Holidays in the Village

Back in the day, our little town was affectionately known as "Pablo Village."  I guess that's where the organizer of this particular fundraiser for the Beaches Historical Museum got the idea for "Holidays in the Village."  Interior Designers from around the community decorated holiday tables and the Singing Senators were asked to perform along with the Sharkapellas of Ponte Vedra High School.  The organizer wanted the beaches communities represented, and represent, we did!

True to form, my students rose to the occasion and attended after-school rehearsals to prepare for this event.  We had no idea a polar vortex would drop down on NE Florida this particular evening.  I must give credit where credit it due - this event was scheduled over our Thanksgiving holiday from school, it was 36 degrees outside on November 28th and we were standing in wet grass singing Christmas Carols for an hour.  Brrrrrrrr..........

Love these students...they were such good sports!

Thank you, Noah, for being the only male in our midst!

December is one of our busiest months during the school year. You can catch the Singing Senators at the following community events over the next several weeks:

Friday, December 5th - Christmas in the Park at Jarboe Park in Neptune Beach - event begins at 6 pm

Sunday, December 7th - Interact Fundraiser for K-9s for Wounded Warriors - Slider's - 5 to 7 p.m.

Thursday, December 11th - Holiday Extravaganza featuring the FHS Band, the FHS Chorus and the FHS Dance Ensemble.  7:00 p.m. in the Fletcher High Auditorium.  Tickets are $5.00 at the door.

Sunday, December 14th - Deck the Chairs at the Sea Walk Pavilion - free.  Performance begins at 7:00 p.m.  Nancy Dance Studio, a string quartet and a mass choir composed of singers from area churches, Fletcher Middle School and Fletcher High School will perform.

Thursday, December 18th - Jacksonville International Airport - 10:30 to 11:00 a.m.

Until next time...

Happy Thanksgiving, Ya'll

It's Thanksgiving Day, 2014.  My eyes popped open at 3:00 a.m.  It would be hours before I needed to start cooking.  What was I to do?

Well....I decided to grade papers.  I brought a crate full of music theory books home, several concert reflections my Honors students had written and Christmas music on which my beginning piano students had to "write in the counts, letter names and fingering numbers" so we could learn it more quickly upon our return.

Only one problem...my eldest son is home from college and is sleeping in one room, my youngest son has the flu and is crashed out on the sofa in the living room, my husband is snoring in our bedroom and my 91-year old father-in-law has taken up residence in another room.  The only place I could find to work was in the bathroom.  The garage wasn't even a consideration; it's too cold outside this time of year.

It is now 5:47 a.m. and I am very happy to report that my work is done (at least for today).  I wish I were the type that could return to the bed, hunker down under the covers and go back to sleep, but I've never been able to do that.  I was trying to figure out how to make a cup of coffee in the kitchen without waking my sick child in the living room, but haven't figured that out yet either.  Lord knows, I could use one.  It's cold on the bathroom floor and my feet are numb from lack of circulation.  Time to get up, move around and greet the dawn with a grateful heart.  I have life, breath, a job, a family that loves me, a roof over my head, an old car that gets me where I need to go - and lots of sunshine!!

Wishing all my readers a very Happy Thanksgiving.  There is much for which to be thankful today.

Until next time...

Proud to Be an American!

Last week was filled with patriotism, pride and community performances!

On Tuesday, the Singing Senators performed at the Veteran's Day Ceremony at Beaches Veteran's Memorial Park in Atlantic Beach.  It was a lovely day to celebrate our veterans - past, present and future.  Local ROTC commands were part of the experience and our very own FHS Brass Ensemble performed pre-show music for the audience.  Several hundred locals from around the Beaches community were there to pay their respects and honor those who had served and are currently serving to protect our freedom. 

Last night, an ensemble sang at the American Legion #129 as part of a patriotic program that was written by a former classmate of mine.  Candace asked if we would be part of her production when we bumped into each other at our 35th reunion last summer.  I told her I would be happy to support her efforts and thus our collaboration was born.  Funds raised last night will allow the American Legion to adopt a naval ship for the holidays at Mayport Naval Base and also to help send students to "Girls State" in Tallahassee next spring.  My favorite part of the program was when the wives of the men who are carved into Mt. Rushmore spoke about their husband's individual quirks.  It was quite humorous from the women's vantage point.

My students served food, dessert and sang

in the production.

Until next time...

Fall Choral Festival 2014

On November 6, 2014, the Duncan U. Fletcher Senior High School Beginning Mixed Chorus traveled to Atlantic Coast High School to perform in the annual Fall Choral Festival.  This festival provides an opportunity for a chorus to perform in a non-adjudicated setting and for their peers from around the district.

Last year, we were unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict, but after experiencing the festival this year, I feel it is a valuable tool for my beginners to get a taste of what it is like at District Music Performance Assessments in the Spring.  Although there is no sight-reading component, the students begin in the auditorium, move to the warm-up room, walk out onstage, perform two songs and exit to the auditorium.  The process is very similar at MPA.  It is not my practice to take the beginning chorus to District MPA, but after the positive experience we had at this festival, it may be a consideration this year.

My students did well.  We only had 34 make the trip out of 48 in the class, but the group was very well-behaved and represented our school well.

Many thanks to Shelli Long for sight-reading our music onstage during the performance.  We only had 3 minutes in the warm-up room for her to look at it.

 Duncan U. Fletcher Senior High Beginning Mixed Chorus

Until next time...