Showing posts with label Performing Arts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Performing Arts. Show all posts

Year 4 Music: Cantonese Opera

Cantonese Opera is a major type of traditional musical drama in China. History and origin of Cantonese opera remains controversial as there is little formal written record fround - this form of art relies heavily on an aural tradition. A typical Catonese opera performance is comprised with four major elements: singing, body movement, recitation and stage combat. Click HERE for a brief introduction of Cantonese opera. In 2009, the UNESCO declared Cantonese opera to be a form of world intangible heritage

粵劇﹐是中國傳統三百多種戲曲中的其中一種﹐流行於廣東一帶。粵劇歷史沒有正式的文獻記載﹐多從推測與口傳而得。粵劇主要有四大元素﹐包括唱﹑做﹑唸﹑打。於2009年﹐粵劇正式被聯合國教育﹑科學及文化組織列入世界非物質文化遺產。

For teacher, HERE is a link in Chinese as resource. Here are a few videos that invovles demonstration of the 4 elements of Cantonese opera.

1) Singing and recitation (唱與唸)



2) Body movement and stage combat (做與打)



Here is a video of a classic stage combat demonstration:

All art forms intertwine

Fashion, music, dance, architecture, painting...all different art forms in the world is undergoing a non-stop evolution since they first made their appearance around. Styles and preferences come and go; sometimes they make a return triumphantlyunder the hands of artists and creators.

I like this video a lot, it could've been inspired by the recently hit on youtube "100 years of history in 10 minute". This video is much more concise. The theme lies on how fashion has evolved through time (from 1911 till presence). The music and dance form that comes along with the video also represent different genres. These few different forms are inseparable! Enjoy!


Rhythm in the body - Keith Terry

Recently, I attended an Orff workshop and heard the name Keith Terry.  (Visit his body percussion group CROSSPULSE) I've never heard his name before but was intrigued by his idea RHYTHMIC BLOCK so I spent some time looking it up (and try doing it).  Basically, he systemetically divides body percussion sequence into sets of 3, 5, 7 & 9.  The combination is simple yet it creates amazing effects and provides much room for variation and improvisation.  Here's a video of the very basic of Rhythm Block:


Here's another interesting video of Keith Terry playing along with himeself. You would here one of the part say words like "takita" and "takadimi," these words are actually rhythmic syllables used in Indian music counting.


Although I am quite clumpsy and not very good at body percussion, I do think it is important to incorporating it into music lessons. Music is dead if it is detached from the body. Western musicians aim at mastering reading skills and technical virtuosity. We run into a bottle neck phase when we have a deirable level of technical skills but lacks the ability to connect our mind and body to music. I've seen violinist practicing on a trampoline so that she can feel the weight of music working through the body; music becomes much more fluid and expressive. Therefore, I believe if children are taught to move to rhythm, they will naturally be expressive when they play an instrument because music lives not only on their little fingers but it flows through their body. It is evident in children from Africa and India where music and movement are inseparable.

Finally, I'd like to share a solo performance by Keith Terry.


For teachers, and parents:


Show Recommendation - The Vegetable Orchestra (winter 2011)


The famous Vegetable Orchestra of Vienna will be visiting Hong Kong again this winter (2011)! They will give 3 peformances around the town on 30 Dec, 31 Dec and 1 Jan. It'll be an amusing way to welcome the year of 2012! Watch the video below to have a preview of what they do:



You may click HERE for show details by LCSD.

Show Recommendation - STOMP in HK!! (Oct, 2011)



STOMP is a dance troupe that has set their feet (literally) on international stage. Their fantastic performance is loved by audience around the world. They have traveled extensively, stomping and banging on stages in different cities.

They'll be coming to Hong Kong in fall (25 October - 5 November, 2011) Don't miss the chance, I'm sure both children and adults will be awed by their performance!



Wanna see more creative ideas? How about making music with basketballs?

IAC 2011 Recommendation - Genesis (6+)


I've always been very fond of puppet shows.  This year during the IAC 2011, a multimedia puppet theatre group from Denmark, MERIDIANO, will be visiting Hong Kong and putting on a production called Gensis from 13-19 July.  This show has won worldwide acclaims. 

This production is suitable for children 6+; it is mythical - some younger children may find the stagecraft a bit creepy.  Please take a look at the trailer first before you decide to get tickets for the younger ones: (Click HERE for show detail from IAC2011)


IAC 2011 Recommendation - Russian Puppet Theatre (3+)


The Demmeni Marionette Theatre, located in St. Petersburg, is the oldest professional puppet theatre in Russia has been in business since 1917. They'll be making their world tour stop at the International Arts Carnival this year; giving 4 shows at the Hong Kong City Hall (29-31 Jul).


