Here is a quick checklist of things you should have done or should be doing.
1) Turned in both permission slips with all necessary signatures, etc. ?
2) Turned in the $32 check (per participant, young or older, parent or student) made out to "Gunn Choir Boosters" for the required PAUSD insurance fee?
3) Turned in a copy of your passport? (only a few still missing. Yeah!)
4) Checked the repertoire list to make sure you have a copy of every piece?
5) Had your attire checked by the boosters?
6) Spent 15-20 minutes per day on your music? There are a lot of helpful resources here on the blog to help you be prepared musically. Please take advantage of them. We want the tour concerts to be AMAZING!
7) Made a plan with your parents for ATM use, cell phone use, etc while on the trip?
8) Walking shoes?????
Need help? Let me know. The Boosters and I really want this to be wonderful for you. We have all spent a lot of time and energy making this happen, and if you are having any problems with any of it, let us know so we can help you.
Best,
BL
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Check it out!!!
Check out the new link! There is now a link to a playlist of everyone's part to Zadok! Not only is your part played on the piano against an orchestral accompaniment, it has bonus tracks for when you know it better of just choral parts, just choral parts with orchestra, and then a final track of just the orchestra! It's really great, and will help so much with this last piece we have yet to learn.
I want to remind Treble Choir that all Treble Choir Sops are to learn Sop2, and all Treble Choir altos are to learn Alto2.
It doesn't need to take a bunch of time. Just 10 minutes a day with the score in front of you, and you will be up to speed on this in no time.
I also posted a link to the parts to El Yivneh for any guys who need to brush up on that.
Best,
BL
P.S. Passport copies? Permission slips? Walking shoes? Folders with all the necessary music in it?
PAUSD insurance money ($32)?
I want to remind Treble Choir that all Treble Choir Sops are to learn Sop2, and all Treble Choir altos are to learn Alto2.
It doesn't need to take a bunch of time. Just 10 minutes a day with the score in front of you, and you will be up to speed on this in no time.
I also posted a link to the parts to El Yivneh for any guys who need to brush up on that.
Best,
BL
P.S. Passport copies? Permission slips? Walking shoes? Folders with all the necessary music in it?
PAUSD insurance money ($32)?
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Baggage Limits
Hi. I just got an email from a parent who was looking into baggage. On British Airways a checked piece of luggage cannot weigh more than 51 pounds. If it does, you have to pay $45. If it weighs more than 70 pounds, you cannot check it! Good incentive to pack light! You can go to the British Airways website for more luggage info. http://www.britishairways.com/travel/bagchk/public/en_gb.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Sheet Music/Changing Money/Attire Check
Sheet Music: Here is the repertoire list for the tour. Please check your folder for any missing piece, and please email me ASAP if you need replacement copies of anything. You must have your own copy of everything (and a pencil) in rehearsal every day. If you let me know what you are missing, I can have it ready for you when you arrive Tuesday morning.
Concert Choir: Hava Nashira, Locus Iste, Beati, Set Me as Seal
Ave, Y'susum Midbar
Chamber Singers: Sim Shalom, Sh'ma Yisrael, Sicut Cervus, Salmo,
I Have Longed, Richte mich Gott (Psalm 43),
Hark I Hear the Harps Eternal, The Cuckoo
Women of the Choir (Concert and Treble):
Tzor Te'udah, Lo Yisa Goy
Men of the Choir:
El Yivneh Hagalil
Combined Choirs:
Go Down Moses, City Called Heaven, Elijah Rock
Sing Unto God, Zadok the Priest
Haydn Te Deum, Haydn Missa Brevis
Money: Hi. I think I created a little confusion with the money changing thing. Let's everyone just hold tight on this and don't contact the guy at Travelex for now. I am going to set something up with him where perhaps anyone who wants to leave with some changed money will bring me a set amount of American cash and I will do one big transaction with him. He does not want 100 people calling him and placing individual orders, and he has to know in advance how much cash to have on hand. Anyway, sit tight on that subject until I get back to you.
