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music matters Issue #04 Jan/Feb 2013Issue #04 Jan/Feb 2013Issue #04 Jan/Feb 2013
ST. JOHN’S PREP SCHOOL’S MUSIC MAGAZINEST. JOHN’S PREP SCHOOL’S MUSIC MAGAZINEST. JOHN’S PREP SCHOOL’S MUSIC MAGAZINE
ARTISTE OF THE MONTH
featuring Katherine Jenkins
MUSICAL BAKING
Discover the ingredients that make up a great
music cake
HARRY POTTER WALKING TOUR
Your chance to see what is usually invisible to muggles
KEYTAR Learn how this instrument combines the best bits of
keyboard and guitar
PERFECT PITCH
Do you think you have it?
2
Editor’s
MESSAGE
Dear reader,
Happy New Year! Welcome back to Music Matters. I
hope everyone had a wonderful time over the school
holidays and enjoyed celebrating the festive season.
With 2013 under way, have you made any resolutions
for the new year? If not, then it is still not too late! You
could perhaps start by resolving to help your parents
more regularly around the house, or spend less time on
your Nintendo DS. Or maybe you could aim to work
harder in your French class, or even learn to play a
new instrument!
In this issue, we look at the instrument called the keytar.
You might have seen it previously as the game
controller for the video game Rock Band looks similar
to one. It is essentially a keyboard and guitar
combined. Also, you can read all about perfect pitch
and understand how it works. If you think you have the
ability of perfect pitch, be sure to come and speak to
me!
Last term, the choir was kept busy with a huge plethora
of events, such as the annual carol concert, our
Christmas performance at Spring View Residential
Home and recording sessions for choir competitions.
Speaking of choir competitions, I am pleased to
announce that St. John’s Prep School has made it
through to the finals of the Barnardo’s National Choir
Competition. You can read more about this on page
11.
MR. JONATHAN ANG
Editor
Music Matters
CONTENTS
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4
5
6
7
8
10
11
12
Instrument of the Month
Featured Article:
Perfect Pitch
Activity: Musical Baking
What’s On
SJPS Choir News
Jumbo Word Search
Young Musician of the Month
Artiste of the Month
Teacher Feature
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YOUR MONTHLY DIGEST OF MIND-BOGGLING FACTS
Perfect pitch No, we are not talking about the musical comedy film. What exactly is perfect pitch, and how does it work? Can anybody learn how to get it? Read more to find out.
If you were close, then you may have perfect pitch. What is perfect pitch? It is the ability to identify and re-create any given musical note in one’s head, without the help of another in-strument. Why not try this as an example: get your friend to play a note on the piano. If you can tell what note it is without looking at the piano, then it is very likely that you may have the ability of perfect pitch! However, this ability is rather rare. Recent studies have shown that only around 10% of professional musi-cians in orchestras around Europe only possess this ability. And amongst non-musicians, only one person in 10,000 has perfect pitch - now that is certainly very rare
It is commonly believed that very early contact with music as a child increases the ability to accurately
identify pitches. Peo-ple who have perfect pitch often analyze background music and sounds without realising it, while the average person might not pay much notice or attention. Unfortunately, there has never been a confirmed case of an adult obtaining per-fect pitch through musical training. This has led to the belief that you are either “born with it” or not. Studies have shown that perfect pitch is considerably more
common among those whose childhood was spent in East Asia, for example Vietnam and China - this is because their languages sound more “musical”!
Irelend has won
the Eurovision
song contest 7
times - the most
in history!
The flute is considered to be
one of the oldest man-made
instruments. In Slovenia,
archaeologists have found a
flute made out of bone and
estimated to be around
43,000 to 82,000 years old!
While music cannot directly cure diseases
like cancer, it can relieve a patient’s aches
and pains. This is known as music therapy.
Research has shown that cows that
listen to music produce more milk.
The national anthem of Greece originally contained 158 verses! The
shortest national anthem in the world is Japan’s, with only 4 phrases.
Music has a strong
psychological factor. Most
retail stores avoid playing
really popular songs in their
stores as this distracts the
shopper from their task at
hand: shopping!
