Friday, March 13, 2015

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!



Friday, March 6, 2015

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.

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Cantabile Singing Summer Camp (7/6-7/24)

Dear Preparatory 2 Families:

I am safely back from the 2015 National ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. I cannot wait to share my experience and many new music I have received with my students next week!

Update on Summer Camp

I would like to inform parents that our summer camp registration is now opened and accessible online. Please click here to register as it will fill up fast! I am also including the description of the camp for your review below. Please e-mail me at [jina@cantabile.org] or [510-919-4648] with any concern or questions you may have regarding the camp.


Cantabile Singing Summer Camp

Cantabile Youth Singers of Silicon Valley offers the first year of exciting summer camp that includes singing, theatre, crafts and outdoor fun! Cantabile Youth Singers marks twentieth year of anniversary since found by the artistic director, Elena Sharkova who is recognized nationally and internationally an inspirational and versatile conductor, clinician, music educator, and lecturer. Along with the artistic director, the director of preparatory division, Jina Han is thrilled to lead summer camp with the background of master’s degree in choral conducting, teaching in Kindermusik, Kodaly, and Orff. The summer activities are based on Kodály and Orff methodology, a renowned music approach to children that was developed in Hungary and Germany. It is designed to be fun, educational and inspirational. One of our highlights is the location of the camp. Children will experience the beauty of music in a serene environment where nature is close by. Each week, we invite children to their favorite places including under the sea, exploring ranch and animals, and an adventure to multicultural tales!

Ahoy, There Mate! is a fun theme where children will be rocking their boats, visiting long-legged sailors and pirates, and exploring different sounds under the ocean. They will create music with Orff instruments; swim around with great sea creatures with their singing voices! With the added ocean props, children will spend their best summer here!

Many of us may know the story of Peter and the Wolf. This theme will not only educate children to learn orchestral instruments and its timbre, but they will also be learning leitmotivs, the little melody that describes a “character.” Similarly, voices have many different characters, ranges, and uniqueness that we are going to discuss, and eventually transcribe original orchestral work to choral.

What great way is to explore the world through music than anything else? Tell Me a Tale features a new tale from around the world, explored through multi-instrument and multi-cultural elements each day. It’s an around-the-imagination adventure of stories from Europe, Malaysia, South Africa and other cultures!

We will hold performance on Fridays for friends and families. Children will experience teamwork and build social skills through making props together at the camp, bringing unlimited imagination to a theatre, and singing with movements in unity. This is where creativity starts!




Dates                                                Theme                      Time
Week 1  July 6-10             Peter and the Wolf          8:30-12:00

Week 2  July 13-17          Ahoy, There Mate!           8:30-12:00

Week 3  July 20-24          Tell Me a Tale                    8:30-12:00

Location: Los Altos Hills Town Hall
Ages: 6-9
Fee: $325 per week (material fee included)


Happy Singing!



Thursday, February 12, 2015

Spring Concert Repertoire for Prep 2

Dear Families:

I would like to remind you that there will be NO rehearsals next week February 16-20. Rehearsals will resume the following week starting Monday, February 23.

Here are the list of songs for Prep 2 at the Spring concert:

Prep 2 alone- The Little Birch Tree
Prep 2 and Prep 3- Siyahamba, Al Tambor
Prep2, Prep 3 and Intermediate- Doraji
All choir- New commissioned piece from Will Todd (not arrived yet)

During this break, please download the practice recordings below in preparation for the concert:

Doraji

Siyahamba

Stay tuned for more recordings!


Happy Singing!



Thursday, February 5, 2015

Working toward memorization

Dear Families:

Please have your children keep listening to the recordings previously uploaded. They will have to memorize songs that we are learning in class for the Spring concert. Children will receive a lyric packet at some point in the semester. Meanwhile, it is important that they listen to these recordings and be familiarize themselves with melody, rhythm of each music.

Doraji:

Doraji, doraji
Bek doraji

Shim shin san chun ae
Bek doraji

Han dool poo ri man
Ke uh do

Dae ba goo ni ga
Chul chul
Num nen da

Siyahamba:

Siyahambe khuka nye ni kwen khos



Solfge Hand Sign



Happy Singing!











Thursday, January 29, 2015

First Week of Spring

Dear Preparatory 2 Families:

It was great to see everyone at our first class of the term. A special hello to the new faces that are joining us in 2015 – welcome to the Cantabile family! For those of you who are new to the organization, this blog is reading for Preparatory 2 singers and families. It’s updated once a week, and contains class materials on your weekly practice, recordings and details on upcoming special events and performances. Please check the blog regularly, and email jina@cantabile.org if you are experiencing any technical difficulties.

Our theme of the semester is "Around the World." We will be exploring multicultural music and learning about different cultures and ethnicity. Here are the recordings of songs that will be sang at the Spring concert:

Doraji
Korean Traditional Folk Song 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7Gb6rGycbk
Diction:
http://picosong.com/L5tw/

Translation
Doraji, white doraji by the mountain stream,
Dig up one or two roots to fill the bamboo basket to overflowing.

Pronunciation Guide
A= ah as in fall
E= eh as in set
I= ee as in marine
IH= ih as in tin
O= oh as in hold
OO= oo as in noon
U= uh as in run
R= lightly tongued or flipped, not a hard R
CH= ch as  in children
G= hard G as in gate

Siyahamba (We Are Marching)
South African Hymn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6XUBIwi1NA

Translation:
We are marching in the light of God

Happy Singing!




Saturday, January 24, 2015

Welcome to the 2015 spring semester!

Dear Preparatory Families:

Welcome to the 2015 spring semester with Cantabile Youth Singers. I hope each of you had a terrific winter break. I welcome each of our returning singers and I am very happy to see you continue with us this term. A special welcome also to our new Cantabile families- we are delighted to have you join us and look forward to a wonderful semester. 

Throughout our twenty year history, Cantabile has consistently offered children the opportunity to experience the joy of singing, to learn music reading and participate in one of the fastest growing and most important youth activities in the country: singing in a choir. What differentiates Cantabile is our attention to each singer’s musical, emotional and social development as a whole person: voice, body, mind, and heart. Every year we are thrilled and moved by the commitment each family shows in bringing their child to our classes to share the important value of a musical education. This choice will enhance and support your child’s development throughout their school years and beyond.

Our preparatory classes start on the week of January 26th. Please visit our website http://cantabile.org/ to find the yearly calendar, class time schedules and other important information including how to obtain a uniform for your singer and information about Cantabile’s history and mission as well as all of the events and concerts that will happen this semester for the upper choirs- we encourage you to join us!

We will hold parent orientation during the first week of preparatory classes, and we ask that all families participate. We ask that you come to the beginning of your child’s scheduled class time and stay for about 10 minutes to learn about the program and the logistics of your child’s class.


FAQ document:
http://bit.ly/Cantabile-FAQ2014


Please feel free to e-mail me at [jina@cantabile.org] with questions or for more information.

Yours in song,
Jina Han