Observation Day 4

Charlotte Avenue Elementary School Nashua, NH

Melanie Paul

Fifth Grade General Music

• same class as yesterday(yesterday was a make up)
• starts right off by telling students that they will be auditioning dancers for the Morris Dance
• says that if they are students who don't want to miss gym, then this is not for them- will be missing three gym periods
• wants students to be trustworthy- not ruin the secret
  -to keep a good solid beat is also important
• Mrs. Paul shows students the sword
  - explains it comes from Celtic culture, “Knights of the Round Table”, this was part of their Springtime Ceremony, May Day
  - do the May Pole dance, with strings, ribbons, flowers, etc
• has me help demonstrate with her
• gets first two groups of six to audition
• explains that because of the high level of everyone, she will probably have to pick names out of a hat once she sees who is serious about doing the dance

Fourth Grade General Music

• has students sit facing the board
• says she'll be talking about the mechanics of music
• shows them the C Major scale- has them name the physical letter names and the solfege
• explains octaves- the letter names don't change but the pitch does
• then explains chords
  - does it by number
  - explains that it's 1, 3, 5, and then 1 repeated
• labeling them with Roman numerals(brilliant!)
  - asks them if they know what Roman numerals are(they do)
• says that she will only be talking about major chords(uppercase Roman numerals)
• explains Tonic, Sub Dominant, Dominant(Home, Kinda Home, Lost)
• plays D Minor chord- asks them what it sounds like(sad, gloomy, scared)
  emphasizes that the lowercase letters are minor

First Grade General Music

• Quaver Grooves
• Explores different options today, with Synth/Brass particularly
• Will listen to them first before making any decisions
• Doesn't want them to tell with voice-
• They pick Synthesizer over other three options- Brass, Organ, Pads
• Using solfege
• Goes back and forth between drum machine and kit- although there are lots of options, she has them listen just to get a feel of the differences are
• Tied when she asks them- she picks the drum machine
• asks them which out of the ten possible choices they like the best
• majority picks #5, so she decides to start and end with #5
• students started to sing without her motioning for them to come in
• explores different types of bass- explains that synth bass comes from the computer
• explains that string bass comes from an orchestra
• does every decision by majority, but always tries to put in those that didn't make it
• will do a mix of options

Second Grade General Music

• uses Quaver Grooves
• first time I've seen her have to use major discipline—- two boys were arguing and one said they hit the other. She brought both of them outside for a time out, but separate from each other
• Mrs. Paul had to leave the room briefly, and had me step in while she was gone. It was a seemingly simple task; complete the song. However, this is a boisterous group, and it took a lot to grab their attention. However, they were attentive, overall respectful, and so enthusiastic towards the piece and adding in different sections. They wanted to make sure they could hear all of the parts, that their simple solfege melody fit well, and that even with a fast tempo they could sing their song and recognize other portions of the piece.

PREP PERIOD

Observation Day 3

Observation Day 3

Charlotte Avenue Elementary School, Melanie Paul

Arrived-8:50 AM

First Period- 9:05 AM

Fifth Grade General Music

Morris Dance- will be auditioning students today

• dance with wooden swords- taken from Old English tradition
• May Day/May Pole- dance with ribbons etc
• Tells students they will miss a few Gym periods for this- will be performing it at Field Day

• if you're someone who isn't willing to miss Gym, probably not the best person for this
• talks about “the secret of the star”- only the people who are dancing will do it
  - are urged to not talk about it or tell anyone- keep secret until performance
• looking for people that are collaborators, able to work together as a group and not simply as individuals
• takes out wooden swords- will audition them in two groups of six in class, will let them konw by Monday
• auditions them doing the first four counts of eight
• addresses that she will use alternates- will learn the entire dance and movements, and will jump in if need be.
  FREE PERIOD

