THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2013

QUOTE:
“Achievements, seldom credited to their source, are the result of unspeakable drudgery and worries.”

AUTHOR: Richard Wagner

MEANING OF THE QUOTE:
“The audience rarely knows of all the time and effort that goes into 
  the production of an art form.”

COMPOSER

DEBUSSY

Clair de Lune 

(Originally written for the piano.)

Clair de Lune

(A deleted scene from Disney's "Fantasia"

Stokowsky arrangement)

Stokowsky conducts his own arrangement of Clair de Lune

Clair de Lune

 Played by violinist David Oistrakh

http://missjacobsonsmusic.blogspot.com/2010/04/debussy-claire-de-lune-played-by-van.html
http://wheredihearthat.blogspot.com/2011/09/clair-de-lune.html

PERIODS 1 and 2:

01.  VIOLIN: BOWING ON VIOLIN

........a.  TIGHTENING and LOOSING BOW

........b.  BOW LEVELS ON VIOLIN 

.............1)  SILENT BOW ROCKING

.............2)  SPRING OF BOW AT EACH MAIN BOW LEVEL 4X

.........c. BOWING MIDDLE to TIP USING ELBOW (UPPER HALF of BOW) 4X EACH STRING

.............1)  EXPLANATION OF DOWN and UP BOWS

.............2)  SILENT DOWN and UP MOVEMENTS WITHOUT VIOLIN

.........d.  BOWING 4X EACH STRING

.........e.  OPEN STRING SONG "PUMPED UP KICKS" (HARMONY: GG/DD/AA/EE)

...............1)  STUDENTS BOW UH (UPPER HALF OF BOW) TO THE ACCOMPANIMENT

...............2)  AS STUDENTS PRACTICE WITH MUSIC TEACHER CHECKS EACH STUDENT AS TO                           PROPER BOW TECHNIQUE.

.........f.  OPEN STRING SONG "BLAST OFF" USING NOTE READING (TO CONTINUE TOMORROW)

PERIOD 3:

01.  VIOLIN: LEFT PIZZICATO CYCLE OF STRINGS

........a.  REVIEWED WATCHING THE CONDUCTOR DIRECTIONS

........b.  LEFT THUMB PLACED AT CURVE OF THE VIOLIN NECK

........c.  PAD OF THE LEFT POINTER FINGER DEPRESSES EACH STRING 8X WITH A SPRING                       ACTION

........d.  REPEAT ABOVE DIRECTIONS and PULL THE STRING TO THE RIGHT TO PLUCK THE                      STRING

.............1)  PLUCKED EACH STRING 4X (DEPRESSING THE STRING DOWN BEFORE PLUCKING                         EACH TIME)

........e.  OPEN STRING SONG "CRIPPLE CREEK"

..............1)  REVIEWED NOTE NAMES and RELATED NOTES TO THE OPEN STRINGS

..............2)  SANG NOTE NAMES AGAINST RECORDED ACCOMPANIMENT

..............3)  REPEATED THE ABOVE DIRECTIONS and ADDED RIGHT HAND PIZZICATO

ADV. STRINGS

01.  PIRATES OF CARIBBEAN 
........a.  WORKED ON ANOTHER SPECIFIC PASSAGE TO GET SPEED
02.  STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN
03.  WHAT MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL

BEG. STRINGS 

01.  WARM-UP 

........a.  OPEN STRING SCALES SLURRING 2 NOTES ON A SINGLE WHOLE BOW (WB)

........b.  OPEN STRING SCALES SLURRING 2 NOTES AT THE LH and UH OF THE BOW IN                              PREPARATION TO SLUR 4 NOTES ON A BOW

04.  SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW

.........a.  REVIEWED A SPECIFIC PASSAGE FOR COUNTING and FOR BOWING

..............1) PULLED APART THE FIRST FEW PHRASES INTRICATELY FOR PROPER BOWING,                             ARTICULATION, and COUNTING

..............2)  DISCUSSED THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER ARTICULATION and  HOW IT CAN BE                            USED TO HIDE MANY PLAYING MISTAKES and ERRORS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013

QUOTE:
“Music is meaningless noise, until it touches a receiving mind.”

