You're invited

Another great workshop for you, subsidised by Council so you get hours of lovely singing for the bargain price of a gold coin donation.  If you can't make the whole workshop you're welcome to arrive late or leave early.  The workshop is divided into three sections, with a new song learned in each one.

Great way to start learning harmony singing - there are so many people there that you can stand in the middle of your section if you're not used to part-work.

This is the dawning of the age of Woytopia

Woytopia is on again this Sunday at Woy Woy South Public School - Tangeloes will appear at 1.45- 2.15 followed by Drumbala.  Lots to do at this wonderful eco-fair.  Learn how to look after your bike or keep chooks.  Eat yummy food and play eco-friendly fun activities!

Concert in Empire Bay

Our next gig is in Empire Bay on Sunday july 1 - Timbre Flaws will be there (large & lovely acapella choir from UNSW) and the gorgeous Tangeloes from Ettalong.  Also I suspect there will be some ukeleles and other bits and pieces.

All proceeds are going to support children's brain cancer and spinal chord research - a cause close to the heart of Sarah, one of the Tangelo sopranos.  Her godson Jeremiah passed away at the age of 8, and the concert is to honour him.

Entry is $5, kids are free.

Every Breath You Take

Gorgeous arrangement by Stuart, nicely performed by Isingonthecake, though I've always thought the words were a little bit creepy! This was a concert in Epping recently.

Ising's Sunny Afternoon

Last time Isingonthecake went away to Pittwater, we decided to make a clip to go with our recording of "sunny Afternoon" - put together by the talented John M. See if you can spot the footage of our "Madonna-fest" evening, where one team performed "Like a Virgin" as a country song.

The important work of the Song Room

This inspiring video outlines the work of The Song Room in a lucky few Australian schools.

Three quarters of primary school children in Government schools in Australia miss out on music education. The Song Room does what it can to address this.

Love this quote: "Music and art change children and children change the world".

Christmas flash mob

Hundreds of SingUp! choir members, and members of the Sydney Chamber Orchestra, gathered at Central Station last week to sing Leonard Cohen's Dance Me to the End of Love.   What a blast!  Lots of familiar faces are featured - lots of Tangeloes members and singers from Isingonthecake.  Merry Christmas.

Tangeloes Open Rehearsal - You're Invited

On December 14 the Tangeloes will have their final rehearsal of the year, and everyone's invited.  Come along and hear the choir perform a set from their recent Mosman concert, and if you wish, stand up with the choir to learn a song in four-part harmony.

When: Wednesday December 14, 7.30 pm
Where: Ettalong Uniting Church Hall, Picnic Pde
Cost: Free

Interested people of all ages very welcome.

SingUp! end of year concert

This year it's going to be huge.  Five SingUp! choirs, Sydney Chamber Orchestra and finally a massed choir with orchestra!  All for an extremely worthy cause.

Richard Gill: The Value of Music Education

Richard Gill: The Value of Music Education

The wonderful Richard Gill talked earlier this year about music education for young children. He spoke about the right of every child to be taught music properly by teachers who are qualified to do so. He also cautioned against classifying all the arts together in one big lump - they are different. And he used examples to show the way that music coaxes children into the abstract thinking.

Favourite quote: "Music is worth teaching because it empowers children spectacularly".

Click on the link (above) to watch.

Woytopia - what a great day

Here are The Tangeloes (well, most of us) singing at Woytopia, Woy Woy South Public School's annual eco-fair.  What a great event.

Here's our adoring public (only a little bit stacked with rellies and friends).  Great to see some of my younger students watching (from baby/children's music classes at Beachside, and even the Empire Bay school choir).  So great for them to witness grown-ups participating in singing and so obviously having enormous fun with it.

Acapella at Woytopia

The Tangeloes are rehearsed and psyched for their next gig on Sunday Oct 30 at Woytopia - we are on at at 12.15.  Lots of great acts - check their website for what's on.

The Tangeloes warm up for their concert!

Here's a really cute clip of the Ettalong choir warming up before their first ever concert - it really captures the fun atmosphere.



The Ettalong choir meets every Wednesday night at the Ettalong uniting Church Hall in Picnic Parade for singing and frivolity.

Ising in the library!

Here's some footage of Isingonthecake's Hurstville library gig a few weeks back - you hear snippets of 3 of their songs.

Term 3 with the Tangeloes

Term 3 starts back tonight, and this term we'll tackle a Beatles number and one from the Mamas & Papas, as well as a Leonard Cohen song.  Should be great fun.

Acapella in Empire Bay!

After just 9 rehearsals, The Tangeloes have their first gig on June 26 at the Empire Bay Progress Hall in Gordon St, Empire Bay. Sydney choir Isingonthecake is also on the bill, together with local quartet The Bedroom Band and my trio She's With Me.

The two choirs plan to combine for a song or two at the end of the get-together.

Kick-off is 3pm, and it costs $5 at the door, with all proceeds going to Mary Mac's Place in Woy Woy.  All welcome.  Should be lots of fun!




Update: What a fantastic afternoon - thanks to all involved.  We raised $501 for Mary Mac's.

Here comes the train

When the babies in my classes grow up and start to learn to walk, they don't want to be sitting down for long - it's called a love of mobility! This walking thing is all new and fantastic - why stop still?

So I have to think of ambulatory musical activities that are achievable for little ones. Train songs are ideal. Here are some of my favourites.

Pic: thegraphicsfairy.com 

Puffer Train - Beat

This is a great song for keeping the beat as we choof around the room. It also encourages the children to vocalise in the "chh chh chh" part.

Big Black Train - Pitch

Big black train, big black train, take me up the mountain
Big black train, Big black train, take me home again!

This is a great song to use with older children to explore pitch as the train goes up and down the mountain. The children can move little train toys up and down sloping tracks, or up and down their grown-up's bent knee. Children can even play up and down the diatonic scale on the chime bars.

For babies, this can be a bouncing activity where the parent's knees move up and down with the pitch. Or, the children can move around the room, going "up the mountain" towards one end of the room and "down" towards the other.

Train that Goes - Rests

I'm a train that goes, I'm a train that goes, and I go and go an go until I STOP!

Learning to start and stop is the precursor to learning about rests in music. It is also good for developing children's listening skills. It is also great fun.

Choo Choo Ka - Dynamics

This is another "moving about" game, but the rhyme demonstrates the meaning of "pianissimo" and "fortissimo". This is an example of the children learning how the dynamics feel, and having experience of a concept way before they learn to name it. Importantly, the performance varies in terms of loudness and softness, but the tempo and stays the same.

Morningtown Ride - lullaby

A great lullaby, because it helps children feel "warm and snug" in their beds, and the soothing verses can be repeated until the child drops off to sleep.

10 more sleeps till Ettalong choir's first rehearsal

There's been a great response to our call for interested people to get involved with the new community choir in Ettalong. We'll start on Wednesday 27th, 7.30 pm. See the map to the left for the venue details. Should be fun!

Enquiries: Stuart Davis, ph. 02 9665 8054 m. 0403 869 405
singup@optusnet.com.au

If you're down Hurstville way...

Apparently we're "legends" now, doncha know.

Massed choir - Sao Roma

The new choir in Ettalong will have the chance to participate in "massed choir experiences".  Here's the kind of thing we mean.  Four choirs are on-stage - Isingonthecake, Timbre Flaws, the Sea Minors and  Unaccompanied Baggage.



Over the years we've performed lots of different kinds of pieces with massed choirs, from Handel's Messiah to Viva la Vida. The choirs all learn the music at their separate rehearsals and come together on the day of the performance. They each perform separately and then everyone is up on stage for the finale. It's a blast.