Vocal Music Academy @ Ryerson Community School Toronto District School Board

VMA TODAY

Vocal Music Academy

@ Ryerson Community School

Issue 3, November 2012

Get Ready, Get Set, SING! T'was two weeks before the Inaugural Concert, and all through the school, were the glorious sounds of students' singing, and it was sounding pretty cool! The decorations were being hung on the walls with great care, in hopes that the audience soon would be there. The students were rehearsing and practicing well, but the music they were performing - shhh! - it was a surprise - not to tell! And the teachers in the music room, preparing each score, were getting super excited, as the students performed more and more! As dry leaves fall from deciduous trees, and the mid-November frost glistens in the sun, the students prepared for their big concert, singing in three-parts, two-parts, and together as one. In the days leading up to the inaugural show, eager little hearts fluttered, and black and white outfits were ironed, getting ready to go. And now we hear in the hallways, each beautiful voice, singing Bist du bei mir (in German!), as this is a popular choice. We join together as a choir to let our voices' ring, and we get ready, get set, and begin to SING!

We are excited to introduce our VMA Website, which will give you the most current program

information, weekly assignments/projects, and much, much MORE! Our website is currently under development but will be active in the very near future.

The website address will be: http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/vocalmusicacademyryerson

Important Dates November 13

November 15

November 16

November 28

November 29

VMA Today and the VMA Website

Progress Reports sent home Parent/Teacher Interviews P.A. Day Parent/Teacher Interviews Inaugural Concert Dress Rehearsal VMA Inaugural Concert and Opening Gala

VMA TODAY Issue 3, November 2012

2

Taking Care

by Teaguen and Leo

Hi! This is two VMA students writing to you, Teaguen and Leo. Our class just got new stuff like new markers, glue, pencil sharpeners, and stuff. Some of our old stuff was broken for good, so Ms. Parker got new stuff. Thank you Ms. Parker! :) Now, sometimes we leave our stuff on the tables or the floor, and that's not right, but Ms. Parker talks to us about taking care of our classroom things just like we are learning to take good care of each other. Good job, Ms. Parker! After that it's back to normal. That was the VMA and we're out! P.S. If you ever need to sharpen a pencil come by room 45 and we'll help you out. ;)

Student Writing

Thank You Andrew! A special VMA round of applause to Andrew O. who has been working with our students to create a photo mural. Andrew is a practicing artist and we were very fortunate to have him work with our students over the last few weeks. The project was funded through the Ontario Arts Council, the Vocal Music Academy, and the Vocal Music Academy's School Advisory Council. A special thank you to all of our students who participated in this special project.

Halloween Spooktacular at Roy Thomson Hall

by Solange and Aryanna

Hi, I am Aryanna. Hi, I am Solange. We are here to talk about the field trip to Roy Thomson Hall. We went on the field trip to see Halloween Spooktacular. There were lots of spooky sounds and music. The spooky music was played on the organ. First, the organist played Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by J.S. Bach. The other songs he played were Carill, Scherzetto (which means little joke), Prelude, and Due et Grand Choeur.

DPA Dancing Music Rocks in DPA

by MacKenzie and Solange

Hi everyone, this is Solange and MacKenzie, and we are going to write an article on DPA! First, we go to the gathering room or our classrooms. Then we get into six rows! After, we pick which song we want to dance to. We get to choose four different songs. The songs are called Music Rocks, Joy, Cha Cha Boogie, Silly Sixties, R U Ready, and Planet Rock. Our favourite is the Silly Sixties because get to do the mash potato, the alligator, the peppermint twist, and the monkey!

VMA TODAY Issue 3, November 2012

3

Students Vote in One Direction Towards the Beatles

by Alak

For my Data Management Project in Math class, I surveyed Grade 4,5 and 6 students about who they liked better, The Beatles or One Direction. With the data I collected, I found out that Grade 4, 5 and 6 students like The Beatles more than One Direction. I thought that One Direction was going to win because they are popular right now. Two members of The Beatles have died and I thought not a lot of people listened to their music anymore. I thought that most people listened to One Direction. I was surprised with the results of my survey.

Celine Dion vs. Keasha Cole

by Hassana

The information in my graph shows who likes Celine Dion or Keasha Cole. As you can see, Celine Dion is loved more than Keasha Cole. I think most people like Celine Dion because she is a good singer. I was surprised to learn that a lot of people don't know Celine Dion. I think adults would pick her because she is an old singer but I like her too. I like Celine Dion because she is a beautiful and gorgeous singer, and I think she is the best.

Pop? Classical? Rock'n Roll? What's Your Favourite?

Emma

The data I collected shows that most people prefer Pop music which is no surprise to me. Most songs on the radio are Pop. Children probably like artists who are closer to their age which are teens or young adults. Teens and young adults like to make Pop music but I won't go much into why. Some people preferred music that was "other". There are many types of music that could be other and I only listed three choices. Third, Classical music was popular in the 1500s, 1600s, and 1700s with children and adults, but that was before they discovered all the different types of music we have today. And fourth popular was Rock'n Roll. I think if I surveyed adults they might choose Rock'n Roll as #1.

VMA TODAY Issue 3, November 2012

4

Michael Buble: Singing and Swinging to Stardom

by Maya and MacKenzie

On the 9th of September 1975, superstar Michael Buble was born in Burnaby, British Columbia. And now he is an Italian-Canadian singer and actor. When Michael Buble was two in 1977 he started wanting to be a singer. He was introduced to swing music and jazz standard at an early age. In 1993, Michael Buble sang Young Boy and people started to like him. In 1992, when Michael Buble was just 17, he had his first single on the radio called Haven't Met You Yet. In 2003 Michael Buble released his first album, which reached to top 10 in Canada and the UK. He also won a bunch of Juno awards between 2004 and 2012. In total, he has had 12 wins! It is now 2012 and Michael Buble is 37 years old, and people still like him.

Celine Dion: An International Superstar

by Cali and Karshell

Celine Dion was born on March 30, 1968. At the age of 5, Celine Dion sang in her parents' piano bar for the happiness of customers. At the age of 12, Celine Dion made a demo tape with her mom. At 18, Celine Dion started making her first French album. She won numerous Felix and Juno awards for her French album. In 1993, she had her breakthrough into the stage life when she sang in Beauty and the Beast. And in 1998, she won the Eurovision Contest in Dublin and reordered her first English album. Over 100 million copies were sold!

Uniform Reminder!

The students and staff of the Vocal Music Academy are very busy in rehearsal for our Inaugural Concert and Gala Opening Celebration. A determination has been made as to what the children are expected to wear for this performance. You are asked to provide the following uniform for your child for this performance:

• black pants or skirts (knee-length) with black stockings/ tights • white long-sleeved oxford-style shirts – with

button-down collar • black or dark shoes (please no running shoes)

The school will provide each student with a performance vest which will be worn over the white shirt. Shirts will be tucked into pants or skirts to enable uniformity at the mid-section where the vest meets the pants.

If you are having any difficulty putting together these items for your child, please let us know at the school as we might be able to offer assistance.

We look forward to seeing you at to our Inaugural Concert and Gala Opening Celebration.