If you play a music instrument or sing, try this out:
1) Think of a specific note, for example the note A. 2) Imagine, in your head, how this note sounds when played aloud. 3) Using your voice, hum the note out. 4) Ask a friend to play your chosen note on a piano or keyboard. 5) How close was the note you hummed to the note on the piano?
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Musical Baking
by Mrs. P Bowman
There are seven musical elements which composers use in different ways when they write music.
They are just like the ingredients a baker uses in different combinations and quantities to make dif-
ferent sorts of cakes or biscuits!
Duration is how long
each note lasts
Dynamics is how loud
or quiet the music is
Pitch is how low or high the
notes sound
Tempo is the speed of
the music
Timbre is the type of
sound eg.
Structure is how many
sections the music has
blowing, scraping, tapping
Texture is how many sounds you can hear at any
one time
In future, when you hear music, think carefully of what you are
listening to and try to imagine in your head what ingredients have
been used. And when it comes to your turn to write any music, be
sure to use as many varied ingredients as possible! In the
meantime, remember you could listen to almost any piece of music
in the world anytime on
L O W E R S C H O O L C O R N E R
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What I am currently
TEACHER FEATURE Over the next few issues, Music Matters will be running a series of articles, which
will feature the different range of peripatetic and specialist subject teachers
who teach at St. John’s Prep School. In this first article, we learn more about
Miss Janine Magnin who teaches singing and keyboard to our students.
I was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa and studied singing and English at the University of Cape Town where I attended the South African College of Music and was awarded a Bachelor Degree in Music. I then went on to receive a Trinity/Guildhall Licentiate in Musical Theatre and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education. After working a few years in the Cape Town schools as a singing teacher, I craved a bit of an adventure and moved to London where I soon found myself working at St. John's. As well as working at St. John's, I teach one day a week at an inner-city school and at the Newbury Stagecoach on Saturdays.
What I do at St. John’s.
I am St John's Preparatory and Senior Schools' singing specialist teacher. My youngest pupils are in P2 and my oldest pupil is currently working on her Grade 5 Singing exam as well as her GCSEs. My older students sit a range of different exams: such as LAMDA Musical Theatre, Rockschool Pop and Rock, Trinity and ABRSM classical singing graded exams. Lessons are always geared towards the pupils and their interests. Whether they enjoy Musical Theatre, Rock or Classical, there is a syllabus for them to work on if they so desire. As well as doing singing lessons, I also have a few piano students. This is my third year at St John's and am very happy to see how the department has grown and strengthened in that time. I look forward to seeing it continuing and developing even further.
One of my favourite songs at the moment is Barton Hollow by the Civil Wars. The reason for this is because I enjoy the rhythms of the guitar, the simple strains of the violin and the perfect harmonies produced by two very interesting, lilting and natural voices. The tone of the singers' voices work very well together and the accompaniment of the song is simple yet evocative and emotional.
What her students have to say...
Andrianna Josif (F2)
Miss Magnin helps me to be more confident by teaching me the proper way to sing out loud and not be nervous. I also get to experience and learn new songs which I have never heard before. During our lessons we get to learn Disney songs, which are my favourite!
Holly White (F2)
I enjoy the acting bit of my lessons with Miss Magnin when we prepare for my LAMDA exam because it helps me work towards my goal of being an actress! I get to learn about the different styles and genres of music during our lessons as well.
listening to.
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FEATURED ARTISTE
OF THE MONTH Every month this newsletter will feature a musician, artiste, composer or singer for you
to discover. Remember, if you want to know more about the featured artiste of the
month, you can always find more on the internet, especially on YouTube!
KATHERINE JENKINS Katherine Jenkins is a
Welsh singer who is
perhaps best well-
known in the genre of
classical crossover.
Classical crossover is a
category of music
w h i c h c o m b i n e s
classical music with
pop, with the intention
of reaching out to
listeners of popular music. This has given rise to
the term “popera”, which is a combination of
the two words “opera” and “pop”.
