SCOOP Voc/Ens, 1/30/08

1. Added performances – Carmina Burana at Stanford
2. Upcoming Important Dates (refresh your calendar!)
3. Winter/Spring 08 commitment sheet
4. Music Folders
5. Snack is Back!
6. Sound Files on our web page
7. Rehearsal Blog and Practice assignments on web page
8. Uniform orders (repeat)
9. Organizational Transition
10. Fundraiser Change for Music, Music for Change Launches

1. Carmina Burana with Stanford University Symphonic Choir and Symphony, February 8, 10 and April 26, 27 (Lively Arts Series)
We have just received a call for Cantabile Youth Singers to make a guest appearance with Stanford University Music Department and the Stanford Lively Arts Series! Elena will be requesting 16 singers for the each of the engagements. We will be in need of chaperones for each call and Karen Linford (Karen@cantabile.org) and Sonja Palmer (admin@cantabile.org) will coordinate.

• WHAT: Winter Symphonic Chorus Concert at Stanford University
• WHERE: Dinkelspiel Auditorium.
• Stanford Symphonic Chorus, University Singers, and the Stanford Symphony Orchestra present Carl Orff’s ode, featuring soloists from the San Francisco Opera’s Adler Fellows program.
• WHEN:

• Dress rehearsal: Thursday, Feb. 7th, 7:00 – 10:00 pm
• Concerts: Friday, Feb. 8th, 8:00 pm Sunday, Feb. 10th, 2:30 pm
• Second Set of Concerts: April 26th 8:00 and 27th 2:30 Memorial Auditorium (plus a dress rehearsal, date TBC)

Part of Stanford Lively Arts Series in collaboration with Jin Xing Dance Theatre with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra and Stanford Symphonic Chorus and Orchestra.

Note from Elena: If you are interested and available for these engagements, please email me (Elena@Cantabile.org) to get on the list. It is very important that we get the February singers lined up before Wed., Jan. 30th rehearsal — THANKS!

More details regarding exact length of time for dress
rehearsal, exact call times, directions, meeting location, tickets, etc. will follow later this week. This is a great honor and we hope you will forgive the late notice.

2. UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES TO ADD OR REFRESH ON YOUR CALENDAR:
February 7, 8, 10 (see “Carmina Burana”)
Wednesday, February 20th, SPRING BREAK - there will be no Cantabile rehearsals this week.
April 25, 26, 27 (see “Carmina Burana”)

3. 2008 WINTER/SPRING COMMITMENT SHEET
It is time to fill out that commitment sheet again. You will receive an email with this interactive form on Monday. Please fill it out completely and return (preferably by email and no later than Feb. 4th) to Elena (Elena@cantabile.org) and Dianne Stromer, Ensemble/Vocalise Choir Parent and attendance records keeper (dianne@stromer.com).

4. MUSIC FOLDERS/RECORDING DEVICES
Several new pieces of music have been handed out to the singers. Please remind your singer to organize the scores in the black folder: all music must have singer’s name on it, be hole punched and added to the folder. Please also remind your child to take tape/mp3 recorder to each rehearsal (as well as a pencil and a bottle of water.)

5. SNACK IS BACK!
The children have spoken – they NEED the organized snack back. To make it easier on their parents, they have done the sign up themselves. Here is the schedule for the next few weeks:
Jan. 30 Julia Froud, Mariam Helmy (also, Hannah Katz’ Bday!)
Feb. 6 – Tessa and Laila
Feb. 13 – Maggie, Ian and Haley
Feb. 27 – Anna B and Megan G

6. RECORDINGS ON OUR “MEMBERS ONLY” PAGE.
Please check out and download text pronunciation files on our web site under singer resources. Password to the page is music4life. Thanks!

7. REHEARSAL BLOG AND HOME PRACTICE ASSIGNMENTS
Starting this week, a short blog of each week’s rehearsal will be posted on our website along with the home practice assignments. This is to help singers who missed a rehearsal to catch up and will serve “anytime” reminder of the assigned home work.

8. UNIFORM ORDERS (for new members and those who have outgrown items)
Please make sure if you are a new family to obtain a uniform order form for your singer. These forms can be found on our website at http://www.cantabile.org/youth/admin/forms.shtml
Please make sure to click on the correct form for the correct choir. Please also check the sizing chart carefully. Uniform orders are due by Wednesday, February 6th to ensure arrival in time for our spring concerts. If you place your order after this date, or fail to measure your child, we cannot guarantee things will arrive in time, or that they will be the correct size.

9. ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSITION
Given our current organizational transition, to be communicated in more detail in a separate email later this week, Cantabile is in midst of interim administrative transition. Kay Kleinerman, serving as our interim Executive Director this past fall, ended her tenure in late November. Jennifer Hsu, serving as our Business Manager, just received her “dream job” with Apple and ended her tenure January 18. While we finalize our new administrative structure and hire new staff, Cantabile’s former Executive Director from 2002-2006 and incoming Board Chair, Sonja Palmer, will serve as interim General Manager. Sonja will provide oversight, cover office needs, interface with rehearsal volunteers and respond to email messages. She may be reached at either manager@cantabile.org or Sonja@cantabile.org.

10. FUNDRAISER CHANGE FOR MUSIC, MUSIC FOR CHANGE LAUNCHES!
As mentioned a few weeks ago, Cantabile will be collecting loose change from February to June as our annual fundraiser. Collection Cans will be handed out this week at rehearsals and we ask each family to work to meet a goal of $50 over the 5 month period. We hope you will do your part to support our efforts to raise money to go directly for program needs.

Weekly SCOOP Voc/Ens, 1/23/08

1. Bring a Friend Month – January is Cantabile Open House Month
2. Uniforms and tuition payments
3. Peninsula Women’s Chorus Poetry and Music project

1. Bring a Friend – January is OPEN HOUSE MONTH at Cantabile:
We hope to increase our Spring 08 enrollment and invite you and your singer to help us by bringing a friend, neighbor or classmate to visit our rehearsals.
For referring to us a potential singer who ends up joining Cantabile, your family will receive a prize or tuition reduction. Qualifying families will have their choice of either a $50 retail gift card or $50 refund on tuition. Prizes will be awarded once the “new” family has completed all registration requirements (forms and fees).

Here is how this works:

• Talk to your friends at school, church, girl scouts meeting, hiking group etc,
• Ask them to visit one of Cantabile rehearsals.
• If they are interested in joining, please ask them to call our office at 650-424-1410 or email manager@cantabile.org PRIOR to attending so that we are sure to make time to speak with them at rehearsal.
• Once the new singer becomes a member of ANY of the Cantabile four choirs, Prizes will be awarded!

We are especially hoping to get new younger singers (6-8 year olds) for our Prep choir. Darva Campbell, our new Preparatory division instructor, is one of the North America’s leading specialists in Orff education and she is doing an amazing job with our youngest singers. Please, spread the word – Cantabile families are our best recruiters!

2. UNIFORM ORDERS (for new members and those who have outgrown items)
Please make sure if you are a new family to obtain a uniform order form for your singer.  These forms can be found on our website at http://www.cantabile.org/youth/admin/forms.shtml
Please make sure to click on the correct form for the correct choir.  Please also check the sizing chart carefully.  Uniform orders are due by Wednesday, February 6th to ensure arrival in time for our spring concerts.  If you place your order after this date, or fail to measure your child, we cannot guarantee things will arrive in time, or that they will be the correct size.

Foothill TUITION FORMS
A friendly reminder that tuition and Foothill Registration forms are now due as well.  (These are all also on our website.)  If you have specific questions about these forms, please contact manager@cantabile.org.
Thank you for your timely submission of forms – it helps us greatly!

3. KAREN IS LOOKING FOR COMPOSERS!
Peninsula Women’s Chorus is doing a project with Karen Linford in conjunction with Tapestry Arts of San Jose.  PWC has invited interested Cantabile students to compose some short melodies to the texts of Haiku poems written by students at Escuela Popular School in San Jose.  Karen would like to invite any interested students to rsvp with her by Thursday the 24th of this week (Karen@cantabile.org) if they wish to contribute.  Karen will hold an hour session on Sunday, January 27th from 1:00-2:00 pm, location TBA.  During this session, Karen will work with the kids, breaking them into small groups, and providing them with copies of some of the poems.  It is not necessary for your singer to be able to notate music – Karen will help them brainstorm, and will record the session as well.   Thanks for helping with this exciting project!

Weekly SCOOP Voc/Ens, 1/16/08

1. “Bring a Friend Month” – January is Cantabile Open House Month
2. Uniforms
3. Reminder to turn in Fall 07 music
4. Foothill TUITION FORMS due
5. CD/DVD orders due by Jan. 15th
6. “Change for Music – Music for Change” SPRING FUNDRAISER!
7. Come see Zachary Freir-Harrison perform in “The Giver”, PA Children’s Theater

1. Bring a Friend – January is OPEN HOUSE MONTH at Cantabile:
We hope to increase our Spring 2008 enrollment and invite you and your singer to help us by bringing a friend, neighbor or classmate to visit our rehearsals.
For referring to us a potential singer who ends up joining Cantabile, your family will receive a prize or tuition reduction. Qualifying families will have their choice of either a $50 retail gift card or $50 refund on tuition. Prizes will be awarded once the “new” family has completed all registration requirements (forms and fees).

