Fab Friday 12/14

Two differing treatments of "Carol of the Bells". Both are creative and fun........okay, so one of them clearly features more talent and skill! :0)

Fab Friday 12/7

Jingle Bells - 17 ways
Too funny! What a talented man...funnier if you have a little background about the artists he's impersonating (which we'll touch on...). Enjoy :0)

Fab Friday 11/30

Lindsey Stirling is a YouTube sensation who composes original music, as well as covering gaming and new age tunes. She has a distinctive style, playing a mean violin while dancing - mostly modern dance. Most of her videos have a detailed plot or concept...a flair for the dramatic! Definitely a creative artist/musician/free spirit...

Warm-up Faves from Choir

A student requested that I post these songs... I'm not sure if it was for the full videos or the karaoke versions. Both of these are fan favorites in choir for misc. warm-ups, especially Jar of Hearts!
I'm not exactly a fan of the Fun. video - and they are both a touch on the dark side - but I don't think they are offensive, so I will go ahead and post them...

Random Funny

Sometimes we need random funny in the choir room, especially at the end of long/crazy weeks. I like Brian Regan...he's a hoot!

Listening Log/SQUILT Selection

I had a request to post the video that accompanies today's listening log: "Poor Wayfaring Stranger" by Swingle Singers, a fantastic acappella group. Two MV students are singing (a simpler version of) this piece for ISSMA! ...a very pretty and soulful song...

Fab Friday 11/9

Jackie Evancho is a world-renown vocalist who's been wowing audiences since she was 8 or 9. She's this decade's version of Charlotte Church (Pie Jesu).

Fab Friday 11/2 - Developing Child Prodigy

These are a bit lengthy...but boy is he cute! These clips follow the amazing development of Akim Camara, a violin prodigy. I believe he was born in 2001, so the clips are at age 3, 5, 9, and 11.

Fab Friday 10/26

Theme for choir: "Musical Prodigies". We are discussing clips with young performers showing large amounts of talent. Now, not all of them are likely considered "A.N.T.s" with natural talent...I'm sure some of them are a product of quite a bit of coaching, but it's still neat to see some of these kids shine.
Caroline Costa started on France's version of Got Talent when she was about 10 or 11 years old. In just 4 years, she blossomed into an even more amazing pop sensation in French culture. Kinda neat...!

General Music saw a rather interesting use of harmonica, beatboxing, singing, and looping. We talked about loop stations/stomp boxes, etc... That crazy technology again...!

Fab Friday 10/5

The MS choirs got a fun look at Rhett and Link's T-shirt shenanigans, while the 8th grade had an
 a cappella-themed day. A cappella has taken the world by storm throughout the last several years...here are some groups that are pretty awesome. Everyone have a safe and restful fall break and be ready to work hard toward Vet's Day program (6/7), Fortville Winter Fest (optional), ISSMA Solo & Ensemble (optional), and the Winter Concert (required for 9-week grade)! Yeah Fall!!

Fab Friday 9/28

Some food for thought this week... Classes viewed this clip and then reflected through a music journal entry. The task: argue both sides of the issue that presents itself in this video. Take a look...does this method of live performance excite you or disappoint you? Is technology enhancing the musical "experience" or detracting from it? As a performer, would you feel fulfilled? As an audience member, would you get your money's worth? What's the "cool factor" and does it outweigh the traditional music-making expectations?

Who knew such a short clip could spark such a debate, eh students?

Fab Friday 9/21

The power of music never ceases to amaze me. This is a touching and true documentary. Thanks to Lauren P.'s mom for sending this one my way a while back!

Oops! I Forgot a Fab Friday Clip...

,,,AND we giggled a bit at this Sesame Street parody of "Glee"! (the letter 'g') Bwa ha ha!