Katherine has previously studied at the world-
famous Royal Academy of Music, which is a
specialist music university in London. Aside from
being a very accomplished singer, Katherine
has also worked as a
tour guide on the
London Eye, a model
and a singing teacher.
She is widely seen
singing in concert and
on television, having
performed for British
troops in Afghanistan
and Iraq. In 2012 she
also competed on the
US reality television
programme Dancing With The Stars.
To date, Katherine has released seven albums,
six of which reached number one in the UK
classical charts. She is currently serving a six-
album deal with Universal Classics and Jazz
worth £1 million, the most lucrative in UK’s
classical recording history.
CLASSICAL VOICE CATEGORIES In classical singing, the voice is divided into different types depending on how
high or low a singer can reach. Here is a brief list of all the categories, divided
into male and female voices. Note: Katherine Jenkins is a mezzo-soprano.
FEMALE VOICES
- Soprano*
- Mezzo-soprano
- Alto
- Contralto
Highest
Lowest
*A young boy chorister who has not bro-
ken his voice is called a boy soprano.
MALE VOICES
- Countertenor
- Tenor
- Baritone*
- Bass
Highest
Lowest
*The baritone is the most common type of
male voice.
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Emily Woodham, F3
YOUNG MUSICIAN OF THE MONTH
Q: Hi Emily, it is great to have you here speaking to Music Matters.
Can you start by telling us what instruments you play?
A: I play the guitar, and I sing.
Q: Do you consider singing to be an instrument?
A: Yes indeed! That is because you can make different sounds
and pitches with your voice. I have been learning singing since I was 7.
Q: .Who were your teachers?
A: Ms. Magnin is my teacher. When I was younger, my mum also taught me singing.
Q: That is interesting. So your family members also sing?
A: Yes - my mum and my grandma used to sing in bands! My grandma was part of the Beverley Sisters (see
below) and my mum was in a band called ‘The Foxes’. The Beverley Sisters sing a calm sort of music, while ‘The
Foxes’ are a rock band.
Q: How wonderful to have so many singers in the family! Should you set up your own band in future, what
would you call it?
A: This is tricky! If I had to pick, I might call it “Emily & Co.” or “The Foxy Ladies”!
Q: Has your mum or your grandma influenced you as a singer?
A: Yes, both of them have always given me help and guidance, and shown me why it is so wonderful to sing.
It has also given me the confidence to sing in front of audiences, such as the carol concert last term.
Q: Speaking of performing - do you usually sing for your family during Christmas time?
A: Actually, I do! My cousin and I usually sing three songs for the family after Christmas lunch. This year we
sang “I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus”, “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” and “Silent Night”. It is great fun!
The Beverley Sisters are a British female vocal trio, who were especially
popular during the 1950s and 1960s. They were the first UK female group to
have a song listed in the US Top 10 charts.
They also entered the Guinness Book of Records in 2002 as the world’s
longest surviving vocal group without a change in the line up.
If you would like to train to be a young singer like Emily, speak to Dr.
Rosswick and she will point you to a suitable singing teacher for you to
have lessons within St. John’s. The school offers singing teachers who will
train you for different types of exams that suit your strength, including
ABRSM, Trinity and LAMDA exams. Who knows, you just might be the
featured soloist at the next school concert!
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Festivals, exhibitions AND
CONCERTS A highlight of some of the events taking part across the vibrant capital in January and
February. Fun for the whole family!
LSO Discovery Family Concert: The Mighty Sea 24th Feb., 2:30 p.m. Barbican Hall, Silk St., London, EC2Y 8DT
It is all aboard for an adventure on the high seas with the London Sym-
phonic Orchestra as you explore music inspired by the salt, seaweed,
storms and foghorns of the sea! You will be launching your own musical
boat, joining in with a sailor’s song and, in some of the murkiest waters,
avoid a shark or two. Get involved further with a pre-concert workshop
starting at 10:00 a.m. or free foyer activities from 1:00 p.m. onward. This is
part of LSO’s termly Family Concert series.
Imagine Children’s Festival Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd., London, SE1 8XX 11th - 24th Feb.
