Bach in the Subways, March 21 2019

On J.S. Bach’s birthday (March 21 and into the weekend) musicians all over the world unite to perform free Bach in subways & public spaces, all day & all night, to share our love for our art form and sow the seeds for future generations of classical music lovers.

ALREADY PLANNING FOR 2021: 

Hi all, due to the new recommended protocols for social isolation to prevent spread of infectious disease, our Bach in the Subways event at Bonnie Doon has been cancelled by our host venue. Please celebrate Bach’s birthday at home, by playing his music, and stay healthy! We’ll be bach in 2021!

Still planning to play at Bonnie Doon LRT station and shopping centre. Watch this space for details as things are finalized!


Bach in the Subways, March 2019:

Our 2019 event was at City Hall on March 21, the actual day of Bach’s birthday! So we threw him a party complete with cards, hats, and noisemakers. The music was a “lottery concert” (selections drawn at random) of pieces by Bach and his family from Suzuki books 1 through 6 for recorder and flute.

 


Bach in the Subways, March 2015:

A Bachin Sub 2015 - 015In Edmonton,we were at the City Market in City Hall, and at the Churchill LRT station  We started at noon and stopped when we ran out of Bach.

A Bachin Sub 2015 - 030A Bachin Sub 2015 - 077

The flutes, recorders, violins, violas, and cellos played everything from the Anna Magdelena Bach notebook to the Double Concerto for two violins.A Bachin Sub 2015 - 063

The students were from the Suzuki organizations for both string and wind instruments:

Society for Talent Education
https://ste-suzukistrings.org
Edmonton Suzuki Flute & Recorder Society
https://suzuki-flute-recorder.ca

Here’s a short video taken by one of our parents: Post.

Groups & Grads February 21, 2019

Groups & Grads 2015 at Stanley Milner Library Theatre

This concert is the showcase concert of the year for our program. It features both solo performances of students who are celebrating completion of a book level, and group performances from the ensembles.

This year Groups & Grads will be at Knoppers Hall, Kings University (9125  50 St. NW)

Concert starts at 6:30 pm – students should arrive by 6:00 pm for set up and tuning.

Admission is free! Bring a friend!

Groups & Grads 2017 at City Hall

Groups & Grads 2016 – check out the bass recorder and bass flute!

Click here for more information about the ESFRS book level graduation program.

November Group Concert

At the end of November, our students perform duets, trios, quartets, and other ensemble music that they learn in their group lessons.  The group lessons are an important community building part of our program, and it is in the group lessons where the students learn the skills that will keep them able to play music with their friends throughout their adult lives.

We welcome families who are interested in having lessons with their children. Come to the concert and see what we do! Registration in our program is open year-round. Click here for registration information.

In 2018 and 2017, the concert was at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, where we also have our regular weekly group lessons. Here are some highlights from the 2018 concert:

And highlights from the 2017 concert:




Here is the link to the rest of the playlist, if you want to see the whole concert:

In 2016, the concert was at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church. Here is a short selection featuring the Silverwinds playing in 7/8 with a bass flute:

And another selection from 2016, featuring our beginners playing their very first ensemble piece:

In 2015, the concert was at the Strathearn United Church. Here are some highlights from that performance:

SAMSUNG DIGIMAX A503In 2013 and 2014,  the concert was in the Expressionz Cafe. There were many favourable comments about the coffeehouse setting. Many parents enjoyed being able to sit back with a latte while enjoying the concert. Unfortunately, Expressionz had to close, so in November 2015 we found a new venue. Thank you Expressionz, for hosting us!

 

 

Kiwanis Music Festival

ESFRS Students are encouraged to participate in the Edmonton Kiwanis Music Festival when their teachers feel that they are ready to benefit from this experience. What is the Kiwanis Festival? Its an opportunity to play in a concert AND have a lesson at the same time. Here’s how it works:

Students who enter the festival choose to enrol in a class, which is sorted by age, instrument, or playing level. Once the Festival organizers have received all the participants, they schedule the classes to perform in short concerts at various times throughout the day. (Yes, you may have to miss school to participate – but its more fun than a dentist appointment 🙂 ) After each class performs, the adjudicating teacher will them give each performer comments related to their performance, identifying strengths and challenges. Sometimes these comments are verbal, sometimes they take the form of a short lesson. It depends on the adjudicator. The adjudicators are very fine artist teachers who are brought in from out of town. For the 2018 Festival, we will get to perform for the famous Canadian clarinetist James Campbell. This is a wonderful opportunity to get feedback from an excellent musician.

If you want to participate in the Festival, check with your teacher first to see what piece you should prepare to play if it is appropriate for you to participate. Then you go to the Festival website to register on-line or print out the registration form to mail (or scan and e-mail): http://www.edmontonkiwanis.com/musicfest/registration.html#regforms There are links on this site to pay your entry fees as well.