Attire Checks: If you did not have your attire with you on Thursday, you need to bring it this Wednesday and have your attire checked at the beginning of lunch. I can't keep asking the parent volunteers to come over and over again, plus we are running out of time on ordering replacements for those of you having attire issues. Please do your best to show up Wed at lunch in the attire. If you have a problem getting it to school, talk to me and we'll figure out a way.
We want you to feel comfortable and to look great!
Concert Choir: Hava Nashira, Locus Iste, Beati, Set Me as Seal
Ave, Y'susum Midbar
Chamber Singers: Sim Shalom, Sh'ma Yisrael, Sicut Cervus, Salmo,
I Have Longed, Richte mich Gott (Psalm 43),
Hark I Hear the Harps Eternal, The Cuckoo
Women of the Choir (Concert and Treble):
Tzor Te'udah, Lo Yisa Goy
Men of the Choir:
El Yivneh Hagalil
Combined Choirs:
Go Down Moses, City Called Heaven, Elijah Rock
Sing Unto God, Zadok the Priest
Haydn Te Deum, Haydn Missa Brevis
Money: Hi. I think I created a little confusion with the money changing thing. Let's everyone just hold tight on this and don't contact the guy at Travelex for now. I am going to set something up with him where perhaps anyone who wants to leave with some changed money will bring me a set amount of American cash and I will do one big transaction with him. He does not want 100 people calling him and placing individual orders, and he has to know in advance how much cash to have on hand. Anyway, sit tight on that subject until I get back to you.
Attire Checks: If you did not have your attire with you on Thursday, you need to bring it this Wednesday and have your attire checked at the beginning of lunch. I can't keep asking the parent volunteers to come over and over again, plus we are running out of time on ordering replacements for those of you having attire issues. Please do your best to show up Wed at lunch in the attire. If you have a problem getting it to school, talk to me and we'll figure out a way.
We want you to feel comfortable and to look great!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Trip Updates/ Thursday, May 21, 2009
Rehearsals
We have so much music to be ready for, and so little time left. Every rehearsal has to count. Please do your best to be in attendance at every single one. As of tomorrow, you will not be allowed in rehearsal without your folder. If you are missing any pieces, you must get them from me today. I have to do it this way because of the number of students coming to rehearsal every day without a folder has grown to a proportion that is just unacceptable. You need to be marking your score throughout rehearsal, being responsible for every artistic choice we make, and more importantly circling the parts you are getting wrong so you can put some time into them and fix them. It is discouraging when there is so much about to happen and so many of you are not only not working on your part outside of class, memorizing etc, you aren't even marking a single thing in your music in class. There is no such thing as the choral art without your own marked score.
In addition to the two weeks of in class rehearsal that we have left, we are having 2 added rehearsals for all tour participants. Monday, June 1, 6:30-9:00 and Friday June 12, 11:00-2:00. These are really important. If you cannot attend either of them, you will need to come in and sing your part individually for me so that I know you put in those practice hours on your own. You won't sing on the tour if you don't attend these and then do not sing for me individually as a make up.
Passports
Our tour company still does not have passport copies from the following. This is urgent and I would like the copy by tomorrow please.
Nick Yanofsky
Naomi Shomron
Sam Riley
Gabriel Rivera
Shivani Rustagi
Sam Putney
Sarah Powell
Erin Piper
Brooke Peckenpaugh
Kayla Neumeyer
Kit Miller
Alicia Michelson
Britania Light
Julia Li
Taylor Johnson
Sam Hayward
Ava Hawkinson
Clara Zahorsky
Ilana Magill
Mariam Helmy
Isaac Klapholz-Brown
Currency Information
Some really good info about currency from Mrs. Ellis.
"I went to Stanford Shopping Center today after school and visited the foreign currency exchange across from the travel store.
