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Notes From the Common School, September 2007

Notes from the Common School

  September 2007

Welcome back, Music students!

The Music Department is busy with activities for all.  During this summer the Fairfield Children's Chorus finished their part of Jazz Pianist and Composer, John Cassel's 2007 Christmas CD at West Street Digital right here in Fairfield.  The CD is to be released shortly!  Look for it in our local stores.  Lauren Howe, Andre "Mingo" Maquera, Rachelle Perrault and Branden McArtor are slated to appear with John on Channel 3's television show "Late Night Saturday" (11:30 pm Saturday nights) in December and are also preparing to record yet another CD with Mr. Cassel!  Congratulations, everyone!

Fairfield Band members presented an August concert as part of the Greater Saint Albans Middle School Band Camp at St. Albans City School last month readying themselves for our very exciting concert and cultural trip to New York City in June 2008...more to follow about this trip in the months to follow.  The itinerary and sign up sheet has been distributed to all eligible students, but if you don't have a copy, just let me know.

General Music classes have begun.  This is our opportunity for all classes, Kindergarten through Eighth grades, to study Music theory, learn and practice rhythms and begin some singing.  The excitement of the first week or so is calming down and we are making some serious progress.  Towards the end of October will redirect our focus to prepare for our December Holiday Concerts slated for Monday, December 10th (Band and Grades Five through Eight) and Tuesday, December 11th (Kindergarten through Grade Four) at 6:30 pm in the Gym. 

Instrumental Music students have resumed their lessons.  This year I am offering twenty minute private lessons on a rotational basis, so that no one misses the same classes repeatedly.  It seems to be a great success!  Please encourage your students to prepare for these short but intense lessons...everyone should be practicing at least fifteen minutes a day.  Later on in the trimester I will schedule some sectional rehearsals, but I will try my very best to keep these one-on-one lessons available.

Band rehearsals are during the school day!!!  Beginning October 1st, Concert Band will rehearse on Mondays and Wednesdays in the Common School from 2:00 - 2:40 pm and the Fairfield Jazz Ensemble will rehearse at the same time slot on Tuesdays.

ALERT!  The greatest Band in America is coming us!  "The President's Own"  United States Marine Band, conducted by "our own" Lieutenant Colonel Michael J. Colburn, son of Mr. Verne Colburn, Instrumental Music Director for 37 years at B.F.A. St. Albans (Uncle of our 8th grader, Sam Shepard) will be performing at the Collins-Perley Sports Center on Monday, October 15th!  This is a not-to-be-missed lifetime opportunity!  Free tickets are available by contacting the St. Albans Messenger.  Don't miss this one!!!!

Are you talented?  The  Enosburg Opera House will hold the 15th Annual Talent Search for the Junior Division (ages 5-14) on Friday, October 19 at 7:00pm and the Adult Division on Saturday, October 20 at 7:00pm.  Register at sarahjowilley@gmail.com or call Sarah Jo Willey at (802) 578-4173 or (802) 827-3297 for questions.  First place: $200; Second place: $100; Third place: $75.

In trying to keep it short for now, please check out the Music Department's Web Site & Blog (in it's infancy) at: http://ffcsmusic.blogspot.com.  There are a lot of local and nationwide links up already and many more to come.  I will keep working on it to provide everyone with lots of information about the Fairfield Music Department's activities and beyond.

Please feel free to contact me at school, 827-3071 or email me at messageforjoanne@yahoo.com.  I am trying to go as paperless as possible.

Always musically yours,

Miss Scott

The Fairfield Jazz Ensemble

From October to the end of the school year, students from the Fairfield Center School Band are offered the opportunity to participate in the Fairfield Jazz Ensemble. Rehearsals are on Tuesdays from 2:00 to 2:40 in the Common School. This group performs in the Fairfield School December Holiday Concerts, the June Spring Concerts, the Lester Bowie Jazz Festival at St. Albans City School in April, and on Church Street at the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival in June. This fifteen to eighteen piece (member) ensemble of serious and dedicated students focuses on reading (playing) jazz charts, studying popular jazz repertoire and learning to improvise (play a solo, without music). Many students also "double" on instruments such as clarinet/saxophone, mallet instruments/piano and percussion instruments/drum set and beyond.