First Grade General Music

• has students sit on either side of the projector
• says they'll be adding on to the song they made last week
• uses sol-mi patterns, reviews them with students
• goes back to Quaver- musical internet program
• fit in sol-mi patterns to Quaver
• students clap along, without Mrs. Paul even asking
• she stops singing with them and they still do it- very responsive
• very respectful and so enthusiasic
• shows them the repeat button, explains it, and then plays their song to show them it in action
• asks them what tempo means, explains how they can use it in their song
  - says that a lot of words in music are Italian or Latin
  LUNCH
  Second Grade General Music
• introduces them to Quaver- haven't used it yet
• uses the Song Brush program- use paint brush(different colors for different instruments), and then it forms a song.
  -Can also see the song in proper sheet music notation
• goes into the Studio, and Grooves(garage band type program)
  - does Tutorial so it gives the students a basic introduction
• Asks them if they think Quaver is a real person or not
  - shows them the video of her meeting him at the NAFME All-Eastern Conference
• created their piece
  Fifth Grade General Music
• explain that because they had a field trip last week, they are having a make up class of sorts today
• doing the West Africa lesson that she did with her first class on Monday
• experienced initial difficulty getting it started but then it worked
• video explains instruments specific to Uganda
• she then also shows them the “Jazz for Cows” video

Observation Day 2

Melanie Paul, General Music/Chorus Teacher

Arrived- 8:15 AM

• Mrs. Paul rehearsed with Staff Chorus for Concert this evening
  - Singing two pieces: Blowing in the Wind by Bob Dylan and Turn, Turn, Turn by Pete Seeger
• Eight members of staff chorus- four on each part
  - Mrs. Paul plays guitar and sings harmony
  (rehearsed until 8:45)
  Setup for Spring Concert(performance for school in gymnasium)
• assisted Mrs. Paul in setting up electrical equipment(speakers, microphones, etc)
• also assisted students with any questions they had prior to performance for school
  Spring Concert Performance
• sat behind risers, in sight of Mrs. Paul, to assist her with any possible technical problems during performance
• Concert band performed first- four group pieces and one brief solo
• slight break to set up for chorus
• Staff Chorus performed their two pieces
• Chorus performed six pieces, one with movement, each with small group ensembles/solo
  After Performance
• took Mrs. Paul's Fourth Grade class while she struck her equipment, and talked to them about the concert, and certain musical elements
  First Grade General Music Class
• uses Quaver- internet music program from yesterday.
  Used Garage Band type program, working on a song already in progress
  talked about solfege patterns and how they can be incoporated into the song they made on Quaver
• read them a book that told the story of “Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me”, then taught them the piece with Rote Song Procedure
• Then, she formed a circle with the class, and did a dance while singing. Also played a “Follow the Leader” of sorts with them
• Students get out of hand, stopped singing, were yanking on each other, etc
• sits them down and asks why that wasn't successful- they say that they weren't using a “safe body”, were “being really loud”, not “being respectful”
• tells the class that she hopes that next time they can be more successful
• they leave in silence
  LUNCH
  Third Grade General Music
• Started with Quaver- wasn't cooperating techinically
• read students a book that was the lyrics of a children's song, as a review
• created a song about salami, something they referenced in the book
• will use the Garage Band app to add on to their song
• adding new elements as they progress through the piece

Fourth Grade Chorus

• tells students that today will be a relaxing day, because of the concert tonight
• tells them what a great job they did, but to not become too cocky
• gives them each a certificate and a pencil
• discusses the FisherCats game they are singing at, June 11^th, and the logistics of that
  - let them out early, so we had about twenty minutes of a planning period. Lost earlier planning period due to in-school concert
  Third Grade General Music-Recorder
• Each student is required to learn recorder- different levels in terms of difficulty/advancement
• Levels= belt levels in Karate(black, brown, blue, etc)
• Helped students individually with their progress
• Mrs. Paul tests them on each level- was calling them forward if they hadn't been tested in a while

Teacher Observation: Day 1

Charlotte Avenue School Observation Day 1

Melanie Paul, General Music/Chorus Teacher

Arrived- 8:45 AM

First Class- 9:10 AM(5^th grade General Music)

