I WOULD: A Family Album

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A Family Photo Album by Diva JC to the lyrics of "If I Could" Sung by Regina Belle

If I could I'd protect you from the sadness in your eyes, Give you courage in a world of compromise. Yes, I would, if I could.

Copyright 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

Thanksgiving

• On Sunday and Monday, Nov 18 and 19, we attended the Bobby Jones Gospel Retreat. Our school will be partnering with the new complex Jones is building in Fort Lauderdale.
• I've been blessed. My students are singing two of my songs - The Glory Road and Winter's Comin', the latter to be featured in our Christmas play, The Grinch Who Stole The Holidays written by Sparkle Veasy, our drama teacher.
• A further blessing is the lease on my new apartment, which has been long in the making. I should be settled in by the time I return to school after Thanksgiving.
• Finally, all of my five classes have created a treatment for a music video with a song. We plan to videotape each of the five videos in the coming months. This is very exciting!

Fifth Week of Music Class with Diva JC

This week, we're reviewing all that we've covered in October, including last week's lessons on intervals, chords: triad, Dominant 7, suspension, altered or raised 5th.

We reviewed SOLFEGGIO or SOLFEGE: Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La and Ti.

We are looking at how music moves through the I - V7 - I Chord Progression, from key to key.

Also, we are searching www.ASCAP.com and www.BMI.com to find performers, composers and PUBLISHERS' and songs in their CATALOGUES.

November Lesson Plan

Week of November 4, 2007

1. Publishers (ASCAP + BMI)
2. Musical Careers (making videos)
3. Ear-Training (Solfeggio)
4. Writing Chords
5. Sight-Singing ("Dreamin'")

Week of November 11, 2007

1. Writing Lyrics
2. Writing a Melody
3. Sight-Singing ("Winter's Comin'")

Week of November 18, 2007

1. Writing Lyrics and Melody on Sheet Music
2. Singing 4-Part Harmony
3. Sight-Singing ("Little Drummer Boy")

Week of November 25, 2007

1. Review of songs for Christmas Show
2. Review of writing a song
3. Testing on ear-training and sight-singing

Also, in November, we will get to WOMEN IN JAZZ and Jazzmen that we didn't cover in October.

Day 4 - Musical Careers

Today, we discussed capital, business, free enterprise, products, services and Careers in Music:

Vocalist, musician, composer, lyricist, publisher
Producer, Engineer, Booking Agent, Manager, Marketing,
Graphic designer, manufacturer, distributor (bar code)
DJ, Critic, reviews

One class of 8th graders was very responsive. They sang my song "Dreamin'" in the Reggae style, while one young lady and young man beat the drums.

In the last class, someone raised the thermometer to 80 degrees and the room was very uncomfortable. Students were out of their seats, talking uncontrolably and very rude. They were throwing things at each other. I wrote up four young ladies and asked them to leave the room. I called the mother of one of the young ladies whom I asked to leave the day before for cursing at the security guard and announcing to the class that I was the next to be cursed out. Her mother was not happy to hear from me.

Day 1 - Music Class

Today, in my first classes as Music Teacher, I posed the question:
What is Music? to 8th graders. Answers included:

Sound
Beats
Rithum
Something to relax you
Something to motivate you
Soul
Singing
Emotion
Expression
Classic

These kids have too much energy, but we found ways to channel it. I asked them to name some emotions. Answers included:

Love
Anger
Hate
Romantic
Sexy
Flirtatious
Betrayed
Beautiful
Ugly
Sad
Happiness
Joy
Hurt
Fear
Stessed
Confusion

Then, we sang songs to exemplify each emotion, as I crossed them off the board.

At the end of the first period, some of them said, "You make music fun!"

I'd written on the board:

SHARE
EXPRESS
LEARN
FEEL GOOD

I assured them that I was there for THEM and that the class was for them.

The second period with this same group of 8th graders, they read the lyrics to songs in my book, IN PURSUIT OF A MELODY. They really seemed to enjoy doing this.

By the end of the day, I was pooped, and they were jumping across the room like rabbits, but I truly believe they learned something. They told me that they had. So, my first day is done. On to Day 2!

Diva JC