A Bike Ride

At Home

Hello!

I truly miss you all. I hope your Spring Break (and extended week) has been filled with wonder discovering new places and activities to do at home! I have been spending my time cleaning, making lessons for you to learn at home and practicing extra music- especially piano music. Dr. Lynch, our 3^rd grade music teacher, showed me the Metropolitan Opera and Berlin Philharmonic have opened up their libraries during the next few weeks. I have been soaking up the beautiful music of Giacomo Puccini, Ernest Chausson and many more.

Germans are passionate about classical music. Their opera houses sell out for nearly every performance. With their concert halls closed, they still want people to experience the beauty of classical music, so they have opened up their archives for us to watch! If your kiddos want to watch FULL length, high quality concerts of the composers we study in class, you can go to: Berlin Philharmonic digital concert hall https://www.digitalconcerthall.com/tickets . It can be quite overwhelming to choose from all the performances. I’ve found if I go to the Concert tab and select a favorite composer it is a less cumbersome. You may find some of the pieces we've listened to in class or you may discover new compositions to enjoy!

Out of the composers we study, here are the ones the Berlin Philharmonic will have in their collection:

Kindergarten: Claude Debussy, Edvard Greig, Jacque Offenbach, Sergei Prokofiev, Camille Saint-Saëns, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

1^st grade: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, John Philip Sousa, Engelbert Humperdinck (to be introduced in quarter 4), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

2^nd grade: Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, Felix Mendelssohn, Antonio Vivaldi

If you would like to send me a video or a note of what you’ve been doing, you can email me.  I would love to see your face!

Kindly,

Miss. Jocelyn Weddle

jweddle@archwayarete.org

Winter Concert Information

Welcome to music in the second quarter! I hope your fall break was refreshing and joyful. Thank you, those of you who came in to speak with the specialists for conference time. We love to tell you how wonderful and special your kiddos are to us.

In music, all our grades are getting ready for the WINTER CONCERT by memorizing music and practicing how we act on stage. We call our standing position “Musician Stance”. This important posture helps the students breathe properly to support their sound as well as helps them focus and train their eyes to watch the conductor. We also take time to learn what is to be a great audience member. As a great audience member, we stay seated in our chair during the performance keeping our bodies silent (including our voices) and we keep our eyes on the performer.

FAQs for the WINTER CONCERT

When is the concert? November 20, 2019

Where is the concert? Higley Center for the Performing Arts

 4132 E. Pecos Rd. Gilbert, AZ 85295

What time do my kids need to be there?

Kindergarteners-4:45pm /1^st-2^nd graders- 5:00pm

(Kindergarteners have a special time to get acquainted with the large scale of the stage and hall.)

What do my children wear? This evening is special and requires a musician’s uniform, NOT the regular Arete school uniform.

Gentlemen: are expected to wear a plain white-collar shirt, black pants, black socks and black closed toed shoes. Solid dark colored vests and ties are optional for gentlemen.

Ladies: are expected to wear a white top, black skirt, and black closed toed shoes. At the winter concert ladies are expected to wear black tights as a part of their attire.

What time does the concert begin? 5:30pm

Will there be dinner or food? No, there will not be food or refreshments at the venue. We recommend you feed your family beforehand.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me directly.

Kindly,

Miss Jocelyn Weddle

jweddle@archwayarete.org

Fall Clubs Registration

Hello!

Clubs are starting this week! My Mallet Masters club (2nd & 3rd grade) is filled! Wow! I also lead Choir Club for 5th and 4th grade students who love to SING and make friends. 

Choir Club (4^th-5^th) is where students come to enhance their vocal technique, sing beautiful classical literature and grow in their relationships with fellow students through the connection of vocal music, silly warm-us and challenging musical games. We learn three pieces of music to perform at our Winter Concert on November 20^th . This group is the special “red scarf & tie” performers at the concert. If you have older students who are interested, ask them to bring their friends!

Where do I go to register or find more information?

archwayarete.configio.com

If clubs have already begun, can I sign up my student?
Yes! Please sign up your kiddos even if they have missed the first clubs.

Kindly,

Miss. Jocelyn Weddle

jweddle@archwayarete.org

Welcome to Music 2019-2020!

Hello Archway Arete Families,

Welcome to the Archway Arete Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade music blog. I hope your summer was filled with adventures and rest.

This blog is the perfect place for you to follow your student’s musical studies as well as locate information regarding our two concert performances this year! These will be the evening of November 20^th and the morning of May 6^th, so you can save the dates. Our concerts' location is posted on the right-hand side of the blog under my picture. Times and concert attire details will be posted the first couple weeks of school. These two days are my favorite of the academic year because our students get to showcase their musical skills while performing beautiful song literature as a group. I am always proud of what our little ones can accomplish in just a few months!

I am jubilant to be returning for my fourth-year teaching at Archway Arete! Before coming to Arete I taught in the private sector. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Music Education emphasis in voice from Grand Canyon University in 2014. I am a classically trained soprano and specialize in a myriad of genres including choral and jazz. When I am not singing or teaching you will find me spending time with my nephews, traveling around Europe, organizing everything, watching great movies and learning how to sew. I am always delighted to hear my students listening to classical music outside the classroom and a couple composers I love to listen to and study are Vincenzo Bellini, Samuel Barber, Ernest Chausson and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. My teaching style is joyful and structured. I look forward to exploring Truth, Beauty and Goodness through music this year with our scholars.

Kindly,

Miss. Jocelyn Weddle
jweddle@archwayarete.org

Here are a few pictures from my travels abroad this summer. 
A cooking class in Rome

Inside the Colosseum at night

We cannot forget the Trevi Fountain

 To the Kunsthalle Museum to see one of my favorite pieces of art.

 In the Munich Opera House to see an opera by Donizetti.