SPARK and Lin Chorus Concerts

Oh what fun it is to...SING!

I am so proud of the hard work and beautiful music created by our fabulous students from SPARK and Mary Lin. We're so lucky to have such a talented and warm community. All the best for this holiday season, and I hope you enjoy hearing the concert again!

Peace and Love,
Ms. Turgeon

PS  Radioactive. 'Cause Mr. Marvel's cool like that.

Say, Play, Display Projects

Wow! Wow! Wow! With almost 300 projects from 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders it's obvious that we've got some creative and talented kids at SPARK.

Below are some photos of the poster presentations (K-2 students explored the Family, Cultural, and PR posters and discussed which ones they liked the best!) and a video playlist of some of the great Play/Sing projects kids came up with!  Enjoy!

If your child's video was left off the playlist and you'd like to be included just let Ms. Turgeon know!

Music Announcements for December

HOT List: 

Due to project turn in week the HOT list email did not go out on Friday. I saw several students during the course of the week (some of whom have graduated from the HOT list!), and we'll resume check-ins this week! 

3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Say, Play, Display Projects (scroll down to the post from October 15th for more info):

The time has passed for project submissions; however, I understand some families had trouble submitting project parts due to illness or technology issues. I will accept hard-copy or electronic submissions Monday morning for students who had those difficulties only. Please talk to your child about the work they turned in.This will allow me to get projects graded in a timely manner. I have been impressed, moved, and excited by the work I've seen so far! What an amazing community we have!

1. Project

2. Rubric (students grade themselves on how they did using the rubric on the project sheet)

3. Reflection (1-2 paragraphs ‡SAY Projects should attach your script  ‡PLAY and DISPLAY projects: Write 1-2 paragraphs on a separate sheet about your project and how you accomplished your goal. If you didn’t accomplish your goal, but you improved write about your progress).

4th and 5th Grade BAND, Orchestra, Chorus, and AC--

Call times are important for the success of all students. 

Please have your child dressed, ready, and on time!

• Monday, December 9^th SPARK Band and Orchestra concert: Orchestra call time 5:30 pm, performance at 6:00. Band call time 6:00 pm performance after Orchestra concert is finished. Please be respectful of the Orchestra event as you arrive!
• Wednesday, December 11^th “Cocoa and Caroling” with SPARK Advanced Chorus and Morningside Chorus at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center 5:30-7:00pm  Call time 4:45 pm at Callanwolde (drop off in the portico, park in the back)  All students and families are welcome to attend and sing-a-long! Entry to caroling is free, but cocoa and food truck offerings available for cash purchase.  In the event of inclement weather, event will be moved indoors.
• Wednesday, December 18^th SPARK and Mary Lin Choruses 6:00pmin the Mary Lin Auditorium  (Chorus and AC Call time 4:30pm) All Chorus and AC are expected to attend.

Music@SPARK shirts: 

If your performer needs a Music@SPARK polo I have a few available in various sizes. Last year's shirts are $5 (dark green) and this year's are $11 (light green). If I have a donated shirt that will fit your child it's free.

December Lyrics and Practice Playlist

CLICK HERE for the December 2013 Lyric Sheet

Video playlist:



We won't be doing all of these songs this exact way, but this is a good way to keep the tunes in your head!

December Concert Info:

• Monday, December 9^th SPARK Band and Orchestra in the SPARK Cafeteria 6:00pm
• Wednesday, December 11^th “Cocoa and Caroling” with SPARK Chorus and AC at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center 5:30-7:00pm (optional, but let Ms. Turgeon know if you can't come!)
• Wednesday, December 18^th SPARK and Mary Lin Choruses 6:00pmin the Mary Lin Auditorium  (Chorus and AC Call time 4:30pm) All Chorus and AC are expected to attend.

Please let Ms. Turgeon, Ms. Valkova, or Ms. Moore know via note or email if your child is NOT available for any of these performances ASAP! Every musician is important!