Exploring West African Music

• shows students a map of Africa, explains that Africa is a continent not a country
• talks to students about the talking drum, explains the sounds it makes and how that happens
  - compares it to the drum they have already talked about previously
• talks specifically about Uganda- interested about the vegetation and shows them pictures- like a combination of different areas
  - then compares that to how there is a large combination of instruments in Uganda
• shows them a video that explains these instruments
• asks them what they found interesting about the instruments
  - what parts there were of the instruments(melody, harmony)
  - compares it to when they did jazz( improvisation)
  - use the instruments/sounds in every part of their life
• asks students what the purpose of music is in America- form of entertainment here as opposed to a tool, part of everyday life
• has many African instruments- each of which she explains and shows around
• connects everything back to things they've discussed before- differing rhythms
• talks about djembes(Ghana), and then shows them different drums from Kenya
• gives everyone an instrument, and gives them different rhythms to play together
• explains polyrhythms and syncopation
• explains each rhythm, and students play together on different percussive instruments
• shows homeroom teacher what they have learned

2^nd period- 4^th grade general music

• they had just done standarized testing- giving them a relaxing morning
• watching a Britain's Got Talent clip- boys choir
• talk about the experience and influence music has on children- more than just entertainment
• stresses the importance of keeping music forever- even if they don't perform professionally
• shows them Quaver's Marvelous World of Music- an interactive computer music program
  - uses a Garage Band esque program- will create song together

3^rd period- Special Needs class

• plays guitar
• starts with the same song every time
• anywhere from five to ten students
• five paraprofessionals
• she has each student come up to the guitar and play it
• she brings out boxes of instruments and has the students each pick one out(percussive)
• plays a track for them to play with- will stop and start it to see their response
• then invites them to switch to play a different instrument- move and sing with their instrument

FREE PERIOD/LUNCH

• sat with other teachers for lunch period in the teacher's room
• once finished, went back to the classroom to help Mrs. Paul set up for her chorus dress rehearsal
• brought in chairs, piano, risers, etc
• once done, started folding programs for the choir concert tomorrow

Fourth Period- Chorus Dress Rehearsal

• Mrs. Paul introduced me and the accompanist to the students
• Chorus is made up of fourth and fifth graders
• Concert is tomorrow- one for the students in the morning, and for parents and friends
• first time both groups have sung together with accompanist in full order
• concert program has wide variety of pieces- seven total
• when students aren't giving as much as Mrs. Paul would like in terms of emotion and expression, she asks them to think about what the song means to them, and immediately sees/hears a change
• has five more minutes, and asks students to get into different positions for “Old Joe Clark”
• song includes clapping, movement, and storytelling aspects
  This ran into two periods, so for the rest of her period, she prepped for the concert.
• Bus Duty- after school Mrs. Paul had bus duty, so I went with her to complete that

RPW: College Stress, and how I've dealt with it(or tried)

Going into college, I think most of us knew, or at least assumed, that the college experience would come with a myriad of emotions, and many highs and lows. To be honest though, I was not expecting the amount of work, or my stress levels, to be as high as they've been throughout the year. Throughout high school, I seemed to be able to balance schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and work fairly well. Yes, I would become stressed at some points, but overall I thought that I had a good handle on balancing my academic and social lives, while maintaining strong relationships with my family and friends. I assumed that because I had been relatively successful with this throughout my high school years, that it would be no different when making the transition to college life.
Looking back on my thoughts from a year ago, I don't know how I let myself think that it would be essentially the same experience in terms of balance and dealing with stress.
College is a completely different experience than high school, for a number of reasons. Quite possibly the largest one is that your academic life does not begin at 7:30 and end at 2:00, with small and minimal breaks throughout the day. High school, while the breaks may not be for long periods of time, has its academics concentrated, and with the exception of homework, your academic duties are finished once the final bell rings. In college, you could have a schedule with four classes back to back, choir, and an opera rehearsal, or have a schedule where you only have one or two classes a day, with the majority of your day being free. I have found that this is the biggest, and most difficult change to adjust to. Because our academic life does not have a daily ending point, like high school, we are given free reign for the most part as to when and how to complete certain assignments. I find that without constraints, it is more of a challenge for me to complete work in a certain period of time. College has shown me that I am a type of student that needs specific instruction and restrictions in order to work in an effective and timely manner, and to be the most productive student I can be.
As mentioned above, I am one of the types of students that has a very packed schedule. On my busiest days, I have six classes, with my day starting at 9:00 and ending at 6:30, with only two one-hour breaks in between those periods. While some may see this as more of a stressor(and sometimes it is) I like it because it gives me specific chunks of time to finish work and get goals of mine accomplished. In some ways, because I have such few breaks overall, I feel as though I get more work done, because I am not tempted by numerous amounts of free time. I know that if I don't get an assignment finished in one of my planned-out free periods, then it most likely won't get done, or completed in the way I initially intended.
To be honest, I haven't quite found a solution to deal with the stress of everyday college life, and particularly the stresses of being a Hartt double major. I have learned through college that I get stressed out very easily, often by the smallest things, and that often I just need to take a step back and away from a situation, and re-address it once I have cooled off. However, this was my first year in a completely new environment and situation. I know that because I have now dealt with it in a somewhat effective manner, it will hopefully become easier to deal with stress as time passes through my academic career here at Hartt.

