Reviews and Challenges

Dear Families,

Over the February Break, I will meet with Ms. Kenney and Ms. White to plan violin, strings, and guitar participation in the March assembly and/or Easter festival (that is, we might do one or the other, or some hybrid). As such, we will use our next 3 classes to review and preview without a specific performance in mind.

4th Grade
I gave out my color-coded versions of "March of the Crazy Ants," "Woke Up Early," and "A Fantastic View." We will work on these 3 pieces mainly in the next few classes. We are also using them to notice some aspects of musical form and technical aspects (rest, staccato, and the like).

This would be a time I would start arranging chances for me or others (James Hinkley, Kat Fritz?) to demonstrate the viola and cello as students think about next year, but I would like 4th grade parents to collect thoughts (to your teacher or class parent?). One 5th grader parent told me she appreciated knowing that taking up the viola and particularly the cello might involve higher rental costs and more necessity for more frequent lessons (because of learning to read a new clef; of potentially playing melodies different from the rest of the group). As such, I would be willing not to demonstrate viola and cello and not talk about it with the students if parents prefer.

I would love to have some students join our cello and viola sections next year. I have played the cello for 7 months and surprised beyond belief at how much I adore playing it. I don't want to deny this possibility for students, but I also want parents to have their eyes wide open as to logistics and what this means (more practicing, very consistent lessons, more expensive instrument procurement, bigger instrument to move back and forth) and can adapt.

5th & 6th Grade

I found a different version of Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring. This is still by far the hardest and longest piece we have attempted this year. We may do our best with it for 2 weeks and put it aside (I fondly remember tackling Rite of Spring without the need for public performance when I was in high school), or some or all of us may play it as 7 & 8 choir sings the choral part. Please have your student bring this to her or his private teacher. Please do let me know if the private teacher says it is way too difficult for this age group (e.g., the 1st violins have to shift to 2nd or 3rd position or do an awkward stretch up to high C). This will be a useful reality check for me.

It could still be possible that a small ensemble could accompany the choir; I know some of our students have been working hard on the violin part. As always, I find extreme challenges can really help us grow.

7th & 8th Grade

Some students want to learn bar chords, which I am introducing. I have asked the students to pick songs from Rise Up Singing. I am also observing that it is helpful if I pick songs. We will sample a variety of songs in the next 3 classes and tailor our work to our performance after the February break.

With warmth and light,

William Geoffrey Dolde