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Music Together March 2014

March 5, 2014 Leave a Comment

Music Together March 2014

Sing! Sing! Singin’ Every Day!

Music Together March 2014

Did you know March is “Sing with Your Child” Month? It is, and we have a fun challenge for all of our Hummingbirds Music Together families – can you sing at least once with your children every day in March? Let’s set the goal together and share the fun ways we are adding more song into our everyday lives on our Facebook page and in class. Also, check out Music Together’s weekly musical giveaways online here for answering trivia questions and sharing your family music-making. We can’t wait for March to get started!

Grosse Pointe Make Up Classes

There were a number of classes canceled this semester due to snow, President’s Day, and teacher illness. Please note the following classes – Monday 9:30 am, 10:30 am and 5:30 pm, Tuesday 11:00 am, Friday 9:30 am and 10:30 am, and Saturday 10:00 am and 11:00 am – will have their final class at the regular day and time the week of March 24.

 Upcoming Events:

Now – February 28: Spring semester pre-registration is open now through Friday, February 28. Sign up before March 1 to receive $10 off spring tuition.  Spring Semester starts Monday, March 31 and runs through the week of June 16. There is no class the week of April 21.

Saturday, March 1, 4:00 – 5:00 pm: Hummingbirds Music Together will host a Teddy Bear Picnic at both the Grosse Pointe and Canton locations. We will all come together for a musical picnic, changing the words of some of our favorite songs to be about Teddy Bears. Bring your child’s favorite teddy bear of special friend to share in this fun afternoon. If you would like to stay after the picnic to learn more about how music helps with children’s development, there will be a coloring activity while parents talk with an instructor. RSVP: Please reply to this email if you plan to attend.

Week of March 17: This is the last week of winter semester. We hope everyone has enjoyed the Sticks collection!

Wednesday, March 19, 10:00 – 10:45 am: In honor of March being “Sing with Your Child” Month, Hummingbirds Music Together is visiting the Canton Public Library for a morning of singing, shaking, and waving scarves in Music Together fashion and hope you can join us and bring friends to fill the library with song!

Thursday, March 27, 10:00 – 10:45 am: In honor of “Sing with Your Child” Month, please let East-side friends that are not currently enrolled with Hummingbirds Music Together know that we are hosting a free new student demo with a special transportation-themed music class. Children should bring their favorite car, truck, or train to sing and ride along with “The Train Song and zoom along in “Goin’ to Boston.” Please spread the word to friends you know will also love our program!

Monday, March 31 – Our Spring semester starts in which we will learn and enjoy Music Together’s “Maracas” collection.

Doo De Da Deeee…..

Have you ever wondered why there are songs in each collection without words? Songs without words that use vocables (“doo” or “bum da bum,” for example) instead of lyrics, allow children to focus on the melody without also having to process language. Even when singing songs WITH words, you might want to sing an extra verse or two on syllables. This model may help children with less developed speech sing more freely.

Hummingbirds Music Together is 100 Families Strong!

Hummingbirds Music Together is excited to share that as of this current winter semester, our program has over 100 families enrolled. This is an exciting milestone for our program and we thank each of our families for choosing Hummingbirds Music Together to help share the joy and benefits of music education.

As we wait for the first signs of spring to appear outside, we are so thankful for the beautiful voices we hear and smiles we see in every class that warm our hearts.

 

Looking forward to a sing-song-filled March,

-Miss Sarah, Miss Emily & Miss Hazima

Filed Under: Early Childhood Music, Music Education

The Funk Factor at Detroit Music Hall Jazz Cafe Sat Feb. 22nd 2014

February 7, 2014 Leave a Comment

February 22, $10

Jazz Café at Music Hall

Presents:

The Funk Factor

The Funk FactorWith Special Guests Vocalists

Jose Hamilton & Shirley Hayden

THE DETROIT SOUND IS BACK

For the lovers of soulful, funky and energetic music in the tradition of the music from the Golden Era of Detroit Music The Funk Factor is what you have longed for. Performing Classic Detroit songs and selections from the highly acclaimed “Today’s Soulful Sound of Detroit” CD/LP and digital project The Funk Factor will take you back to at time when the musicianship and vocal abilities of Detroit performers were the toast of the town worldwide. Not only will The Funk Factor give you an exciting glimpse into Detroit’s musical past you will also hear the soulful music of today’s Detroit while hearing and seeing the musical sounds of Detroit’s future. Just imagine in one performance experiencing Detroit’s musical past, present and future.  Featured will be the extraordinary vocal talents of Jose Hamilton and  Shirley Hayden. Jose’s tantalizing vocals are featured on the up tempo Motown/Detroit style dance stomper “Anytime You Need Love” from the “Today’s Soulful Sound of Detroit” CD. If you are a fan of Marvin Gaye, David Ruffin and other great male vocalists in the Detroit tradition Jose is your man. Shirley Hayden is a member of JazShop, the featured vocalists on The Funk Factor’s Northern Soul classic “Give It What Cha Got” from the “Today’s Soulful Sound of Detroit” project. Shirley’s musical past includes several other highlights. A member of The Parliament/Funkadelic family as a vocalist for The Parlet and also vocal group Jazzeray. Shirley is most definitely a Funk Queen. The Funk Factor is under the musical direction of Ufuoma Wallace and Tim King.

Filed Under: Performances Tagged With: , ,

Balduck Mountain Ramblers

February 6, 2014 Leave a Comment

Balduck Mountain Ramblers

Balduck Mountain Ramblers

 As always, the Balduck Mountain Ramblers will be busy celebrating St. Patrick’s Day during the month of March. 2014 is our 30th anniversary year, and to help celebrate, we’ve been in the studio since early December working on an all-new recording – our first since 2006.  Much more info to follow. Here’s what’s coming up:

 

Friday, March 14th - 8:00 p.m. Historic Players Playhouse annual benefit concert. Reservations for cabaret-style seating are $30.00 per person and include a light dinner, refreshments (yes, that includes beer!), snacks and a tour of the beautiful Players Playhouse. A portion of the funds raised help support the Players Endowment Fund. For reservations, call313.259.3385. The Players Playhouse is located at 3321 E. Jefferson, about a mile east of the Ren Cen. 

