Michael Lancette

This evening I went to an art showing of the works of Micheal Lancette. He is a graduate of Mercer University in Macon. The presentation was at the Tula Galleries on Bennett Street in Buckhead. It was well attended. Michael is a member of my church and he has been planning this show for some time. His works seems to be based on video and comic characters with fantasy icons. The art he displayed seemed to be based on Avatar for one and various characters in action comics. His choice of colors are bright and warm. The pictures show peace and tranquility using fairy type personalities in trees looking on as dangerous elements invade the atmosphere. I won't try to critique any further but I think he has a talent that can go further than the comic book style to something that could be unique in time.

National Association of Negro Musicians

As always the summer is moving along rather fast, no matter how long I stay up. I am in the process of getting ready to go to the National Association of Negro Musicians in Colorado Springs. It is an annual event and try to make it each year. The Associations encourage young minority artists to play and learn about the various genres of music open to them. There is an opening ceremony on Sunday afternoon and a scholarship contest that evening. The area of concentration is piano. The areas change each year; winds, strings, organ. and piano.
On Monday the workshops begin and various young students come and entertain the participants throughout the day and the three day conference. The featured artist will be Diane Reeves. There will be an opera premiere, workshops on conducting, and the spiritual along with a banquet and closing concert on Wednesday.
I try to attend this event each year. There is a lot of history from meeting people like William Warfield, Shirley Varrett, and Jester Hairston to name a few. The main purpose of the Convention is to keep and promote the music of the African American experience in America and throughout the world. Based on what I learned in the class these last few months, I hope to introduce more culturally diverse music in programs and try to play more music on as many programs as possible.

SUMMERTIME

It has been some time since I have written a blog. I just finished my portfolio and was glad to have that done and hopefully done correctly.
I know that school is out but that does not mean I don't think about education. I do have a student that I work with on the violin. She is very interested in playing and she takes everything suggestion and technique I say as gospel. This keeps me on my toes as it were. She will be going to middle school next year in Fulton County. She plays very well and her brother is learning the piano. I am teaching him some basics for now until he is ready for a real piano teacher.
Once you have taken this class, it is hard not to think about the images that come to you mind when listening to the radio and tv. It seems that everyone has read A Whole New Mind and want to pattern there products and delivery based on the six senses. I'm even trying to work them in my church participation and programs. Some of the advertisements have been geared to those concepts especially the auto industry. Some of them are good and some bad in my opinion. If it sells, I guess it works.

Wendell P. Whalum Community Chorus

Spring Concert

2010

The concert was held on Sunday, April 25, 2010 at the Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel at 7:00p.m. The Community Chorus was founded by Dr. Wendell P. Whalum in 1966. The original purpose of the chorus was to provide music for the commencement of the Atlanta University Summer School. From the yearly success of the chorus Dr. Whalum took the opportunity to see if this could be an ongoing choral event. The chorus was originally named the Atlanta University Community Chorus. It remained so until after the passing of Dr. Whalum in 1985. After his passing Dr. David Morrow took the directoral duties of the chorus and from his urging renamed the chorus after his mentor.
Dr. David Morrow has had and extensive career in choral music. He has lectured, taught and performed with Morehouse Glee Club throughout the United States and on the world stage. With his leadership the chorus performed at the 30th anniversary of the Brazeal Dennard Choral Ensemble in Detroit, and the R. Nathaniel Dett 125th Birthday Celebration and Choral Festival in Chattanooga.

Descriptive:

The chorus is made up of 50 members throughout the metro area who enjoy singing. The concert was held in the King Chapel Auditorium. The seating and accoustics of this facility has been said by members of the musical community to be one of the finest in Atlanta.