Song	Textbook/Source	Notes
S’vivon	Spotlight 4/374	Hebrew. A cappella. Canon & ostinato
Ocho Kandelikas	Making Music 4/429	Ladino (Hebrew+Spanish) guitar/castanet
A la Nanita	Spotlight  4/230	Parallel harmony guitar  or glockenspiel
Merry Modal Christmas	Making Music 4/411	French. Some harmony. Piano
Christmastime is Here	Sheet music	AC  piano
All Through the Night	Spotlight 4/277 Making Music 5/105	AC Welsh. Violin & maybe piano . Descant
Winter Wonderland	Spotlight  5/ 408	Parallel harmony. Piano and drum
Gong Xi	Spotlight 3/384	Chinese. A cappella or created .
Allunde Aluia	Spotlight 4/34	Swahili. African Percussion, call response
Singabahambayo	Spotlight 5/56	Zulu 3 part parallel harmony African Percussion
Aeyaya Balano Sakkad	Spotlight  5/402	Konkani Diwali song. May have sitar player!
I Hear Those Jingle Bells	Music K-8	Partner song.

Music Notes November 7, 2013

Pretty please fill out the following availability survey for the upcoming events for Music@SPARK (worth 3 bonus Music points!):  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1U8MOA2g1D_aqcGIqvfqZm37lIAey0LAdoeKmk4ePACE/viewform

NOTES:

·         AC Parents: I thought I would be gone from school on Nov. 8^th, but I will be here so we’ll have AC rehearsal this week! Yaaaaay! 

·         Chorus & AC Parents: we have started preparing music for our December concerts. Practice videos and lyric sheets will be linked on the blog and distributed to students soon—probably next week! We have several songs that will be in foreign languages (French, Konkani, Hebrew, Swahili, Welsh, maybe Chinese…) so please encourage your child to practice once they have all of their resources!

·         Band/Orchestra Parents: Please continue to remind your child(ren) to use the shelves and third floor table for instrument storage during the day on Mondays and Wednesdays, and never put their instrument on the floor or in hallways where kids could trip over them. We have a blind student at SPARK and some other students on crutches, so the instruments are becoming a hazard.  Also, please remind your child to bring their instruments home after Band & Orchestra on Mondays and Wednesdays. 
The exception: Cellos, Double Bass, Baritone Horn, and Snare Drums may remain in their assigned areas at SPARK Monday-Wednesday, but should be picked up Wednesday afternoons. There is not a secure place for instruments to be stored overnight or during weekends, and this will avoid loss or damage to instruments. Besides, the kids should be practicing, right? J

·         All parents: In case you didn’t receive Say, Play, Display project info  (linked here) Some students have already started their projects and I can’t wait to see/hear what they come up with! 

·         All Musicians: If your child creates a Singing or Playing project they may want to sign up to perform at Ms. Mobley’s Sundays at San Fran Open Mic on Sunday, December 8^th.  Email Mobleyj@atlanta.k12.ga.us for info.

Mark Your Calendars! December Concert Info:

• Monday, December 9^th SPARK Band and Orchestra in the SPARK Cafeteria 6:00pm
• Wednesday, December 11^th 5:30-7:30pm “Cocoa and Caroling” with SPARK Chorus and AC at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center (optional, but let Ms. Turgeon know if you can't come!)
• Wednesday, December 18^th SPARK and Mary Lin Choruses 6:00pm in the Mary Lin Auditorium  (Chorus and AC Call time 4:30pm) All Chorus and AC are expected to attend.

And let Ms. Turgeon, Ms. Valkova, or Ms. Moore know via note or email if your child is NOT available for any of these performances and the reason ASAP! Every musician is important!

GMEA Fifth District Honor Chorus

Congratulations to Abby E., Malic H., and Lucy S. for representing SPARK at the first annual GMEA Fifth District Honor Chorus event! The students rehearsed for weeks before the concert, and all day Friday and Saturday to present a fantastic concert featuring some of the best 4th, 5th, and 6th grade singers from public and private schools in Atlanta and Fulton County.  The students worked with clinician Suzanne Logue from Hightower Trail Middle School in Cobb County and performed

"Thanks and Praise" by Ruth E. Dwyer
"Stars" by Tom T. Shelton, Jr.
"Allunde, Alluia" arranged by Margaret Campbelle-Holman
"The Moon" by Bret Silverman
"Monster" by Brian Tate

Saturday Warm-up

 

 Some free time with books and friends from Drew Charter and Holy Innocents'!