Fab Friday (tardy) 9/14

A little bit of this and a little bit of that!The 6th graders needed to meet Il Volo, a teenage Italian opera trio.....The 7th/8th graders experienced the 4-chord mega-medley of the Axis of Awesome.....and the general music class got to check out the creative concept videos of Ok Go. Some of these are already on my blog, but I'll repost them anyway!

Fab Friday 9/7

This year's 8th graders performed "Africa" last year at the Pops Concert in October. This was a nice trip down memory lane...plus this group begins with the ever-popular rain storm activity. Now why didn't I think of that?  :0)

PR Committee: Help with Project

Choir Public Relations Committee: Follow this link to the instructions for your paper ball project. Unfortunately, they aren't overly detailed...but as I mentioned Friday at school, this project just takes a bit of patience and old-fashioned trial-and-error until you get it right. Working with the cardstock is a little frustrating, as it will want to collapse on you. Grab a friend, older sibling, or parent if you need help. The result is worth the time and trials. NOTE: you may end up having to reverse the hanger I taped on to your final piece in order for it to slide in the correct way. The last piece is the hardest...gotta find every petal that needs attached! Remember, every petal of every flower needs to be attached to a DIFFERENT flower. Good luck, and I can't wait to see them when you bring them to school on Tuesday. Just bring them right to my room first thing in the morning -they are not locker material!
http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-to-make-3d-paper-ball-ornaments.html

Fab Friday 8/31

When I first saw this, I thought it was a movie trailor. Not so...  The source will surprise you and probably make you scowl, giggle, or even wince with the almost absurdity of it all. But, at the end of the day, it's a really. good. message. This week, we listened to a poignant piece for our listening log - I shared with the classes that it made me feel, well...it's hard to describe with words. That's the power of music...words just sometimes aren't sufficient. Pachelbel's Canon in D (the track to this video) makes me feel the same way.

In this time when teachers are being stressed to the max with piling state requirements and demands/rhetoric that demoralizes them, I guess I'm inadvertantly doing some soul-searching. Perhaps that's why the listening log and Fab Friday have been "deep" this week. It's great to teach a subject matter that can instantly salve the wounds of everyday life. Not only do I teach it, I live it. And I hope my students will continue to live it as well!

 

Fab Friday 8/24 and More

I dig The Piano Guys! This week, our SQUILT/Listening Log had us enjoying their rendition of Christina Perry's "A Thousand Years". We saw a couple more clips I came across that made us smile...   And then there's this Fab Friday clip: It cracks me up that The Muppets (Beaker) has jumped on the overdub/split screen band wagon. And just like when I watched The Muppet Show back in the early 80's, my favorite part is the cranky old men at the end! :0)

Fab Friday 8/17

What is this obsession with overdubbing your vocal tracks to create popular covers and then slapping them on YouTube??? Oh yeah, it's called technology making your face and voice irresistable to teens all over the globe! So many are going this route nowadays....it amazes me how we've come so far in the days since I was a teen listening to the latest music. (Hey, The Bangles on my walkman wasn't THAT long ago!!!) So here he is...Matt Harris and his cover of Gotye's hit. The amazing human voice...with a little help from some recording magic.

Fab Friday 8/10

More vocal awesomeness with a fellow whose specialty is TV and movie theme songs. His double and triple-tonguing would make any trumpet player proud! Listen to how he goes after those sixteenth note runs in the "string" parts! Check out his YouTube Channel...he's got something for everyone!

Some of the 6th graders saw an encore of The Voca People. It's a re-post of a group I showed last year. They are a great example of vocal creativity and awesomeness (oh no, I've used it twice now...is that even a word?). Their stage story is a little odd, but they are pretty good!

Fab Friday 8/3

Two different takes on the same great song! These performers are so "into" their interpretations of the song that they don't worry about how over-exaggerated they look. *wink*wink MSers!

Pics of the MS Choir Room - finally all painted!

 After 9 years with me, the nasty brown bar stool finally got a makeover too!

