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Consider it official….Auditions for Alice in Wonderland will be held in the auditorium on Monday, November 3 at 2:45. You will need to be there by 2:30 to check in and get your audition forms.
If you wish to be considered for a singing role, please prepare a 30 second monologue and a 16-bar song selection (30 sec. - 1 min.). If you wish to be considered for a general role, please prepare the 30 second monologue only.
No accompaniest will be provided. Either bring a CD or your own accompaniest. You can also sing a cappella.
Ok guys, as much as I liked the pink theme, I changed the theme of the blog so that it’s more “reader friendly.” It doesn’t just scream PIIINNNNNKKKKKK! at you anymore. LOL. Please let me know what you think.
AND, let me know if the embedded videos and the various links work on your computer. I’ve working out “the bugs” here, and want to be sure that you all get the most benefit out of my blog.
Peace~Ms. N.
This is really interesting. Particularly for you students interested in working the Great White Way.
This a family friend of ours. My daughter has grown up going out to the Jones’ farm. We adore him and his family and his little horses! 
http://hamptonroads.com/2008/10/miniature-horses-bring-smiles-patients-days
This is incredibly sad for the acting community. Paul Newman was one of the greatest performers ever. I absolutely LOVE his work….”Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “The Sting,” “The Color of Money,” “Hud,”…I could go on and on. He’s one of the few actors that I have intentionaly watched the majority of his work. He’s just that good.
As Shakespeare said…Goodnight Sweet Prince.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26913988/
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For my Beatles babies, a live version of Sgt. Pepper with Paul McCartney and U2 (one of my absolute favorites, as well).
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This is from the Emmy Awards tonight. I know I have a few Josh Groban fans….he did a send up of classic television show songs. It’s interesting how they looped all those songs together. And really, really quirky.
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Today I heard an interesting comment. It regarded the importance that a teacher was placing on an assignment and his/her class. All classes and disciplines are equally important. Performing arts is my passion, and yes, I will always be incredibly passionate about what I am teaching. While you are in my class, you should be geared toward my class. When you are in other classes, you should be geared toward that class. All classes are important, and all work is important. Remember, every class you take factors into your GPA and overall eligibility for sports and activites, and ultimately graduating!
The whole concept of using the blogs this year, so far, has been incredibly intriguing. I’m really getting to know you guys, particularly in light of the number of students I have in some of my classes. Although I may not get significant feedback verbally in class, I am getting on here. It is WONDERFUL. I have bragged constantly at how articulate and thoughtful you all are.
That being said, please remember to answer the blogs. It is a part of your work in my classes. I check the timestamp, so post when you are supposed to! I hate giving 0’s, but I will do it. So let me know how you feel in the blogs and get to say those things about music and theatre that you may not have gotten to in class!
Looking forward to reading!
~ Ms. N.
This weekend, I went to the Taste of Suffolk in Downtown Suffolk. It was a culturally diverse street fair, with music, arts & crafts, food, jewelry, and other interesting items and vendors lining the street. On one end of the street, by Wachovia, they had a stage with gospel groups, dance groups, and the like. On the end by Washington St., they had “mainstage” performance acts, mainly bands. It was incredibly diverse and interesting; and I loved that SUFFOLK has an event like that (I wish they had many more).
So my question to you is, did you see or hear anything that was interesting or opened your eyes to anything new this weekend, culturally? Did you see a movie that you liked or disliked? Hear a new song? Go see a band? I’d love to hear what some of you did that was cultural!
Congratulations to the Warrior Football Team! They posted a win against Wilson High School 14-12. It was very good game. Congrats guys, and to my student Damien Bester, who is on the team!
I hope this finds everyone doing just fine with no limbs or crazy things blown over in their yards. :-) Today we’ve all been regulated to our homes with Tropical Storm Hanna…..my daughter’s soccer was cancelled (obviously), so we’ve been in, watching movies. I rediscovered a couple of great old films on TCM last night and she’s enjoying The Incredibles for the 2nd time today! LOL!
Anyway, while staying in, I hope that you guys “rediscover” or, perhaps in your cases, discover classic, quality art/entertainment. Tune in to the old movie channels sometimes–you’ll see what acting and character work is all about. You’ll hear true music in it’s most pure form without the aid of technology. Check out “an oldie” sometime. You’ll find a treasure you never knew.
Be safe-Ms. N.
Starting today, I will be weekly posting a response question for the theatre classes and the music app. classes. I will post these every week, and you will have over the weekend to respond. These are always worth a homework grade–to respond. However, your response must be articulate and culturally literate. I want you to THINK and FEEL and formulate opinions of art and culture based on your education. These questions will also be categorized under their individual area.
Any questions? Post a comment!
Peace-Ms. N
Well guys, you’ve gotten through your first even day of school. Congrats! I hope that everyone is still finding their rooms and so forth and are following all school rules! (no cells!)
I will be posting response blogs for MTAH and TI/II tomorrow. I want interaction on the blogs. Stay tuned, and be ready when I assign it in your class.
Peace&Love,
Ms. N.
Well guys, you’ve done it! You’ve gotten through the first day of school! For you new students and Freshman, I hope that you found Nansemond River High School to fairly easy to navigate and that you found your classes with realitive ease. For you returning students, I hope that you helped your fellow new classmates out and are glad to be back.
Today was a busy one for me. I have classes all day long. Odd days are exciting because it’s all music! I am dissappointed that time did not allow my choirs to sing today, but we will on Thursday! I am anxious to hear the blends, combinations, and your voice development over the summer.
Tommorrow is an “even day,” so remember to go to your 2nd block class. I’m excited to see all the theatre students — we’ve had an absolute explosion with numbers for theatre this year; it’s exciting as a teacher and as an artist to see the interest. Kudos to those of you trying some new!
Get some rest tonight and be at school bright and early! See you tomorrow!
Ms. N.
Ah, my music lovers…..
I have attached to this blog the syllabus for MTAH. This goes over the basic class and procedures. More information will be given to you on Tuesday (which is tomorrow!!!!!!)
music-theory-history-appreciation_syllabus_08-09.docmusic-theory-history-appreciation_syllabus_08-09.doc
See you then!
Ms. N.
Hello budding thespians!
I am linking in the theatre arts I and II syllabus here. To save paper, (try to be green!), I put the syllabus all together.
theatrearts-i_ii_syllabus_08-09.doc
I’ll be seeing you actors on Wednesday during 4th block! Act on!
Ms. N.
Hi guys,
It looks like the Gulf Coast is taking a big hit by another hurricane today. Say a prayer for that area and the people that live there. New Orleans is one of my favorite places in the U.S., and it’s not the same since Katrina. Only 2/3 of the population have returned since 2005, and most of them had only been in the last year. I was there last summer and got some unnerving photographs of the Ninth Ward and really saw how bad it is with my own eyes. Let’s all hope and pray it doesn’t happen again.
Trivia for you…..what is the ONLY truly American artform? JAZZ music birthed in New Orleans. Everything else that is considered American “art” (includes music, tv, etc.) has it’s roots in some European or African artform.
Ms. N.
Hey guys,
Appparantly the SPS email system is down through the weekend. So if you have responded to my email checks, and you were looking for a response…I’m sorry! :-( Anyway, it should be up and running in time for school.
Looking forward to seeing you all on Tuesday!
~Ms. N.
Last night was open house for undersclassmen (9th-11th graders). I was very pleasantly surprised at the number of students and parents who came by to meet me. It was wonderful to meet all of you and begin to get to know you. And it was wonderful to see my returning students.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and will be ready for school on Tuesday! See you ALL very, very soon!
<3 Ms. N
Choral students,
Please see attached to this blog your choral class syllabi. You will be receiving a copy of this in class the first day, however, if you would like to peruse it now, please do so.
choralclasses_syllabus_08-091.doc
Ms. N.
Hey guys, tonight is open house for seniors. I hope to see many of my returning students and those new seniors who are venturing into the world of music and theatre. I look foward to seeing you and your parents.
Ms. N.
Ah! Do I have to learn this!?!
I hate this!
I can’t do this! I’ll just quit!
I thought chorus was supposed to be fun! (And an easy A!)
How many times do you think I’ve heard comments like the ones above? A LOT….in face, more than I can remember. And I hear the same basic ones all the time.
Sight singing, the ability to sing a piece of music based on just sight reading it, is a learned skill. Everyone learns it at their own pace, but ALL can learn it. It’s what separates the good singers from the great ones.
How is it practical? Well, let’s get real here…you need to have some level of competency with your reading as a musician in order to get jobs! Studio musicians hhave to have some understand of what is on the page. Sometimes they get jobs where the don’t get the music until the day of. You can’t trust someone to give you a recording and say “memorize it.” That’s not performance. Memorization is not Performance. Say that with me. Memorization is not Performance. (This applies in acting too).
If you want to work as a musician, you need to know how to do it–whether you want to be Rhianna or Pavarotti, Dave Matthews or Yo Yo Ma. You will be more hireable and desireable as a musician, because you learn so much quicker and easier than the musician who does not. You’ll also find that music is more enjoyable when it comes naturally and easily.
So, in short, give sight reading and singing your best effort. That’s all you need to do. It is like walking or riding a bike. The more you do it, the more easily it comes to you. And suddenly, one day, you take off and you’ve got. So hang in there!!!!!!
Welcome Students and Parents to My Teaching Blog! This blog is maintained and operated out of Nansemond River High School.
I plan to have extra material on here that will help in the classroom throughout the year. You may find some of my musings on art, music, and the like on here as well, as I want my students to being to THINK and SPEAK as creative artists, and therefore understand what is being thought and said by others of the like.
I look foward to working with you all this year!
Peace and Love,
Ms. N
