Mango Roses

Mango Roses is a musical mainly about two women who eventually have trace back their roots and find out about their grand parents misfortune of liaisons and disloyalty. The women have to deal with drunken dads, dying grandmothers, liaisons under a mango tree and the truth that they are related and their lives' have been lead by lies. Today, the rehearsals started with yesterday being the auditions for the actors to play the roles. So far there are 21 people. I was approached by my English teacher to write the original story about these women. My story was long and now I am a co-playwright with Shirley Carruthers. Last week, we started with a two scenes mainly for the auditions but they are to be part of the play. The scenes were Rosie's village meltdown and the character's having fun in a bar. I wrote Rosie's meltdown and it felt good to write this. I have never written a script before and it turned out well with the script consultant Jim Macgruder advising and telling us to add anything. In this play, we are to work with two renowned broadway musicians Mary Ann Ivan and Kate. They will mostly be writing the music. Today, we discussed that during the week, we would be writing the first 4 scenes of the script. I do 2 of them and Shirley does the other two. The 5th scene will mainly be music and hope it works well. I have realized through this that I can actually write scripts instead of just poetry and stories. It is a real eye opening and learning experience. It is going to be a lot of work though since we have to write all the scenes at least by next week when Kate arrives.
Any additional information needed can be got at the blog. www.mangorosesmusical.blogspot.com

Senior Choir

Last week, we mainly practiced 'freedom is coming', 'Tuimbe Masicule' and 'Santa Claus is coming to town'. For each of them, we had to get our parts, soprano, alto and bass. I sang alto for all the songs and its much easier than soprano. I tried it and it was difficult keeping the same note even though I can do it. Alto seems clear and steady and maybe in another song, I'll sing soprano not matter how high just for the challenge. Choir has really improved my voice and the exercises we start with help straighten posture and with the voice.

Knitting

Last week, I finally got the concept of the 2nd and 3rd bunched of sowing. I  have finally moved on and it's quite difficult but after you get the technique its easier. My friends in the club seem to have grasped the concept quicker and are further ahead but slowly I will catch up. The teacher, Ms.Hecker, is very patient even when I ask her the method about 10 times in the class. But I finally got the technique. I am very good at the practical work but this is a lesson I was willing and put myself to accomplishing.

Cancer charity project

This week, we started discussing possible fundraiser's for to make money for the foundation. I also started the poster and it has turned out pretty well. The developments have been going slowly these weeks but I plan to make sure that October we have enough money by the end of the month. The poster's are to be hang and getting the group to make others has made it easier for the work to be done quickly.

Senior choir

Last week, we sang Santa Claus is coming to town and  Sing Noel in depth until we got the parts for the sopranos, altos and basses. We were fewer this time so all of us had to pitch in and it was good practice as we learnt to harmonize at the beginning with key notes and then lyrics from songs. It starts with one group going first and then the second following but ending on a key note at the same time. My voice is better and I learnt the repeat signs for the songs and proper posture for singing.

Modern Contemporary dance

Today, we practiced more turns and how to keep stable and center myself. I am getting better at turning and moving my hips during the turning steps. The arms help balance you and your feet should be pointed to ensure balance and length. Then the instructor added on to the steps and it wasn't that difficult to grasp. The steps today were easier than the steps last week. I also got a chance to practice the entire dance form from the beginning steps. I was also taught stretches that eventually lead to a split. The stretches work gradually and increase flexibility and fluidity especially for the jumps that I learnt today. I still need to get my footing right though.

Knitting

This week, we built on the basics and started knitting into the folds of the original threads. The needle had to go through  the top knot and just the same steps except the loop is pulled twice. It was difficult for me to figure out honestly. I get the theoretical part but not the practical and my friend had to help me do it numerous times. The concept seems easy but I tried to do it. The teacher said that there is always next week to try and get it so maybe I will understand it then.

Senior choir

Today, we mainly practices christmas songs mainly 'Sing Noel' and 'Santa Claus is coming to town'. I think we might have a christmas show and frankly, I am not much of a performer. The lyrics are easy to get and quite nice when the entire choir sings. The songs are old but okay and I hope we can do more new songs

Cancer charity project

On Monday, we mainly concentrated on posters and spreading awareness of cancer to the school. I got prostate cancer will others got to do breast, lung and advertise the club so that the school knows what we are doing. The posters are part of the creativity component in this project and it is good to have to design things since we don't get to do it as much during lessons. The posters have to be informative but not to a point of scaring everyone so its interesting how I need to balance out the information. Researching about this cancers gives me a chance too also learn how to prevent the cancers so the information is very crucial.

Modern contemporary dance

Today was more tiring but interesting and fun. We added on to the new steps of last week and practiced them. The main objectives were to learn to control the body and make sure your mind is attuned to your steps. I mainly learnt how to do more turns and practice the balance and flexibility component of dancing. It was not simple since I am the least flexible person but with practice, flexibility is improved drastically and also the steps. They main seem difficult at first but as I eased into them, they felt good. I also learnt that each movement has to elongate your body mainly the hands and the pointed toes. Pointed toes are important and give more grace and fluidity  to the dancing. The more practice, the better my body will be attuned to the steps.

Knitting club

Knitting is well, something I definitely would not even bother thinking of but my friend dragged me there and I was not so bad. The first time, it was not easy getting the technique but when I did, I was knitting fast. The teacher, Ms.Hecker, got some nice knitting thread and hooks. I felt good to sit there and just have something to do without thinking too much. We started learning the basics, trying to make uniform patterns while doing one line. The technique was good and I learnt some thing very new and I would not have even thought about doing.

Senior Choir

With the first session for choir (last week), we saw and went through some songs mainly soul and gospel. we sang Kumbayah, Let's sing, Let it be, Freedom, Alleluia. The most challenging was alleluia. There are about fifteen members. I learnt some signs in music and I realized that I have completely forgotten how to read music. last time I read music was 4 years ago. I learnt signs like To Coda, D.S. coda, the repeat signs. This week, we were doing to challenging songs Let's sing and Alleluia. I sang the alto part, soprano is way too high and it felt good. It is important to have proper stance when you are singing, it helps project the voice. I enjoy singing and we also learnt to harmonize with 'Row your boat' it was interesting since I have never done that. It was fun

Modern contemporary dance

I decided to do this club to try something new and dancing has never been something I am keen to. On Thursday the dance instructor started with stretching and then teaching me to turn (ballet turns without the added pain ). They were quite challenging and dancing does not come that easily to me. I made sure to learn and then he taught me some steps. They were quite difficult but I got the hang of it. These steps needed flexibility ( smooth steps) and concentration. I have to practice them and next week we are going to build on to those steps.

cancer charity project

This is the first week of since the beginning of the new year IB2. When we met on Monday, we had to get to know the other participants and we got new people in our project and I hope this makes it run smoothly. We started to think of ideas to fundraise for money and go to the cancer home on certain dates. This will be my last term to do this and I hope I can make some money and connect with people on how to best help the people in the cancer home.