RPW: Perception of Greek Organizations

For my final required blog post, I decided to write about perception of Greek organizations on campus. Fraternities and sororities are defined as fraternal social organizations for collegiate students. These organizations are usually divided by sex: fraternities are typically restricted to men, and sororities typically for women. However, sometimes there are exceptions to this rule, and I am a part of one of these particular organizations.
Just two weeks ago, I was officially initiated as a sister into Sigma Alpha Iota, the International Music Fraternity. Started in 1903 at the University of Michigan School of Music, Sigma Alpha Iota currently has 222 active collegiate chapters and 120 active alumnae chapters. SAI is one of the few Greek organizations that has such a strong life after a student's undergraduate experience. Regardless of where a sister of SAI chooses to relocate after graduation, she is bound to have an SAI alumnae chapter available to her  relatively close.
 I have truly had the time of my life getting to know all of the amazing sisters and sharing a common bond through music. My big sister and I have a wonderful relationship; already we have supported each other in our recitals and other performances, and are generally very close. I've developed friendships with girls that span all majors in Hartt, and I know that I certainly would not have become friends with them, or even made conversation, had I not been a part of SAI.   However, telling my friends and family hasn't gone without its struggles and confusion on the other end of things.
One of the biggest points of confusion from my family and friends when telling them I was part of an International Music Fraternity was this: "How can you be in a fraternity when you're a girl? Aren't fraternities only for boys? How does that even work?" Truth be told, I too, was initially confused when I heard it was a fraternity. After the collegiate level, adults who have had an active life in music(i.e faculty members at a college where there is a chapter of SAI) can be named a Distinguished Member, for their contributions to music on a national and/or international level. There are four types of distinguished membership, two of which can be presented to either a man or a woman. So, because a post-collegiate member can be male, Sigma Alpha Iota is considered a fraternity, although at the collegiate level it is more like a sorority.
Another main concern people had when I told them I was a member of SAI was this: "Don't sorority girls just party all the time? Did you have to endure hazing while pledging?"
Again, I can understand why those close to me would have these concerns. Many Greek organizations unfortunately, have a reputation of constant partying and hazing for their pledges because these occurrences do exist. However, I can honestly say that neither of these exist in Sigma Alpha Iota. In fact, their opposition of these activities is  a large portion of their statement and ideals. As SAI members, we are not allowed to talk about anything related to the organization at parties where they may be any kind of illegal or underage activity, even if we are not partaking in it. Also, at such events where this may be a possibility, we are not allowed to wear our SAI pins, as wearing them means we will behave in a way that is proper and respectful.
In terms of hazing, SAI has absolutely no tolerance for it. In fact, there is an entire policy on hazing in our handbook, and is explained in great detail. At one of the first recruitment events, the sisters made a huge posterboard explaining this policy, and that it simply isn't done. With any sort of event for the pledges, our Vice President of Membership made sure to run every little detail by us, and stressed the importance of our comfort with any situation. If we were in fact uncomfortable with any portion of a ceremony or event, it was considered hazing. So, in that sense, SAI is very fervent about making sure  illegal or disturbing activities are not associated with the sisters.