About the Band

The Fairfield Center School Band, comprised of students in grades six through eight, rehearses the last period of the school day on Mondays and Wednesday from 2:00 to 2:40, from October through June, in the Common School. The Band performs in the school's annual December Holiday Concerts, the June Spring Concerts, and marches in the St. Albans, Vermont Maple Festival and Enosburg Falls, Vermont June Dairy Day Parades. Band members also participate in the Northwest Vermont District Music Festival at Enosburg Falls Middle High School in April. Band students also participate in the bi-annual Greater Saint Albans Middle School Band (GSAMSB) which takes cultural trips to New York City (2008, 2004, 1999) and Washington, D.C. (2006, 2002, 1997), performing as one of the finest Middle School Bands in Vermont at major metropolitan concert sites with other young musicians from our neighboring schools.

Middle School Chorus

The Fairfield Middle School Chorus rehearses second and third trimesters during their Mini Course (12:05 to 12:35) on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Miss Scott at the Common School. This class is dedicated to serious vocal students who wish to sing in two, three and four parts and will perform as members of the Northwest District Music Festival held at Enosburg Falls Middle High School in April as well as the Fairfield Spring Concert and at Fairfield's Eighth Grade Graduation ceremony in June.

Classroom Music

All students attend weekly General Music classes at the Common School. From August to October we focus on music theory, notation, rhythm and singing. In November each class begins preparing songs to perform in the annual Kindergarten through Fourth Grade and Fifth through Eighth Grade December Holiday Concerts. From January through March all students study music history at grade level and in April, elementary classes begin preparing songs for the June Spring Concerts. Fourth graders receive Recorders in December, work in music class learning to play these instruments and perform on them in the Spring Concert. Middle School students prepare presentations and exhibits of their selected music history projects for this June Concert.

Band Practice Begins October

Band practice will begin on October 1, 2007. Band will now meet every Monday and Wednesday when school is in session, unless otherwise stated, during the last period of the school day. Jazz Band practice will begin October 2, 2007. Jazz Band will meet every Tuesday when school is in session, during the last period of the school day. Don't forget to practice!

About the Fairfield Center School Music Program

(This is the first entry in a journal-style "about" page. Posts labeled "About" will all be seen, sorted, on your "about" page.)

Music Department Accomplishments
• Classroom music
• Instrumental lessons
Middle-School Bands
• The (Marching) Band
• Jazz Band
• Middle-School Chorus
Music Festivals & Recitals
• District Instrumental & Choral Music Festival
• G.S.A.M.B. Band Trips
Talent Shows, Etc.
• Fairfield Talent Show
• Maple Festival Youth Talent Show

Expand, Explain

School is in session.

Instrumental lessons have commenced.

