Saturdays are about to get a lot louder at the Soo Theatre Project!
Two talented and experienced STP music educators, Ronda McGreevy and Karen Beacom, offer students the amazing opportunities to participate in three brand new ten-week classes: Children’s Vocal Ensemble, Group Piano Classes, and Piano Ensemble all on Saturdays!
The school week can be busy with homework and after school activities, such as music lessons, so these classes are a great way to experience the joy of music in an affordable, relaxed, enjoyable, and less time consuming way.
Children’s Vocal Ensemble is a more than just a chorus. Co-directors Karen Beacom and Ronda McGreevy are Music Educators and their approach to children’s singing includes an emphasis on proper singing techniques.
The students, while learning songs that are fun and challenging such as Supercalifragilistic, Do Re Mi, Under The Sea, and It’s A Hard Knock Life, will learn the foundations of relaxed singing, breathing, diction, pitch, rhythm, harmony, and music reading.
Group Piano Classes are an introduction to the keyboard in which students will learn the basics of piano performance in a group setting. Learning together is especially fun because it offers many opportunities both to play for the group and to play with the group. Students will learn to identify notes on the musical staff and piano, learn the language of music, and develop healthy practice habits.
Piano Ensemble is a chance for pianists with at least one year of instruction to play as members of a band or orchestra would with each player playing a different part. Music is written and arranged specifically for this group by Ms. McGreevy employing the Orff technique of creating musical motifs from familiar songs and layering the sounds.
The emphasis becomes the making of music together. Prepared medleys include patriotic, pirate, cowboy, campfire, black keys, Celtic, Broadway, and Disney songs, as well as songs by the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin. What a selection!
Just who are these dedicated music educators with great enthusiasm for teaching music to others?
Ronda McGreevy has taught voice and piano at The Soo Theatre Project for seven years. She has a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education and specializes in voice, choral music, piano, and guitar. Ronda also has been a member of the Algoma Singers of Ontario and performed in productions of My Fair Lady, Oliver, and La Boheme. Ms. McGreevy arranges jazz for solo piano and for piano ensembles.
Karen Hughes Beacom has been teaching for STARS since its inception in 2005. In addition to maintaining a private voice and harp studio at the theatre, Karen serves as Artistic Director of the Soo Theatre Project. Karen is also an adjunct professor of music at Lake Superior State University. Karen holds a Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Bachelor’s Degree in Harp Performance from DePauw University.
These three brand new voice and piano classes begin Saturday, January 17 for ten weeks. You can register your child by calling The Soo Theatre Project’s office.
There’s always something for everyone at The Soo Theatre Project all year long. Visit: 534 Ashmun Street. Call: (906) 632-1930. Look: www.sootheatre.org.
