 New class offerings to enrich students interested in new music and healthy performance practices!
First, a brand new class called "Music & Movement" that encompasses movement, yoga, stretching, and performance techniques. It looks great and will be happening on Saturday mornings. This class is a collaboration of movement specialist, Laurel Sears, and violinist/educator, Amelia Thornton. Check it out here: www.artworkstrings.com/electives >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Secondly, the next round of the "Creative Music Ensemble" is currently enrolling. This class is a collaboration of Naomi Siegel and Wave & Circuit here in Missoula. It draws from Jazz, Afro-Cuban music and other improvised music traditions to develop rhythm/groove, listening, interacting, dynamics, theory, and phrasing. Check this class out here: http://lakebottomsound.org/workshops
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Cello Mafia performs our arrangement of Joan Jett's "I Love Rock n'Roll." We claim no rights to this song, but we sure do like it!
What can I say? These kids ROCKED Out To Lunch today at Caras Park. Both the Cello Mafia and Viol Conspiracy played and were in top form. I'm beaming like a proud parent of...uh...26 kids? They're all fantastic and an integral part of the musical fabric that makes these tunes so fun. Many thanks to Downtown Missoula Partnership for having us. Huge thanks to Anna Walter for her leadership in Viol Conspiracy. Thanks to Dr. Adam Collins and David Harmsworth for adding their expertise to Cello Mafia today. Thanks to Amelia Thornton and Pam Hillygus for their wonderful talents in Viol Conspiracy. Thanks to Jeremy Drake for playing guitar today and Lydia Garrick and Gabe Kantor for being our student leaders. Bravo to all! Alice Merton's "No Roots" performed by the Cello Mafia at Out To Lunch on 8/21/19. Forgive the feedback, this was essentially still our soundcheck!
 On Wednesday, August 21st both groups will be showing off the fruits of their hard summer work learning new tunes. Out To Lunch at Caras Park. 11-2pm is the Cello Mafia performance. Viol Conspiracy will play 1-1:30pm - FIRST EVER PERFORMANCE of this brand new group. FREE FAMILY FUN! Hope to see you there!  Another round of Little Fiddlers is in the books. They've already got awesome rhythm skills! Ms. Anna is such a great teacher - we are lucky to have her talents and kindness in sharing music with these kiddos. : )
We are very excited to be performing at this wonderful event again! 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 20th. Free and fun for all!  Another three very successful concerts are in the books! These fabulous kids opened up for the Missoula Symphony Orchestra in the 2009 Holiday Pops concerts. There were over 40 kids involved and they sounded amazing! Thanks to the Suzuki Institute for having us join in the fun! Addie is in 4th grade and already a hotshot musician. We put together a little holiday ditty for you to enjoy. She's holding down her own part - so impressive! Go, Addie! update: I just looked into the blogged past and found this! >>>
March 2016 student spotlight Cello Mafia plays Blondie's ATOMIC at Out to Lunch in Caras Park, Missoula on Wednesday, Aug 22. Easily a favorite of ours!  The Cello Mafia wil be providing music for the 30+ building teams for our 4th year at Home ReSource SponCon. This is an all day, free family fun event that promises to be an annual favorite! We're on at 12:40pm! Here's a video of our last show at Caras Park in August.... The Cello Mafia is a multi-level cello ensemble in Missoula Montana. The ensemble will be performing at Caras Park on Wednesday, August 22nd for Out to Lunch. This is a free, family-friendly event that runs from 11 to 2 p.m. Come check it out!  This summer the Cello Mafia split into two groups. Each group worked on their own music, along with several mixed group tunes, and are excited to share what they've prepared. Both groups perform arrangements of current and classic pop hits made specifically for the performers involved. We have a blast putting this music onto our instruments and we can't wait to perform for you!  We've been busy over at MCT getting our fingers limber and our rhythm sharp! Tiny Fiddlers, oh my! Can they get any cuter??
 And our Little Fiddlers are excellent this summer. Go, team! And kudos to Anna, their wonderful teaching artist!  We joined in with the Washington Orchestras for 3 performances on May 10, 2018. Here's a taste of one of our latest tunes (a favorite by many in the group!)...  Not certain about our longevity factor, but we sure support the 4 R's! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and ROCK. We will be honoring Earth Day and celebrating our mothership this Sunday, April 22nd at MUD. This day promises to be chock-full of family fun, goodies, food, and education on how we can lighten our collective footprints! Check out MUD and all events here: EARTH DAY @ MUD We play at 1pm - and the kids sound GREAT!!  Seven Grow Music students participated in the Suzuki Strings, opening for all 3 of the Missoula Symphony Orchestra's Holiday Pops Concerts! Here's a little taste... Thanks to the ALL students for practicing hard and memorizing their parts, thanks to the teachers in this community who enrich so many lives with their mentorship, and to the parents for their unending support and commitment to their kids musical growth! You are so appreciated!! Happy Holidays!!  They sure clean up nicely! But this is what they look like most of the time... heh heh  It was a rainy Autumn day in Missoula and so I thought a Sarabande might be the right fit. I hope you can find enjoyment in it, whatever your weather! From MCPS "String-o-rama 2017" - thanks for having us, Ryan Belski!!
Anna and her crew of Tiny Fiddlers just finished up their last class of the session. Best job ever?? Just look at these kiddos! Gah!   What is one thing Missoula has got going for it, you ask? A LOT OF YOUNG STRING PLAYERS!! String-o-rama is a celebration of and first performance by all the 5th graders in Missoula public schools who have chosen a bowed string instrument to begin their (hopefully, lifelong) musical journeys! This was the third year that the Cello Mafia was invited to be the opening "special act" for all three performances. For this concert, the CM featured a whopping 23 cellists (and special guest, Mr. Belski on guitar)! We played two new arrangements, Something Just Like This (Chainsmokers/Coldplay) and Hand Clap (Fitz & the Tantrums) to three packed gymnasiums full of supportive parents and families of all the featured young musicians. How far can one go in a year, you ask? Well, this installment of the CM included 4 cellists who just started LAST YEAR as 5th graders and who saw us play last year at String-o-rama AND one CURRENT 5th grader! Fantastic! The rest of the group is comprised of 6-9th graders. And some super duper support and expertise from local professionals Britta Thomas, Matt Wellert, Janet Haarvig, and Erika Hoaby. All parts are arranged for each level involved - from simple bass or lead tones to some of the more advanced students trying out thumb position for the first time! Check em out: |
Jessica C.
musings from Fiddleland Archives
September 2019
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