- 2018-11-09
Fifth Graders to Perform Voices Within Concerts November 14 & 16
Some of our favorite concerts of the year take place Nov. 14 & 16 when fifth graders taking part in our Voices Within program perform songs they composed and wrote themselves. Join us!
Wednesday, November 14, 9:20 AM & 10:40 AM
9301 Columbus Avenue, North Hills, CA 91343
Hooper Avenue Elementary School
Friday, November 16, 10:00 AM & 11:25 AM
1225 E 52nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90011
“Be Brave!” and “Just Say Yes!” are two of the rules of collaboration fifth grade students follow when they take part in the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s Voices Within program. The Fall series of Voices Within concerts featuring students performing songs they have written will take place on Wednesday, November 14 at Carlos Santana Arts Academy and Friday, November 16 at Hooper Avenue Elementary School. All performances are open to the public and free to attend.
The concerts are the culmination of the 12-week Voices Within program that brings three teaching artists—a composer, a lyricist, and a performer—into the schools to introduce the students to music ideas such as pitch, rhythm, and melody, and teaches them how to apply these concepts to songwriting. The students perform their songs for fellow students, teachers, and friends and family. Each school will give two performances.
A theme for the songs is provided and the students work collaboratively in groups to write the lyrics and melodies for six songs. For the students, the process encourages them to work with fellow students they may not know very well with “behave as if your team is made up of your best friends” among the Rules of Collaboration they are asked to follow. All students are encouraged to share their ideas and feelings during the songwriting process to ensure that the whole group takes ownership of the resulting song that is then proudly performed on concert day.
For the November concerts students at Carlos Santana Arts Academy wrote songs on the theme of “Opening Doors,” inspired by the school’s focus on preparing its students for college. The songs created are:
Be Someone about social-awarenes
Being Aware about self-awareness
Challenge Yourself about self-management
Follow Your Dreams about passion and inspiration
Practice Makes Progress about growth mindset
We Work Together about relationship skills
The teaching artists working with the Carlos Santana Arts Academy students are performer Alice Kirwan Murray, lyricist Doug Cooney, and composer Michael Alfera.
Math and Science provided the inspiration for the Hooper Avenue Elementary School students whose songs are:
Once Upon a Time in Fraction Village inspired by fractions
Nothing Land inspired by zero
Ready to Go Into Space inspired by black holes
Waves in the Ocean inspired by tides
Gravity Falls Up inspired by gravity
Big Lonely Universe inspired by the universe
Teaching artists working with the Hooper Avenue students are performer Amy Fogerson, lyricist Brett Paesel, and composer Michael Alfera.
On the concert day, the students are joined by eight members of the Los Angeles Master Chorale who sing with them at the culmination performances, providing the students with the exciting opportunity to hear their songs sung by professional singers.
The Los Angeles Master Chorale partners with elementary schools for Voices Within residencies twice a year with concerts in the Fall and Spring. Additionally, Voices Within includes an Oratorio Project that engages high school students to compose a full-length oratorio and then perform it. The Master Chorale also presents an annual High School Choir Festival that brings about 1,000 students from around the Southland to sing at Walt Disney Concert Hall. In 2019, the High School Choir Festival will mark its 30th anniversary and will be held on Friday, May 3.
Voices Within was developed for the Los Angeles Master Chorale by Marnie Mosiman in collaboration with Bernardo Solano, Penka Kouneva, David O, and Doug Cooney. The first residency was held in 2001 and the program has subsequently been awarded Chorus America’s Education and Community Engagement Award. Voices Within is made possible by generous grants from: American Business Bank, The ASCAP Foundation Irving Caesar Fund, California Arts Council, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Employees Community Fund of Boeing California, The Green Foundation, William H. Hannon Foundation, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors / Kathryn Barger, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors / Mark Ridley-Thomas, Metropolitan Associates, The Kenneth T, and Eileen L. Norris Foundation, Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts, Ann Peppers Foundation, Lon V. Smith Foundation, Sidney Stern Memorial Trust, John and Beverly Stauffer Foundation, Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, Walter and Holly Thomson Foundation, and Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee.