AUTHOR: Paul Hindemith

MEANING OF THE QUOTE:
“Art only has meaning for those who bother to spend the time to really think 

  about what the artist is trying to convey.”

COMPOSER
DEBUSSY

LA MER 

CONDUCTED BY MUTI

DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PIECE

CONNECTION WITH ART

ROCK ARRANGEMENT

"BLAST" the video

Blast! Drumline Battery Battle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=186Fdc59tWY

What instrument family is being featured in this piece?  _______________________

What makes it so cool?

------------------------------

Blast! Bolero

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OSFe5MrudRE

Did the dynamic level of this piece get louder or softer? _______________

Name some instruments that are in this piece:

------------------------------

Blast! Simple Gifts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1mvewRB9CN4

The theme of "Simple Gifts" is played over and over in this music. Watch for the end 

(they're all in a line) and write down one thing that you find impressive about this ending.

------------------------------

Blast! Malaguena

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lGkhiiM-KRg

Did the dynamic level of this piece get louder or softer? _________________

Why do you think the color red was used as a theme for this piece?

------------------------------

Blast! Officer Krupke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JpyRcxrpydE

This is a funny piece.  Name at least one funny thing that happened.

------------------------------

http://musicworksheets.pbworks.com/f/BLASTworksheet.pdf

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2013

QUOTE:
“Think more of your own progress than of the opinion of others.”

AUTHOR: Felix Mendelssohn

MEANING OF THE QUOTE:
“In the end, what only matters is what you think of yourself.”

COMPOSER
DEBUSSY

GIRL WITH THE FLAXEN HAIR

The Bridesmaid by Millais

GIRL WITH THE FLAXEN HAIR 
PLAYED BY HEIFETZ

PERIODS 1 and 2:

01.  VIOLIN: BOWING ON SHOULDER
........a.  SHORT REVIEW OF BOW HOLD
........b.  DEMONSTRATION OF BOW LEVELS
........c.  DEMONSTRATION OF BOWING ANGLES
.............1)  MIDDLE OF BOW:  SQUARE (proper) vs PARALLELOGRAM (improper)
.............2)  TIP OF BOW: TRAPEZOID
.............3)  FROG OF BOW: TRIANGLE
........d.  MOVING THE BOW
.............1)  MIDDLE TO TIP: USE OF THE ELBOW
.............2)  FROG TO MIDDLE: USE OF THE ELBOW and UPPER ARM
........e.  BOW IS PLACED IN BETWEEN THE BRIDGE and FINGERBOARD NOT OVER THE                             FINGERBOARD

PERIOD 3:

01.  VIOLIN: LEFT PIZZICATO CYCLE OF STRINGS
........a.  REVIEWED WATCHING THE CONDUCTOR DIRECTIONS
........b.  LEFT THUMB PLACED AT CURVE OF THE VIOLIN NECK
........c.  PAD OF THE LEFT POINTER FINGER DEPRESSES EACH STRING 8X WITH A SPRING                       ACTION
........d.  REPEAT ABOVE DIRECTIONS and PULL THE STRING TO THE RIGHT TO PLUCK THE                      STRING
.............1)  PLUCKED EACH STRING 4X (DEPRESSING THE STRING DOWN BEFORE PLUCKING                         EACH TIME)

