UPDATED SPRING CONCERT, DRESS REHEARSAL AND RECITAL INFORMATION

Dear Preparatory 2 Families:

Cantabile's All Choir Concert  celebrating our 20th anniversary year is on Saturday May 16th. There is a mandatory dress rehearsal for this concert on Friday May 15. Please see below for important information regarding call times, uniforms and concert tickets. Please email for more information if you have questions: jina@cantabile.org 

Cantabile's All Choir Concert is Cantabile’s annual year end concert- this we are celebrating Cantabile's 20th anniversary year. Vocalise, Ensemble, Intermediate, Aria, Bravi, Prep 3 and Prep 2 will join together for a fabulous performance. Your Prep 3 singer will have the opportunity to perform with the Prep 2 and Intermediate Choir, as well as with the older singers and this is an exciting opportunity for them to participate in live performance before an audience and to watch other choristers perform as well. Tickets sell out quickly for this event- buy your tickets online here!

To prepare for this concert there will be a mandatory dress rehearsal on Friday May 15th  at First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto!  Children should be dropped off in the parking lot behind the church on Byron Street. Please check your child in with our volunteers.  

Please come to the dress rehearsal wearing exactly what children plan to wear at the concert-see below for a description of uniform and costume options.

EVENT #1

Dress Rehearsal

May 15th, Friday

Prep 2 and 3 Call Time 4:15PM- to Byron street parking lot behind the church

Pick Up at 6:30PM

EVENT #2

Cantabile's All Choir Concert

May 16 at 1:00PM 

Prep 2 and 3 Call Time: 11:30AM- to Byron street parking lot behind the church

First United Methodist Church, Palo Alto

Address for both May 15 (dress rehearsal) and 16 (concert):

625 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301

Uniform

All Choir Concert - We invite singers to wear something that reflects their heritage and ancestry, like a scarf or sash, with their full, Cantabile concert uniform. Alternatively, singers can chose to wear a whole costume instead of their uniform. (No hats please)

Prep Recitals - Singers must purchase and wear their Cantabile uniform - Cantabile red polo shirt, black pants and black shoes & socks for boys; Cantabile red polo shirt,black pleated skirt, black stockings & shoes for girls. Uniforms are purchased from Merry Mart Uniforms in Santa Clara, either in store or online.

EVENT #3

Spring Recitals at Foothills Congregational Church, Los Altos

In addition to our big concert with the other choirs, Cantabile’s Prep classes all have their own recitals at the end of each term to showcase what we have accomplished. (Monday and Tuesday Prep 3 classes each have their own recital, as do all classes in the Prep division). The recitals take place at our regular rehearsal location. Please come and support your young singers by enjoying a performance of our songs, games, and activities. This is a relaxed and fun event that you don’t want to miss! All singers must come in their Cantabile uniform – please see instructions above.

Recital Times

Monday Prep 2 (4:00-5:00)

Tuesday Prep 2 (4:00-5:00)

Thursday Prep 2 (5:00-6:00)

Recital Potluck

It is a Cantabile tradition for us to follow our recitals with a potluck for singers and families. Please sign up by clicking a link below:

Prep 2 Monday 4:00-5:00

Prep 2 Tuesday 4:00-5:00

Prep 2 Thursday 5:00-6:00

Classes at alternate location April 27-May 4

Dear Preparatory 2 Families:

Next week classes will take place at Los Altos United Methodist Church- 

655 Magdalena Ave, Los Altos Hills

Please park in the back parking lot and sign your singer in with your choir parent or teacher.

Please note the following dates and room numbers:

Monday, April 27th Prep 2 Room 7

Tuesday, April 28th Prep 2 Room 9

Thursday, April 30th Prep 2 Room 9

For the month of May, we are getting ready for our two upcoming performances – the Cantabile's All Choir Concert on May 16th, and your class Spring Recital the following week:

Cantabile's All Choir Concert

May 16 at 1:00PM 

First United Methodist Church, Palo Alto

Cantabile's All Choir Concert is Cantabile’s annual May concert, where Vocalise, Ensemble, Intermediate, Bravi, Prep 3 and Prep 2 join together for a fabulous performance. Prep 3 will have the opportunity to perform with the Prep 2 and Intermediate Choir, as well as with the older singers in what we call “Mass Choir” repertoire. Tickets sell out quickly for this event so visit the Cantabile website (or refer to your SCOOP emails) for information on how to purchase them.

