anyone?

Summer Music

I may not have been blogging lately, but I have been busy with music every day. This summer I have practiced violin (Celtic Fiddle and Gliere violin/cello duets), played recorder with the Village Pipers, taught private lessons, arranged music, wrote three haiku for recorders, led Women's Choir rehearsals at church and started preparing for summer string camp in August.

Of course, I always wish that I had done more, thinking that summer months last longer than others, but  that's how it goes.

Alto Recorder

I have decided that I should learn the alto recorder, so I have been working on it a bit, off and on, this summer. So far I am pretty good without sharps or flats or above the staff, so my next goal is to work those tricky bits into my repertoire so I can be as fluent in alto as I am in soprano.

3 Pennies

Lynn altered me to a spot on NPR about getting kids to practice, and I found this tidbit especially interesting.

Instead of pennies, I went to Michaels and bought a package of brightly colored beads and had each of my students chose three (any colors they wanted) and we worked on trouble passages in their lessons with the beads.

I am now going to give out beads in my beginning strings classes this fall to see how that goes!