AC at the Gladiators 10/19

The Gladiators' press release:  http://www.gwinnettgladiators.com/site/news/article.asp?art=2852

From Gwinnett Gladiators President, Steve Chapman in an email on 10/23/13:

... I wanted to let you know that your rendition of O Canada this past weekend was absolutely one of the best performances that I have heard.  It was truly outstanding.  All of our players were impressed as well.  As you can imagine, our Canadian players truly appreciate the performance and our French-Canadian players were especially appreciative. 

I'm going to guess by your last name that you have some French heritage and the combination of the French and English in the song was outstanding.

Please pass my comments along to your choir and tell them that we were all impressed with their performance.

We hope that you enjoyed the game and that the money raised will go to good use at your school.

My best,

__________________________________

Steve Chapman

Team President

Gwinnett Gladiators Professional Hockey

ECHL Affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes

Welp. The video is blurry, but the sound is good!

Anybody have a better video to share? 

Send a link to me via email and I can put it here!

And in the meantime, here's something happy to watch!

Obviously, I had some camera focusing issues, but here are some photos:

Pre-game singers

                                                     

 The kids made it onto the big screen.

 ...and got to hang out with Maximus

And got props on the Gladitators' game day thread (thanks Mark Jordan, whoever you are!)

Sadly, the game did not have the outcome we'd hoped for--a 3-1 loss. But we still love our Gladiators!

Say, Play, Display Info is here!

Project info for Say, Play, Display Project click for info


This should be a fun one! The students have 15 choices for how they want to show their knowledge and learning in Music. Each student may choose ONE activity to complete by the due date. I will accept work live, video, podcast, written, sculpted, acted...whichever way the students choose!

You may send me a link to their work, it can be hard copy, or live. Please make sure your child also submits the project rubric & reflection (pg. 2 of the link above).  Students who complete a “Say” project should turn in their script or talking notes instead of a reflection.

Items to note:

• Some projects require approval from Ms. Turgeon (the Play and Design Your Own). Please read the indicators carefully!
• If your child wishes to work with a partner they must bring a note from EACH partner's parent by November 15th.
• If your child(ren) decide to do a project that involves Spanish language or culture they can earn points in Spanish class!
• Please encourage your child to spend a little time each week on the project (10-15 min. 2-3 times week works for most) rather than waiting until the last minute!
• I have a TON of music textbooks that have songs your child may be interested in learning/performing. They may come by any morning between 7:45-8:00am to browse! I can also stay after school to help your child on Thursdays with advance notice. 
•  You may be able to find some songs you'd like here: 
  •  FREE SHEET MUSIC for ALL INSTRUMENTS 

  • Free sheet music/folk songs for singing: http://bethsmusicnotes.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html
• Band/Orchestra students may not choose a concert song to play for their project. Other songs from their Essential Elements books may work, though.

DUE DATES:

Tuesday: Smiley & Riggins Due December 3rd

Thursday: English, Windham/Thurman B, Hall, Lockwood Due December 5th

Friday: Badger, Naman/Thurman A, Butler, Redel Due December 6th

Check here periodically for support information and links to see projects from previous years!

SAY

This student learned to play Beethoven's "Ode to Joy' and wrote about the piece and the upcoming concerts.

 

PLAY

You may be able to find some songs you'd like here: 

 FREE SHEET MUSIC for ALL INSTRUMENTS

 

DISPLAY

Poster/Press releases:

 December Concert Info:

• Monday, December 9^th SPARK Band and Orchestra in the SPARK Cafeteria 6:00pm
• Wednesday, December 11^th “Cocoa and Caroling” with SPARK Chorus and AC at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center (optional, but let Ms. Turgeon know if you can't come!)
• Wednesday, December 18^th SPARK and Mary Lin Choruses 6:00pmin the Mary Lin Auditorium  (Chorus and AC Call time 4:30pm) All Chorus and AC are expected to attend.

Please let Ms. Turgeon, Ms. Valkova, or Ms. Moore know via note or email if your child is NOT available for any of these performances ASAP! Every musician is important!