Minnesota School Of Music - December 2021

Minnesota School Of Music - December 2021

A s S een O n :

12.2021 763-432-9713 www.mnschoolofmusic.com

ALL SHOOK UP, HEADING TO MEMPHIS OUR FIRST DESTINATION CONCERT THE MONTHLY MUSICIAN

For years, parents and students alike have been enjoying our Bravo Concert Series. These large format events are open to all students regardless of age or experience and allow performers to play in front of an audience on a big stage. We also have our Music in the Park concert series, which allows everyone to get outside and enjoy nature and music at the same time. In the past, we’ve additionally offered Outreach Concerts, where performers play for residents in assisted living facilities. Since I retired from teaching and have more time to reflect on the big picture, I started to ask myself what other opportunities to perform we could be offering our students. Many kids’ sports and other extracurricular activities have destination events, so we wondered if we could do something similar. Next year, we’re doing just that by teaming up with nine other schools across the

country to do a destination concert at the one and only Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. We consider this the next step in our students’ evolution and are proud to offer this opportunity. Along with other music schools from New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Dallas, etc., we’ll be showing off what young musicians can do right on Elvis Presley’s own turf. Since opening, the two stages at Graceland have featured legends like Elvis Costello, the Beach Boys, and Chubby Checker, so participating kids will get to stand where legends have stood. Our time slot has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 6, 2022, from 2:30–4 p.m. Central Time. Each participating student will have the opportunity to perform for 3–5 minutes with a full backing band. Our usual performances are solo or duets and tend to only last

around two minutes, so this is a big opportunity. (Students can choose to perform solo, if they prefer.) Unfortunately, we can’t take everyone, so we will be holding auditions on Jan. 8–9. Eligible students must have been with the school for at least six months, and there are 18 spots available. (For tips on preparing for the audition, see Page 3!) For successful students, the cost of the event will be $499. This fee pays for the space, the work of the backing band and other staff, and a photographer and videographer. Parents will be responsible for transporting themselves and their child to and from Memphis and securing lodging. We will be reserving a block of rooms with a discounted rate, so stay tuned for more details. If you’d like more details or would like to register your child for an audition, please call our front desk for help. This performance will be a great resume builder and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the students who participate. Memphis is teeming with musical history, and Graceland is where the King of Rock ’n’ Roll himself lived, so our students will be following in the footsteps of the greats. I certainly look forward to visiting this historic location for the first time with my MnSOM family.

–Eric Nehring

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Rudolph, You’ll Go Down in History Behind the Evergreen Christmas Special

You know Dasher and Dancer, and you definitely know Rudolph. Everyone’s favorite red-nosed reindeer was first born as a 1939 short story, but he truly shot to fame when his tale was adapted into a song by Gene Autry in 1949. Rivaling even the song’s fame is the Rankin/Bass stop-motion special that airs like clockwork every year around Christmas. Generations have now grown up with Rudolph, so it may be surprising to learn that his journey to the small screen started as a General Electric promotion. The company had a running television special on NBC called the “GE Fantasy Hour,” which they used to market their products directly to viewers. The better the story they told, the more viewers they got — and the more toasters they could sell. The script introduced crucial new characters like Hermey the elf, Yukon Cornelius the prospector, and of course, Bumble the abominable snowman. GE hired innovative Japanese animators to create the film using stop-motion techniques that were highly advanced for the time. GE invested the modern equivalent of $4.5 million into the production of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and the special first aired in 1964.

Those who are familiar with the film know that it ends with Rudolph enlisting Santa to save the Misfit Toys from earlier in the movie — but it didn’t originally. The version that aired in 1964 concludes with Rudolph leading Santa’s sleigh but forgetting all about his homeless friends. The backlash was swift, and viewers wrote in to express displeasure at the heartless resolution. GE decided the special had to be corrected and played again with the proper ending in 1965. And so, a tradition of annual airings was born. Today, “Rudolph” is the longest-running Christmas special in history, and our favorite misfit deer shows no signs of slowing down after 57 years. The movie has transformed into a marketing bonanza, with new Christmas decorations, figurines, and toys being produced each year. Though it’s somewhat shocking to our modern sensibilities to see Santa bullying his reindeer employees and their children, fond childhood memories mean that parents continue to pass the special down to their kids. Even as we recognize its flaws, the dazzling animation and famous songs continue to bring joy and Christmas spirit to households around the country. Just as sure as Santa comes every year, so does Rudolph.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL PERFORMERS! BRAVO CONCERT SERIES EVENT

On Oct. 10, we were excited to return to a full in-person concert experience for our students. It was a big occasion, spanning six hours and five different events. A total of 135 students performed, filling the recital hall with joy and music.

