Chorus

A poll conducted last year by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills shows 88% of the voters believe students should learn a wide range of skills during the school day including problem solving, computer expertise, critical thinking, communication and self-direction. How do you rate yourself in the areas mentioned above? Has your experience at SHS given you strength in these areas? In which classes were you given these strengths and how were they reinforced?

Please respond thoughtfully to this discussion question. To receive full credit a response is requested by midnight May 11th.

Hello everyone!  I have been pondering this question all weekend long . . . What is music?  Is it sound, noise, pleasantness?  Is it important?  Do we need it and why?  Plato said, “Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other because rhythm and harmony find their way into the secret places of the soul.”  Music has been in our midst since the beginning of time – the sounds were quite simple at first and like everything else in our world, has evolved to become quite complex.  What is it about music that makes it so profound?  I could ask you all a thousand questions that pertain to our wonderful world of music.   Your musical brain operated at birth and will persist throughout your life.  Neurologist, Frank Wilson says, “All of us have a biologic guarantee of musicianship.”  That being said, why are you studying music here at SHS?  What is it about music that moves YOU?  Could you do without it?

To receive full credit for this discussion please respond thoughtfully to the prompt and to 2 other students by mid-night, March 18th.

We have just read the article “Add Yoga to Your Singing Warm-ups.”  We all know that in order to sing well, we need to breathe properly.  Based on your reading:

1. What are the basics of yoga that are also the core of good singing?
2. Tell me one thing you learned from this article.
3. Tell me one thing you would like to try to improve your breath support/ your singing.

Due Date:  Thursday, March 6th

To obtain full credit for this discussion, please answer the three questions above in a thoughtful manner.

I am pleased to bring back our classroom blog after popular demand. I hope you enjoy this new form of thinking and learning. Remember, I will not be able to respond to each of your comments that does not mean that I am not reading them. Please enjoy!

“Choral ensembles are a positive way for students to work together, using individual talents to form a whole. It requires patience and practice while encouraging teamwork skills that prepare us for our future lives. Music is a great tool for getting through situations in our lives: and that is omnipresent.”

We have just finished watching “Radio,” a movie that is filled with life lessons. How does this movie relate to our classroom and the above mentioned quote? Why were the boys so mean to radio? Did all of the teammates come around to welcoming Radio? Did some take longer than others to do so? Why/why not? The coach had many responsibilities, do you feel he was wise to include Radio in the teams’ activities? Was Coach Jones a good parent? Describe his relationship with his daughter.

This movie emphasizes the following: forgiveness – kindness – generosity – making amends. If we were to constantly keep these traits in mind, how might it affect the atmosphere in the choral room? Do you think it would help our sound? Why?

Please respond to this quote with your own ideas, insight, experiences, and questions. Read and respond to your classmates’ posts. For full credit, you should offer a thoughtful personal addition to this discussion as well as a response to one other post. This is due February 8th by midnight! I look forward to hearing your ideas!

“Music is the most profound form of communication” ~ Dave Brubeck

Since you are in chorus, music is obviously an important part of your life. What is the purpose of music? Why have human beings from the beginning of time made music? What does music bring into our lives as individuals and as a culture? Why do we spend so much time with I-pods stuck in our ears? What does music communicate to you? When you are singing, what do you hope to communicate to others? Is music more elemental and profound than other forms of communication, such as the written, drawn, or spoken word?

Please respond to this quote with your own ideas, insight, experiences, and questions. Read and respond to your classmates’ posts. For full credit, you should offer a thoughtful personal addition to this discussion as well as a response to one other post. This is due January 14 by midnight! I look forward to hearing your ideas!

This is a chance for you to continue class discussions about music in an innovative and creative manner. This is the first step in participating in on-line work, which you will continue as you go on to higher education. It’s an ideal forum to express your “voice” in an environment other than a classroom. Hope you enjoy it!