-----Original Message-----
From: Ted Mercer [mailto:tmercer22@...]
Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 4:08 PM
To: shapenote@...
Subject: [Shapenote] Singing School with Tom Malone Sat April 18!

"Sweet Rivers and Deep Waters"

Tom Malone, a popular young Singing School teacher at "Camp Fasola" [see
"more about Tom," below] will teach a singing school here in Chicago on
Saturday, April 18, from 11 am -- 4:45 pm, at the historic Pulaski Park
Fieldhouse, 1419 W Blackhawk Street, in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood.
Tom and his wife Johanna have been living in Lansing, Michigan while Johanna

has been in grad school. They will return to their native New England in
June, so this is our last chance to have this popular teacher before he
moves so far away.

All are welcome; the school is geared both for beginners, the very
experienced, and everyone in between: Tom explicitly challenges veteran
singers to reconsider the rudiments. Of course there will be a lot of
singing illustrating the instruction, and the day will end with a singing
designed to allow us to put in practice what we've learned.

The school is free; we will pass the hat to cover expenses. We understand
we will have singing visitors from out of state joining us for this
occasion!

Lunch: We are planning to do "dutch treat" pizza [ie shared expense, maybe
$4@?] brought to the location, where we will eat at 1 pm. I am hoping
enough of you reading this will volunteer to bring salads or desserts or
drinks so we can handle that easily. Please email me if you can.

Tom says topics include (but are certainly not limited to)
*teaching the letter-staff
*learn to make and use a pendulum [!]
*know your second modes of time
*singing the poetry
*learn harder songs that are "worth the trouble..."
*acquire the "science" of bring in the parts while leading
*enjoy duets, canons, and echoes across the square
*opportunity for class discussion
*end of day singing to put new knowledge into practice

"Both beginners and advanced singers will find a lot to think about and tons

of practice after this one-day intensive singing school. The tempos might
be slower than you are used to, but I promise you'll have plenty to keep
your hand, eyes, brain, and voice busy! Then after the teaching sessions
and lunch there will be an open singing session to put it all into practice.

There will also be time for peculiar questions and for topics of interest
from the class as a whole. I hope you can make it." --Tom Malone

MORE ABOUT TOM and his presentation:

Tom Malone is a doctoral student at Boston University. Several years ago he

was instrumental in organizing an annual singing from Jeremiah Ingalls'
(think "Northfield") 1805 tunebook, "Christian Harmony" in Newbury, VT,
where Ingalls lived and wrote.

A teacher (Middle School) himself, Tom has had an ongoing research project
documenting the teaching of traditional fasola. He has spent hundreds of
hours interviewing virtually all traditional Sacred Harp teachers still
alive, and has interviewed many students of past legends like Thomas J.
Denson, Marcus Cagle ("Soar Away"), and H.N. McGraw. He has also closely
studied the correspondence of Cagle and other key figures.

It is these interviews that have informed Tom's presentation to us on April
18. TO EXPERIENCED SINGERS HE SAYS: "YOU JUST _think_ YOU KNOW THE
RUDIMENTS." He says he will take us through some musical "Sweet Rivers" and

also the "Deep Water" of the rudiments (Marcus Cagle's phrase)

Email me with questions or comments . . .the fieldhouse is not wheelchair
accessible.

--Ted Mercer