Photos from Spring Recital 2017

My violinist ladies and gentlemen all looked quite lovely and handsome last Sunday as they performed beautiful music from the Suzuki Violin School repertoire in our Spring Recital. 

To enjoy the photos, click: Spring Recital 2017 Photo Gallery

Encourage Your Kids to Compose

Mozart wrote his first symphony at the age of eight in 1764. Granted, he didn't have distractions like an XBox, iPad, or free WiFi... and he was a likely bonafide genius. But he also had the advantage of growing up in a supportive environment rich with music, one of the keys to learning the aural art of music.

In learning any language children first begin by mimicking; using vocabulary for self expression naturally emerges even before the child has an extensive vocabulary. (Ask the parent of any toddler whose favorite new word is "no!") As with speaking, reading, and writing one's native language, the second language of music can also be spoken (or performed), read, and composed. Each activity supports further development of the other, enhancing one's ability to both communicate and understand increasingly complex ideas and themes. 

Maybe your child likes to write original song lyrics, noodle around on his or her instrument, or scribble notes or simple tabulature on scrap paper. Encourage it! 

Just tonight as we were winding down a brief practice session (during which my daughter played her upcoming recital solo of "I'm a Little Monkey" both beautifully accurately and very professionally to my great delight) she began writing notes for me to play- interesting groupings of eighth notes scribbled on the back of a family sketch made during our last Chuck E. Cheese outing. 

I then told her she could also write down letter names that I could play as long as she only used the letters A-G. She scribbled away and would look up occasionally to ask, "No 'I' right?" or "Is 'F' one I can use?" She then presented me with my "music sheet" and asked me to play. When the piece was too short for her and Daddy to dance to, they added more notes together to make it longer. She knows very little about the staff and she's not ready for key signatures, so I improvised my way through her melody. She loved it! As Maria Montessori said, "One test of the correctness of the educational procedure is the happiness of the child." 

Is she a budding Mozart? Oh, probably not; but as parents and teachers, we provide our children with various tools and the opportunities to use them. Combined with their dreams, our children can build, explore, and create in any number of inspiring and often surprising ways. Nourish them and let them grow in their own beautiful way! Let them dream, noodle, and scribble away! Even Mozart had to start somewhere... 

Congratulations, Book 1 Graduates!

Suzuki Violin School Volume 1 Graduates John, Zoe and Joseph performed Gossec Gavotte by memory together for group class tonight in preparation for our May 21 recital. Completing this lengthy piece by ear at the end of a lengthy first volume is a tremendous achievement worthy of celebration. Be sure to congratulate them!

Ready, Set, Recital!

Thanks to Mrs. Nadine Eovine for accompanying my young soloists as they prepared for our May 21st recital in tonight's group class. 

Spring 2017 Recital

Hello Everyone!

April showers bring May flowers, and May brings our Spring Recital! This year our recital will be held on Sunday, May 21, 2017 at Saint Luke United Methodist Church on East Pine Street in Goldsboro. Please feel free to invite your friends and family. The program will begin at 4:00PM. Students are asked to arrive by but not before 3:30PM for tuning. 

Student soloists will perform pieces ranging from Pre-Twinkle level through late Book 2. Everyone has worked hard this year and this recital is a great opportunity for students to share with you what they have learned and achieved since last fall. 

Many students will also celebrate their graduation within the Suzuki repertoire. Students graduating from Suzuki Violin School Volume 1 are: John Whitfield Britt; Joseph Simon Kasbari; and Zoe Rebecca MacDonald. John is also graduating from high school this year and moving on to NC State University where he will undoubtedly study science. He loves anything to do with biology, genetics, and entymology. Please congratulate him on his high school graduation, as well! 

Students graduating from the Pre-Twinkle level to Twinklers are: Carrie Allison; Gavin Birkin; Emma Smith; and the mother-daughter duo, Michelle & Elizabeth Tobell. Little Elizabeth is also quite the drummer and plays from time to time at the Ice House Theatre in Selma; she hopes to play her fiddle there some day, too! 

