Practice Journals 09/20/2011
I am asking all students to become better at practicing their instruments. Too often we just blindly play "at" our instruments or through pieces without stopping to think about what we're doing. We forget to LISTEN and apply STRATEGIES. Each week, students need to fill out a Practice Journal. This can be found Here (HS) and Here (MS) or even HERE! This is an assignment that will be graded each week. We will work as a class to build our tool chest of practice strategies. These are due MONDAY of each week. I will also have extra hard-copies in the orchestra room. I'm looking forward to reading about your home practice! Add Comment EXTRA! EXTRA! 09/18/2011
As I started my weekend, I was so excited when I realized how many students are taking advantage of the extra opportunities I'm providing this year! On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, we worked with a committed group of advanced students, and started work on a terrific piece by Grieg, the Holberg Suite. It was wonderful to reconnect with you in a collaborative environment! I'm looking forward to great performances this year! On Tuesday and Thursday mornings this week, I worked with a number of freshman (with some help from upper classmen) on tuning your own instrument and music reading strategies. I saw remarkable improvement on our class' ability to push through mistakes and get back on track without stopping. This is an important skill to have as a developing orchestra. We will take the time to work on perfecting mistakes, but unless we learn to solve problems as we play, we will always be stopping. It is a bit like a football player who just stops running the ball as he gets tackled. We need to be in the mindset that we are always pushing through a tackle right now to gain yardage. On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, I worked with middle school students after school (a few East 6th graders and High School students joined us!), and we organized our solo and ensemble groups. The week's total number of students seeking EXTRA learning opportunities was......52!!!!!!!!!!! That's half of our students, 7-12, looking for MORE in their orchestra experience! That MADE my weekend! Here's a video in honor of Michael, who suggested this group to me via facebook. Michael, we used to have an Apolcayptica enthusiast in our orchestra who graduated a few years back. Check out their website for music download-ables! DON'T FORGET! 09/12/2011
Calling all Middle School and High School Orchestra peeps! Don't forget that we have zero hour (high school) from 7am-7:30am to get help on TUNING your own instrument and READING music in class. Middle School orchestra: Encore Strings begins tomorrow from 3-4pm. I have been told the activity bus is running. Get a head start on Solo and Ensemble! Looking forward to seeing you there! We had a great start to the year! It's great to see so many students ready to start the year out right! You've stepped up to the plate, and we are overcoming the challenges of a large multi-level class at the High School. I'm eager to begin working with the 8th graders on our tune writing for the Hunger Games, and practice journals begin for all our students next week. This is a reminder to all 7th and 8th graders to submit your practice card ONLINE! Check out the menu to your right...the link is there. Just submit a card to let me know you figured this out. This is just a trial run so you can learn the system. I will check and grade cards on Monday evenings. You should get them in by 5pm. And here's your weekend candy. I know it's long, but it's worth it. FYI when I ask you to MOVE when you play your instruments, this is what I mean! :) ARE YOU READY!?!?!? 09/04/2011
What does a music teacher do on Labor Day weekend (besides celebrate her daughter's birthday)???? Fill music folders for the first week of school, of course! :) I am really excited about our upcoming year together. I will be teaching at the Middle School for the first time, we will have another gigantic class at the high school, and we have some terrific events planned for the year. Please check out all that you can look forward to under your school's page in the right-hand corner of this page. As I thought this summer about the challenges we face in our economy and hence in education, I was reminded that one of our biggest obstacles to success is our own attitude. As we grapple with all the changes in our program, it is important to me that we stay focused on growing as musicians and as a musical community. I believe in each and every one of you, and together we will persist through all the challenges we face. Our theme this year will be....  Looking forward to a great year!!! Summer Scavenger Hunt 07/17/2011
Okay, so a while back I shared this video with you... An amazing rendition of Mark Summer's Julie-O (this guy blows me away!) Then my friend clued me onto the group Project Trio. Here's one of their videos: I ask you, which would be harder!?!?!?!? Okay, let's go on a scavenger hunt for the coolest beatboxing video out there on YouTube! Post it in the comments! Fireworks and hard issues 07/03/2011
In honor of 4th of July, I'm reposting this fantastic video by a former orchestra student I knew in Okemos. He put together his own version of the Katy Perry song- this is a FANTASTIC cover! When we explored other ways to make music in orchestra last year, I found so many of you stretching your boundaries like Chris did in his video. Let's keep it up and celebrate creativity! And now to a sticky issue. The purpose of music education in the schools. I give this a great deal of thought, as I live and have worked in many music education arenas. For you students, my hope is that you will have a deep and meaningful music experience, one that will make you lifelong learners and lovers of music. Do we have to achieve that in the traditional orchestra? I think not. Here is a unique way of looking at the possibilities (and some of the roadblocks) that we face in music education today: http://teachingmusic.tumblr.com/post/7034375810/what-we-get-wrong-an-illustrated-guide-to-our-music I would love to begin a discussion on this topic. Comments are open with moderation. STRING CHEESE! 06/29/2011
I'm working on dates for next year's workshop with String Cheese, and it just brought me back to this incredible song they played in concert last spring! Check them out at stringcheesemusic.com! Jacqueline du Pre and Elgar 06/28/2011
I heard a young man play this movement of the Elgar concerto at the Blue Lake honors recital. Of course, who can think of this piece without thinking of this beautiful woman and her signature performance of the Elgar Cello Concerto. Her sense of timing and her ability to communicate with such great passion and color is what draws me to this recording. Enjoy... BLUE LAKE!!! 06/27/2011
Just got back from a wonderful 4 day Suzuki Family Camp at Blue Lake. The Family Camp goes a week before the other traditional camp weeks start, and it is geared towards families who participate in Suzuki Programs. We have a Suzuki start in Waverly, but are missing some of the key elements to really be a Suzuki Program (like early start and private lessons...). Being there re-energized my desire to start a Suzuki program in our school district. We entertained the idea last year, but in retrospect, it's good nothing got started as we had so much transition in our school district. What it takes are interested families. I'm looking for a group (could even just be 5 or 6 kids) of 4-7 year olds whose families want to get started on violin or cello. I know, it sounds awfully early, but folks, it works! I'm posting a link to the SAA (Suzuki Association of the Americas) here in this post so you can check it out. http://suzukiassociation.org/ Enjoy! (and help me recruit some young whipper-snappers to twinkle with me!) | About Mrs. SpurbeckJenny has been a cellist for 29 years and has actively shared her joy of making music with students since 1993. After earning degrees in cello performance from Vanderbilt University and Michigan State University, she pursued Suzuki Training primarily under the guidance and direction of Marilyn Kesler. Since then she has taught a wide variety of students, both privately and in ensembles throughout her teaching career, many of whom have pursued music outside their formal education. ArchivesMarch 2012 CategoriesAll |
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