Here is how this works:

1. Talk to your friends at school, church, girl scouts meeting, hiking group etc,
2. Ask them to visit one of Cantabile rehearsals.
3. If they are interested in joining, please ask them to call our office at 650-424-1410 or email manager@cantabile.org PRIOR to attending so that we are sure to make time to speak with them at rehearsal.
4. Once the new singer becomes a member of ANY of the Cantabile four choirs,
5. Prizes will be awarded!

We are especially hoping to get new younger singers (6-8 year olds) for our Prep choir. Darva Campbell, our new Preparatory division instructor, is one of the North America’s leading specialists in Orff education and she is doing an amazing job with our youngest singers. Please, spread the word – Cantabile families are our best recruiters!

2. UNIFORM ORDERS (for new members)
Please make sure if you are a new family to obtain a uniform order form for your singer.  These forms can be found on our website at http://www.cantabile.org/youth/admin/forms.shtml
Please make sure to click on the correct form for the correct choir.  Please also check the sizing chart carefully.  Uniform orders are due by Wednesday, February 6th to ensure arrival in time for our spring concerts.  If you place your order after this date, or fail to measure your child, we cannot guarantee things will arrive in time, or that they will be the correct size.

3. REMINDER TO TURN IN FALL 07 MUSIC
If you have not yet turned your music folder, please make sure to bring it to rehearsal. Thanks!

4. Foothill TUITION FORMS
A friendly reminder that tuition and Foothill Registration forms are now due as well.  (These are all also on our website.)  If you have specific questions about these forms, please contact manager@cantabile.org.
Thank you for your timely submission of forms – it helps us greatly!

5. From Jennifer Hsu: CD/DVD Orders
Singers and Parents - I need to place orders for the CDs and DVDs by the 15th of January for the December Concert.  Prices are $20 per Cd, and $25 per DVD.  Please send your check (made payable to Cantabile Choral Guild) to the office address listed above, or place your order with me by email at manager@cantabile.org by January 15th.

6. CHANGE FOR MUSIC – MUSIC FOR CHANGE Spring Fundraiser.
This month, Cantabile Youth Singers is kicking off its annual fundraising effort, Change for Music – Music for Change, in honor of the many exciting changes we are experiencing as an organization and the change music has on our everyday lives.

Every season, Cantabile must raise about 40% of its income from fundraising efforts. We look for fun and easy ways to raise funds and this year we have something new:  the “ideal” fundraiser to raise money with little of your time and support program activities directly benefiting each singer.

In the next few weeks, each family will be given an official Cantabile collection can and instructions and asked to gather loose change from home, family and friends from January to June.
We ask each family to attempt to collect a minimum of $50.00 over the course of 5 months. This is easy, only $10.00 a month! If each family, staff member and board member were to achieve the minimum of $50.00 total, Cantabile would raise nearly $6,000!

Keep your collection can at home in a visible location to catch loose change from pockets, under the cushion of the couch, etc.  You can also ask mom or dad to place a collection can on their desk at work and ask grandpa and grandma to keep a collection can at their home and support our efforts. (Extra cans may be obtained by calling the Cantabile office). Prizes will be awarded to the singer and class raising the most money per singer. Join our effort and support a worthy cause!

P.S. One of our board members has already been collecting loose change from around her house and from her husband’s pockets. She already has 2 collection cans full!

7. PALO ALTO CHILDREN’S THEATER INVITATION
Come see our very own Zachary Freir Harrison, Vocalise Alto 2, perform in Palo Alto Children’s Theater production of “The Giver”
Zach is going to be playing Jonas in a new adaptation of Lois Lowry’s
award-winning novel for young adults!

The dates and times of the performances are as follows:

• Friday, 2/1 @ 7:30 pm
• Sat., 2/2 @2:30
• Thursday. 2/7@ 4:30
• Friday, 2/8 @ 4:30 and 7:30
• Saturday, 2/9 @ 7:30

For tickets: (650) 463-4970.
Address: Lucie Stern Center, 1305 Middlefield Road; Palo Alto, 94301.

Thanks everyone, and hope you are having a great start to your year.

Weekly SCOOP Voc/Ens, 1/9/08

1. Note from Elena Sharkova – First Rehearsal Jan. 9th!
2. Note from Jennifer regarding office mailing info, photocopy machine, and CD/DVD orders
3. New Singer Auditions, Sat. Jan. 12th and January Open House Month (tell all your friends!)
4. Change for Music – Music for Change SPRING FUNDRAISER!
5. Thank you for the wonderful donations to Cantable
6. Look for Letter from Cantabile Board of Directors
7. Come see Zachary Freir-Harrison perform in “The Giver”, PA Children’s Theater

1. Message from Elena Sharkova:

Dear Singers and Parents,

Happy New Year! Many thanks to all of you for making 2007 such a joyful year full of great musical experiences and discoveries. Our artistic staff and I are looking forward to the spring semester – more songs to sing and more hearts to open to music!