Here is a draft of the program for you to preview. Please share with friends and family! 

Charlotte's First Full-Size Violin

Charlotte spent the morning trying full-size violins at John Montgomery's stringed instrument shop in downtown Raleigh. She narrowed her favorites down to two but had trouble choosing between them, so she let the bow decide. She tried a few bows and found her favorite- then when it brought out the best in one of the violins, she knew she had a great match. It's even a color she likes and was made the year she was born! :) Charlotte loves naming her instruments, so... meet Jamie!

Greater Washington Suzuki Institite

This music camp advertisement came in today's mail. There's also a flyer for a bluegrass festival and a cute music cartoon-  check 'em out. :) 

Mrs. Jennifer Vinciguerra

Vinciguerra Suzuki Violin Studiowww.VinciguerraViolin.com
(919) 432 - 5175

"Music exists for the purpose of growing an admirable heart."
- Shinichi Suzuki

6-Piece Trad Bluegrass Sat.Nt.

Fountain AfterDark

March 16, 2017  

volume 15, number 5

published by R.A. Fountain, General Store 

Cumberland County Line Picks Bluegrass Saturday at Fountain - Now Serving Homemade Ice Cream by Simply Natural Creamery

[Fountain, NC] Cumberland County Line picks traditional and original bluegrass and bluegrass gospel at Fountain General Store this coming Saturday night.

A six-piece band out of the Fayetteville area, CCL won the 2017 Neuse River Music Festival Best Band competition. They are playing Fountain for the first time.

Mandolin player Bob Phillips, a Georgia native, retired after 20 years with the Army as part of the 82nd Airborne, the JFK Special Warfare Center and School, and the 2nd Infantry Division. He previously performed with the Bluegrass Fever Band and the D.R. Wells Medicine Show.

His wife, Sheila Phillips, has been playing fiddle since she was 13. She won her first fiddling competition while growing up in southern California. She and Bob Phillips met while they were performing with the Bluegrass Fever Band.

Bassist Rick Walton, a Louisiana native, is the son of a Methodist preacher and has been playing string bass for 50 years. He's a Navy veteran whose first duty tour was in San Diego, where he immersed himself in the vibrant folk music scene centered around Mission Beach. He continued playing bass while at duty stations at Pearl Harbor and Portland, Oregon. His post-military career in technical writing brought him to North Carolina, where he became active in several bluegrass jam sessions that eventually led him to Cumberland County Line. 

Buck Thrailkill, who plays banjo, is from Meridian, Mississippi. He started playing banjo at 12, studying first with his brother. His service in the Army brought him to Fort Bragg for "a lifetime of jumping out of airplanes." Since retiring from the Army, he has been a popular studio musician, having recorded over 20 LPs and CDs with Shooter Jennings, Billy Don Burns, Justine Wells, Leroy Virgil, and others. 

Guitarist John Harrell is from Bertie County and currently lives in Kinston. He and his family band, the Harrell Family, began performing at the Eastern NC Bluegrass Association in 1988. He and his son, John, Jr., formed the Little Creek Bluegrass Band, which opened for Porter Wagoner for two seasons and also performed with the legendary bluegrassers Jim and Jesse, the Lewis Family, and the Lost and Found Bluegrass Band.

Also on guitar is Garland Johnston, Jr., an East Carolina native who has performed with Bluegrass Hall of Famer Dewey Murphey. He lives in Fuquay-Varina.

Cumberland County Line's March 18 concert begins at 7:30. General admission is $8.50; reserved seats, $11.

After Saturday, Fountain General Store's next show will feature the Boston-based Page Turners performing old-time and traditional bluegrass and gospel on Saturday, March 25.

Fountain General Store is located in historic downtown Fountain, at the intersection of US 258 and NC 222. Its family atmosphere is alcohol- and smoke-free.

For more information, visit www.rafountain.com or call 252-749-3228.

