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Welcome students! Some of you know me as Miss Anna, still others of you know me as Miss Lawrence, some of you simply call me Anna, but whomever you are, you have come to the right spot! This page is a kind of a catchall and a directory to things that I want my students to know or play with, from my Inspiration Basket to my music term dictionary. I start out general and get more specific as the page goes on. If you know where you are going, follow the links below to skip to that portion of the page.
If you want to be a current student of mine, click the link above to go to my RENDEZVOUS page and let's get together!
the inspiration basket | the dictionary | my elementary students (ACS and PACS) | my private students
Once upon a time, I was a camp counselor. Well, I guess technically I still am a camp counselor, but it is a hat I only wear for about a month out of the whole year. And it's not just any camp, it's dance camp, and it's not just any kind of dancing, it's Ukrainian dancing. It's intense. Three hours of ballet in the morning, three hours of Ukrainian folk dance in the afternoon, and an hour (or two or three) of choreography in the evening (depending on which dances you are in). Probably any kind of dance camp would run a similar kind of schedule, but Ukrainian dance is so aerobic and so physically demanding!! In two weeks, the instructors put together approximately two hours worth of choreography, and the dance campers, as young as 8 and as old as 15, must learn it.
It's a lot to ask, of anyone, regardless of their age or dancing ability. And so, going into camp one summer, I came up with this idea (actually, I was inspired by something I found on pinterest). Instead of writing our wishes or favorite memories onto a piece of paper (which is the original pin I found), I decided to write down inspirational quotes onto cute little butterflies. It was like a magic 8 ball, of sorts, because, let me tell you: Through every crisis, through homesick tears, through overwhelming odds, I'd pull out the inspiration basket and lo and behold, the camper (or counselor, or instructor, or head of camp!) always seemed to pull out a butterfly that contained just the right words to apply to whatever dire situation we were in.
Now that we are all back at our homes, all across the United States (and beyond!), I couldn't bear to let my butterflies sit in a corner, collecting dust keeping their sparkly and wonderful words to themselves, so I thought I would bring them online, and let their light shine here on the internet, too. Whenever you feel you are starting to get backed into a corner, or are hitting a road block, visit the inspiration basket and see what happens!
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Miss Anna rambles. Miss Anna comes up with very specific definitions for words that are in a simple language that even the youngest of her students can understand. Miss Anna has ducks.
Visit the dictionary here.
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Dates have been set for the PACS Christmas Concerts! Be there or be square!
Primary School: Students should be memorized by December 2. Show will be Friday, December 19.
Upper School: Students should be memorized by December 5. Show will be Wednesday, December 17.
Looking for a little extra credit? Come see me perform! Here are the basic details:
1. Ask your favorite adult to let me know you are planning on attending BEFORE the day of the event (mostly so I can let you know about last minute changes if there are any). Emailing me is best.
2. Check in with me at the performance (either before or after).
3. Write me 2 - 3 paragraphs on the experience. You can summarize the performance, or outline things you did or did not like (but remember to always try and back up your opinions with facts!)
4. Receive a great grade (either an A+ or an O, depending on your grade level) that will fall under the "Participation" category at school. It will get added into the current marking period's grades. While I encourage you to attend any of my performances, only one per marking period will count as extra credit for your grade.
The question you have now is - when are you performing, Miss L?? Currently, the only thing I have on tap is singing with my church's choir. Services are at 9am on Sunday mornings in Perth Amboy. If you plan on attending, I can not legally be responsible for supervising you, so bring your favorite adult with you, and meet me afterwards at coffee hour. All the details about my church and how to contact me can be found on my Rendezvous page. FYI - Church lasts usually about an hour and a half, and yes, there are snacks afterwards!
Since ACS is part of a Ukrainian parish, I would be remiss if I didn't teach our students the Ukrainian national anthem after the American national anthem. Singing in English is easy... when compared to singing in Ukrainian, of course, so here is a little bit of extra help!
Here is a video of Ruslana singing the Ukrainian National Anthem. She takes it a little slower than we usually do, but overall, it's a pretty good interpretation. The performance is from a boxing match in Germany. The "champion" they mention is Wladimir Klitschko, a world champion boxer from Ukraine. Ruslana is not just a pop star in Ukraine, but she recently has spent more time as an activist during the Euromaidan protests in 2013/2014 in Kyiv. She continues to advocate for Ukraine's independence in their struggle with Russia.
ANYWAY! Hit play, and then scroll down a bit to follow along with the transliterated words.
Ukrainian words, with English letters:
Shche ne vmerla Ukrayini, ni slava, ni volya,
Shche nam, brattya molodiyi, usmikhnet'sia dolya.
Z-hynut' nashi vorozhen'ky, yak rosa na sontsi,
Zapanuyem i my, brattya, u svoyiy storontsi.
CHORUS x2
Dushu y tilo my polozhym za nashu svobodu
I pokazhem, shcho my, brattya, kozats'koho rodu.
Please note that if you see an "i" all by itself, it is really a long e sound (ee), if you see a "y" it is really a short i sound (ih), and if you see an "u" it is really a long u sound (oo). If you can read the version in cyrillic letters, that is really the best version to read. Otherwise, follow the transliteration while listening to the anthem.
And so that you know what you're singing, here is a pretty good translation of the anthem.
Ukraine's freedom has not yet perished, nor has her glory,
Upon us, fellow Ukrainians, fate shall smile once more.
Our enemies will vanish like dew in the sun,
And we too shall rule, brothers, in a free land of our own.
CHORUS
We'll lay down our souls and bodies to attain our freedom,
And we'll show that we, brothers, are of the Cossack nation.
Coming soon... An online reference of words (and chords!) of alllll the songs I sing with my students. You know, for parents and students alike to play around with at home!
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I am planning a small Christmas concert for some of my more advanced students at Raritan Music Center. If you are interested in performing and I haven't already told you about this, please let me know!
Coming soon, a selection of piano tracks for my voice students. The quality, of course, isn't great, but it will be a very helpful tool for warming up. Basic tracks for warm ups and a few simple songs will be available for download. Please check back soon!
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