Adventures with Choirs

So. It's been two weeks, I've calmed down, and my student never knew how angry with him I was. Isn't that a good thing? Right now, the students are gone, and I'm supposed to be working on my curriculum map. I don't really want to. I think the idea is good, it's just the way it's set up is not very conducive to what I do and the way I have structured my classes. But that's a different subject.

In case you're wondering, here's what happened: on the second night (of the day I last blogged) I was again lying in bed, thinking about the next day and the fact that I would see the OK choir and that particular student. I was trying to think what I could do differently - obviously something wasn't working for the kid, so I needed to change my methods of instruction - when I began to think about my student. I mean, I don't really know all that much about him. I do know that he is experiencing academic concern (he's failing most of his classes) and so is facing possible expulsion, and that he's in a garage band, but other than that.... I have met both of his parents, but I don't really know anything else. And then I began to think that I should pray for him. My initial reaction was "Are you kidding? I'm not praying for such a snot", but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed to be the right thing to do. So I did. I prayed for him - big things were happening in his life (what parent is really happy with a kid when that kid's failing school?) and he needed someone else to be concerned for him. I also prayed for myself to be patient and understanding and to truly care about him - I'm making a muck of this explanation, but I hope you understand. I prayed for the choir as a whole - that they would be able to focus and concentrate and actually think about what sounds they were supposed to make. And then I went peacefully to sleep.

The choir in question meets the second block of the day (the first block is my prep), and so I got as ready as I could. I decided to try something different - with one of the songs, they have to sing minor chords - the guys on la (g), altos on do (b flat) and the sopranos on mi (d), and so on - and they all get sucked into the root of the chord instead of singing their own note. So, during the course of the warm up, we sang simple patterns - minor chords, in solfege - that were not in any particular rhythm. Of course, the chords were from the song (but did any of them realize it? Nope. Not a one), so when we started rehearsing the song, they were amazed and I was delighted at the way it all came together. Watching their faces as they sange these gorgeous chords in tune was wonderful - they sounded good, and they knew it! And I knew it! It was the best rehearsal we have ever had, and for the first time they understood what they could actually do - what kind of music they could actually make. The rest of the day went very well, too. I was incredibly grateful.

So. Have we had any rehearsals just like that one? No, but the kids are still working and their sound is beginning to change. They heard greatness once, and now they know what's possible.

With the other high school choir (the "good" choir), I handed them a piece of music and told them it was their final exam. It's an arrangement of "Giovanni Lieti" from "The Marriage of Figaro" - Mozart, of course. It's really quite simple - 3 part, with a pretty limited range and repetition. And it's Mozart. Did I mention that? I think if one has the opportunity to sing Mozart, one should. Anyway - their assignment is to learn it themselves and perform it at the concert. They actually have to put into practice all the things they've been working on this entire year - sightreading, stylistic elements, expression, etc. It's been fun watching them struggle (yes, I am slightly cruel. I enjoy making them suffer), but they really are doing well. It's amazing how well they can sightread when they know they have to. They'll sing it in solfege and then in Italian. I will accompany, and one of the students will direct. It's going to be great, and I'm looking forward to the finished product. They're actually beginning to be pretty proud of themselves, and listening to them argue over dynamics and phrasing just warms the cockles of my heart. I don't know what cockles are, but my heart has them and they are warmed.

This past week some of my 6th graders had quite an adventure - they participated in an awards show that was written and produced by a company from New York - it was really an amazing thing. The down side of it all was the amount of time we sat around waiting to rehearse. The show was on Saturday, and we ended up sitting in a small room for 3 hours with absolutely nothing to do. I had thought that the students would be allowed to watch the show, but nope. They came on at the last 6 minutes of a 2 hour show. Now, I don't normally talk to people on Saturdays - I have to spend so much time during the rest of the week being charming and good natured that I truly require a day when I can be as sullen, taciturn and solitary as I like - and having to supervise 21 11 year olds with nothing to do and nowhere to go was not a lot of fun. it turned out well, and really, my kids are really well behaved; they're just 11 years old and full of energy. I made it out without yelling at or dismembering any of them, so I consider it a success.

All of my choirs are really, really beginning to sound amazing - even the 7th grade choir, which was by far the weakest suddenly found their choral voice. It's truly exciting, even though the summer is almost here, they will forget everything they've learned, a lot of them aren't taking choir next year (the scheduling is really messed up) and I know of a lot of new students coming in who know nothing. Ah, such is life, right?

But my life for the fall just got a whole lot easier - we were supposed to host the Debate and Forensics tournament next school year, and lucky me, as the only returning coach, I was going to have to plan it all. Well, we're not hosting it anymore! Instead, the school that hosted this year in Cairo is doing it again, and we're going to a different tournament in Amman, Jordan. I saw the pyramids on the school's dirham, maybe I'll see the Dead Sea on it, too!