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Friday, November 20, 2009

Christmas Concert

Well, it's that time of year, and I'm preparing for my first Christmas Guitar Concert. It's set for December 1st. I'm trying to get thirty extra footstools made because right now I only have a classroom set. I'm also trying to figure out how I'm going to seat 50+ kids on the stage when they won't have all been together at the same time until the night of the concert.

I've got each class divided into 3 parts and we're doing all 3-part music. I'm also trying to account for an ensemble group I'm putting together for my advanced kids. I want to seat them in the front so we don't have to move people around during the concert.

The music is pretty simple because it's early in the year, it's middle-school and most kids don't have their own instrument at home. Therefore, all the practicing happens in class. I introduced all the pieces we'll be performing about three weeks before the concert.

We're doing trios from Bill Swick's Beginning Guitar Class Sumplementary Materials and Yamaha Band Ensembles (Alto Sax edition)I use. We're also doing a couple of arrangements from Everybody's Guitar Ensembles . (Purchasing through the links provided supports my blog.  Thanks. )

All the notes from the Swick book and Everybody's Guitar Ensembles are on the first three strings and are pretty simple; simple whole, half and quarter note rhythms. The Yamaha ensemble book is mostly on the first three strings when played on the guitar and is also very simple. Although, one song has some eighth notes.

Here is the program:

Lightly Row - from the Bill Swick book

A Wrinkle in Time
Shadow of the Bull
Marianne
These three are also from the Swick book. My 1st, 3rd and 6th period guitar classes will each be playing one of these as a class ensemble. These are simple to learn and I thought this would be a great way to fill a concert program without everyone having to learn a lot more music.

My Dreydl - from Everybody's Guitar Ensembles

Up on the Housetop - from the sax ensemble book

Joy to the World - This one is my ensemble for my more advanced students. These kids have some band or piano and/or have taken my class in a previous year. (I don't have a multi-year program at this point.) The piece is from volume 2 of the sax ensemble book. It has low and high F# but is otherwise on three strings. It also has dotted eighths and sixteenths in the rhythms.

O Come All Ye Faithful - from the sax ensemble book

Jingle Bells - from Everybody's Guitar Ensembles. This one is probably the most "arranged" sounding of the pieces and part one is simple enough that most of my special ed students can play most of it.

I know that this sounds hillarious, but I'm hoping that this program will run about 30 minutes. Most of these tunes are only about 16 to 20 measures each. We're doing a repeat on everything just to make them a little longer. I figure that if I talk a little between a couple of these that we can stretch it into a 30 minute mini-concert.

I really do think that it's important for them to have the opportunity to perform during the first semester. With my choirs, it's pretty easy for me to take them to a nursing home or hospital to sing during the holidays, but it's much more difficult to squeeze 50 guitar players into a venue like that. I think we will probably go play at the elementary school down the road the following week just to give them another performance opportunity.

One thing to note, I used a lot of different sources for ensemble music. It's really difficult to find holiday music arranged for beginning guitar ensembles. There were other arrangements of Christmas songs in the Jerry Snyder ensemble book, but they're a good bit more difficult. They might be more suitable for second year students or high school.

Well, the concert is scheduled for December 1st and we just got out for Thanksgiving break. So I'm looking forward to some family time. Then, when we get back we'll have two school days to set up chairs and rehearse a little more for the concert. I'll try to post some pictures and video after the concert and let you know how it went.