 Pinterest granted me the cool storage bench under the chalkboard...I made it by zip-tying milk crates together and slapping on some plywood and cushion. (with help from Andy!) I love how it doubles as storage for our sight-singing books. With milk crates from behind our shed, leftover plywood on hand, and clearance fabric from Walmart, it was only about a $9.00 project!

A few things are moved here and there, but it's still the same old room with the same old stuff. It's amazing how just a couple of tweaks can refresh the place. Unfortunately, it's still 15 degrees warmer than the rest of the school, terribly humid, and has a funny smell. I will continue to be addicted to febreze and other air fresheners! :0) See you all Wednesday!

Are You Ready...?

Another school year is upon us...can you believe the summer was so short?-- and that's not just an exaggeration like previous years! So here's where you'll find our Fab Friday "schtuff" and other interesting things. This year, I'll also be posting things that may benefit the newly-formed General Music class: theory help, unit-related items, and (hopefully) some guitar help.
If you are checking back in as a Freshman, my best wishes come your way! I may still see you on occasion in the choir room - good luck this year! Eighth graders: I'll see YOU in the great big HS choir room...PLEEEEEAAAAAASSSEE don't drive me nuts by staring at yourself in the mirrors all period, primping and such! You'll be happy to know I did finish painting the entire MS choir room...it looks awesome, so come back and visit sometime! Can't wait to see my returning choir students and am looking forward to having the 6th graders back in my "talons" again :0).

I always told you that last year being my first at the MS was a year of keeping afloat and that I would be studying up to find new and creative ideas for this year. I have been! I've added a ton of new warm-ups to our repertoire, ISSMA Solo & Ensemble WILL NOT kick my behind, and I have some ideas for getting our numbers up in the choirs - "Bring a Friend to Choir Day" anyone? Well, here's to a super year...hang on tight! See you shortly!  -Mrs. Walton

We've had a good year MSers....have a fantastic (and restful) summer and I'll see you again next year! A favorite piece of mine to leave you with.... :0)

Why Do We Teach Music?

Not because we expect you to major in music...

Not only because we expect you to play or sing all your life...

Not only so you can relax...

Not just so you can have fun...

But...

so you will be more human

so you will recognize beauty

so you will be sensitive

so you will be closer to an infinite beyond this world

so you will have something to cling to

so you will have more compassion,

more gentleness, more good, in short, ...more life...

Of what value will it be to make a prosperous living unless you know how to live?

-Unknown Author

Fab Friday 4/27

His name is Brian Regan. He is funny. I will link, but not post the video screen. Check with your parents before you explore Brian's other clips on YouTube. You know why... he's pretty mild, but about every other clip includes "h--l". Totally giggle-worthy, though!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkrMsPiqG6M
(Stupid in School)

Little League is pretty funny also...
Totally random stuff gang. No musical merit whatsoever. Maybe he needs to come up with one about school music, band/choir, or something!

Fab Friday 4/20

A while back, there was a neat show called America's Best Dance Crew, in which troupes competed for the big prize. These were top-notch teams that lived and breathed cool choreography...mostly hip-hop styles. One of my favorites (and apparently America's) was the Jabbawockeez. Check them out!

Fab Friday 4/13

An extremely talented group, The Piano Guys have put out some creative covers of popular tunes, parodies, and just plain cool work. Funny though, most of them feature a cellist! Great music that most kids enjoy... Here are a few of my faves:

Okay, I should probably include at least ONE featuring the piano talents!!!

Interactive Solfege Sight

http://www2.hoover.k12.al.us/schools/hhs/faculty/cshelton/Pages/IntrotoSolfege.aspx
This site will sound tones for any key signature while you click on the curwen hand signs and see the solfege syllable. Cool way to practice and train those ears!

Roller Coaster Music Visualization

http://vimeo.com/20462506
Check out this video!