I'm a marionette fan, earlier this year, a Czech marionette group have visited Hong Kong and I've made a brief blog about marionette with links. Click HERE if you're interested.

Show recommendation April 2011 - Czech Puppetry

If you ever make a trip to Eastern Europe, Prague is a city you cannot miss. I love the city - from its castle to its wooden toys, and of course their famous puppet theatre! When you walk down any street in prague, you can see a little shops that sell marionettes, like the one below:

My favorite puppet shop Prague (2009)

Inside the shop - many different kinds of marionettes/puppets!
Puppet theatre has a long history in Czech culture. Watching a puppet show in Prague was an exciting experience for me; I'm sure children will feel the same way!

In April 2011, a group of famous puppeteers from North Czech Republic, Naïve Theatre Liberec, will bring this fascinating form of theatre art to Hong Kong. They will be putting on 3 performances of Alibaba and 40 Thieves, between 7-9 April in HK City Hall and Shatin Town Hall. The performance is suitable for children 6+.

Please visit URBTIX for ticket information.

Year 1 music: The vegetable orchestra

In my school, every child plays a musical instrument. They're involved in different music groups like bands and orchestra. Most of them knows what does an orchestra looks like; they are familiar with Western instruments.

Therefore in class, I feel no urge to introduce Western music yet; that's why I tend to teach more world music and I love looking for funny music videos so that their perception towards music is not just limited to Western music.

In Year 1, I teach rhythm through a LONG food unit. To spice things up, I share this video with them, in which food is not just food, it can make music too!

THE VIENNA VEGETABLE ORCHESTRA



I had to remember to give them safety tips after the video - I don't want them to go home and start cutting up a pumpkin with a saw.

Please click here if you would like to visit the website of the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra.

Show recommendation Feb/Mar 2011 - Painting with light

Light and darkness - day in and day out, we let these two most natural phenomenons pass by without even noticing it.

A group of creative artists from the UK (POWERPLANT) have cleverly manipulated the power of light and darkness.  Any garden can become their canvas at night; as dusk fall, the light of magic begins. You may want to watch a slide show below to see what this project is about.


How would you describe it? Fascinating? Dreamy? Spooky? It's definitely something that I have never seen before but would love to experience it in person!   Hong Kong audience is so lucky!  This awesome "light exhibition" will be part of the Hong Kong Art Festival 2011. 

Our Kowloon Wall City Park will be Powerplant's canvas this time. The exhibition will be held between 18 February to 13 March, 2011. Please click HERE for the show details.

The Gruffalo in Hong Kong (Jan, 2011)

The name Julia Donaldson may not sound familiar to you but if you look at your toddler's bookshelf at home, you may own one or two books by her.

I have recommended her book Stick Man earlier. Other than the Stickman, Ms Donaldson's other book, The Gruffalo, has also become live on stage.

GOOD NEWS for Hong Kong audience! Gruffalo will be coming to Hong Kong in Janurary 2011. Please click HERE for ticket information.

Click here to enter the official Gruffalo site

Another book that I'd like to recommend here is Cave Baby. It is about an adventure of a little baby riding through beautiful landscape on the back of a mammoth. It is illustrated by one of my favorite illustrator, Emily Gravett.

Click here to enter the official Cave Baby site
Click on all the hyperlinks in this blog article to find out more about the author, illustrator and stories!

Show Recommendation - A Soldier's Story

The Hong Kong Sinfonietta will be putting on a production on 15 October, 2010 at the HKAPA called "A Soldier's Story."

IT will be a multimedia production fusing music, dance and narration (in Mandarin). The program consists of pieces by Igor Stravinsky. Talented dancers and artists have made the musical performance more lively.

I do recommend this show to older children. Here is a trailer that the RTHK has produced.


For ticket information, please visit HK Ticketing.

IAC2010 show recommendation - Zic Zazou (from France)

The annual Hong Kong International Art Carnival will be held between 9 Jul to 15 Aug this year.  Have you picked a show yet?  I'd like to make a recommendation to my students to see a French music group, called Zic Zazou.  It is a creative group who makes extraordinary music out of ordinary objects, like a ping-pong bat, a brick or a garden hose! I'm sure children would love the creative way they make music!

Here's a recent show recommendation written about Zic Zazou.  Funny how it briefly compares them with the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra, which I have also recommended before.  I like Zic Zazou because their performance is not as creepy as The BlueMan Group and the variety of objects used is much larger than Stomp's. 


