New exam song: A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square

It's time for another singing lesson this morning!  I'm really enjoying the coaching I'm receiving from my teacher this year.  It's funny that sometimes she'll break off from teaching to share some new piano music she's found, or a new book she's trying out to use with her younger piano students.  We'll collaborate a little, then go back to my lesson again.

There have been times when my voice just doesn't want to co-operate during those warmups.  That 'break' between chest and middle voice is where I come undone, but the success rate is rising and I'm really hoping for everything to go smoothly today!

I've had a challenge learning my new Concone vocalise (ie: a tune with no lyrics, so I just sing 'ah' for each note).  I'm enjoying this new melody, and have had to practice up my technique with 'staccatissimo'.

And I have a new song to learn!: A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square.  It's nice to have something that's a little more contemporary after working on Handel (Where'ere You Walk).

I knew I'd heard this piece before and after some searching on You Tube I believe it's the Nat King Cole version I was vaguely familiar with.  However, the exam piece has much less rubato, sounding more like this version sung by Vera Lynn.


Isn't it pretty?  I love how Vera sings this.  Her tone is amazing!

Getting sidetracked .. I just found out we share the same maiden name.  I wonder if we're VERY distantly related?  Just a thought.  :)

Hoping you all have a lovely day, and there's a tune you're enjoying.

Until next time,

Catherine

My singing venture: update

Do some of you remember that last year I announced that I'd decided to follow up on my singing?  I can't believe that was in March 2012!  It's a whole year later now!

Anyway, my progress had been very slow.  Yes, I did acquire the books and had made a good start with learning what I could.  I had at least three pieces down and another two on the go, but those other German songs were just too hard to master without a coach for pronunciation.

So, I decided (with more than just a little prompting from my husband!) to seek some help so I could actually achieve this goal of mine.

It turns out that we have a wonderfully accomplished teacher now living 15 minutes away from here.  So, I signed up for lessons with her last month and we have hit it off marvellously.

We've backtracked a little, just to make sure all bases have been covered.  It turns out that my technique for transitioning between chest and middle voice needed some work, but we're making good progress.  (Oh, and my sight singing needs some work, too!)

Today will be my 4th lesson!  My homework last week was to learn two new pieces:
- an English folk tune, "Cuckoo"
- a William Shakespeare piece, "Blow, blow, thou winter wind"

We're using the ABRSM syllabus ... something else that's new to me! I had only known of the AMEB syllabus before. I really like how the books they use are self contained with cds, so you can practice with accompaniment at home as well as check the pronunciation guide.

So, I'm back on the road of progress and hope to have achieved grade 5 by the end of the year.

Time to go and sing those tunes!

Catherine

Our lives this week ...

The children keep telling me how quickly time is going.  Now THAT's scary .. that the children are noticing!  We're already planning what we'll be doing in early October, but my mind is still somewhere back in early August.

What I'm missing most, though, is looking at this blog I started and seeing that there are now gaping holes where I haven't been posting.  This is my journal!  This is where I come to look back and remember some of the things we've all done together as a family.  So ... I'm back and aiming to be here more often.

Chareen has been posting regularly about her weekly happenings, so I thought I'd follow her example to 'break the ice' again and help the thinking box tick over.

In Our Homeschool This Week:

* Maestro is writing up a research paper on Jules Verne, following the requirements from IEW.  I was asked by a friend, who lectures at Deakin University, how we are working with Maestro's writing skills.  He was very interested in what we described of IEW, so must share some links with him. One point that was raised, which we tried to employ with this paper, was working to a time limit.  Usually we allow as much time as needed for the best result, but at tertiary level, that won't be a luxury students have.  So, the goal is to achieve the best result in a given timeframe.  Maestro's paper is due tomorrow, and his rough draft is already completed today.

* I'm reading 'The Witch of Blackbird Pond' to Mariposa; a very interesting story.  I didn't expect the complex language which fills this story .. it's so rich in vocabulary and imagery!  Mariposa is seeming to follow this quite well though and has been asking for another chapter later in the day.