ADV. STRINGS

01.  PIRATES OF CARIBBEAN 
........a.  WORKED ON A SPECIFIC PASSAGE TO GET SPEED
02.  HOUDINI

BEG. STRINGS 
01.  WARM-UP 
........a.  FIRST FINGER SHIFTING DO-RE-MI-FA-SOL/SOL-FA-MI-RE-DO (0-1-1-1/-1-1-1-0) ON EACH                    STRING
02.  SONG:  TWINKLE (BY MEMORY)
........a.   PLAYED ON STRINGS D and A (BOW UH) and G and D (BOW LH) BOWING "HUCK-LE-BER-                 RY HOUND DOG" RHYTHM
..............1)  USED THE SAME AMOUNT OF BOW FOR EACH NOTE NECESSITATING BOW SPEED                        CHANGES
03.  SONG:  STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN (HARMONY)
.........a.  REVIEWED COUNTING
.........b.  REVIEWED SOME FINGERINGS and NOTE READING
.........c.  REVIEWED BOW PROPORTIONING LH (LOWER HALF) and UH (UPPER HALF)
04.  SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW
.........a.  PLAYED THE SONG FROM THE BEGINNING
.........b.  REVIEWED A SPECIFIC PASSAGE FOR COUNTING and FOR BOWING

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

QUOTE:
“If someone says can't, that shows you what to do.”

AUTHOR: John Cage

MEANING OF THE QUOTE:
“Pushing yourself to do things others say can not be done takes determination 

  and shows strength of character.”

COMPOSER
DEBUSSY

PRELUDE TO THE AFTERNOON 
OF A FAUN

FAUN:

A Faun by Hungarian painter Pál Szinyei Merse

The goat man, more commonly affiliated with the Satyrs of Greek mythology or Fauns of Roman, is a bipedal creature with the legs of a goat and the torso of a man and is often depicted with goat's horns. These creatures in turn borrowed their appearance from the god Pan of the Greek pantheon. They were a symbol of fertility, and their chieftain was Silenus, a minor deity of Greek mythology.

ORCHESTRA HUMOR BY HOFFNUNG

Hoffnung Symphony Orchestra

Halas & Batchelor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFR34sxjAec

Hoffnung Music Academy

Halas & Batchelor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=173&v=WxvHjwKqmqU

Hoffnung Maestro

Halas & Batchelor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEisr5EpkGM

Hoffnung's Professor Yayas

Memoirs

Halas & Batchelor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=453&v=vyt0osrgx24

FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2013

QUOTE:
"All the sounds on the earth are like music."

AUTHOR: Oscar Hammerstein

MEANING OF THE QUOTE:
“Music is all around us; the wind, ocean pulse, and from the birds 

  that sing….if you only listen for it.”

COMPOSER
TCHAIKOVSKY

The Seasons

Played by pianist Emile Naoumoff

GENERAL MUSIC
01.  MUSICAL: MY FAIR LADY
........a.  SHORT REVIEW OF WHAT WE HAD ALREADY VIEWED
........b.  CONTINUED WITH THE FILM
........c.  DISCUSSED THE SONG LYRICS and HOW, IN A MUSICAL, THE LYRICS OF THE SONGS                    HELP TELL THE STORY and ALSO HELP THE AUDIENCE UNDERSTAND THE                                    PERSONALITIES OF THE THE MAIN CHARACTERS

ADV. STRINGS

01.  ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL
02.  PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN (SIGHT READING)

BEG. STRINGS 
01.  WARM-UP 
........a.  FIRST FINGER SHIFTING DO-RE-MI-FA/FA-MI-RE-DO (0-1-1-1/-1-1-1-0) ON EACH STRING
02.  SONG:  TWINKLE (BY MEMORY)
........a.   PLAYED ON STRINGS D and A (BOW UH) and G and D (BOW LH) BOWING "HUCK-LE-BER-                 RY HOUND DOG" RHYTHM
..............1)  USED THE SAME AMOUNT OF BOW FOR EACH NOTE NECESSITATING BOW SPEED                        CHANGES
03.  SOMEBODY I USED TO KNOW
.........a.  REVIEWED A SPECIFIC PASSAGE FOR COUNTING and FOR BOWING
..............1)  WORKED ON BOW PROPORTIONING
.........b.  PLAYED THE SONG FROM THE BEGINNING

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013

QUOTE:
"Music is given to us with the sole purpose of establishing an order in things, including, and particularly, 

  the coordination between man and time."