The Imagine Children’s Festival would like to invite you and your parents alike to
enjoy literature, music, poetry, plays, comedy and much, much more. The festi-
val this year promises to feature over 60 ticketed and free events, and will bring
together a collection of acclaimed authors and artists. You can enjoy every-
thing from a special performance of Barbar the Elephant to a puppet show of
Peter Rabbit, plus storytelling and opera for children! Ticket prices for each
event vary, and some events are free. For further information and to purchase
tickets call 0844 875 0073.
Too Many Penguins? Until 15th Feb. Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, London, SW19 1SB
A stage full of penguins and one grumpy polar bear set up this Arctic
children’s adventure for the under-4s. This simple, gentle tale of a po-
lar bear with a slightly awkward penguin problem will leave adults
and children with smiles on their faces and a worm feeling in their
heart. Little ones will be hypnotised from the beginning till the end by
this magical story of the unlikely friendship between orderly polar
bear Mr. Polaro and the hyperactive arctic fowl Penguina. Shows run
every day except Monday and tickets cost between £8 - £10.
Harry Potter London Tour with Muggle Tours From London Bridge to Leicester Square Until 30th Apr.
Join Muggle Tours on this award-winning walking tour of film locations
and stories from the world of Harry Potter and see what is usually invisi-
ble to muggles. Discover what parts of London inspired the locations
found in the Harry Potter books and get access to props. Tours last for
approximately two hours and cost £12 for adults and £10 for children
aged 11 and under. Unfortunately, they cannot perform shrinking spells
so muggles will not be taken to Hogwarts or Platform 9 3/4.
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All information regarding ticket prices, dates and venues in this listing are correct at the time of printing. They
might be, however, subject to change. Please check all relevant websites for any possible updates.
Dogs Don’t Do Ballet Until 27th Jan. Little Angel Theatre, 14 Dagmar Passage, Cross St., London, N1 2DN
Biff is not like ordinary dogs. He likes moonlight. And music. And walking
on his tiptoes. You see, Biff does not think he is a dog, Biff thinks he is a
ballerina! This show for younger children is based on the book by Anna
Kemp and Sara Ogilvie about the small dog with a big personality who
just wants to be a ballerina. This show is suitable for children aged 2-6.
Tickets are £10/£8 conc. & children and the show runs for 40 minutes.
Rubbish Artsdepot, 5 Nether St., Tally Ho Corner, London, N12 0GA 15th - 17th Feb.
Imagine a world that celebrates its rubbish; where at the touch of a pup-
peteer’s hand, the contents of a bin bag can transform before your eyes.
Rubbish is the latest show from "the outstanding children's company Theatre
-Rites" (The Guardian). It is a visually stunning and playful production that
explores the unexpected value of discarded objects. There is also an ac-
companying craft workshop, which looks at using recycled materials to cre-
ate new art. Tickets are available online at the Artsdepot website.
BAILEY The piping bear
COLOURING COMPETITION
Congratulations to Ella Robinson
from Lower Transitus for winning
October’s competition. Music
Matters will be in touch shortly
with your prize! Well done.
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Featured Instrument
of the Month Every month we will feature an instrument, which might be a well known instrument, or sometimes
a strange and mystic-looking one instead! If you would like to see it in action, simply visit YouTube
and type in the instrument name, and there you have it! If you would like to learn a new
instrument, simply speak to your music teacher and they will point you in the right direction.
KEYTAR
I am sure most of you will be familiar with this
instrument: the keytar. It is a relatively light
keyboard that is supported by a strap around
the neck and shoulders, and played in a
position similar to the guitar. As you might
have already guessed, the term “keytar” is a
combination of the words “keyboard” and
“guitar”.
The first keytars were
first developed in the
late 1970s, based
on an idea by the
jazz guitarist and
university professor Steve Masakowski
from the United
States. Similar to
today’s keyboards,
these keytars were
able to produce a
variety of different
instrument sounds, such as the pipe organ,
violin, clarinet, flute and so on.