We hope that all of our parents enjoyed attending this special event and that every student had a great time playing. We are looking forward to holding more of these concerts in the future to continue showing off what our kids can do!

The recital was open to students of all ages and experience levels, so we had many young students performing live in front of an audience for the first time. We’re so proud of every student who had the courage to take the stage. That’s no small feat, and they all deserve a shoutout for their dedication, hard work, and ability to overcome their nerves and share their talents with a room full of strangers.

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If your child is considering auditioning for our performance in Graceland, you’re likely wondering how you can help them prepare. What do they need to do to be successful? Below are some tips to help them get ready for their audition — and have the best chance of joining us on stage during our big trip. Focus and prepare. A failure to prepare is just preparing to fail. Students who want to be successful during their audition will need to be ready to buckle down and do some hard work. A part of that preparation is choosing the right material to play during the audition. A budding musician probably won’t do best with a complex Eddie Van Halen solo, so they should find the song that plays to their strengths. Your child’s instructor knows their skill level and talents best, and they’ll be happy to help them select an appropriate piece of music for the audition. Rehearse the right way. Students who want to perform with a live band in Memphis will have to audition with a backing track — so that’s how they should rehearse as well. We have plenty of resources available, including Music Minus One tracks to help your child prepare. If they’re used to performing by themselves, playing for the first time with a backing track during the audition is not likely to go well. You should mimic the audition scenario as much as possible during rehearsals. Speaking of which ... Practice auditioning. Practicing in your bedroom alone will never prepare anyone for an audition. Most people aren’t nervous when practicing by themselves, but standing up and performing in front of someone else — even Mom and Dad — is going to bring anxiety. Each performer needs to learn how to deal with that anxiety in their own way, and for some, it takes longer than others. For a successful audition, students should practice in front of friends and family members as often as they can until they’re confident performing their material in front of other people. We wish we could invite everyone who wants to go to Graceland, and we want to take as many students as possible. Following the above tips will help your young musician have the best chance of making the cut. To all of our students who will be auditioning in January, we wish you the best of luck! TIPS TO HELP YOUR CHILD DO THEIR BEST ACING THE AUDITION

Kate O. Jack S.

Isaac C. Lilly B. Evelyn O. Ethan P. Harper N

Dominic R. Scarlett S.

Moira P. Meklit Y.

IS YOUR TEACHER SOLD OUT?

Mr. Barrett - Guitar: SOLD OUT Mrs. Bibelheimer - Piano/ Voice : SOLD OUT Mrs. Bunish - Piano: SOLD OUT Miss Ferbuyt - Piano: SOLD OUT Mrs. Lehner - Piano: SOLD OUT Mr. Salveson - Guitar: SOLD OUT

Mrs. Morris - Piano: SOLD OUT Mr. Nistler - Guitar: SOLD OUT Mr. Norell - Guitar: SOLD OUT Mrs. Parker - Piano: SOLD OUT

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3533 88th Ave. NE, Blaine, MN 55014 763-432-9713 www.mnschoolofmusic.com

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

We’re Going to Graceland!

How Rudolph Became a TV Institution Congratulations to Our Bravo Concert Series Performers!

How to Prepare for an Audition

Helping Hands Monkey Helpers for the Win

NO MONKEYING AROUND HELPING HANDS MONKEY HELPERS FOR THE WIN

You’ve heard of service dogs, but what about service monkeys? For many years now, capuchin monkeys have been lending helping hands to people with disabilities! Helping Hands Monkey Helpers, located at Monkey College in Boston, Massachusetts, is a nonprofit organization designed to help people with disabilities and mobility issues, such as quadriplegia, by pairing them with a monkey service animal. These simian helpers are specifically trained to help with daily tasks while providing companionship, happiness, and a renewed sense of purpose that many struggle with when navigating an injury or disability. When monkeys graduate, they will have developed the ability to navigate major household appliances and electronics as well as basic items within the home. They can even retrieve a canned beverage from the refrigerator, open it, and put a straw in it! A service monkey can also assist with retrieving things that are dropped or out of reach, turning pages in a book, scratching an itch, pushing buttons on electronic devices, and performing other menial tasks within the home.

Each human applicant and the capuchin monkeys undergo a pairing process to find the best fit for placement! A social worker and placement specialist work together to sift through applications and determine which monkeys will be the right choice for the applicants based on lifestyle preferences and the tasks that will be most helpful to the person with disabilities. Plus, Helping Hands Monkey Helpers ensures that the monkeys are completely free of charge to the recipients!

The human-animal bond created along the journey after placement is absolutely beautiful. Helping Hands Monkey Helpers brings love, companionship, and laughter to many who are fortunate enough to work with the organization. These monkeys are the best, hands down. And, monkeys, thank you for going to monkey college, and thank you for your service!

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