They'll only be giving ONE show only, on 6th August, 2010 in Kong Kong. You can purchase tickets from URBTIX. (this link will bring you to the Chinese page only)  Please note that the show is restricted to children 6+.

Here's a youtube video of their performance, you can have a taste of it first!



Unfortunately, I won't be in Hong Kong at that time. I look forward to hearing sharing about the Zic Zazou performance from some of you! =)

For more summer shows 2010, please visit the official International Art Carnival Website.

Easter Holiday 2010 Suggestion #2- The Adventures of Peter Rabbit

There is only so much that I can teach in a music lesson. In fact, I believe a big part of a child's musical expereience should happen out of music class. That's why I like making recommendation to children of what's suitable for them to see in Hong Kong.

Since my Year 2 happens to be learning Peter and the Wolf in the Music and Drama unit, I strongly recommend them to see the HKPO performance of Peter and the Wolf during the Easter Holiday.

I did the same thing in class today, and a little episode happened...

A girl from one of my classes looked a bit sad and told me secretly, "Oh....Miss Yu, I think I can't see Peter and the Wolf..."

"Why?"

"Coz my daddy had already... ...bought tickets to see Peter Rabbit with me..."

"Oh...well, you can still tell your mommy and daddy about Peter and the Wolf, maybe they'd bring you see it as well."

"ya...." (looking unsure)

"But I'm sure Peter Rabbit will be a GREAT show, too! You have to tell me all about it after watching it ok?"

"OK! (still worried that she can't watch Peter and the Wolf) Well, at least I'm still watching someone called Peter!"

This is what I call positive thinking! =)

Personally, I didn't grew up with Peter Rabbit, so I don't know much about him. But I'm stunned by the quality of its website, it's like a virtual pop up book, which I couldn't resist browsing through each page! Please click here to see this Peter Rabbit's site


HK ticketing is responsible for this Peter's ticket, please click here to access to the ticketing site.




Hopefully music lesson will continue during children's Easter Holiday!

Classical music performances (Opera, symphony, choral work, etc.)

Think classical music is boring? ME TOO!!! haha...yes, even as a music teacher, I'm not that of a classical music lover. But at the same time, I think it's nice to tell kids about classical music. So I strive to make it as FUN as possible! (for both my students' benefit and MINE!)

Creative Kids Central is a superb site for kids to learn more about different kinds of classical music on stage. There are interactive games, too!! (i like the Hensel and Gretel Opera game~) The sound files are great, too~~Also, there are tips for parents and teachers! (I'd recommend this site to 5+)

Shadow Puppetry

Through shadow play, children realize what amazing things their hands can do. We all know how to make a shadow of a bird, or a dog or a rabbit with our hands. Hand puppet masters have taken this form of art further. Here's a video of a shadow puppet performance set to the song What a wonderful world.


Shadow Puppetry is an ancient form of storytelling in many Aisan countries. I really appreciate this site below which promote this famous form of performing art:

Blue man group all-in-one

I'm awed by the performances of the Blue Man Group. Yet I haven't played any of them to children because after all, the Blue Men are quite weird and scary looking for children.

Their performance represents the essence of creativity - creating extraordinary out of the most ordinary. Their most famous stage performance includes "paint drumming" and music-making on PVC tubes.

Here's a short clip of them performing on the Jay Leno show in 2006. You'd be amazed by how they turn paper, paint and plastic drainage pipes into instruments of an amazing performance.



If you're interested in seeing more, simply search for "Blue Man Group" in Youtube; you'll see a lot of great recordings.

My sharing doesn't end here.

The Blue Man Group was founded in early 90's. Now that the founders have become fathers; they have a desire to pass on their creativity to the next generation through education. Therefore they started The Blue School in NYC.

Is it a gimmick or is it an inventive way to trigger children's creativity in a school setting? The 3 men are gonna share their intention and vision to this school.

The Amazing HONDA CHOIR

Who says singing this the only thing choirs do?

Check out the Honda choir, every single member of it is so good at voice making. They can make sounds ranging from the raindrop sound to the squeaking sound from a car while making a sharp turn.



I play this in Year 1. Before showing the video, I let children only listen to the "piece" without the video and have them guess what's happening. Obviously, no one could have guessed it right. When I play them the video, they are totally awed. (at first,they didn't really know what's going on, but they'll realize soon)

If time allows, I'd also show them the audition and rehearsal through showing the following video. Warning: the beginning of this video is a woman making a penetrating sound, beware!