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HiRex promo photo of Cumberland County Line:

http://rafountain.com/pictures/CumberlandCountyLine/CCL%20Group%201%20-%20Hi%20Res.jpg

• • • 

Upcoming Live Music & Events at RAF

Saturday, March 25

The Page Turners

Acoustic Americana from Boston

Saturday, April 1

Caroline Dare

New country from Greenville's up-and-coming star, performing with her band

Friday, April 7

Lightnin' Wells

Help celebrate the release of Lightnin's new CD, on the German label Blind Lemon Records.

Saturday, April 15

Dew Drops

Classic country from Wilmington & Kinston

Wednesday, April 19, 7:30 pm FREE!

Patrick Bizzaro, poetry reading

Former ECU prof reads original poems in the Smith-Yelverton Typewriter Museum, next door to RAF

Friday, May 5

the Grass Strings

From the Statesville area, one of the best traditional bluegrass bands in North Carolina returns for their 3rd show at Fountain

Saturday, May 13

Dirk Lumbard & the Steve Creech All-Stars

From Broadway to Main Street features Lumbard singing and tap-dancing

• • •

Ten Flavors of Simply Natural Creamery Homemade Ice Cream!

Saturday night marks the debut of Simply Natural Creamery's homemade ice cream at RAF. These Ayden-based artisans <http://www.simplynaturalcreamery.com/> have started us off with ten flavors: coffee, strawberry, mint chocolate chip, blueberry, chocolate, vanilla, fudge ripple, peaches & cream, cookies & cream, and cow pattie. 

As usual: $3, hand-packed, in "green" cups.

What You're Reading

Each week that we're open for music, RAF sends out a news release to 43 area newspapers, music writers, and radio stations. The primary contents of each issue of Fountain AfterDark is that news release. The FAD distributed via e.mail never contains attachments.

If you experience problems with formatting of this newsletter, please let us know.

To add friends to our e.mail subscription list, send their e.mail address to fountainexpress@rafountain.com.

To remove yourself from this list, reply to this e.mail with "unsubscribe" as either text or subject of your e.mail.

Our e.mail list is not sold or traded or otherwise shared with anyone.

Please let us know of any suspected abuses of the Fountain AfterDark/Fountain Express distribution list.

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To unsubscribe from this list, send a reply that says "unsubscribe" in the subject line or text to "fountainexpress@rafountain.com" 

                           

Christmas Strings 2016

My video camera failed and my digital camera battery died; 2016 was a tough year for gathering media to share from our Christmas program! I don't have any video of the pieces where Mrs. Mary accompanied us on upright bass, or any videos of the duets and trios. If you have some, please send them my way.

Thanks to all the parents and family members who brought along smart phones and tablets, I was able to collect enough photos and video clips to share. You can also view and share them on the studio Facebook page if you like. Please enjoy and share with family who were unable to attend! :)

TIP: You can mute the blog music by turning off the audio on the photo slideshow to the right >>

Summer Suzuki Violin Camps 2017

Hello Students & Parents,

It may still be winter, but registration is now open for Summer 2017  Suzuki Institutes! These week-long Suzuki institutes (think violin summer camp!) are a great way to immerse oneself in music and gain new skills, hone techniques, and just have some fun! For the very youngest students, short morning camps are available.

Last year, Natalie attended the Pre-Twinkle Day Camp and Joseph attended the full week-long institute at ECU. Here are some pictures so you can see what's in store!

Virginia Suzuki Institute
June 18 -22 

Emory & Henry College
Emory, Virginia

Electives include fiddling, chamber music, ukelele and more.
Scholarships are available; information online.

North Carolina Suzuki Institute
July 9 - 14 Sun-Fri
Pre-Twinkle Day Camp (for the very young who cannot withstand a full day) Sat & Sun July 8 & 9
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina
Electives include fiddling, viola for violinists, and orchestra.
Scholarships for hardships are available but not advertised. Ask Mrs. Jenny. 

Grab a friend and go to camp!!! :)