AUTHOR: Igor Stravinsky

MEANING OF THE QUOTE:
“Music is a way that man has emotionally recorded his history 
  throughout time.”

COMPOSER
TCHAIKOVSKY

Marche Slav

Conductor: Slatkin

GENERAL MUSIC
PERIODS 1 and 2:
01.  VIOLIN BOW HOLD
........a.  REVIEWED PROCEDURES FOR USING THE BOW
........b.  EXPLAINED BOW HOLD and REASONS FOR THE WAY FINGERS ARE PLACED ON THE                      BOW
........c.  EXPLAINED HOW THE BOW IS BALANCED ON TOP OF THE VIOLIN TO ALLOW FOR                       FLEXIBILITY OF THE RIGHT FINGERS FOR FLUIDITY OF SOUND
........d.  STUDENTS PRACTICED HOLDING THEIR BOWS WITH TEACHER GUIDANCE

PERIOD 3:

01.  HAYDN WORKSHEET
........a.  STUDENTS WORKED ON HAYDN WORKSHEET WHILE VIOLINS WERE ASSIGNED TO                      EACH STUDENT
02.  VIOLIN PROCEDURES
........a.  OPENING and CLOSING CASES PROPERLY
........b.  LEARNING HOW TO PUT ON A SHOULDER REST and HOLD INSTRUMENT AT THE JAW
........c.  FOLLOWING A CONDUCTOR

ADV. STRINGS

01.  PARADISE
02.  YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND

BEG. STRINGS 
01.  WARM-UP 
........a.  FIRST FINGER SHIFTING DO-RE-MI-FA/FA-MI-RE-DO (0-1-1-1/-1-1-1-0) ON EACH STRING
02.  SONG:  TWINKLE (BY MEMORY)
........a.   PLAYED ON STRINGS D and A (BOW UH) and G and D (BOW LH)BOWING "HUCK-LE-BER-                 RY HOUND DOG" RHYTHM
..............1)  EXPLANATION OF COUNTING 16TH NOTES and 8TH'S
..............2)  USED THE SAME AMOUNT OF BOW FOR EACH NOTE NECESSITATING BOW SPEED                        CHANGES
03.  MY  HEART WILL GO ON (HARMONY)
04.  PARADISE (HARMONY)

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2013

QUOTE:
"Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come 

  out of your horn."

AUTHOR: Charlie Parker

MEANING OF THE QUOTE:

“A lot of who you are is due in part to your life’s experiences. 

 Emotions that emanate from those experiences will come out 

 uniquely in the creation of music.”

COMPOSER
TCHAIKOVSKY

"Capriccio Italian"

Carnival in Rome
byAleksandr-Petrovic Mjasoedo, 1839 

Symphonic Poem, Op 45

Conductor: Bernstein

GENERAL MUSIC

PERIODS 1 and 2:

01.  VIOLIN LEFT PIZZICATO

........a.  REVIEW LEFT PIZZICATO EXERCISES WITH EACH FINGER TO ESTABLISH THE PROPER                ANGLE OF THE VIOLIN and THE LEFT ARM UNDER THE VIOLIN

..............1)  FORMED A BACKWARDS "C" AT THE CURVE OF THE NECK

..............2)  PLACED PAD OF THE 1ST FINGER DOWN WITH A "SPRING" ACTION 4X ON EACH                            STRING THEN DID THE SAME WITH ALL THE OTHER FINGERS

..............3)  REPEATED THE ABOVE ACTION EXCEPT ADDED PULLING THE STRING TO THE                              RIGHT CREATING THE LEFT PIZZICATO (PLUCKING ACTION)