Fab Friday 4/6

Some songs just lend themselves perfectly to flattery through multiple covers. I mean, hop on YouTube and see the ridiculous amount of covers for "I Love the Way You Lie" or Adele's tunes. In this case, Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" returns to Fab Friday. Thanks to Jacob for leading me to this fantastic rendition by Pentatonix.

Fab Friday 3/23 Random Funny

Random, smile-worthy clip today! It has nothing to do with any planned theme for Fab Fridays, I just found it on a music teacher blog and thought it was share-worthy. Watch and you may agree! These guys aren't too bad!

Fab Friday 3/9 "Get Back" Misheard

Do you like the Beatles? Their hit, "Get Back", has quite a few people singing the wrong lyrics right off the bat...
Is it "Jo-Jo was a man who thought he was an owner", "Jo-Jo was a man who thought he was a loner", or "Jo-Jo was a man who thought he was a woman"? Yikes!

Fab Friday 3/2 Misunderstood Lyrics

March is here! This month, we'll take a listen to some well-known songs with lyrics that people have goobered up over the years. For some, I will post the video. Not all examples will get that treatment, though, because I try to keep the themes as clean as possible. I know my students see and hear a lot worse than what I allow in my room, but this here's a family show!

This week, we'll listen to one of my favorites as a youth - Shake it Up by the Cars (1981). So is it "Don't let nobody pick your fun" or "Don't let nobody pick your bum"? You decide! :0)

The video can be found on YouTube, but I will not post it here. Nothing too racy, just a bit flouncy with the girls...

Fab Friday 2/24

Here we go again...another fabulous cover tune by Mike Tompkins. He's very adept at his overdubbing craft! Maybe I'm just smitten because they didn't have this cool technology when I was listening to the cool, popular songs of my teen years! Anyway, enjoy this cover of "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele and Happy Friday!

Fab Friday 2/17

Speaking of cover tunes...these guys got lots of press when Glee featured them in last year's MJ episode. There are several talented performers out there that have covered Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal", but I like how this is off the beaten path.

Fab Friday 2/10

Remember Nick Pitera and his One Man Disney video? This is FreddeGredde... Same vein of using technology to duplicate and harmonize. Fredde is from Sweden and this cover of "Killer Queen" is pretty fun to behold!

For February, I'll try to highlight clips that are covers of existing songs. Since most of my classes are touching on the roots of, techniques for, and careers relating to popular music, covers are a fun way to witness the love affair we have with pop classics.

Fab Friday 1/27 Creative Concept

Last week's string of creative concept videos were particularly catchy and enjoyable. The artists were able to have both a good song and a unique video, something very difficult to pull off. This video from 2008 doesn't necessarily support a strong song; however, the star of the show is clearly the creative concept behind the video itself. You'll be so drawn in by the visuals that you may not care whether the music/lyrics are worthy.

Fab Friday 1/20 OK-Go

We are visiting some catchy, unique, and perhaps even viral videos as we explore popular music. Just my opinion- but as far as catchy and unique go, this band takes the cake. If you haven't experienced the quirky products of OK Go, here are my faves.

Back in the Saddle...and Fab Friday 1/13/12

Couple of things...
8th Graders are beginning their unit on careers in music, with the first stop being multimedia music. With the network at school experiencing problems due to NWEA testing, we were unable to get into some of the sites that will help shed some light on this area. Here are the links to some sites that are relevant, including the production company representing the composer featured in the week's listening log.

-The blog entry that discusses the ideas, jobs, and "how-to" of the music in gaming market.
http://www.beatportal.com/feed/item/how-to-get-music-in-video-games/
-Position, Inc.-the middle man company that carries some very talented artists and composers
www.positionmusic.com
-Home page of composer James Dooley. He wrote "Sanctus", the piece we listened to this week.
http://www.jimdooley.com/


And finally...the video clip we viewed for Fab Friday this week. Truly a viral video when it's had over 16 million hits within a week! (sorry 'bout the italics; can't seem to get rid of it!!)