I have been working as the voice teacher once a week for about five weeks at Blend School for the Blind/Van Ness Elementary in Hollywood.

The students have written a musical that they will perform this week. The students themselves vary in musical strength. Some of the children are shy, particularly as performing is new to them. So, often my focus is on diction, projection, posture and body language.

One little girl, Natalie, likes to play piano chords while we warm up. Two weeks ago, I asked her to focus on good posture to help her singing. So, she did not get to play piano that week but I promised her she could the next week.

Last week, when it was Natalie’s turn for a voice lesson, I remembered I had promised she could play piano before we sang. I knew she had a good ear – when we do vocal warm ups she is able to pick out the notes we are singing on the piano.

Natalie sat down at the piano and proceeded to play every song from their musical. She also sang the lyrics to each song while she played and figured out chords to link one song to the next. I felt as if I were listening to the overture of the musical. I was not expecting her piano skills to be so advanced because I had only heard her play a few chords in the past. She appears to have taught herself all the songs by ear and to have made up her own chordal transitions to each song.  I don’t think she reads music. I was blown away by her performance. I asked her if her teacher, Ms. Bell, had taught her but she said “no.” I said “Wow! You play better than I do.” She said “I know.” Later, I told Ms. Bell about her playing all the songs from the show and asked if she had helped her at all but Ms. Bell said she hadn’t and that she believes Natalie is a savant. I suggested Natalie play her medley of songs as the overture.

This young girl is obviously extremely gifted. I hope she will have the opportunity to have the musical education she deserves.

 

 

 

Saturday, May 30th 6:00 PM:  Poetry To Song Performance at Duarte Performing Arts Center

Saturday, May 30th at the Duarte Performing Arts Center at 6:00 PM (1401 Highland Ave Duarte, CA) We have a our Poetry to Song students performing in a showcase. Admission is Free

 

Free Poetry to Song Workshops at Monrovia Boys and Girls Club

Free Poetry to Song workshops that will be offered at Monrovia Boys and Girls Club beginning on Monday, June 22nd and will meet every Monday through August 10th with dress rehearsals and performances throughout the week of August 10th
Contact Ann Noriel at 626-357-9156 for more information or to register.
Monday workshop times and locations:
1:30-2:45 Monrovia Boys and Girls Club 843 East Olive Ave Monrovia CA
3:30-4:45 Pamela Park 2236 Goodall Ave. Duarte, CA

 

Originally from San Francisco, soprano, Carol Winston, studied at University of California, Santa Barbara, where she received her B.A. in Music.

Carol has performed and toured nationally with the Pasadena based Gilbert and Sullivan company Opera a la Carte. Roles include “Mabel” in The Pirates of Penzance, “Yum-Yum” in The Mikado, “Gianetta” in The Gondoliers and “Laeticia” in The Zoo.

She has sung “Zerlina” in Don Giovanni for Repertory Opera Company. Recently she sang the role of “Duchess Carolina” in the popular Zarzuela Luisa Fernanda at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica.

Solo concert work includes Orff’s Carmina Burana, Mozart’s, Exultate Jubilate, the Mozart Requiem, the Mozart Vespers, the Beethoven Chorale Fantasy, the Bruckner Te Deum and Vivaldi’s Beatus Vir with the Laguna Beach Chorale. Carol was the soprano soloist for Ballet San Jose in a ballet version of The Pirates of Penzance.

She has worked with Los Angeles Opera, Opera Pacific, Southland Sings, Guild Opera and Orange County Opera in their outreach programs for students, singing such diverse roles as “Little Red Riding Hood” (by Seymour Barab), “Marie” (Daughter of the Regiment), “Gretel” (Hansel and Gretel) and “Ginger” (The Night Harry Stopped Smoking). She originated the title role of “Estrella” in Guild Opera’s bilingual children’s opera and has performed in Zarzuelas with the Jarvis Conservatory in Napa.

Carol began teaching voice and piano in earnest about four years ago. Her studio includes children as young as six to adults over 60. Drawing on her own experiences learning to sing and read music has helped her relate to her beginning students’ concerns. Carol finds teaching fulfilling when her students are able to utilize techniques they have worked on together. “Once in a while I’ll get a new, very beginning student and I’ll think ‘Oh, dear, they have no idea what I’m talking about; I don’t think they’ll be able to get it.’ But, they come back the next week having practiced and amaze me with their improvement.”

Carol has worked with Southland Sings as an outreach performer for many years. This has enabled her to work with elementary age children. Thus, transitioning into teaching this age group has worked well.

Carol has performed for children with disabilities and recently began teaching these students. Watching their growth as they improve musically and have more confidence has been very rewarding.

 

Here are a few poems from our incarcerated students who are in the Orange County Department of Education’s  ACCESS Program.

My New Home

These are song lyrics by a female student who wanted to write about the new home that she will create for herself once she is released. A home full of peace and joy.

Reminiscing, smiling

wondering where I’ll go

on the sandy beach

the warm sand under my toes

I don’t want to fly home

 

let the waves sway me

away from home

bring me to a place

filled with joy

that will be my new home

that will be my new home

 

Why Didn’t I Listen?

We saw a lot of growth in this male student, he was ready to make some big changes in his life.

Why didn’t I listen to the

street lights when they told me

to go home at night?

Why didn’t I listen to my mother,

when she told me to do right?

Why didn’t I listen to my parole officer

when he told me to stay out of the hood?

Why didn’t I listen to the judge

when he said, “I’ll give you a chance.”

Yet I knew in advance that living a life of sin is playing a game

I’ll never win. I know I’m smart I have a brain

this jail routine is driving me insane.

I think it’s time for a change

before my life goes down the drain.

My freedom is what I’m missing

but why, why didn’t I listen?

 

Sheep

These song lyrics speak about this female student’s life in prison                                                                                                            

The paint you left started to chip

The lies you speak fall off your lips

And I know I tend to let it show

Paper wasted loss of tree

Carved out log set out to sea

But I’ll save the human race

Without leaving a trace of me

 

Chorus

Well I’ve spent days counting sheep

Who won’t shut up won’t let me sleep

I know the hill you run is steep

But it doesn’t excuse the life you choose

Or why all your talk is cheap

 

Twenty girls locked up so tight

Inside a box with angles right

Eyes cover the wall, vampires in the halls

On the outside looking in

We’re the ones who never win

To them we look all the same

So we must be alike in some way