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Singing Explorers
Please see below information with regard to this year's Singing Explorers. Apologies if it's a bit late, but I'm sure if you click on the links, Anne will be able to give you more information:
Hello Parents of Former Fabulous Singing Explorers!
I hope you’re all well, and maintaining some level of sanity during these crazy times! This is just a quick note to make sure that you know that we are holding Singing Explorers Online this year. NI Opera have taken the lead in promoting it this year, so I do hope that most of you have heard from them already. I have seen quite a few familiar names and email addresses, so that's encouraging! If you have applied already, that's great, I'll be in contact with log-in details etc. at the start of the week.
Wonderful Laura McFall (Junior Department of the Royal Scottish Conservatory), and I have been working hard to create fun, engaging, creative, musical activities which work well in an online context, so there will be musicianship and healthy vocal technique through songs and games, and also composition with composer Laura Shiels who will be working on the creation of a new piece, and we’ll be creating a virtual choir video.
After consulting with parents, many said that they would appreciate the option to cover the materials over a shorter time – so we’ve created a second option..
Option 1: Eight sessions over four weeks on Monday and Wednesday mornings beginning on July 20th and running until August 16th.
Option 2 - Condensed: Eight sessions over two weeks, every morning from Monday to Thursday beginning on July 20th and running until July 30th.
Junior Explorers (ages 6-8) will have three consecutive 10 minute micro-sessions, so 30 minutes in total. Our virtual doors will open on Zoom from 9.15, and will start promptly at 9.30am and finishing at 10.00.
The Senior Explorers (ages 9-12) will have three consecutive 15 minute sessions, so 45 minutes in total, our virtual doors will open at 10.00 and their first session will start promptly at 10.15 and will finish at 11.00.
So short, snappy, fun and frequent!
We understand that it is tricky, particularly for younger children to focus with online classes, and that it might not be possible to make every session, so our songs will be backed up with practice tracks which you can listen to in your own time.
Of course there is no substitute for singing together, in real life, we can’t wait to get back to that! But there are many things that we can achieve in this new context, so we’re really excited to explore this new way of working together..!
We also understand that folks have Zoom fatigue at this stage, so if it's just not for your child, that's no problem.. We hope that by next year we'll be able to physically welcome everyone back next year for the Tenth Anniversary of the Festival of Voice (and our Fifth Anniversary!)
But if you would like to give it a go, here is the link for online booking:
Also, if you're just not sure about it, message me, and I'll send you a link for the first class as a trial.. I'd really like as many of our original explorers to be involved as possible!
We look forward to seeing lots of your extraordinary children, virtually, next Monday morning!
Best wishes
Anne