Uniform

All Choir Concert - We invite singers to wear something that reflects their heritage and ancestry, like a scarf or sash, with their full, Cantabile concert uniform (blue ties for boys). Alternatively, singers can chose to wear a whole costume instead of their uniform. (No hats please)
 

Prep Recitals - Singers must purchase and wear their Cantabile uniform - Cantabile red polo shirt, black pants and black shoes & socks for boys; Cantabile red polo shirt,black pleated skirt, black stockings & shoes for girls. Uniforms are purchased from Merry Mart Uniforms in Santa Clara, either in store or online.

Please also make sure that your calendars are marked with our dress rehearsal on May 15th at First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto! Information about call times, pick-up and drop-off procedures for May 15th and May 16th is coming soon!

Spring Recitals at Foothills Congregational Church, Los Altos

In addition to our big concert with the other choirs, Cantabile’s Prep classes all have their own recitals at the end of each term to showcase what we have accomplished. (Monday and Tuesday Prep 3 classes each have their own recital, as do all classes in the Prep division). The recitals take place at our regular rehearsal location. Please come and support your young singers by enjoying a performance of our songs, games, and activities. This is a relaxed and fun event that you don’t want to miss! All singers must come in their Cantabile uniform – please see instructions above.

Recital Times

Prep 2 Monday, May 18, 4:00-5:00pm

Prep 2 Tuesday, May 19, 4:00-5:00pm

Prep 2 Thursday, May 21, 5:00-6:00pm

Recital Potluck

It is a Cantabile tradition for us to follow our recitals with a potluck for singers and families. Instructions on what to bring will be coming soon!

"Siyahamba" Choreo Upload

Dear Preparatory 2 Families:

We have four more classes until the Spring Concert, May 16th. As we approach crunch time for this main event, I asked children to get into "performance mode" and really dig into music and memorizing words. 

Here is the the choreo of "Siyahamba" led by Ms. Natalie. Please click below and practice movement with singing:

Siyahamba (Prep 2)

(This is the only song with movement at the concert)

Preparatory 2 Concert Participation Songs:

Silver Birch Tree

Al Tambor

Siyahamba

Doraji

Uniform:

Please make sure that you have already ordered your singer’s Cantabile uniform for the Spring Concert and Recital (last class of the semester)! Here is a link to our uniform page: http://cantabile.org/index.php/tickets-a-store/uniforms.html

The Cantabile Prep 2 uniform must include black socks (boys) or tights (girls), black dress shoes, and hair neatly combed/tied back and off the face (so we can see your beautiful facial expressions!) Please, no boots, noticeable jewelry (watches, dangling earrings, bracelets, etc.), or colorful hairbands/ties.

Class Next Week

Dear Preparatory 2 Families:

A reminder that we do hold classes next week!

We are currently at week nine and cruising along for more fun, engaging and singing activities. This week, I was impressed with children making great progress of memorizing words in music. We can now pay attention to details of each music including articulation, dynamic and making beautiful phrases.

I hope they are singing at their home as well.
Please have children listen to the recordings previously uploaded and have them share what about the music that they like.

Our goal next week is to make more eye contacts with me and less on the lyric packet/music. 

I am suffering from a cold and resting at home- please stay warm and watch out for that cold!

Have a great weekend.

Summer Camp Registration is Now Opened!

Dear Preparatory Division Singers and Families:

We invite you to join us this summer for Cantabile’s Singing Summer Camp.  Cantabile has partnered with the Parks and Recreation Departments of Los Altos and Los Altos Hills to offer this exciting summer camp.   Our program offers singing, theater, crafts and outdoor fun all taught with Cantabile’s signature Kodaly/Orff approach to children’s music education for a truly enriching and exciting experience.  This year camp is offered for three one-week sessions each with a different musical theme.  Campers can sign up for one, two or all three sessions.  Cantabile’s Singing Summer Camp is a non-auditioned camp for children entering first-fourth grade in Fall 2015.

We will hold a performance on Fridays for families and their invited guests. Children will experience teamwork and build social skills through making props together at camp, preparing their production for an audience.  This is where creativity starts!

Camp Sessions

Session	Week	Time	Performance
Peter and the Wolf	7/6-7/10	8:30AM- NOON	7/10, Friday
Ahoy, There Mate!	7/13-7/17	8:30AM- NOON	7/17, Friday
Tell Me a Tale	7/20-7/24	8:30AM- NOON	7/24, Friday

Camp Location:  Los Altos Hills Town Hall; 26379 Fremont Rd, Los Altos Hills

Registration

You can register two ways: 

Through the Parks and Rec Department in Los Altos Hills please click here and scroll down to register on line: Los Altos Hills Registration

Los Altos Hills residents: $295/ Non-resident: $309

Through the Parks and Rec department in Los Altos please click here:

Los Altos Registration 

Los Altos residents: $307/ Non-resident: $325

You can also register over the phone through each Parks Department:

Los Altos Hills Parks and Recreation: Sarah Gualtieri; 650-947-2518

Los Altos Parks and Recreation: 650-947-2790

Camp is also listed in the Parks and Rec guides for each city and we will have a limited supply of these at prep classes starting the week of March 16.