 

Sunday, March 16th - 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m. Annual Corktown Parade along Michigan Avenue. We’ll be in the big tent at Nemo’s, 1384 Michigan Avenue. For info call 313.965.3180.

 

Monday, March 17th - 12:00 noon – 7:30 p.m. Annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration back in the big tent at Nemo’s.

 

We’ll keep you posted on the new CD - we will have copies available for sale at the March 14th Players gig, and you can contact me by e-mail, or at 313.617.1360 to reserve your copy. I have heard from a few people who have said that reaching Players Playhouse can be a challenge. I’ve been in contact with the folks there and they assure me that if you leave a message for Joyce she will call you back, so please be patient!

 

Slainte’

 

John

 

Thanks to all of you for your continued interest and support. We hope to see you soon!

 

Ramblers February 2012

Ramblers at Marge’s Bar 2011

 

 

Shared by Grosse Pointe Music Academy

Music Lessons for Students of All ages

 

Filed Under: Event, News, Performances Tagged With: , ,

Kinan Azmeh Quartet

February 5, 2014 Leave a Comment

Kinan Azmeh Quartet

Kinan Azmeh Quartet (classical/jazz)
7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7

Lower Level Auditorium, Arab American National Museum
13624 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI

Tickets: $10/$9 Museum Members

Buy Tickets

Buy tickets by phone at 313.582.2266

As a soloist and composer, Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and the Kinan Azmeh Quartet has traveled the world, electrifying audiences in Paris, London, Berlin, Moscow and Damascus. His eponymous ensemble, formed in 2006 in New York City, gained immediate recognition for its virtuosic, high-energy performances, including praise from The New York Times. The Quartet strikes a creative balance between western and Arabic classical music, jazz, and the music of Syria. Azmeh’s expressive clarinet can soar above the rhythmic underpinnings of Kyle Sanna’s rustic guitar and the dynamic texture of John Hadfield’s percussion and Josh Myers’ double bass. At other times, Azmeh displays the utmost delicacy of phrasing and tone, with spare accompaniment. A truly outstanding ensemble at the top of its game.

Kinan Azmeh, Clarinetist, Composer

Described as a “virtuosic, unique sound” by the Daily Star and “Engagingly flamboyant” by the L.A Times, Kinan Azmeh is gaining the reputation of being on of Syria’s new rising stars.

Born in Damascus, Syria 1976, Kinan is the first Arab to win the first prize at the Nicolay Rubinstein international competition in Moscow, Russia, 1997, a graduate of the Juilliard school in New York and the High institute of music and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Damascus, Syria, He is currently working towards his doctoral degree at the city university of New York studying with Charles Neidich. Kinan has appeared as soloist and composer worldwide, such appearances include Opera Bastille in Paris,
Tschikovsky grand hall in Moscow, Carnegie and Alice Tully halls in New York, Royal Albert hall in London, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Berlin Philharmonie Hall, The Kennedy Center in Washington DC and the
Damascus Opera house for its opening concert. He has played under reputed conductors such as Solhi al-Wadi, Roger Norrington and Daniel Barenboim, and shared the stage with artists such as Mari Kimura, Marcel Khalife, Elliott Sharp, Katia Tchemberdji, Kani Karaca and Kevork Mourad. Compositions include several works for film, live visual arts, Solo, Orchestra, chamber music and electronics and his recordings include two albums with
his ensemble HEWAR, and several sound tracks for film and dance. Kinan is the artistic director of the DamascusFestival Chamber Music Ensemble.

Upcoming Global Fridays performances:
March 14: Spiritual Journeys: Victor Ghannam & Friends (classical/jazz)

April 11: Huun Huur Tu (Tuvan throat singing)

May 2: Grupo Escobar (salsa/timba)

 

Shared by Grosse Pointe Music Academy

Music Lessons for Students of All Ages

Guitar Passions at The Music Hall in Detroit February 18th

 

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Steve Colucci: Arts are valuable in and of themselves

February 4, 2014 Leave a Comment

Feb 4th, 2014

Providence Journal

by Steve Colucci

Arts are valuable in and of themselves

An impressive Jan. 14 Commentary piece (“Music education offers skills for this century and beyond“) makes a cogent point about the advantages of music education. However, I found it sad that Amanda Siegel, the Rocky Hill student who wrote the piece, might have found the need to do so.

Her piece reflected on the fact that we need to justify music education or any other “creative” endeavor as worthwhile due to the impact on other scholastic endeavors. This is disheartening.

Have we come to the point where our valuation of the arts is in terms of how it enhances academic pursuits? Are these not valuable pursuits for professional or even personal life-enhancement alone?

That we need to defend arts education is a sad proposition. Lose music or other arts and many students are now lost. If we see pursuits of the arts only as a way to enhance other academic areas our culture will be the worse off. There are jobs in the arts. Do we not value them? If not, why do we buy art, creative jewelry or clothing and works produced by creative minds? How is this any less of a career choice?

Yes, it is difficult to make one’s way in the arts, but it is no less true in most fields these days. Still, kudos to Ms. Siegel and her impressive talents, not only in music, but in writing. Talent in one does not necessarily lead to the other.

Steve Colucci
North Kingstown

Shared by Grosse Pointe Music Academy

Music Lessons for Students of all ages

Filed Under: Music Education, News Tagged With: ,