Notes From the Common School, April 2007

The Fairfield Center School Music Department is busy, busy with concert preparations and a recording for local Jazz pianist John Cassel, the Maple & June Dairy Day Festivals, the annual Jazz Festival, Middle School District Festival and so much more! But first we need to thank Mr. James Gregoire for putting together the most wonderful fundraiser for the Music Department!! Mr. Gregoire’s St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef Dinner and Irish Music fundraiser raised over $800.00 which has purchased us a very good used keyboard for the Band Room in the Common School, some small percussion instruments and cords for our (my) electric bass and the keyboard!!!! Thank you to Mr. Gregoire, the St. Albans American Legion, their kind cooks and staff as well as Dr. Laura Bellstrom for procuring the corned beef from Bob’s Meat Market (Thank you, Bob’s Meat Market!) and Mrs. Peg Perrault who did most our shopping! What a beautiful gesture! This equipment will be used by our talented students for years and years to come!! Many, many thanks!!! So, here’s a schedule with details of class work: Saturday, April 14th is the Vermont Maple Festival Youth Talent Show audition date at B.F.A. St. Albans. Students who prepared an act and sent in their forms by March 30th are expected to audition that morning. If you have not received an audition time, please call me immediately. Thursday, April 26th is the dress rehearsal for the students passing the audition for the Vermont Maple Festival Youth Talent Show @ 6:00pm in the B.F.A. St. Albans Auditorium. The Vermont Maple Festival Youth Talent Show takes place on Friday, April 277h , 7:00PM at the B.F.A. St. Albans Auditorium! Come see and hear the great talent representing the Fairfield Center School!! Saturday, April 28th at noon I will be playing in the Vermont Maple Festival with the Joe Levesque Big Band on the Main Street Stage in St. Albans and sometime during the afternoon students who participated in the Vermont Maple Festival Youth Talent Show will most likely be invited to perform on the Main Street stage, too! The Vermont Maple Festival Parade takes place on Sunday, April 29th @ 1:00pm in St. Albans. The Band, Banner & Flag Carriers, Pep Squad, & Candy Tossers will march for the 12th year! Mrs. Julia Jobber, is coaching the Pep Squad. Practices are on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:45 – 4:00pm at the Common School. Please call her at 524-9806 if you have any questions. A pink memo went out to each and every child in the school last week with that info. We are inviting anyone who wishes to join us to represent our fine school. In past years we have had as many as 100 students marching. If you have any of our Tie-dyed T-shirts please return them to the Music Department so we may wear them for our performances. Our outfits are black pants, black socks, black shoes and our tie-dye shirts. Band rehearsals are on Mondays after school from 3:00 – 4:30. IF ANY BAND MEMBERS ARE UNABLE TO MARCH IN EITHER PARADE I NEED TO KNOW NOW!!! I will call each and every student, but it will be a lot easier on me if you just let me know immediately. Participation is very important…when instruments are missing it really affects the ensemble! The crunch is on! Lessons are going great for most students and we have some really serious players! EVERYONE NEEDS TO PRACTICE AT LEAST 15 MINUTES A DAY!!!!! The Northwest Vermont Middle School District Vocal Music Festival took place this year on Thursday, February 8th & Friday, February 9th at Mount Mansfield Union High School in Jericho, VT. We had 22 students who performed in the Middle School Chorus Concert. Congratulations to all! The Northwest Vermont Middle School District Instrumental Music Festival will take place on Friday, May 4th at Enosburg Falls Middle High School and I have been trying my very best to convince all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade instrumental students to take part in this festival as it is a great way to submerse oneself for an entire day in music, make friends with students from other schools and to present large scale pieces under the baton of great guest conductors. Concert at 7:00pm. Blue permission slips went out to all these students in February! The 9th Annual Lester Bowie Jazz Festival is slated for sometime in May at St. Albans City School but scheduling has become a problem. This is open to all instrumental music students in the 6th – 8th grades. More information as soon as it becomes available. The Fairfield School Children’s Chorus will be finishing up their recording debut on John Cassel’s 2007 Christmas CD on Saturday, May 12th at West Street Digital…what a great experience this has been!! We can’t wait to hear the final results! Those CDs will be available in the fall. The Band and all, will march in the June Dairy Day Parade which takes place on Saturday, June 2nd, @ 10:30AM in Enosburg Falls. We will be performing in the Band Competition as well, slated for 12:00 noon in front of the Main Street Review Stand. Spring Concerts Grades 5 – 8 & Band Monday, June 4th @ 1:00PM in the Gym Grades K – 4 & Band Tuesday, June 5th @ 1:00 PM in the Gym The whole school will sing “Sadako”, an international song of peace for these concerts as well as our national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner” which will be accompanied by the Band. I have been trying to teach all our students about 19th Century history with units on Beethoven and European history as well as what was happening in American history at this time so our concert will feature American songs from that period. Our Kindergarten classes have pretty much firmed up their program preparing “Bingo”, and “If Your’re Happy”…maybe one more… First graders are singing “Mickey Mouse March”, “I Love Trash” and “Yankee Doodle”. Second graders will be singing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” and “The Erie Canal” plus “Polly Polite”…always trying to teach manners… Third graders are preparing “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” and two more songs to be selected…Clementine? Baby Beluga? Fourth graders are learning to play the Recorder as well as sing “Fifty Nifty United States” by Ray Charles. They have their hands full. Please encourage your Fourth graders to practice their Recorders several times a week…we have a lot on our plates, learning three songs and Recorders. A little home preparation makes a big difference in the classroom!!! Fifth graders are preparing “Camptown Races” and at least one more song. We have a lot of instrumental students in this class!!! Our Sixth grade students are preparing an American folk Song “The Water is Wide” and we are in the process of selecting one more song for the concert. The Seventh graders are preparing an American Minstrel song from 1833 titled “Ching A Ring Chaw” to fit in with our studies of this period. One more song to be chosen…any suggestions by parents or teachers is greatly appreciated. The Eighth grade students will be performing Stephen Foster’s “Oh, Susanna”, again a song from the mid 1800’s featuring our four exceptional graduating percussionists…Again, any input from parents for one more song is deeply appreciated. In June we are hoping to present the 9th Annual Fairfield Variety Show! Scheduling has become a serious issue….Everyone from the community is invited to perform so if you would like to share your talent please call 827-3071 to register! We would really love to have adult community members share their talents! We already have 18 acts signed up from our students!!!!! S p r e a d t h e w o r d! Whew!! That’s it for right now…please feel free to call me at school 827-3071 or at home 933-2235 if you have any questions or comments. Musically Yours, Miss Scott