02.   VIOLIN LEFT PIZZICATO ON OPEN STRING SONGS
.........a.  CRIPPLE CREEK
...............1)  REVIEWED NAMES OF OPEN STRINGS WHICH HAVE BEEN COLORIZED 
                     GREEN: E/YELLOW: A/RED: D/BLUE:G
...............2)  SANG NOTE NAMES AS THE ACCOMPANIMENT WAS PLAYED
...............3)  SANG NOTE NAMES AS THE ACCOMPANIMENT WAS PLAYED and PLUCKED THE                             CORRESPONDING STRINGS AT THE SAME TIME WITH LEFT PIZZICATO 
.........b.  BATMAN
...............1)  PLAYED BATMAN IN VARIOUS KEYS USING THE SAME DIRECTIONS AS ABOVE

PERIOD 3:

01. VIOLIN PARTS/DEMONSTRATION COMPLETED FROM YESTERDAY

.......a.  REVIEWED THE NAMES OF THE PARTS OF THE INSTRUMENT

.......b.  SHORT QUIZ ON THE NAMES OF THE PARTS
.......c.  NAMES OF OPEN STRINGS REVIEWED
.......d.  DISCUSSED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SHOULDER REST IN HOLDING THE VIOLIN
............1)  EVERYONE GOT TO TRY HOLDING THE VIOLIN WITH A SHOULDER REST ON

ADV. STRINGS

01.  ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL

........a.  WORKED ON THE 2 FASTEST SECTIONS TO GET THE PASSAGES UP TO SPEED

02.  WHAT MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL
03.  HOUDINI

BEG. STRINGS 
01.  WARM-UP 
........a.  OPEN STRING ONE OCTAVE SCALES SLURRING 2 NOTES ON EACH WHOLE BOW
02.  SONG:  TWINKLE (BY MEMORY)
........a.   PLAYED ON STRINGS D and A (BOW UH) and G and D (BOW LH)
03.  SONG: ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL
04. SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW

TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2013

QUOTE:
"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."

AUTHOR: Aldous Huxley

MEANING OF THE QUOTE:
“Silence, an element of music, is often a more powerful expression 

 than words."

COMPOSER
TCHAIKOVSKY

Symphony #5 in Eminor, op. 64

Conductor: Bernstein

GENERAL MUSIC

PERIODS 1 and 2:

02.  VIOLIN LEFT HOLD

........a.  LEFT PIZZICATO EXERCISES WITH EACH FINGER TO ESTABLISH THE PROPER ANGLE                  OF THE VIOLIN and THE LEFT ARM UNDER THE VIOLIN

..............1)  FORMED A BACKWARDS "C" AT THE CURVE OF THE NECK

..............2)  PLACED PAD OF THE 1ST FINGER DOWN WITH A "SPRING" ACTION 4X ON EACH                            STRING THEN DID THE SAME WITH ALL THE OTHER FINGERS

..............3)  REPEATED THE ABOVE ACTION EXCEPT ADDED PULLING THE STRING TO THE                              RIGHT CREATING THE LEFT PIZZICATO (PLUCKING ACTION)

PERIOD 3:

01. VIOLIN PARTS/DEMONSTRATION

.......a.  DISCUSSED VIOLIN BOW

.......b.  REVIEWED THE NAMES OF THE PARTS OF THE INSTRUMENT

ADV. STRINGS

01.  ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL

........a.  WORKED ON THE 2 FASTEST SECTIONS TO GET THE PASSAGES UP TO SPEED

02.  MY HEART GOES ON

BEG. STRINGS 
01.  WARM-UP 
........a.  OPEN STRING ONE OCTAVE SCALES SLURRING 2 NOTES ON EACH WHOLE BOW
02.  SONG:  TWINKLE (BY MEMORY)
........a.   PLAYED ON STRINGS D and A (BOW UH) and G and D (BOW LH)
03.  SONG: SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW
........a.  DISCUSSED THE COUNTING..SPECIFICALLY THE 8TH NOTES