Monday, October 10, 2011

Fall Variety Show



The creativity is flowing! It is a force that you can feel when you walk in the room and it never ceases to amaze me. Sure, they need prodding, reminding, challenging, and pushing. They need to be stretched, stressed, reigned in, and encouraged. But that is all part of the process.

Heard in the music room: "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts" sung exuberantly by Mrs. Nichols, "That's MY box of chocolates", "We are Family- chipmunk style!", "How exactly are we going to make ourselves look like penguins?", "Do you happen to have a green pipe cleaner???", "When are we painting the set?", "Where is Angeline???", "I need help with Garage Band!"

Oh folks, it's fun. It's also crazy...........(insert singing here: I've got a lovely bunch of music nuts......) :)

Monday, March 28, 2011

Great Talent Coming Up!


Wow- I'm always blown away by how much progress the 7/8 grade vocalists make from August to March, but this was an especially great year. Last Thursday, the members of our class sang, danced, and acted their way into the record books with smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts! Wow. This is a very creative group, and I can't wait to see their faces in my High School Vocal room ready to work on the next Variety Show!
Maybe I should explain a little about the process we go through to present our spring concert to you. In January we begin the process by choosing our musical and getting ourselves signed up for committees. This year, Kourtnie Stephenson had written some dialogue that we were able to use, and the rest of the dialogue committee came up with some alternate songs that they thought would fit. The choreography committee took their job very seriously and got to work pounding out the dance steps for the tunes that needed them. The Set, Program, and Costume committees began listing ideas for future projects. Auditions were held, parts were assigned, and deadlines posted. March 24 seemed like a long time in the future, but it wasn't!
I'm so proud of this group of musicians. They began the year as shy singers who were afraid of each other and they ended up last week as a team who, together, put on a great show. Of course that took lots of work at home memorizing dialogue, extra after-school practices, and much courage to step out of their comfort zones. Fantastic job, students! Way to Go!
Thanks to the parents who made extra trips for practices and sent goodies for hungry tummies.
Your kids are great.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Musicians and Friends visit Orpheum!




Wow! Mary Poppins was wonderful! From the beautiful setting of the Orpheum to the spectacular sets, amazing special effects, stunning singing, and non-stop action IT WAS WONDERFUL! Ask anyone who went and you will get even more superlatives. This was the first time we have taken along some elementary students, and it was so much fun to see it through their eyes. Thanks, everyone, for a wonderful evening. (And thanks, Kay Stork, for the pictures!)