Analytic:

The program consisted of a diversity of music from classical to jazz and spirituals to gospel.
The program was divided into four sections. The first consisting of contemporary and classical choral works by Gerhard Krapf: Awake My Heart With Gladness; Ralph Manuel's: Alleluia; and Adrian Ford's composition: Who Is He. The second section were spirituals; In Dat Great Giddin' Up Mo'nin' arr. by Rosephanye Powell and I Want To Die Easy: by Roland Carter. The third section was Hymn of Our Time by John Ness Beck and Hallelujah To The Highest Praise by Anthony Pattin. The last section and piece was Ellintonia a jazz composition of the music of Duke Ellington
I have been a member of this organization almost from the beginning. I've learned from Dr. Whalum and Dr. Morrow the inportance of diversity to keep an audience involved. I try to teach my students music that they can play based on their abilty and music that is interesting whether it be classical or rock. When comparing my style ot the selections presented, I try to incorporate these elements with my students. I can definitely draw relationships to those elements in the Daniel Pink whereas Design would be the types of music chosen, symphony would be the connection of the music to the program. Drama is created by the lyrics and solo in "I Want To Die Easy" emphathy in the prayerful tune and lyrics from Ecclesiastes:Chapter3 and play which draws the audience into the jazzy tunes of Duke Ellington.

Reflective:

Listening to this or any concert should make us aware of what we strive for when we perform with others or conduct our groups. In this concert Dr. Morrow wants us to look up and watch him and follow him, be mindful of our diction which is crucial when people are listening to the words we say. An audience can hear an entire diffferent phrase by not placing a consonant at the end of a word. As for my students I want them to be able to listen to each other and to be able to hear correct intonation and a good sound not just from their own playing but from the group as a whole.
Throughout the performance the one aspect that I brought away from the concert was unity in sound. I guess that would be symphony. I want the students to sound as a unit when they perform. As for Play: I want them to enjoy the music they are performing.

Question:

1. How long have you been singing
2 When did start to sing
3. How do you choose your music
4. How do you write music
5. Do you play an instrument
6. How long did it take you to learn how to sing
7. Does you whole family sing
8. Where did you go to school
9. Who taught you how to conduct
10. What is a spiritual
11. What is an anthem
12. Who was Duke Ellington
13. Where did he go to school
14. Does you group play with instruments
15. Are the members of the choir professionals
16. What is your favorite music
17. Who is you favorite composer
18. How can I learn how to sing like that
19 Do you perform at schools
20. Do you perform as churhes.

School's out

It has been some time since I have blog. Now that school is out I will be concentration on the summer and having a good time. I still have some work to do on my portfolio. I plan to finish it this week and turn it in. I do not how well I've done, but I think that I have completed it as best I can and placed information that I hope to be relevant to what I learned in the class. As much I want to enjoy myself this summer and try to take my mind off of school, there will always be various events that will get me to think about some of the lessons I learned in the class.
The BP oil spill has brought many of the senses that Daniel Pink wrote about. Drama of the spill itself, the emphathy for the people involved, symphony of working or not working to complete the capping of the well. There is no way to get around what we have learned in the class. I guess now I will focus on how the company will try and recover from this devestation and develope ways to renew people's trust.
The types of commercials and public relations that will be used to get themselves back on track will be interesting to see. While traveling to and from Savannah this weekend, I couldn't help notice all the BP signs at differents exits. When I did stop for gas I noticed the empty BP stations. Emphaty played also in the fact that those people working for the company have to be unwilling part of the blame game.

Intonation

Today my students were videoed working on the open strings of their violins. Basicially I wanted to secure some of the findings on my action research. The students worked on the d and a strings and eventually I added the first and second fingers on the d and a. I tried placing their fingers in the right position and verbally directing their positions. Some of performed well placing their fingers in the right place even without the tape. Next year I want to use various techniques to try and develope intonation with the beginners. I feel with some thought and innovation and suggestions from my collegues, we can get students to play in tune on the elementary level leading on to the middle and high school level. One more event I would like to mention. I listened to the kindergarten students at D.H. Stanton sing the songs " Lean On Me" and " I Believe I Can Fly" the sound quality and intonation was excellent. Mr. Strictland had them sounding better than some fifth grade choruses. This only confirms my belief that students can learn intonation in the elementary level.

Thursday I attended the first rehearsal for the 2nd annual String Fling. The rehearsal was well attended for the first rehearsal. I was glad to see some of my parents and students there. Ms. Kane conducted the rehearsal and I along with my students learn a lot from her teaching technique. Bowing, intonation, dynamics were stressed and I was able to emphazsize each one during my lesson the following day. The students went through the scale using the round and we talked about and played dynamics on our instruments. It was a very interesting rehearsal. I will end my post for now. My computer battery is low and I do not want to loose this post