Fall 2007 was very busy. In fact, it was the busiest one since I joined Cantabile. To recap:

• 4 Carmina Burana shows, a special performance at the Orff National Convention,
• December Holiday Concert and 2 performances of Nutcracker with the Moscow Ballet!
• Cantabile did beautifully at all these events – thanks to all of you again for your hard work and dedication!
• Special thanks to the 35 singers who performed on stage for the Nutcracker and in front of Flint Center caroling just one day before Christmas.

I can’t wait to see you on the 9th at Foothills Congregational. (our normal site) We will follow the usual schedule:

• 5:00 – 5:45 Musicianship class (please bring your yellow theory books)
• 5:45 – 7:30 Ensemble and Vocalise
• 7:30 – 8:45 Vocalise

NB: If you have not yet turned your music folder, please make sure to bring it to rehearsal. Thanks!

2. From: Jennifer Hsu, Business Manager (please respond to Jennifer at manager@cantabile.org)

Please Note: Back in July of 2007, Cantabile moved into a new suite. Many of you have our old address still programmed into your automatic payment plans, charitable giving organizations, matching gift programs, etc. Please check that our suite number is correct. Our correct mailing address is as follows:

Cantabile Youth Singers
953 Industrial Ave Suite 122
Palo Alto, CA 94303

The Office can also be reached by email at manager@cantabile.org and by Phone at 650-424-1410 x 71

Cantabile is looking for a photocopy machine. After some cost analysis we have decided it is more economical to bring our copying in-house. We are hoping someone knows of a gently used machine we can either get donated or at a discount. We need something that has a fairly small footprint (preferably desk-print) collates, does 2 sides and can handle up to 11×17 (if possible). We will be using this mostly for office uses such as fundraising, registrations and Foothill registrations. Please contact Jennifer by email if you have any leads at manager@cantabile.org.

Singers and Parents - I need to place orders for the CDs and DVDs by the 15th of January for the December Concert. Prices are $20 per Cd, and $25 per DVD. Please send your check (made payable to Cantabile Choral Guild) to the office address listed above, or place your order with me by email at manager@cantabile.org by January 15th.

Thank you!
Jennifer

3. NEW SINGER AUDITIONS and OPEN HOUSE MONTH:

SATURDAY, JAN. 12TH, times beginning at 10:00 AM, FOOTHILLS CONGREGATIONAL

If you know of any friends or family who would like to join Cantabile this spring, please have them contact us to set up an audition time! (manager@cantabile.org)

Additionally, we are slating January as our month of Open House. This is an opportunity for interested families to come and “visit” a rehearsal and see what we are about. This is also your opportunity to BRING A FRIEND to a rehearsal. All visitors must contact the office prior to attending so that we are sure to make time to speak with them at rehearsal. There are also incentive prizes to families who end up getting new singers to join our ranks (more detail soon!).

We are especially hoping to get new younger singers (6-8 year olds) for our Prep choir.

Darva Campbell, our new Preparatory division instructor, is one of the North America’s leading specialists in Orff education and she is doing an amazing job with our youngest singers. Please, spread the word – Cantabile families are our best recruiters!

4. CHANGE FOR MUSIC – MUSIC FOR CHANGE Spring Fundraiser.
This month, Cantabile Youth Singers is kicking off its annual fundraising effort, Change for Music – Music for Change, in honor of the many exciting changes we are experiencing as an organization and the change music has on our everyday lives.

Every season, Cantabile must raise about 40% of its income from fundraising efforts. We look for fun and easy ways to raise funds and this year we have something new and the “ideal” fundraiser to raise money with little of your time and support program activities directly benefiting each singer.

In the next few weeks, each family will be given an official Cantabile collection can and instructions and asked to gather loose change from home, family and friends from January to June. We ask each family to attempt to collect a minimum of $50.00 over the course of 5 months. This is easy, only $10.00 a month! If each family, staff member and board member were to achieve the minimum of $50.00 total, Cantabile would raise nearly $6,000!

Keep your collection can at home in a visible location to catch loose change from pockets, under the cushion of the couch, etc. You can also ask mom or dad to place a collection can on their desk at work and ask grandpa and grandma to keep a collection can at their home and support our efforts. (Extra cans may be obtained by calling the Cantabile office). Prizes will be awarded to the singer and class raising the most money. Join our effort and support a worthy cause!

P.S. One of our board members has already been collecting loose change from around her house and from her husband’s pockets. She already has 2 collection cans full!

5. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS
We have had a wonderful response to our fall solicitation campaign. Thank you for your generosity! You make such a difference for Cantabile.

6. LETTER COMING FROM CANTABILE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
In the next week, look to receive a letter in the mail from Cantabile announcing some exciting changes for the organization, future plans and opportunities to get involved.