Vivace Orchestra

**NEW this week (June 8th)- Our end of the year concert would have been this Monday, June 8th, so our assignment this week is to perform a concert for someone in your life (your family at home, you neighbor across the street, a virtual performance for someone you can't be with right now etc....). You can play "Sword Dance", "Sahara Crossing", a few Suzuki book songs, fiddle club tunes or any other old favorites that you feel great about! Send me a recording of the performance or a picture of you in your concert outfit, with your instrument!

*June 1st-

-Give someone in your life a (real or virtual) HUG and tell them you love them.

-REVIEW WEEK- this is the week to go back through all of our assignments and make sure you have tried them all! I will still take any last minute photo challenge pictures, practice videos or requests for help on any assignment that you are struggling with.

...any finally: see if you can 'decode' the 8 words for your instrument on each worksheet. If you do it correctly, each sentence will form a separate word!

*May 11th: Using your scales to help practice your Suzuki Songs! Click the "Suzuki Book" tab to find a series of videos I have made for you to play along to see how you can use your scales to practice different skills and techniques needed for your Suzuki songs. (If you need a review of your scales, check out the scales posted below from last week!)

**Don't forget to continue working on our "Recruitment Assignment" (See the Orchestra home page for directions). All submissions should be submitted to spitalierel@victorschools.org no later than May 15th. Thank you to all who have submitted videos already! They are awesome!!! I can't wait to see the rest!

*MAY 4th: SCALES! Please click on the correct instrument file below to expand and print. The first page should be a great review for you. The 2nd page may be review for some of you and for others it will be a great preview for you! Keep in mind your hand shapes, 2nd step vs whole step intonation and don't forget to check your key signature!!!

Scales are a great warm up for every day practice! Some things to focus on when playing scales include:

-being exactly in tune (check your key signature at the start of the scale and your finger spacing)

-steady tempo (use a metronome and be sure not to speed up or slow down)

-memorized (can you play without looking at the music or your fingers?)

-Once your scales are memorized, you can use them to work on more tricky techniques in your songs, such as...

-4th finger intonation or tunnels

-slurred bows

-staccato bows

-dynamics (loud vs soft volume)

-change the rhythms (whole notes, half notes, 8th notes, run pony, Mississippi hot dog etc...). Are there any hard rhythms in your current or preview songs? Play each note of the scale using that rhythm! Set your metronome and make sure you stay steady too.

*April 27th: Check the "Orchestra" homepage for directions for our "Recruitment Assignment". Because we are all home, the teacher's aren't able to do our recruitment like usual and we need your help! You will have the next 3 weeks to make a video or write something to share with the 3rd graders telling them why you love being part of the Victor music program. All submissions should be submitted to spitalierel@victorschools.org no later than May 15th.

*April 20th: Check out the SUZUKI BOOK page for lots of great updates. Find your instrument and pick a video/song that makes sense for what you are working on right now! Check out videos for your "polished" songs and try to play along. Feel free to watch videos of songs you haven't gotten to yet as a great preview for what's to come for you. Don't forget to send me videos and emails!

Ensemble Music: Check out the play along practice videos for Fiddles on Fire and Star Dancer below.

Please click on the buttons to listen to and play along with our concert music. Some practice tips include:

-follow your part and clap your rhythm

-air bow

-sing your part- letter names and finger numbers

-play with a metronome

-Check your key signature. What finger pattern do you need on each string?

Please keep practicing "Sahara Crossing" and "Sword Dance". We will hopefully perform them at our next concert. Please start working on "Fiddle's on Fire" and "Star Dancer" on your own. Music will be in the main lobby for you to pick up. Please email me if you did not receive your copy so that I can get a copy to you. You should already have "Robin Hood" in your folder.

Lesson Music- Suzuki book and Essential Elements

As we practice at home, it is important to keep on working on the skills that make us outstanding musicians. Below are tips for keeping our skills sharp as well as guidelines for independent learning on our instrument.

PRACTICE! Picking up our instrument every day will continue to improve our skills as musicians.

Keep a routine: Keeping a consistent routine in anything we do will make improvements, this goes for not only practicing but how we practice too.

Here are some tips:

• Do a good warm-up: scales, a REVIEW "polished" songs from your Suzuki book

  • Practice playing your scales from memory- be sure to go in alphabetical order and apply the correct flats and sharps. Think of memorizing scales like a spelling test, a little a week will help make you successful. Review the scales you memorize every time you practice, have a family member test you!

• Practicing your Suzuki book music:

  • • LISTEN to the recordings. Click on the "Suzuki Book" link on the drop down menu to find listening links.

      • Try to play along with the recordings.

    • Focus on getting all the notes correct and comfortable under your fingers.

    • If you need help with fingerings, look at the fingering chart at the back of your Essential Elements book.

    • Be sure to keep a steady beat and count all of the rhythms. You know how much each symbol is worth- count them out! Do not guess!

    • Look for slurs, dynamics, staccato, accents, and all other markings and practice doing them for a noticeable sound.

    • Record yourself and send it to Mrs. Spitaliere for feedback at spitalierel@victorschools.org. I will email you back with specific areas for you to focus on, and some corrections of notes, rhythms, articulations, etc.

• Practice sight reading skills. You can use this link to create examples to practice at home. Set them to your level of solo. https://www.sightreadingfactory.com/ Instructions on how to set it up for your instrument and level are linked below.

• Essential Elements Book- Pages 1-29 should be a nice review for you. Go ahead and challenge yourself to work ahead from page 30 on!

• Have a goal in mind as you practice. Some possible goals include:

  • • rhythm- long/short notes, correct counting

    • bowing- slurs, bow lifts, accents, staccato etc...

    • intonation- how in tune your fingers are? Where are the half steps?

    • Key signature- what finger pattern do you need?

    • correct notes-write in any needed letter or number reminders reminders

    • check your posture- play in front of a mirror! Are you sitting/standing tall with feet on the floor? Relaxed shoulders? Straight wrists and round fingers?

    • check your bow hold- pinky and thumbs the correct shape and location on the bow