* In maths, it's Geometry for Maestro this term (just started with MUS) and Mariposa is learning about Decimals.

Helpful homeschool tips or advice to share:

* My no. 1 tip at the moment is to make sure lights are out .. and stay out .. at a reasonable hour to ensure everyone gets a good nights sleep.  Ha, ha, ha!  I don't think I need to say much more, other than people rummaging for food late at night keeps others awake.  Maybe I need to get a padlock for the fridge!

I am inspired by ...

* Lots of ideas I've been finding on Pinterest.  Yes, as of just a few days ago, I joined Pinterest and have been very happy pinning away.  So many bookmarks I had saved are now neatly pinned, and I've enjoyed FAR too much time checking out pins from others (all worth it, though! <>)

* A beautiful song I heard on the radio this afternoon was also most spectacular.  I had to jot down the name of the album and hope to purchase a copy soon; Storybook Journey with 18yr old singer Siobhan Owen. Such a pure, lovely tone! Sioban is a classical/celtic singer and harpist.

Places we're going this week:

* Tuesdays are regular horseriding lessons for Mariposa again.  She's not had lessons for the first 1/2 of this year, but she's back and preparing for her Level 1 certificate.

* Physio work for Maestro tomorrow, also.  He's been working hard with his dancing, and with lifting being a part of his ballet work now, he needs to overcome some shoulder problems and develop some strength.  After two sessions last month, there's already been some improvement, but more work will need to be done for a little while yet.

* We have a date rollerblading with a local group of homeschoolers this Friday.  It's a great time for the children to all spend a few hours together, including some games and inline hockey, while the mums sit and have a cuppa and chat.

My favourite thing this week:

Well, as I'm writing about this current week, there's not a lot to reflect on at the moment.  One thing I'm most proud of is that we've been using produce from our own garden again.  I've enjoyed the creative ways we've found to use what we've had so nothing goes to waste, like a silverbeet quiche full of fresh eggs.

Things I'm working on:

* The best ways to set up some wicking garden beds.  I've recently pinned some ideas I've found, but still need to figure out how the budget can work to accomodate this investment.  At least we'll have a few homeschooling subjects covered when we work on this: woodwork (making the frames), economics (when we look for the best purchase prices for the items), science (setting up the worm farm .. after making one), not to mention home economics once we cook the produce too.

I'm reading:

* Paul, A Novel, by Walter Wangerin Jr.  It's a fictional account of Paul's life, with the interpretation taken from a particular belief standpoint which is not my own.  However, I do like how some relevant historical circumstances of the time are explored, as well as some 'lesser' characters explored.  I'm only about 1/3 of the way through it at the moment.


I'll leave it at that for now.  My goal tomorrow is get the camera out and take some nice photos.  I don't know if we'll get many at horseriding as it's expected to be raining ... but we'll see. :)

To Believe

I feel compelled to share this, especially at this time.

Inspiring music, lyrics and singing:



,

Before I lay me down to rest
I ask the Lord one small request
I know I have all I could need
But this prayer is not for me
Too many people on this day
Don't have a peaceful place to stay
Let all fighting cease that your children may see peace
Wipe their tears of sorrow away


(chorus)
To believe in a day
When hunger and war will pass away
To have the hope amidst despair
That every sparrow's counted
That you hear each cry and listen to each prayer


Let me try always to believe
That we can hear the hearts that grieve
Please help us not ignore
The anguished cries of the poor
Or their pain will never leave


(chorus )
To believe in a day
When hunger and war will pass away
To have the hope amidst despair
That every sparrow's counted
That you hear their cries and listen to each prayer


(spoken prayer)
Father, as you see, I'm just a child
And there's so much to understand
But if Your Grace should surround me
Then I'll do the best I can
I promise, I'll do the very best I can


(chorus plus)
To believe in a day
When hunger and war will pass away
To have the hope amidst despair
That every sparrow's counted
That you hear each cry and listen to each
Prayer {Hear each cry and listen to each prayer}
Help us do Your will oh Father
In the name of all that's true
And we'll see in one another
The loving image of You

I've decided .. to sing!

