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WEEK ENDING AUGUST 23 (WEEK 2)

Early Learners (Beginners & Pre-K): In addition to our usual moving, singing and signing, we’ve been taking turns with a few percussion instruments. Students are being introduced to congas, claves, maracas, guiro, shaker, and tambourines, and will get to know them better as we explore together.

Kindergarten & 1st grade students are also taking turns with our percussion instruments. We’ve been listening to Santana’s Oye Como Va and Samba Para Ti as well as selections from Buena Vista Social Club. We’ve also been reviewing pitch names on the Treble Clef.

2nd Grade got their log-in information for Theta Music today! Some are still getting logged in for the first time; we will get everyone completely set up the next time we meet. We’ve also reviewed the treble clef and explored percussion.

Elementary (3rd-5th): We’ve reviewed the treble clef, explored percussion and added a few assignments in Theta Music as we continue to explore timbre. Students may be bringing assignments home if they are not yet compete.

Middle School Students (6th-8th) have a survey to complete (due today), which includes a conversation with their family about our two required concert dates (November 19 and April 28), reading the syllabus, and gathering contact information for any lessons they may take.

Theta Music assignments have also been made; be sure to work on them at home if they are not yet complete.

Remember, all Middle School assignments will be delivered via Google Classroom; be sure to turn your work in via Classroom as well!

All-Stars has begun working on about 7 songs. There is some RHCP, Cake, Joe Walsh, Foo Fighters, and Police in the mix.

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Week Ending August 6th (Week 1)

Early Learners (Beginners & Pre-K): We’ve had a great time moving, singing, and signing to some of our old favorites this week.

Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd: In addition to moving and signing, we’ve begun to explore timbre-the character of an instrument’s sound. We’ve like to use Band Match as well as a few classroom instruments (congas, bongos, tambourines) to introduce sounds.

Elementary (3rd-5th): We’ve established log-in information for each of our students and begun our first assignment: a deeper exploration of timbre. Each 3rd-5th student has assignments that can be found on the Theta Music Student Console. 3rd & 4th students have one initial assignment; 5th grade students have a series!

Middle School Students (6th-8th) have a survey to complete, which includes a conversation with their family about our two required concert dates (November 19 and April 28), reading the syllabus, and gathering contact information for any lessons they may take. They are also required to log-in to Theta Music just to make sure that their log-in credentials work (contact me if they do not). Remember, all Middle School assignments will be delivered via Google Classroom; be sure to turn your work in via Classroom as well!

All-Stars is busy selecting music and preparing to recruit guest vocalists and guitarists!

All in all, a great first week!

Community Opportunity, Compositions & Songwriting, Uncategorized

Community Opportunity: Songwriting at the Library!

Songwriting with Joe Misterovich!

You’ll pick up songwriting tips from Library staffer (and Summit graduate) Joe Misterovich from 2–3:30 p.m. Sunday, June 23, at the Schweitzer Brentwood Branch. Feel free to bring an instrument, a song of your own or a poem. You’ll learn some first steps to songwriting and maybe write our own songs together. For
grades 6–12.

 

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Spring Concert: Tuesday May 7 at 6:30FALL CONCERT: TUESDAY NOVEMBER 13 AT 6:30PM

Summit Families,

It’s time for our Spring Concert once again. Our musicians have worked very hard over the past several weeks, and I’m sure everyone will have a great time.

Here are some important things you may wish to know about the concert:

The concert will begin at 6:30 on Tuesday, May 7th. All-Stars will be able to have a sound check if we arrive at 5:15. Middle School musicians that play an instrument will need to arrive in time to tune at 6:00. All other students may arrive no later than 6:15.

Concert dress is a red Summit uniform polo and khaki pants. No jeans or shorts, please. Ladies may wear khaki capris if they would like. If a musician chooses to wear a dress (either the one-piece red uniform dress or a khaki skirt with their red Summit polo), please wear white tights or white leggings underneath. The short-sleeve red Summit polo is recommended as the lights on stage are very warm. All-Stars may wear nice jeans and a Summit Spirit Wear shirt of their choice.

Musician safety is always important to us, especially while we are off campus. It is important that you are with your musician until you bring them to their teacher.

Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 5th Grade parents may check musicians in with their teachers in the reserved rows (on the left side of the audience) and then find a comfortable place to enjoy the concert. We ask that musicians remain with their parents until their classroom teachers arrive. After their numbers, musicians will remain seated with their class until the end of the concert.

3rd and 4th Grade parents may check musicians in with their teachers in the reserved rows on the right side of the audience and then find a comfortable place to enjoy the concert. We ask that musicians remain with their parents until their classroom teachers arrive. After their numbers, these musicians will remain seated with their class.

Middle School parents may check musicians in with their classroom teachers in the reserved rows on the left side of the audience and then find a comfortable place to enjoy the concert. We ask that musicians remain with their parents until their classroom teachers arrive.

All-Stars will spend the entire concert onstage or backstage.

We ask that musicians with instruments wait a moment for things to clear before picking them up.

Our concert will be held at The Gillioz, located at 325 Park Central E, Springfield, MO 65806.

Parking is abundant downtown, but you may have to take a further spot as the concert approaches. We always recommend carpooling and arriving early.

The concert will begin promptly at 6:30 and will last about an hour and a half.

It is understandable that a musician may be ill or need to be absent or leave early due to a previous commitment. Please RSVP your teacher and Mr. Keech via email with any regrets.

Footage of our previous concerts can be found here on YouTube or on the Summit Music Blog.  Be sure to subscribe, and feel free to share videos from the concert with me; I’d love to be able to share them in our concert playlist.

Thanks for all that you do to make our school great!

Shawn Keech
SKeech@TheSummitPrep.Org

What We Do In Music

Handbells

From time to time, Summit musicians enjoy playing handbells. Playing with handbells provides opportunities for:

  • Understanding that each pitch has a name, pitches can be naturals or accidentals, accidentals have more than one name (a sharp name and a flat name)
  • Performing with others requires taking turns and being focused even when it isn’t your turn yet.
  • Observing that not all pitches are used with the same frequency within a piece. Also, sometimes there are more than one pitch with the same name (a high A and a low A for example).
  • Practical experience with what we refer to as the “Handbell Strategy” among older students: if you are not prepared to play all of a piece, pick parts you can do and play those correctly. Lots of people playing just a few notes each can make great music!
  • Occasionally adding other single-pitch or novel instruments (steel drum, Boomwhackers); joining in with single notes or a few as students become more comfortable with the instrument.

Our handbell experiences are modified across ages to best fit student development. Younger students play with only a few naturals only, reinforcing letter names and turn taking. Elementary students perform with pitch names written out for more complicated songs and are introduced to standard notation with fewer pitches. Older students continue using pitch names and also perform using standard notation, experiencing faster tempos, chords, and more complicated music forms.

Cultivating life long learners is a core mission of the Summit, and we aim to prepare Summit musicians to be participants in and creators of music, no matter what their chosen vocation. Performing with handbells is one of many ways that musicians can enjoy music for a lifetime!

 

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Community Opportunity, Compositions & Songwriting

Community Opportunity: COMP Project

The University of Missouri has an annual statewide competition (the Creating Original Music Project) that recognizes Missouri students (K-12) who compose original works in a variety of musical styles.

Students that enjoy creating new music can view details and register online at: https://newmusic.missouri.edu/comp

The deadline for this year’s entries is January 13th. If you have an entry for this year, be sure to contact me as soon as possible!

Summit musicians have placed in the competition in the past. (in 2018, 2014, 2013, and 2011). Here are a few of their entries & performances: