Coming of Age program
Have a wonderful summer and keep in touch!
Emily Crocker
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Coming of Age program
Have a wonderful summer and keep in touch!
Emily Crocker
Saturday, April 4, 2015
VAA & MCC Reunion Concert - #2
Dear Singers,
For those of you planning to come to
our concert we have picked out a range of music that we hope will
make you smile! If you were an “early” member of MCC you might
see a few pieces that are unfamiliar, but hopefully you will have
some time to practice. We'll also have a rehearsal on May 17 at 4:00
pm.
Here is the schedule:
“Coming of Age – 21 Years of
Singing in Milwaukee”
Sunday, May 17
Pius XI High
School Performing Arts Center
135 N. 76th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53226
Schedule
3:30 pm – check
in and pickup your music folder
4:00 pm – VAA
and MCC/VAA alumni rehearse on stage
5:00 pm – break
6:00 pm –
concert
7:00 pm –
reception
Planned songs include:
Can You Hear
(Papoulis) – girls sing soprano/alto; guys sing baritone
For the Beauty of
the Earth (Rutter) – this is also our virtual choir song. See previous blog
post from April 1 for instructions on submitting a video. We'll
also sing live at the concert.
God Bless the
Master (Vaughan Williams) – everyone sing unison; soprano 1 on
descant at the end.
How Can I Keep from Singing (arr. Crocker), girls sing SA, guys sing B
The Irish Blessing
Laudate Dominum
(Mozart)
MLK (U2/arr.
Chilcott)
MLK - music
MLK - music
Papageno/Papagena
Duet (Mozart) – girls sing soprano (Papagena), boys sing alto
(Papageno)
The Path to the
Moon (Thiman)
Praise His Holy
Name (Hampton)
Tomorrow Shall Be
My Dancing Day (Rutter) – This is a change from what was posted previously. All girls sing S1. All guys sing S2 down an octave. We will not sing the alto part on this concert.
Dancing Day - music
Dancing Day mp3
Dancing Day - music
Dancing Day mp3
When I Close My
Eyes (Papoulis) – girls sing soprano; boys sing alto; soprano 1
sing descant
I'll be posting
additional audio & YouTube links over the next few weeks so you can brush
up! Since we now have tenors & basses, I've noted a few
adaptations to the treble chorus music for changed voices.
We will have music
folders for you on May 17. Even if you don't know a song too well, we
still want your smiling face onstage!
We will have a
reception after the concert in the lobby. Any other “meet-ups”
you want to schedule with your old pals – go for it!
Spread the word –
let's have a reunion to remember!
Emily Crocker
ecrocker(a)halleonard.com
414-852-7297
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
VAA & MCC Reunion Concert - #1
Dear VAA Members, Alumni, and MCC Alumni,
We had a wonderful concert! I am so grateful to those of you who came - what a great turn-out and how wonderful you sounded!
The music may be over, but you can still contribute YOUR voice to the "virtual choir" - just sing along to "For the Beauty of the Earth" and record yourself on video.
The process is
simple. You can access your music online and then download at least one of
the tracks.
“demo" - this has a demo choir singing the song.
"instrumental only" - just the instruments
Part learning tracks also available if you need a brush-up.
"Soprano" Soprano track
"Alto" Alto track
"Tenor" Tenor track
"Bass" Bass track
After you have
practiced and feel like you are ready, play the track through one
device, like a computer and listen with headphones. Sing into another
device, like a video camera or smartphone. Try to choose a place that
is quiet and has a good acoustic. You can submit more than one
recording and you can record more than one part if you want to, like
soprano and alto, etc. Save your file at the best quality you can and
label like this:
ForTheBeauty_MyNameSoprano
Upload to this
dropbox folder:
Don't be too critical of yourself - all the parts will be expertly mixed together for a wonderful result.Love to you all,
Emily Crocker xoxo
(414) 852-7297
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Happy spring! It didn't feel like it today, but I'm hopeful that we start to feel spring a little more every day!
Hope to see you all tomorrow night at Pius HS! I'd like to start work on the Mozart Laudate Dominum, a very cool piece that was a popular work performed by both MCC and VAA in the past. But...we need a full house to rehearse it and learn it!
Tomorrow night is our last rehearsal before Spring Break. There will be no rehearsal on March 30 and April 6, so please be there tomorrow!
Emily Crocker
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Hope to see you Monday!
I hope you enjoyed your week. It's fun to see the ground again! (My Texas friends will not understand that statement!)
We had a small & sweet turn-out last week. Hope to see all of you there tomorrow night - we have only a few weeks to pull together some fun music.
Plus, I love getting to hang with my favorite Milwaukee peeps!
See you at Pius at 7:00 PM Monday! And Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Emily Crocker
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Thanks and congrats!
Thank you for a wonderful concert! It really came together and you performed beautifully this afternoon!
Our next concert is going to be a retrospective on music that I have performed with MCC and VAA through the years, leading up to our final concert on May 17 in which we invite the old boys & girls back to perform with us.
I think you will have a lot of fun learning and performing this music.
Our upcoming schedule includes
Monday, March 9, 16, 23 - regular rehearsals at Pius
Monday, March 30, April 6 - no rehearsal, spring break
Monday, April 13 - rehearsals resume
We'll see you tomorrow at 7:00 for rehearsal and some post-concert goodies!
Emily Crocker
Sunday, March 1, 2015
I Have a Song To Sing
I'm back in Milwaukee to stay for a while! And just in time to hear the wonderful singing of VAA!
Here is our schedule for the week leading up to our concert on Sunday, March 8 "I Have a Song To Sing."
Monday, March 1 - regular rehearsal at Pius HS. Bel Canto Boy Choir will join us that night.
Thursday, March 5 - 6:15-7:30 extra rehearsal with Bel Canto Boy Choir at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center.
Sunday, March 8 - 3:00 PM, Concert at Pius HS, Call time 2:15.
Please make this week a priority for VAA and we'll have a fantastic week of music.
See you tomorrow at Pius!
Emily Crocker
Monday, February 23, 2015
Rehearsal cancelled 2/23
Hopefully you got the remind.com message that rehearsal is cancelled for tonight. I'm sorry to do that, but due to some travel difficulties, it was the best decision at this point.
Please spend some time working on your music, especially "The Seal Lullaby." Here is a link to Eric Whitacre's choir: YouTube of Seal Lullaby.
We'll see you next week on March 2 at Pius.
Stay warm!
Emily Crocker
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Home to Milwaukee!
 |
| Emily outside Kimball Art Museum in Fort Worth |
I've had a wonderful time in Texas, but the frozen tundra is calling so on Friday Dean & I and Maizy the cat will be returning to Wisconsin.
Tomorrow night you will have your last rehearsal with Ellen Shuler. I'll see you at next week's rehearsal, February 23.
I really, really, really appreciate Ellen Shuler and her fine work with you as guest conductor and thanks to you all for being such dedicated singers. I can't wait to hear the results next week!
Our March schedule is:
Monday, March 1 - regular rehearsal at Pius HS. Bel Canto Boy Choir will join us that night.
Thursday, March 5 - 6:15-7:30 extra rehearsal with Bel Canto Boy Choir at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center.
Sunday, March 8 - 3:00 PM, Concert at Pius HS, Call time 2:15.
Monday, March 9, 16, 23 - regular rehearsals at Pius
Monday, March 30, April 6 - no rehearsals, Spring Break
So stay warm & I'll see you in a week!
Emily Crocker
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Hello from Texas!
Hope you are surviving the blizzard in Milwaukee today. I'm certainly glad to be missing it!
The weather has been beautiful here in Fort Worth and I've seen lots of family and friends. I believe we have had more Mexican food in the last week than we had in the last year! We'll have to move on to Bar-B-Q!
I miss you all, but Mrs. Shuler says you are doing great. We're planning to Skype on Monday night, so I hope you will all be there, assuming the weather clears up.
The picture here is from the Fort Worth rodeo. We also toured the stock show which is like the State Fair, with livestock exhibitions, equipment exhibits, western wear and the like.
I'll be back on Feb. 23, looking forward to hearing great progress from the Vocal Arts Academy!
Emily Crocker
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Well, by now you parents have probably heard that I'm going to miss the next five rehearsals, returning on February 23. We are extremely fortunate to have Ellen Shuler, choir director for the Bel Canto Boychoir and University School of Milwaukee (and mom of Philip & Ethan!) as our guest conductor. I know you singers will be super nice and learn a lot over the next 5 weeks. Ellen will share her contact information at rehearsal.
I'm in Texas, working on a big textbook project and other remote work for Hal Leonard. I'll also enjoy connecting with family and friends, checking in on my mom (age 89) and enjoying the warmer weather. So far, so good and it will be in the sixties today.
Ellen and I will stay connected if we should have any "weather" events and I will send out any cancellations through Remind.com and on the VAA Facebook page.
If you need to contact me, you can do so by cell phone/text, email or Facebook private message. I'll plan to send out the blog each week as well.
You will be working on music that we will sing at our March 8 concert with the Bel Canto Boychoir.
Stay warm! Go Pack!
Emily Crocker
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Well, it was no Ice Bowl, but the Packers have prevailed! (Yes, I actually remember the Ice Bowl!)
We'll see you tomorrow night for regular rehearsal. If you pay your tuition in two installments, please bring your payment to rehearsal.
Also, if you have solos you would like to sing this spring, please bring your music. Any type of song will be considered for our March 8th concert.
Here is our schedule leading up to our March 8 concert:
Regular rehearsals - Jan. 12, 19, 26
Regular rehearsals - Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23
Extra rehearsal - March 2
Concert - March 8, Pius High School
Stay warm! See you Monday night!
Emily Crocker
Sunday, January 4, 2015
VAA & MCC Virtual Choir Reunion!
MCC & VAA Virtual Choir Reunion
Instructions for creating and
submitting your videos
Hello everyone,
I'm very excited by the response
received from many of you. Here is what is happening. In January I
plan to post two songs for you to record yourself and upload and in
February two more. (Click on the links to get the music and audio tracks.)
The process is simple. You can download your music and then download at least one of the tracks:
- “with vocals” - this has a demo choir singing the song.
- “Part 1,” etc. - that part is boosted to help you review or learn your part.
- “Track” - instrumental only
January
February
The
Path to the Moon
For
the Beauty of the Earth
After
you have practiced and feel like you are ready, play the track through
one device, like a computer and listen with headphones. Sing into
another device, like a video camera or smartphone. Try to choose a
place that is quiet and has a good acoustic. You can submit more than
one recording and you can record more than one part if you want to, like
soprano and alto, etc. Save your file at the best quality you can and
label like this:
WhenICloseMyEyes_MyNameSoprano
Then submit here:
Since
I've never really done this before, I'm sure some things won't work.
So, just let me know if you have problems at emily(a)vocalarts.us or
send me a private Facebook message. And if any of you are techno
wizards and have some advice for me, I'm all ears.
I can't wait to see your faces & hear the results. Spread the word!
Happy
new year!
Emily
Crocker
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