Wednesday, February 9, 2011

WHAT WE DID TODAY (SEMESTER #2-19): MONDAY; FEBRUARY 28, 2011

GENERAL MUSIC PERIODS 2, 3, 6 
COMPOSER: CHOPIN
OBJECTIVE: PERCUSSION IDENTIFICATION
1. NO QUOTE/COMPOSER REPORT: CHOPIN
.....a. Discussed some other famous composers who were alive at the same time as Chopin:
..........1)Felix Mendelssohn: Famous composer and conductor from Germany (wrote a famous Wedding March)
..........2)Robert Schumann: Famous pianist, composer and piano teacher. He married the daughter of his piano teacher Clara Wieck Schumann, who was also well known for her piano playing and composing in her own right. Schumann experimented with a device he invented to help strengthen and train the fingers of his students. While trying the device out himself, he harmed one of his fingers to the extent that it never healed properly. Not being to play the piano as well as he used to depressed him so much that he eventually developed a mental illiness.
..........3)Franz Liszt: A famous pianist (performer) and composer who, like Chopin, was one of the most popular pianists of his time.
.....b. Discussed some other famous historical people alive during Chopin's lifetime:
..........1)US President #5 James Monroe
..........2)US President #11 James K. Polk
..........3)Queen Victoria of England (She was the queen of England for a very long time and her style was copied by people all over the world. Her influence on style and culture was so famous that the time period she lived in is often refered to as the "Victorian" era. An example of her influence is the tradition of the Christmas tree. Before she had one in her palace, the Christmas tree was only a tradition in Germany. After Victoria was introduced to this custom by her husband Albert, who was German, the Christmas tree became a tradition all over. It was also Victoria who set the tradition of getting married to a famous bridal march composed by Felix Mendelssohn. She had heard the music in his (Mendelssohn's) "A Midsummer's Night Dream" and decided to have it played at her own wedding ceremony.

.....a. Discussed famous artists that lived during the time period of Chopin (will finish this section for period 2 and 3 Wednesday):
..........1)J.M.W Turner, J.M.W
..........2)George Caleb Bingham
..........3)Eugene Delacroix (Personal friend to Chopin and George Sand; he painted a famous painting of Chopin)
2. Finished off the notes taken from the Percussion film view last week
3. Filled in the names of percussion instruments on the worksheets handed out in class
4. Turned all work in

BEGINNING VIOLIN PERIOD 5: OBJECTIVE: SPRING CONCERT PREPARATION 1. TUNE
2. SONG: BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS
....a. All violins practiced the VIOLIN I part
..........1)Music was broken down into small units or repeated patterns
..........2)We intensly practiced 3 of those patterns separately
..........3)For continuity we played through the entire piece (without music accompaniment)
even the parts we did not know well yet)

ADVANCED VIOLIN PERIOD 4: OBJECTIVE: SPRING CONCERT PREPARATION
1. TUNE
2. SONG: NUMB
....a. Worked on new bowings (bowings were simplified)
3. SONG: 21 GUNS
....a. Again worked on new bowings