I inquired about purchasing $100. worth of Krouna = Czech Republic. The woman behind the counter asked about my visit and I mentioned that a group was going from this area. She is planning on having Czech currency at the store after June 1-13 with no charge to us. If the students or the chaperones want some Krouna to have when they arrive, it will be available there after June 1. To reserve the Krouna, call 321-3309 at Travelex. I know a lot of us purchased Euros for the trip to Italy there. The clerk would appreciate having a weeks notice for a pre-order about a week in advance of our departure."
PAUSD Insurance
I meant to explain this to you all at the trip meeting, but I forgot. The School District is required by their insurance carrier to charge us a small fee for the added insurance necessary to go on a school sponsored trip like this. It is not much, $3.20 per day or $32.00. I wish the Boosters could just cover this for you, but when you multiply it by 124 it is a lot. I will need a check from each participant for $32.00 made out to Gunn Choir Boosters. If we could all try to remember this right away it would be great (like tomorrow or Tuesday please).
Chaperone Groups
Just a heads up that these are still being tinkered with. I am trying to get everyone where they feel most comfortable. Please be aware that the experience is much more fluid in terms of who you are with than it looks on paper. Yes, you are on your assigned bus (but we are not on busses that much) and yes you will travel in those groups for city tours, but a lot of the time, especially in rehearsal and performances and meals, free time in the hotel etc, you are free to mingle just like any choir activity. I think it looks on paper like we are separated in to 10 groups all the time and the actual tour experience doesn't feel like that a lot of the time.
A Celebration of Life for Stephen Carothers will be held on Friday, June 12 at 4:30 pm in Mitchell Park. I know a lot of you know Megan well, and certainly a lot of us parents worked closely with Dulce over the last 3 years. I am sure it will be a wonderful celebration of his life. I hope you can come.
Problems? Contact me. This is a crazy time of year and there is a lot to take care of. If you need help getting it all done, ask. I can work with you on your part outside of class, or we can record parts you don't know. We have got the greatest bunch of parent boosters you could ever ask for, and they are ready to help you in any way. We just want this experience to be something you will remember your whole life, and in order for that to happen there is a lot of pre-planning and work that has to be done now in order for this to happen.
Best,
Bill Liberatore
P.S. SHOPPING: There are lot of sales going on this weekend. It might be the perfect time to study that packing list and think about pulling together the stuff you don't have, especially comfortable walking shoes!
We have so much music to be ready for, and so little time left. Every rehearsal has to count. Please do your best to be in attendance at every single one. As of tomorrow, you will not be allowed in rehearsal without your folder. If you are missing any pieces, you must get them from me today. I have to do it this way because of the number of students coming to rehearsal every day without a folder has grown to a proportion that is just unacceptable. You need to be marking your score throughout rehearsal, being responsible for every artistic choice we make, and more importantly circling the parts you are getting wrong so you can put some time into them and fix them. It is discouraging when there is so much about to happen and so many of you are not only not working on your part outside of class, memorizing etc, you aren't even marking a single thing in your music in class. There is no such thing as the choral art without your own marked score.
In addition to the two weeks of in class rehearsal that we have left, we are having 2 added rehearsals for all tour participants. Monday, June 1, 6:30-9:00 and Friday June 12, 11:00-2:00. These are really important. If you cannot attend either of them, you will need to come in and sing your part individually for me so that I know you put in those practice hours on your own. You won't sing on the tour if you don't attend these and then do not sing for me individually as a make up.
Passports
Our tour company still does not have passport copies from the following. This is urgent and I would like the copy by tomorrow please.
Nick Yanofsky
Naomi Shomron
Sam Riley
Gabriel Rivera
Shivani Rustagi
Sam Putney
Sarah Powell
Erin Piper
Brooke Peckenpaugh
Kayla Neumeyer
Kit Miller
Alicia Michelson
Britania Light
Julia Li
Taylor Johnson
Sam Hayward
Ava Hawkinson
Clara Zahorsky
Ilana Magill
Mariam Helmy
Isaac Klapholz-Brown
Currency Information
Some really good info about currency from Mrs. Ellis.