Chatting with some online friends, and making new friends in the process, has encouraged me to pursue my ambitions with singing.  I've always wanted to have excellent lessons, but I am without a teacher in these parts.  So, I'm going to have a go at readying myself for my next exam.

It's a little more serious now, as I'm trying for grade 5 AMEB.  My syllabus finally arrived from my order, along with the new technical book.

I'll probably be needing help with some German pronunciation, but I found that another mum at the dance school is a German language teacher.  She's agreed to help me where possible, and if she can't, then she knows of a gentleman about 40 minutes away who would happily tutor me for a short spell.  He used to sing opera!

A library nearby has also been found to have cds .. and I've been able to look up the specific songs on their catalogue.  So, I'll also have an audio reference to help me along.

Accompanist?  Yes, we already have one for Maestro's violin exams, so I'll be asking him to help me out.

So, the pieces of the puzzle are coming together.  Where there's a will, there's a way, isn't there?

This will also show my music students that I'll be pushing myself through some paces, just as I push them.  Two of my students will be sitting their piano exams in April/May, and my older singing student is aiming to do her exam in June/July.  I'm setting my goal for later this year, as I still have a lot of work to do!

Feeling rather excited, but also quite nervous about all of this.  Let's see how I go.  :)

Thank you for dropping by!

The pentatonic is so predictable!

Here's a fun little exercise you can participate in at home:







Personally, I can't wait until another campout, family get-together or a day with friends to try this out on them!

After seeing that, I'm checking out the rest of the lecture from the "Notes & Neurons" seminar from the World Science Festival.

or you may choose to view this on You Tube, as a 10 part series: START HERE.

To Stand in the Spotlight

I've had my children performing on stage at the annual dance concert for a few years now. Each year is a little different, with higher expectations than the last. This year, though, had some unique qualities. Both of them were going to sing as part of their Musical Theatre acts, and one of those songs was going to involve a solo from Maestro.

Let me be quite honest and say that the anxiety levels have been extremely high this year. Maestro had been selected to sing this solo piece by his teacher, her with excellent hopes and him with a whole bag full of reasons why he didn't want to do it. It wasn't a long solo piece, either; only one verse before being joined with the rest of the Musical Theatre troupe as backup. Basically, it came down to nerves. He wasn't being asked to do anything beyond his ability, but he was being presented with a hurdle to jump. The question was about being ready to attempt that hurdle.

On a similar footing, I also had two of my singing students ready to take to the stage in song. Their performances, though, were longer. They were singing a whole song, on their own, in the spotlight.

Thursday night: full rehearsal night. Oh no! Amongst the three of them, stage fright was running riot. All of them had the intention of giving a great performance, but suddenly this challenge looked so big! The frustration led to tears and signs of disappointed anger. They wanted to do it perfectly or not at all.

What was I going to say to them? How do you encourage someone to take that step up to the plate, when you know they've done all the hard preparation work already? This was like the final push, climbing the biggest boulders at the top of the mountain. They were all so close to the final result.

Well, I think I said many words on that rehearsal night. I told them that they can do this, that they can sing. Then I thought of how they're really layering up experiences to better themselves and explained that also. One teacher, with concerned intention, asked me what will I do if they don't do this properly. Have they wasted their half a year in preparation? I know what her argument was, that if they started to learn for this performance, then they're obliged to follow through.  That's fair enough. However, inside I felt that whatever each of them decided, they'd all be learning a lesson of some kind. My job was to find out what they really wanted and encourage them to move ahead. How proud would they feel if they actually did get through this?!

Then a recent example dawned on me.  Ah! That was it! Maybe those words will help?