Materials Fee

Please note that the materials fee of $35 will be collected on the first day of each session. This fee includes materials for crafts, music and our Cantabile Singing Summer Camp T-Shirt! Please make your check payable to Cantabile Youth Singers.

Weekly Camp Themes

Peter and the Wolf               Week 1 (7/6-7/10)

Children will learn to improvise melodies and movements by understanding the concept of leitmotif, a recurrent theme throughout a composition that describes a character. Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev, is loved by children from all around the world. This famous orchestral musical tale is a perfect way to understand the timbre of different instruments since each different character has a specific instrument that represents it in the score. Based on Cantabile’s signature youth music education model Teacher Jina will help campers combine the elements of speech, rhythm, movement, dance and song to present a full musical play of Peter and the Wolf.

Ahoy There Mate!                 Week 2 (7/13-7/17)

Children will hoist the sail and join the pirate crew in Greg Gilpin’s “How to Be a Pirates.” This mini-musical introduces an ornery yet sweet Captain and a reliable First Mate who transform landlubber students into pirates. Through story and song, the shipmates dress in pirate costumes, raise the Jolly Roger, spy with telescopes, find buried treasure, and show “thar” pride in a raucous pirate party. This is fast-paced, funny, and perfect way to splash summer away! Children will be making their own props and costumes for this full stage production.

Tell Me a Tale                      Week 3 (7/20-7/24)

Our Tell Me a Tale program exposes children to world cultures through music. This week features new tales from around the world, explored through multi-instrument and multi-cultural elements each day. The tales include an around-the-imagination adventure of stories from Europe, Malaysia, India, South Africa and other cultures. This collection brings storytelling and literature to life through music. Through singing, dancing, and instrument play, children will discover five delightful folk tales that represents the rich, diverse, humorous and profound legacies of the cultures and eras they feature.

Please contact Jina Han at:  jina@cantabile.org or 510-919-4648 with any questions you have or for more information about the program.

New solfege, Re!

Dear Preparatory 2 Families,

We have discovered "Re" this week through songs, "Hot Cross Buns" and "Who's That."
Please click below to listen to these two songs:

Hot Cross Buns
Who's That?

Assignment #1: Hot Cross Buns

1. Listen to "Hot Cross Buns" and see if children can dictate rhythm on a piece of paper.
2. Listen to "Hot Cross Buns" and see if they can sing on solfege.

(Answer key)

1. [ta, ta, ta, rest][ta, ta, ta, rest][titi, titi, titi, titi][ta, ta, ta, rest]
2. mi-re-do-rest, mi-re-do-rest, do-do-do-do, re-re-re-re, mi-re-do-rest

Assignment#2: Who's That?

1. Listen to "Who's That?" and solfege the first two notes of a song (who's that?).
2. Sing "do(low)-do(low)-sol-sol-la-la-sol." Can they discover what song this is?

(Answer key)

1. Do-Sol
2. Beginning of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."

Assignment#3: Listen to all concert recordings and review words from their "lyric packet" that was distributed in class. Please find these recordings from last week's post. 

1. Review verse 4 of "Silver Birch Tree." All the Rs in the music; sing with soft R. NO PIRATES ARRR!
2. "Al Tambor": Review Latin diction by listening to the recording. The section "yo quiero que tu  me lleves" is sung with staccato (short).
3. "Doraji" is making great progress! Thank you!

Please remind children NOT TO:

1. Overshoot sing
2. Push, strain vocal cord
3. Shout sing
4. Loud sing
5. Spread vowel (must sing with tall, spacious and round vowels)

Happy Singing!

More recordings

Dear Preparatory 2 Families:

All Prep 2 students now have "lyric packet" that was distributed this week.
Please have them review words while listening to the recordings below.

More recordings:

The Little Birch Tree
(I apologize for the quality of recording)

Al Tambor
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=al+tambor+children+

Along with these two recordings listed above, continue reviewing Doraji and Siyahamba as well.
I will upload practice recordings as soon as they are ready.

Please send me an email at [jina@cantabile.org] if your child has not received a lyric packet. I can send that to you via email.