How to be a good music student

Students I just want to remind you of stuff I say on daily basis. This list will tell you how to be successful in life. It's not in any particular order.

Responsibility

   I know I try to make things easy for you but that does not mean you should let it be. I need to see members taking initiatives and stop depending on easy work. You have a responsibility to attend all sessions regularly and on time, to know your part and practice on your own first before we practice as a group, focus during rehearsals, be aware of events and activities and most importantly you need to obey my instructions.

Punctuality

   I know you have to wait on line to eat your lunch, other subject teacher hold you back, you thought I was not there and so on and so on during school. After school, I know you have to baby sit your younger brother, pick up your sister, shop for your mother and so on and so on. But I also know the truth. Some of the students are always late, always absent. What does this mean? It is a disrespect to me and to the team. Please make every effort to be on time.

Commitment

   I always say even if you did not want to do something but you decide to do it, then you need to do your best. However you are not here feeling like you don't want to be part of it because we don't force anybody, you choose to be with our program. This means I am expecting the best of the best attitude from every single students. Feel the sense of ownership, Its not my band, not my choir, It is yours, ours.

I will post up more soon

Wednesday or Thursday

We forgot to choose the day for our rehearsal after school. Thank you for not reminding me. I have created a poll ti the right side of the web site. Please consult your parents to choose the day. This is our first choir online assignment. The poll will close by Sunday please do this as soon as possible, latest by the weekend.

G Factor

It is our tradition for G factor to take place in first term, celebrating music month in November. Its no different this year. By the way, G factor is a singing competition which the school organizes every year to choose the best singer amongst the best. The concept derives from well known "American idol" and "X factor". Hence the name G factor. There are auditions and different rounds until finals. There are few changes in format this year. Each homeroom class is required to choose 1 student to represent their class.  These students will be working with their homeroom teachers to choose appropriate song. The first round will be held in the last week of September.

12 students will be selected to proceed to 2nd round, which will be held in the last week of October.  The students will sing the same song which they sang for first round.

The best 6 students will be selected to advance to the final round. For final round,  students are required to sing 2 songs,  one of which they sang at previous round and another of their choice that is in different genre. They will also be placed in groups and will be given a song for them to arrange and perform.

The prizes have not been confirmed as yet however, just for motivation, when we talk prizes, we are talking android tablet, cell phones,  vouchers,  etc.

Welcome back!!!

Its finally here, its D-day. Today is the first day of new academic year. Welcome back to all students and welcome to new comers. The school starts with a grand assembly.  Special greetings to our guest speaker Mrs Hippolyte. We teachers would love to see determination, discipline, positive attitude, team spirit and students being focused to complete your tasks. Hip hip hooray.

Join different programs!!!

Again music department is offering FREE after school programs to students. These after school started  a year ago and after its assessment, the results show that students have developed a sense of team work, increased self esteem as well as discipline. For these benefits and more which I have not mentioned, these programs will continue. Parents please support the school by encouraging your child to be part of these great initiatives. There are limited number of instruments and space, therefore students will be chosen on first come first serve basis. Here are the list of after school programs:

Steelpan Orchestra

Brass, woodwind Orchestra

Choir

String orchestra will start soon.

Interested students are asked to register by first week of school at music room.

- Chun Young Jeon - music teacher

St. Lucia National Anthem

Teachers and students this is the audio and scoring of the National Anthem.
Please take time to check out the score and the different parts.

Kodaly Methods

Teachers, this is the method I am incorporating in my lessons, it is a method developed by Zoltan Kodaly, famous and controversial music educator. I love this method and observed greater interaction and attention from students.

brief history : Kodály became interested in the music education of children in 1925 when he overheard some students singing songs that they had learned at school. Kodály was appalled by the standard of the children's singing, and was inspired to do something to improve the music education system in Hungary (Eösze 1962:69-70). He wrote a number of controversial articles, columns, and essays to raise awareness about the issue of music education (74). In his writings, Kodály criticized schools for using poor-quality music and for only teaching music in the secondary grades (72). Kodály insisted that the music education system needed better teachers, better curriculum, and more class time devoted to music (Dobszay 1972:30).