Outdoor Music 2019

We've just finished 3 weeks of outdoor music and it's always a fun time at all the activities.  Check it out!  If you have other ideas you do for outdoor music stations, please send them my way.

Have It All

Grade 3/4/5 classes are working on this for our year end song. 

Another Year...

Grade 5 girls singing and dancing.  I am sure gonna miss you!

This is my 9th year end at Stevenson.  It's been a really low key year and I've needed a break from all the business and events.  We've had some lovely moments this year and also learning to adjust to our split classes has been both joyful and challenging.  Split classes are always difficult in music as we often build on previous years, with certain music skills and concepts that are age appropriate.  This year there was a large gap in the span and a variety of abilities.  We want all students making music but also knowing and understanding concepts, communicating effectively and appropriately, and gaining proficiency in skills and confidence in individual and group tasks such as reading, writing, playing, performing, music listening/appreciation, and improvising.  This is an unending huge task and my students didn't disappoint as I saw many grow through failure and triumphs.

To my Grade 5s - thank you for the years of making music together.  I hope and pray that you continue to find nuggets of life and joy through music making experiences and will look back on your years of plays, choir, Orff, games, dances, solos, and drumming with fondness.  I look forward to seeing you in the future bands, choirs, and ever appreciating the vast colorful wonders of music throughout the rest of your lives.

See you at our final assembly at 10:00 a.m. in the Stevenson gym.

Have a wonderful summer and see you all in September!

Kinders exploring sounds

Making a band

Grade 5s who have passed and surpassed their Level 1 Recorder Karate tests.  Congrats!

Performing for our peers

Outdoor Music - Drumming station

Room 5 Tapping our Potential Music Monday performance

Orff Club performing pieces from our story plays

Summer's a Comin'

It's been another year of many amazing things discovered, wrestlings, and determination to learn in community and who we are as individuals.  We've discovered gifts and pressed through many trials.  As I say good-bye today to my Grade 5 kids, many of whom I have taught music to for the past 6 years, it is never without some tears as a mom and I shared today at the end of our assembly.  Amazing families, kids, teachers, and friends.  Thank you for letting me be there.  We've ridden the storms well and I hope that each of my students will take all the good that we've known and the heart aches and keep pressing forward and climb and shine.  Never give up!

Stand in the light and be seen as you are.

To my students moving on, we will miss you and wish you the best wherever you go.  Keep in touch!  To my returning musicians in 2017-2018, I'm ready to rock it with you!

Closing Time

Thank-you Stevenson for a great year of learning and growing.  We went out with a bang today at our final Celebration of Learning.  Thank-you to all my Grade 5s for your dedication, love of learning, perseverance, and zest.  We accomplished many things in our music careers together and I only pray that you will all step into new horizons with appreciation and love for the arts.  Happy summer!

See You Again

It's that time of the year to start working on a year end song for our final Year End Celebration Assembly on June 29.  This year, by popular request, we are going to sing the song "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa.

(Performance Soundtrack)

"See You Again"

[Chorus] – all singIt's been a long day without you, my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We've come a long way from where we began
Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again

0:38 [Solos]
SOLO 1: Hey, who knew?
All the planes we flew
Good things we've been through
That I'll be standing right here talking to you
'Bout another path
I know we loved to hit the road and laugh
SOLO 2: But something told me that it wouldn't last
Had to switch up
Look at things different, see the bigger picture
Those were the days
Hard work forever pays
Now I see you in a better place

1:02 [Solo]
SOLO 3: How can we not talk about family when family's all that we got?
Everything I went through you were standing there by my side
And now you gon' be with me for the last ride

1:15 [Chorus] – all sing
It's been a long day without you, my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We've come a long way from where we began
Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again

1:41 - [All sing]
Aah oh, aah oh
Wooooh-oo-oo-o-o-o
1:53 [Solo] 
SOLO 4: First you both go out your way
And the vibe is feeling strong
And what's small turn to a friendship
A friendship turn to a bond
And that bond will never be broken
The love will never get lost

2:05 [Solo]
SOLO 5: And when brotherhood come first
Then the line will never be crossed
Established it on our own
When that line had to be drawn
And that line is what we reach
So remember me when I'm gone