Here are the class numbers that our students will often enter. This is not all of them! Check with your teacher for more possibilities. The Suzuki Flute classes are not part of the provincial festival syllabus, they are special classes for our youngest students that we added at the local level a few years ago when we had Dr. David Gerry come to be the adjudicator :

  • Suzuki Flute 5 + under: K41900
  • Suzuki Flute 6 + under: K41910
  • Suzuki Flute 7 + under: K41920
  • Suzuki Flute 8 + under: K41930
  • Suzuki Flute 9 + under: K41940
  • Suzuki Flute 10 + under: K41950
  • Suzuki Flute 12 + under: K41970
  • Suzuki Flute 14 + under: K41990
  • Recorder Solo Pre Grade 1 standard: 47310
  • Recorder Solo Grade 1-2 standard: 47320
  • Recorder Solo Grade 3-4 standard: 47330
  • Recorder Solo Grade 5-6 standard: 47340
  • Recorder Solo Grade 7-8 standard: 47350
  • Woodwind Solo 12 + under: 48000
  • Woodwind Solo 14 + under: 48010
  • Woodwind Solo 16 + under: 48020
  • Woodwind Solo 18 + under: 48030
  • Flute Solo Pre Grade 1 standard: 41310
  • Flute Solo Grade 1-2 standard: 41320
  • Flute Solo Grade 3-4 standard: 41330
  • Flute Solo Grade 5-6 standard: 41340
  • Flute Solo Grade 7-8 standard: 41350
  • There are other classes for concertos, sonatas, and modern music, as well as special scholarship classes. Consult with your teacher to find out more possibilities. Your group may also participate in a chamber music class.

The grade standards are not the grade you are in at school! They represent the grade level of your chosen piece according to the Royal Conservatory of Music syllabus. Check with your teacher to find out what the grade of your piece is.

Some of the classes have a competitive element. The adjudicator will give a percentage mark and declare and first and second place in the class. Others are non-competitive. In non-competitive classes they give ratings such as S (superior) and D (distinction). In this case D is an excellent mark!! (not like on your school report card.)

Student performances from the Edmonton Kiwanis Music Festival – April 2015

TUTTI DAY

img_5001“Tutti” is an Italian term used in musical scores, which means “everybody plays together”.

 

The annual Tutti Daimg_4995y event, celebrating Dr. Shinichi Suzuki’s birthday, is held in Edmonton in  October every year. Students from Suzuki programs all over the city are invited to come and play together, something that we can easily do thanks to the amount of common repertoire that we share! Most recently, these events have been held at Edmonton City Hall.

 

The 2017 Tutti Day has been moved to Oct. 1 in order to coincide with Culture Days.

Schedule:

  • 1:15 pm: Orchestra rehearsal
    • – any students participating in Canada 150 should attend at this time for run-through with orchestra
  • 2:30pm everyone else arrives for set-up and tuning
  • 3:00 pm Concert
  • Dress Code: Black ESFRS T shirts, black pants or skirts
  • Music stands required ONLY if you are playing in Canada 150

Here’s the program (flutes & recorders can play the tunes in bold type):

1. Canada 150  – orchestra, Silverwinds & Sweetwoods
2. Minuet No.1 in G+ (BWV822)  – violin/winds
3. Perpetual Motion D+ all lower strings
4. Twinkle Variation A, in A+ — violins, flutes & recorders if we transpose
5. French Folk Song, D+ — lower strings
6. Flute or Recorder solo TBA
7. Lightly Row in A+ — violins
8. Moon Over Ruined Castle in Gminor — cellos, flutes if we transpose
9. Bohemian Folk Song — violas
10.  Song of Wind in A+ — violins
11. Chatter with the Angels — double basses
12.  Hunters’ Chorus in G+ — all who can play in this key
13.  Minuet No.2 in G+ (BWV116) — violins/winds
14.  Twinkle Variation A, in D+ – lower strings & recorders
15. Flute or Recorder solo TBA
16. Long Long Ago & Variation in C Major – cellos, flutes
17.  Allegro in A+, violins
18.  Go Tell Aunt Rhody in D+, lower strings and recorders
19.  Seitz, No.5, 3rd movt — only if violin attendance supports this,
20.  Twinkle Theme in D+ — TUTTI

If there is a tune you can play on this list, plan to come and join us!

Opening Play-in and FREE drop-in beginner class

The first group event of the year is our opening play-in to start the fall term of group classes. All the students gather at the same time to play their known repertoire together. This is an opportunity for the youngest and the oldest students to play together and learn from each other in a multi-level group.

The beginner class, which we call the “Toolbox” class, includes students who have just begun their lessons. Often they will be working on fundamental skills away from the instrument. Since having the instrument is not a requirement to participate in the beginner class, we open it up to any parents with children who would like to try a class to see what it is like.

Group classes are normally on Thursday evenings, but we moved the play-in to the weekend in order to be part of the Alberta Culture Days events. Time and location of this year’s event:

Saturday Oct. 1, 2016 – Nordic Studio A, Arts Barns
  • Beginner drop-in class (anyone can participate) 11:30 am – 12:15 pm
  • Multi-level demonstration class noon – 1 pm
  • Grand march and performance in the Gazebo in McIntyre Park 1 – 2 pm

Check out our listing on the Alberta Culture Days page: click here