As April… and May showers hopefully bring May flowers, life is budding in Minneapolis, our city of arts.  The year at Noble Academy has wrapped up successfully, with two wonderful guest artists visiting the music room.  The middle school students have thrived on guitar, recorder, Orff instruments and vocal ensembles, and will be showing their talent for an “Arts Performance Night”, Thursday May 20th at Noble Academy.  The choir’s program is:

1) Nyob Zoo by the full choir.  A song in Hmong welcoming family and friends to a festive and important occasion.

2) Round and Round- full choir

3) Peace Round- full choir

4) Ode to Joy- Guitar ensemble

5) Sib Pab Ciaj Vaj- Men’s chorus.  A song in Hmong about the importance of community and teamwork.  Also Noble Academy’s Principal’s favorite song

6) Amazing Grace- Recorder Ensemble

7) Oh Shenandoah- Women’s chorus

8) The water is wide- full choir

9) Lean on me- full choir.  This is by far the students’ favorite song.  We will plan on ending on a festive note!

Also happening in the spring of 2010: My husband Jeff and I have been training at Xelia’s Aerial Arts studio in Minneapolis.  For the past 5 months we have trained in the circus arts of body tumbling, trapeze, and silks (tissu).  We will be performing at the end of May, both on silks.

Link to Xelias Aerial Arts

Lindy hop and swing dancing has taken it’s seat in our social life.  We recently attended Midwest Lindyfest in Minneapolis.  What a brilliant event, with national instructors and competitors all weekend.  Below is a picture of me and a partner from Denver competing at the local Jack and Jill contest.

As the school year winds down, I will be attending St. Thomas University’s graduate program in Music Education, focusing on Kodaly instruction.  A long awaited goal, I feel eager and ready to attend a semester of studies on music education and history.  I sincerely believe that every teacher should continue their education, as we are the bearers of our nation’s education