Many music classrooms in the Battlefords area place band or choral singing ensembles entries into the Music Festival. Some local classrooms over the last few years have discovered the joy of preparing and entering choral speech entries. Choral speaking does not require any expensive instruments or years of specialized training, anyone can do it. All that is needed are poems and stories that teachers and students feel are worthy of exploring along with some imagination.
It lends itself easily to language arts and arts education curriculum learning objectives. Speech arts are a fun way to creatively explore written text using dynamics (loud versus soft), tempo (fast versus slow), rhythm and dramatic expression. Choral speaking activities are highly engaging for students and offer safety in numbers for those students less comfortable with public speaking.
In my experience, students usually have so many wonderful ideas from which to draw that you don鈥檛 have to do much beyond picking strong material and organizing their creativity into a presentable form.
The festival committee highly encourages schools to consider ensemble choral speaking entries. Schools have the option to travel to a festival venue for adjudication or, with a minimum of five group entries, request that the adjudicator come to their school to view performances.
Be sure to not miss the registration deadline for this year鈥檚 Battlefords Kiwanis Music Festival. The deadline for entries is Saturday, Jan. 17. Note that the location for in-person deliveries of entries on that day has changed this year. Entries may be delivered in-person at Ecole Monseigneur Blaise Morand from 1 鈥� 4 p.m. on that date or mailed to P.O. Box 1301, North Battleford, S9A 3L8, postmarked by Jan. 17.聽
The committee is allowing for late entries again this year. Late entries may be delivered to 362 - 37th Street, Battleford no later than 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23, with a $25 late entry fee per entrant. Registration forms are available at Sobeys and the current syllabus can be found online (http://www.smfa.ca/). Fees for solos, duets, and trios remain at $13 per entry and with a family rate of a 50 per cent discount after 10 solo entries by individual participants.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of many local committees and the Kiwanis Music Festival is no exception. The more people work together to pitch in with their time and talent, the easier it is. Festival supporters can come in all sizes and shapes from parents, to grandparents, to aunts or uncles, to older teens or young adults. Volunteer experience reflects well on resumes and job applications. Talk to your friends and neighbours and let鈥檚 all work together as proud supporters of this special event.
If your time is not available but you or your business would like to support the festival monetarily, consider sponsoring an award to be presented at the final gala event, or sponsoring a session for a music discipline of your choice, or being recognized as a patron or friend of the Festival.
We are excited to once again offer the Festival program cover drawing contest. Children and youth, from the Battlefords area, are invited to submit original ideas for considered use as the 2015 Festival Program cover. Artwork should reflect musical themes. The deadline is Feb. 7. Entries may be submitted at EMBM on festival registration day, mailed to the mailing address or submitted to Kelly Waters at St. Vital School or Agi McQuaid at EMBM.
The current聽tentative schedule, pending actual entries, for the 2015 Battlefords Music Festival is:
The current聽tentative schedule, pending actual entries, for the 2015 Battlefords Music Festival is: piano March 16 鈥� 1; band March 19 鈥� 20, strings March 20, musical theatre March 21 鈥� 22, voice March聽23 鈥� 25, speech arts March 26-27 and gala March 29.
鈥淢usic is what feelings sound like.鈥� 鈥� Author Unknown