A keytar is strung over the neck and
shoulders, with the right (or dominant) hand
playing the keys, and the other hand
controlling volume, sustain and other
functions on the instrument’s “neck”. This
instrument also obviously allows the musician
to have greater mobility when
performing onstage, as compared to
sitting at a piano or a conventional
keyboard.
Ever since this
instrument was
first introduced,
it has remained
rather popular with
pop & rock musicians.
Whilst they might not
always use a keytar on-
stage for every single song,
most of them choose to use
it at certain points during a con-
cert to add a more dramatic flair
to their performance, as well as energise
the crowd up during the quicker songs.
Good examples include Alicia Keys,
Coldplay, Myleene Klass, Owl City and
Maroon 5. Famous artists and musicians
also usually get keytars custom made for
themselves, with special and unique
sounds programmed into them so they
can perform their songs. Others choose
to have the keytars made in various
outrageous shapes and designs, as you
can see from Lady Gaga’s very unusual-
looking keytar in the picture right below!
11
St. John’s Prep School’s choir
has successfully made it
through to the finals of the an-
nual Barnardo’s National Choir
Competition. St John’s submit-
ted our recording entries for
the competition last term and
will now be competing at the
Barbican Hall in London on
March 4th. This will culminate
In an evening concert which is
open to the public. One of the
two songs that the choir has
decided on for the competi-
tion is Mr. Blue Sky by rock
band ELO. Further details re-
garding the concert on March
4th and more information on
ticket sales will be made avail-
able in the near future.
On 12 Dec 2012, the St John’s Prep School choir, led my Mr. Ang, did an annual Christmas performance for
the elderly residents at Spring View Residential Home in Enfield.
SPRING VIEW RESIDENTIAL HOME
The fact that the choir was just involved in the
school-wide carol concert only the evening before
did not serve as an obstacle to the quality of their
performance and the enthusiasm displayed towards
their singing! With all the carols fresh in their head,
the choir performed a mix of traditional carols and
numbers from the nativity cantata, which they per-
formed the day before at the concert. The after-
noon’s repertoire was a variety of jazzy numbers and
soulful ballads, and featured solos from a few of the
children including Emily Woodham (F3), Shanaaze
Mang-Smith (F3), Andreas Koureas (F2) and more.
When they started off, the choir sang to about
twenty of the residents. However, as it went on,
more and more residents were drawn to their sing-
ing echoing through the hallways and by the end of
the presentation, the hall was fully packed! After their
performance, the choir then spent a short while min-
gling with the residents and enjoying the assortment
of Christmas confectionery treats kindly provided by
the staff. The choir found the trip really meaningful
and enjoyed the opportunity to spread some Christ-
mas warmth and cheer to the wider community
who look forward to their next visit in 2013.
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M U S I C M A T T E R S
Published by St. John’s Prep. School © 2013 Jonathan Ang
g x f g q g p e g D c p q g w
A i s h n w q l l R a h d g f
n m C o p V o e l U d s o q j
g e g E b I c l a m f g w i h
n l k s L O w e f K e y t a r
A t a l w L e k y I i x s D y
m t v b j I o u k t t y f I D
S i e c t n e d s h e e r a n
t l b t r e b l e c l e f m A
y x b r u n o m a r s o p O C
L m z n m h t n i r b a l n b
e k n i p k a n n a h i r D f
a d e l e g g s h a k e r s x
a d s f t h r e c o r d e r k
g j n o i t c e r i d e n o m
JUMBO WORD SEARCH
Ready for a bit of serious word search? Why not try your hand at this
advanced puzzle! Find all the words listed below, separated into different
categories, as quickly as you possibly can.
Instruments Singers Song titles Music terms
Cello Little Mix Skyfall Treble clef
Drum kit Ed Sheeran Diamonds Choir
Violin Bruno Mars Candy
Keytar One Direction Gangnam Style
Trumpet Adele
Egg shakers Pink
Cowbell Labrinth
Recorder
Oboe
Gong
Ukelele
DUEL MODE
Here is how it works: pick a friend, issue a challenge to complete the entire word search
as quickly as you can, find a stopwatch, and hit GO!
Your name:
Official time
Challenger’s name:
Official time