Wednesday, 18 January 2017

Presto After School 2017 Launch



Stringschool Violin Programme

A message for you :________________________
Welcome to the Stringschool  course.  You will make good progress if you take your violin out every day and practice what you have learned in class.

15 -20 minutes every day will make a difference . On the Stringschool cd you will find all the tracks we used in the school programme and some new ones

 
Tasks this week
Listen to your cd. This will help you learn the tunes and rhythms. How many tracks can you play along with.  Try the tasks with and without the cd

 
Task 1  Practice putting your violin in rest and play position. Can you do it with your eyes closed.
Task 2 Vivaldi in G   (Track 1) Try this with your bow

Task 3 Foxtrot (Track 2) Try it with your bow (arco)

Task 4 Wintertime in Russia (Track 4)  short and long bows ti ti ti ti TA  TA 

Task 5 Old Mc Donald   Put you 3 fingers on D to make G’  Now bow the rhythm of the tune.

Task 6 Scale on D  Track 10   with bow

Task 7 Task Hot Cross Buns  2 1 0_ 210_ 1111 2222 210_  pizzicato
Put a tick next to each task when you attempt it. Colour in a star on the practice record when you have finished your practice

 

Tutor Cathy Desmond BA Hdip LTCL   email : cdstringschool@gmail.com

Thursday, 15 December 2016

Presto Finale 2016




In a week when the Taoiseach announced intentions to launch initiatives to make instrument tuition available to every student, every child in 4th class had the opportunity to  learn the basics of playing the violin.

The After SchoolClass had an outing to perform at the Waterford Health Park






Presentation School proudly presents


The Presto Ensembles 2016  

  The Burke and Fitzgerald   Ensembles with the Presto Trio

A matinĂ©e recital at the Hall on Tuesday 6th December 1.15pm  The Fitzgerald and Burke ensembles present some of the repertoire we have worked during the term

 

Fitzgerald Ensemble 
Vivaldi in G

Wintertime in Russia

Scaley Monkey D

Three Little Pigs with special string siound effects   Toreadors’ March/ Wolf’s Out

Ireland’s Call

 

Presto Trio Twinkle Twinkle  Ode to Joy French Folk Song  Silent Night


Burke Ensemble

Foxtrot

Carnival in Rio on A

Sea Shanty

 

A Story: The Three Billy Goats Gruff with special string sound effects

 

One Down Blues   

Beguine Samba

 

The concert concludes a ten week module where every 4th class student participated in a rudimentary violin programme.  It is proposed to run a low cost after school class as an option for interested students beginning in the new term. Violins will be available on loan and a limited number of places will be available. Contact Ms Angela Tobin for further details.

 

Ms Angela Tobin  Music coordinator Presentation School


 

Cathy Desmond     Specialist string teacher BA Hdip LTCL 


 










 

Thursday, 13 October 2016

The Carnival of the Animals

The Swan 



The swan can swim while sitting down,
For pure conceit he takes the crown,
He looks in the mirror over and ovea,
And claims to have never heard of Pavlova. 

A short ballet, The Dying Swan, was choreographed in 1905 by Mikhail Fokine to this movement and performed by Anna Pavlova. Pavlova gave some 4,000 performances of the dance and "swept the world"


Click on the link to read and hear more about The Carnival of the Animals



http://www.welbourneprimary.com/Links/Music/Saintsaens/Carnivalofanimals.htm#Lions

First finger riff
Down Bow Retakes





Learning to be a conductor   3 beats in a bar

3 Fingers down on D String

Rhythm Ballybricken Ballygunner


Tuesday, 20 September 2016

Away We Go: Rest and Play 2016

  Elements Lesson 1  Here is what we did on our first day.


Rest and Play Position

RHYTHM Rhythm Has Your Two Hips Moving Wintertime in Russia  Using our Bows

Playing Pizzicato

How Many Letters in Musical Alphabet We used our Boom Whackers to work it out

Names of Strings   Greedy Dinosaurs Ate Everything

Pizz on G   Track 1 Vivaldi in G  Pitch Low / High

Pizz on D and A   Foxtrot  Ms Burke   D D D_   A A A_  Repeat  DDD_ DDD_ AAA_ AAD sh

Meet the Family The Double Bass



No time to listen to our featured composer. Can you find out some facts about Vivaldi  Try this link http://www.classicsforkids.com/composers/bio.asp?id=79

Vivaldi Winter from Rachelle Steinberg on Vimeo.

Monday, 20 June 2016

End of Term Performance at Presentation Primary School






Ice Cream Concert

Well done to my after school group. We finished our lessons with an performance at our music room for parents and friends. Each student performed solo and in a group for the invited audience.

Programme
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Blues
Beguine
French Folk Song
Ode to Joy
Can Can
Lightly Row

Wishing you all a happy Summer amd look forward to seeing you again in the Autumn.

Cathy Desmond 

Friday, 4 March 2016

Presto Ensemble at Killure Nursing Home

                           The Presto String Ensemble at Killure Nursing Home  Tues 1st March

No class today as we had an outing to Killure Nursing Home to play for the patients. We joined pianist Des Manahan.

Post performance hot chocolate at the Coffee Doc at Waterford Health Park/

 Suite : Foxtrot,  Blues and Beguine
Ode to Joy  Tune

Twinkle Twinkle  
Merrily We Roll Along, Hot Cross Buns  
French Folk Song in D
Frere Jacque   
Drunken Sailor
Lightly Row  Easy
Old MacDonald .