• Jazz Festival 2010 with '52 Soule Drive'
• Spring Concert 2010
• Spring Musical 2011
• 2011 Middle School Holiday Concert
• 2011 Holiday Concert PreK - Grade 5

Notes From The Common School

 The New Year is off to a great start and the Music Department has finally entered the 21^st Century with some excellent technology!  We now have a great Audio/Video system, my personal MacBook Pro & old reliable MacMini, plus the school’s ThinkPad all wired or wireless and working together!  What a pleasure to be able to access information almost seamlessly, all on the cheap!!  (Well, sort of…I am still buying equipment with personal funds, but I’m all about sharing…)  Stop by to visit and be dazzled!

This Friday, January 20^th, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra’s Vocal Quartet, featuring St. Albans native and Master singer, Claire Chevalier Hungerford, will present a Concert to our entire student body at 1:00pm. Kindergarten through Eighth grade classes have been learning about vocal repertoire, musical terminology and concert etiquette in preparation of this performance.   This program ties in very nicely with the Fairfield Center School’s HR3 Anti-bullying philosophy with the song “Don’t Laugh at Me” which our students have learned either this year or in years past.  Check out the excellent “Don’t Laugh at Me” YouTube Peter, Paul & Mary or Mark Wills videos; they are powerful and to the point.  Additionally, our Eighth graders will work with Mrs. Hill, our Technology Integrationist, and I to create a “Voicethread” project using photographs to be taken at the Concert and the students’ program research and comments which will be posted on the Music Department’s Web page when completed.   

On Wednesday, January 25^th at 10:15am, the B.F.A. St. Albans’ Fine Arts Department will present their annual Jazz Ensemble, Choral & Dance performance for our whole school.  This always excellent concert gives students at Fairfield the opportunity to see and hear groups they might become members of at B.F.A.

St. Albans Union High School. Every year a number of our Fairfield graduates are performers in these fine ensembles, as well as some of the most accomplished musicians and dancers in the state!

Our Kindergarten through Sixth grades will be learning about Western Music History on a multitude of age appropriate levels for the next month or so, beginning with the documentary “Bach’s Fight for Freedom”, & stories of Bach and his large family from a variety of resources.  We will also learn about Mozart & Beethoven as the Winter progresses.

Second & Third graders will begin learning the Recorder later this Trimester, too. I will loan an instrument to each student and provide them with their own books for practice and classroom instruction.

Fourth & Fifth grade classes will focus on World Drumming in the last Trimester and we may invite some of our emerging Fifth grade Instrumental Music students to compose pieces for these groups, too!

Sixth graders will choose topics of study from their Interest Surveys in the Trimester in anticipation of our Spring 2012 Concert.

Seventh graders are contemplating two Musicals:  Jack & the Beanstalk & Cinderella, both by Roald Dahl.  We will read through these scripts and see how it all sugars out…  It is going to be a huge undertaking!

Eighth graders will work on their “Voicethread” project in January and February and then, no matter what, we will purchase twenty ¾ size Guitars and try to learn as much as we can!!  We still need approximately $500 to make this purchase so all monetary donations are deeply appreciated.  These instruments will be played, cared for and appreciated by all our students for decades to come.  Recyclable bottles and cans are always welcomed: they may be left in the front of the Common School.

The Fairfield Middle School Chorus rehearses during Lunch & Recess on Mondays & Tuesdays, from 11:30 to 12:00 in the Common School.  This exceptional group is beginning to prepare music for the March 30^th & 31^st  2012 Northwest District Music Festival at Missisquoi Valley Union Jr./Sr. High School as well as the 2012 Fairfield Spring Concert and Eighth Grade Graduation. This course is intended to give interested, serious vocal students in grades Six through Eight the opportunity to study, learn  and perform intricate and challenging vocal music literature. Permission slips will be issued shortly.

Beginning instrumental music students are still progressing very nicely and consistently come to their lessons prepared and on time!!!!  Great job!!   Practice ON!!!

The Concert Band is learning lots of new music…  We are working on the pieces we will be playing in New York at Citi Field, the NY Mets home baseball park!  Practice is of the utmost importance; it is imperative that all Band students bring their instruments and music to lessons & rehearsals and be prepared to play!!  This group is slated to appear in the Maple Festival Parade and June Spring Concerts as well.  Additionally, these students are also invited to participate in the 2012 Northwest District Music Festival at MVU on March 30^th & 31^st.  Permission slips to be distributed shortly.

52 Soule Drive, Fairfield’s swingin’ Jazz/Funk/Rock Band, will perform again this year at Burlington’s Discover Jazz Festival and at the school’s Spring Concert in June!  This group rehearses on Thursdays from 2:45 – 4:15 in the Common School.

Students wishing to participate in the Maple Festival Youth Talent Show during Spring vacation in April need to see me about their act.  Please let me know what I can do to help…suggestions, CDs, Karaoke, Piano Accompaniment.  Let’s start scheduling rehearsals as soon as possible.

Lastly, Fairfield Band members should have made their 1^st payment for the Greater Saint Albans Middle School Band trip to New York City.  If there is anything I should know, PLEASE tell me now…If you have not made payment as yet, you will be waitlisted…  Fundraisers are under way…

That’s it for now.  Please feel free to email me at jscott@fcsuvt.org, call me at school 827-3071, or drop by the Common School any time.

As always, I am

                                  Musically yours,

                                     Miss Scott