RPW: Pippin Review

For one of my blog posts, I decided to do a review of the revival of the musical Pippin, which started previews on Broadway about a month ago, and had its official opening last week. With music by Steven Schwartz, Pippin uses a performance troupe, led by their Leading Player, to tell the story of a young prince and his journey to adulthood. The original production premiered in 1972 on Broadway, directed and choreographed by the iconic Bob Fosse. The music and choreography of the show is very reflective of the era in which it was created, and because of this is considered by some to be a rather "dated" production. However, seeing the revival production, I can say that Pippin is the farthest thing from dated.
There were many changes from the original production to this revival, most of which I can say I enjoyed and were positive changes. The biggest change would have to be the concept. In the original production, the concept was rather unclear. It wasn't set in a particular way, and was made in a way that could foster numerous productions of different scales and levels. In the revival, director Diane Paulus(of HAIR and Porgy and Bess directorial fame) took a completely new route, setting Pippin in a circus. She enlisted help from a French circus company, creating an ensemble of acrobats and circus arts. These elements enhanced the production in ways I never thought possible. It was captivating to constantly be suprirsed by what types of daring tricks the ensemble, and even lead players, would be performing next.
 Broadway actress Patina Miler played the role of the Leading Player. Although this role is usually played by a male actor(and the original, Ben Vereen, won a Tony for it in its premiere), Miller was absolutely phenomenal. The role of the Leading Player is arguably one of the most demanding in the world of musical theater. The actor never leaves the stage, and is constantly leading the ensemble of players in their singing and dancing. Miller was effortless in both her musicality and dance execution, and had a constant energy throughout the entire performance.
Quite possibly the biggest standout excluding Miller would have to be Andrea Martin, who played the role of Pippin's grandmother, Berthe. Although the show has its funny moments, Berthe is the clear comic relief in the musical, and Martin was perfectly cast. She's known to Broadway audiences as having played Frau Blucher in the fairly recent production of Young Frankenstein, and has been in many films, including My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Martin was perfectly witty and just all-around perfect; her number had the audience on their feet...before it was even over!
 I saw Pippin the night after its first preview, which was a pretty cool experience. When a show is in previews, the artistic team can make changes during this time that will make the show different when it officially opens. So, this means that I could have seen parts of the show that became slightly altered by the time the masses came to see the production. Also, the majority of the audience members that go to previews are your typical NY Theater audience: they know the story, they know the music, and want to be entertained. Although it may seem trivial, seeing a show among theater people can be quite a different experience than with amateur theatergoers.
I thoroughly enjoyed Diane Paulus' revival of Pippin. The Tony Award nominations were announced today, and it received 10 nominations. Here's hoping it at least wins a few!

RPW: Response to Rebecca's post on the Freshman 15

This post is in response to Rebecca's post about the Freshman 15.
I must admit, before coming to college I heard a lot about the Freshman 15 "Phenomenon", but didn't really understand how it was possible. I assumed that those who eat rather healthily and exercised on a fairly regular basis in high school would be able to behave similarly in college without much difficulty. However, once being put in a college living situation, unlike most people's living situations pre-college, I can honestly say that I have a different view of this very common predicament for college students.
One of the components of Rebecca's post that I found very intriguing was her section on alcohol consumption. In my observations, I've seen that most people that gain the Freshman 15 have done so due to poor eating habits or lack of exercise, but never once have I thought that alcohol would be a contributing factor.  While I knew that alcoholic beverages were not exactly low-calorie options, I was rather unaware how many calories they packed, and how frequent alcohol consumption could lead to weight gain.
Another part of Rebecca's post that I can relate to is her discussion of late night snacking. Although I think at some points this is inevitable, when students are up until all hours working on assignments, I don't think the University's food system helps this problem. In fact, it seems like they almost encourage it. Hawk's Nest is open until 10:30 I believe, and the Deli in Konover does not begin making sandwiches that count as meal swipes until 10:00, counting for the "Late Night" meal. While I think that is nice to have these options, I feel as though the University is encouraging unhealthy eating through the late night meal option.
As my freshman year comes to a close, I can honestly say that I was not as healthy as I wanted to be. As proactive as I was initially with going to the gym and eating healthy, often taking these routes can be time-consuming, and for someone like me as a Hartt double major it is near impossible to keep up with constant exercise and having to sometimes wait longer for healthier options at Gengras and at Commons. I know that next year, having spent a year at the University, I will have a better idea of what I need to do to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and with having the opportunity to cook my own food, will hopefully be able to become a healthier person.