"I went to Stanford Shopping Center today after school and visited the foreign currency exchange across from the travel store.
I inquired about purchasing $100. worth of Krouna = Czech Republic. The woman behind the counter asked about my visit and I mentioned that a group was going from this area. She is planning on having Czech currency at the store after June 1-13 with no charge to us. If the students or the chaperones want some Krouna to have when they arrive, it will be available there after June 1. To reserve the Krouna, call 321-3309 at Travelex. I know a lot of us purchased Euros for the trip to Italy there. The clerk would appreciate having a weeks notice for a pre-order about a week in advance of our departure."
PAUSD Insurance
I meant to explain this to you all at the trip meeting, but I forgot. The School District is required by their insurance carrier to charge us a small fee for the added insurance necessary to go on a school sponsored trip like this. It is not much, $3.20 per day or $32.00. I wish the Boosters could just cover this for you, but when you multiply it by 124 it is a lot. I will need a check from each participant for $32.00 made out to Gunn Choir Boosters. If we could all try to remember this right away it would be great (like tomorrow or Tuesday please).
Chaperone Groups
Just a heads up that these are still being tinkered with. I am trying to get everyone where they feel most comfortable. Please be aware that the experience is much more fluid in terms of who you are with than it looks on paper. Yes, you are on your assigned bus (but we are not on busses that much) and yes you will travel in those groups for city tours, but a lot of the time, especially in rehearsal and performances and meals, free time in the hotel etc, you are free to mingle just like any choir activity. I think it looks on paper like we are separated in to 10 groups all the time and the actual tour experience doesn't feel like that a lot of the time.
A Celebration of Life for Stephen Carothers will be held on Friday, June 12 at 4:30 pm in Mitchell Park. I know a lot of you know Megan well, and certainly a lot of us parents worked closely with Dulce over the last 3 years. I am sure it will be a wonderful celebration of his life. I hope you can come.
Problems? Contact me. This is a crazy time of year and there is a lot to take care of. If you need help getting it all done, ask. I can work with you on your part outside of class, or we can record parts you don't know. We have got the greatest bunch of parent boosters you could ever ask for, and they are ready to help you in any way. We just want this experience to be something you will remember your whole life, and in order for that to happen there is a lot of pre-planning and work that has to be done now in order for this to happen.
Best,
Bill Liberatore
P.S. SHOPPING: There are lot of sales going on this weekend. It might be the perfect time to study that packing list and think about pulling together the stuff you don't have, especially comfortable walking shoes!
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Thursday, May 14, 2009
Thursday, May 14
Sunday, 5/17. Trip Meeting. All student participants plus one parent. (Both parents are welcome if they want to come, but only one is required. )
5:00-6:30 PM Gunn Library.
There is a lot to sort out and share,
so be there or be square!
P.S. Don't miss the One Acts!!
5:00-6:30 PM Gunn Library.
There is a lot to sort out and share,
so be there or be square!
P.S. Don't miss the One Acts!!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Wednesday, May 13
Happy Star Testing! We had a great chaperone's meeting last night. It is a terrific group we are traveling with and I know we are going to have an amazing experience! Please remember to mention to your parents that we have a big trip meeting this Sunday at 5:00 in the Gunn Library. Robotics is having a fundraiser in Spangenberg at the same time so parking might be tricky. You may want to consider parking in the neighborhoods and walking in, or riding a bike. The library is the very front corner of the campus. We will be going over all the forms, the itinerary, packing list, room assignments, etc.
See you soon!
Best,
BL
See you soon!
Best,
BL
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Welcome! With so much going on in the coming weeks, I thought I should start posting my daily announcements concerning the tour, as well as links to the various recordings and resources, so that if you are absent you can immediately find out what is going on. Important things happening this week: 1) Celebrating your amazing performances at CMEA WHOOO HOOO! Download the recordings at drop.io/GunnCMEA09 2) Chaperones meeting this Tuesday at 5:30 in the choir room. 3) Full Group Tour meeting next Sunday, 5:00 PM. Location TBA.
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