2:20 [Solo]SOLO 6: How can we not talk about family when family's all that we got?
Everything I went through you were standing there by my side
And now you gon' be with me for the last ride

2:30 [Solo]
SOLO 7: So let the light guide your way
Hold every memory as you go
And every road you take, will always lead you home, home

2:55 [Chorus] – all sing
It's been a long day without you, my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We've come a long way from where we began
Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again

3:20 [All sing]Aah oh Aah oh
Wooooh-o-o-o-when I see you again
Aah oh Aah oh
Wooooh-o-o-o-when I see you again
When I see you again

Singing with words

Karaoke Version

Video with pictures

Audition criteria includes:
1. memorized
2. keeps in the beat/timing of the song
3. clear words (volume and diction)
4. stage presence (confident, looking at audience)

Don't Say Goodbye

Recording for a song contest

Today I am saying good-bye to a really amazing person, collegue and friend.  I have had the honour and privilege of working with this talented man for the last 4 years and I'm very sad to see him leave our school.  Yet, I am excited that he's moving into his next career opportunity in which I'm hoping will still see us collaborating.  We've written and recorded many projects over these years and I'm really going to miss his 'popping' in to check out the sounds we're making, his creative ideas, his helpfulness in coordinate events, being a sound board for my ideas and cheerleading the kids and myself into whatever projects we find ourselves in.  Thank-you Mr. Miller for all you are and all you've done for us at Stevenson.  We will miss you!

Winnipeg Jets Hockey Academy anthem recording

Year End Reflections: Celebrate and Create!

Every year I like to go back and look through the blog postings.  This year was full and rich of musical moments at Stevenson that were hardly captured in photo and video.  A student first discovers their singing voice.  A group of students feel the power of teamwork in playing music in unity.  Students creating their own songs for the first time and celebrating this with their peers.  Responding with spontaneous movement to the sway of the beat.  Hearing a mastered production for the first time.  Getting chosen to play or sing a solo.  Using many parts of the brain and body to make music.  Hearing a kid say they hate music and then turn around and do something brilliant.  Surprise! Finding hidden talents.  Rediscovering an instrument.

Music is powerful and it moves us.  What moves me is watching my students and collegues make it and experience it.  We've found joy and the moving beyond initial fears and challenges, to find freedom, voice and expression.

Thank-you students and staff for making my job fun and oh so rewarding!  Have a great summer.  Until we meet again...

Here's a short little video of Stevenson music highlights 2014-2015.

And the Music Award goes to...

Talented and smart young lady wins the Stevenson Music Award 2015!

These funny, bright, creative kids were music leaders in so many ways.  Thank you for sharing your leadership and talents.

Seeing these girls shine in many music moments throughout the years.  Wishing them the best in their journeys.  Keep singing!

These are the music-makers!  Talented, kind and beautiful.

'Rapping' Up the Year

On Tuesday, Ryeon McClenton from Kansas City, Kansas came to Stevenson.  He is a rap/hip hop artist who loves singing inspirational music and doing workshops with kids.  His CD "A Language Called Love" is on itunes.  Check it out.  Thanks for coming to our school, Ryeon.  We were challenged to be the best we can be and use music to be a positive change.  Love - Joy - Peace - Commitment - Goodness - Self-Control!

Here's some video highlights of the afternoon.

Singing in the Rain

Wow!  Amazing job today as our school put on our final concert for Calvary Place Carehome.  Thank you to Ms. Kappy and the residents for joining us on this raining Monday morning.  May you have left singing in the rain!

Carehome Concert Coming Soon

As we finish up the year, we are celebrating with some very special people in our community.  Calvary Place Carehome is coming to Stevenson on Monday, June 22 and we are going to sing songs, play our instruments and perform dances for them.  Families are welcome to join us.  10:30-11:30.

Music is powerful.  It speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest.  It heals the heart and makes it whole.

Take on the World

For the next few weeks our school is preparing for our final concerts.  We have the Calvary Place Carehome coming to our school on Monday, June 22 for a concert.  We will be performing from 10:30-11:30.  Families are welcome.  Our final celebration is a good-bye to staff and students on Monday, June 29.  This assembly takes place from 10:00-11:00.   We are preparing this beautiful song called "Take on the World" by Sabrina Carpenter.  Check it out!