RPW: Response to Meghan's Response to Lani's Post

While looking over my classmate's blogs, I noticed that many people had posted or responded to posts about the food system at UHA. This seemed like a popular topic, and so I thought I'd throw my opinion into the ring.
I agree with both Lani and Meghan about the time slots for the meal plan, but I have a slightly different reason for my problems with that. As a performance major, when we're in production weeks for the operas, we'll often have to go straight from our classes to rehearsal for four or five hours at night. Because of this, usually we'll have to skip dinner, or go to Konover after rehearsal, but usually it's really crowded at that point. It would be nice to have the option of using my dinner meal swipe at lunch, in addition to my lunch swipe. For example, I'd have something from Extreme Pita for lunch, and then at the same time could use my dinner swipe for a soup or salad, that I could then eat during dinner. I understand this could get a tad complicated, but it's frustrating that our options become so limited when we are in production weeks for the numerous performances we have throughout the year.
I also agree with both Lani and Meghan on the amount of healthy food that is available at the three main places to eat: University Commons, Gengras, and Hawk's Nest. At Hawk's Nest and Gengras both, it almost seems as if the University is penalizing you for wanting to be healthy. For example, at Extreme Pita, choosing to put my pita ingredients in a bowl and opting to not eat the bread does not count as a meal. If I want to get one of the specified menu items that has perhaps more vegetables than the meal equivilencies, than I either have to pay for a meal plus and use dining dollars, or it does not count for a meal at all.
Another example are the meal equivalencies at Einstein's Bros. Bagels. For Breakfast, you can either get a bagel with shmear(cream cheese, butter, etc) or egg and cheese on a bagel. If you wanted to take a healthier route and have egg whites instead of egg, you have to pay extra outside of the meal swipe. At lunch as well, the healthier alternatives that they advertise, with the exception of the Veg Out, are not meal equivalencies.
I understand that not everything can be made into a meal, but some of the decisions made by UHA Dining don't entirely make sense to me. Although the food overall isn't terrible, I will be certainly glad to be living in the Village next year, where I will have the opportunity to cook more of my own food and rely less on UHA dining options.

RPW: Collage Concert Review

Two weekends ago, The Hartt School presented its annual Collage Concert: a showcase of music, dance, and theatre performance from numerous performance disciplines.  Free to the public, Collage consistently sells out every year, and is Hartt's "gift to the community", giving audience members the opportunity to see the best of what Hartt has to offer. I had the pleasure of attending Collage and was truly blown away by the myriad of performances the students gave.
The setup was fairly simple. The performance took place in Lincoln Theater, which is the largest performance space(capacity wise) the University offers, and the Hartt Orchestra was onstage for the entirety of the concert. This really helped the flow of the night as a whole, creating a nice fluidity and very little jarring movements between performances.
The concert featured a fairly equal representation of performances across Hartt's three main disciplines: Dance, Music, and Theatre. Some of my favorite, and in my opinion most moving moments of the evening came from Hartt's Theatre Division students. Associate Professor Kevin Gray passed away suddenly in the week before Collage, and the students performed a moving tribute to him, with the song Bui Doi from Miss Saigon, which Kevin directed. Seniors performed a rousing rendition of One Day More from Les Miserables, made even more popular by the recent movie.
Another performance highlight came from the Vocal Studies Division, where triplets Evan, Zach, and Chase Gutierrez performed Somewhere from West Side Story. It was a beautiful and almost haunting vocal arrangement that audience members speechless.
Collage's Finale was an energetic arrangement of the Beatles' Hey Jude, arranged by Hartt's very own Mike Morris, head of Music for the Theatre Division. This number paid tribute to each act of the night by showcasing them with a solo, and then slowly coming together to form an incredibly talented ensemble.
Hartt's annual Collage Concert was a fabulous showing of the talent that is present in the Hartt School. Being witness to the numerous acts made me so proud to be a student here at Hartt.