Maestro knows when he 'acts' that he does a wonderful performance, and had recently done so with his father doing a comedy skit in front of our church friends. He became someone else. So, off I started again with another pep talk, starting with my son and reminding him of this example.

"Imagine yourself in your costume. You are acting out another person. You are now going to share this gift of yours and tell the audience the story in your song."

You know what, I don't know if those words really helped or not, but something inside ALL of those children sparked and they all performed really well.

Maestro sang his verse of "A Little More Homework to Do" from 13. Nervously he sang clearly and in tune, just needing to have some more self-confidence, but I'm so glad that he did it anyway.  There's a strong singer hiding in there and I'd love to hear it come through as he continues to grow up.

Miss L. sang "Wouldn't it be Loverly" from My Fair Lady in her cockney accent and wonderful wardrobe, right there, front and center.

And Miss K. pushed herself to put in some wonderful feeling with "Think of Me" from Phantom of the Opera. I stood listening backstage and heard the audience, quietly listening, then 'gasp' when she hit that high B in the cadenza, and the rousing applause.

All of them gave to the audience in the spotlight last night. All of them really achieved this themselves, deciding it was time to jump that hurdle and give a little more than they first thought they could. And I learnt what all parents and teachers learn: that there's only so much you can teach, then it's all up to the child as to where they go from there. Only their experiences can teach them further.

Students of song

You can always tell when life's become a little busier here.  I just don't have time to get onto the computer that often!  We've had birthday gatherings, with many more to come.  Most of our family seemed to be planned to welcome in the Spring; so we've had our prelude with the August babies, another in early September, then we'll have another long run of birthdates from late September through to early December.  Two new nephews/nieces will be added to the extended family fold during that time, too.

Another reason for my busy-ness is due to a few new singing students I've taken on.  Two of these are sisters with the most beautiful, clear Celtic type voices.  Ahh! They're going to be just a delight to teach, as I'll get to hear their developing song every week.

I thought I'd take the opportunity to list some music resources I've found useful.  Let's start with theory.  The theory books I'm recommending to the youngest students (ages 8-9) are written by Lina Ng.  She has some very, very easy, colourful, fun 'sticker' books called "Theory Made Easy for Little Children".  Maestro's first violin teacher introduced us to this series.  I'd recommend them to children as young as 5 yrs old through to 9 yrs old if they're happy to use stickers.  Otherwise, move further along the series to the more advanced books, beginning with "My First Theory Book".

For vocal warm ups and exercises, I'm falling back on some well-learned exercises I remember from my choir days.  We had a standard repertoire of drills that I'll never forget.  However, I also wanted something for the students to see, and also so I can expand on some of my knowledge too.  So, after a visit at a music store in the city, I came across some books by Nancy Tefler, called "Successful Warmups".  I'm really glad I picked them up when I did as in checking online now, I can't seem to find a source for you (sorry!)  I know that there are other books out there, but I do like how these are set out with little exercises which build up skills gradually.

Now, finding the songs that we're learning has been a fun task!  For the younger ones, some songs from a program put together through the ABC is being used.  Most schools use these books/cds now.  In fact, I remember when I used this program at school, but we all had to tune into the radio at a certain time each week for our singing lesson.  Maybe some of you remember using these books too? Sing! is available through ABC shops.  I've sourced the 2008 and 2009 editions, and will collect the 2010 as the price goes down toward the middle of next year.

Besides this, I'll be looking for other materials as we go along.  I have some of the AMEB vocal exam books, of which "Singing for Leisure" is easiest to use with the backing cds.  Thankfully I also have a store of manuscripts from my choir and school days, too.

Oh, and I must also mention that I've found some inspiration from a blog: Singing Teaching in Paradise.  I came across this lady through the Down to Earth forum.  Wonderful!  She has some resources mentioned that I'll be trying to track down as needed.

That's all I have on that for now.  If anyone knows of any other wonderful resources, I'd love to hear from you!