Thank you

first and foremost we would like to thank our dedicated Samba parents for all of their support . For believing in our program and investing your time. Today we held our first ever parenting and gave a lot of information. If you look to the bottom left of our page you will find a list of performances. We have had the honor to have been invited to all of the different events through out Tucson. Keep checking back for more up dates. :) Today, we felt our drums beat as one . It was such and amazing feeling to feel and hear all the alfias hit one note at once .they are currently learning how to.playlist Maracatu and it sounds powerful and amazing .

Let the fun begin!

This Tuesday, September 6th at 6:30pm we will be holding a parent information meeting! All interested in learning more about Samba are in invited. We have a lot of great things to share with everyone! 

With two weeks of Samba under our belt we are really looking forward to this year. Our main performance group being our 3rd -5th grade group has many returning faces but is also filled with new ones. We have so many kids this year we are looking into getting more drums. It's really a blessing to see how music reaches children of all ethnic backgrounds. 

Our younger group made up of kinder-2nd graders, has been such a joy to teach. This group does 1 hour of dance and 45 mins of drums. It surprises me every time at how fast they pick up what they are taught. It blows our minds! 

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SAMBA TIME

The last two days have been so much fun. The two groups were a joy to work with. So many new faces!

This year we are trying something a little different. Our older group, 3rd-5th grade, do Samba on Tuesday and Thursday and our younger group, Kinder-2nd grade, do Samba on Wednesday. This way each group get the focus they need and all the different sections get the attention they need.

First day of Samba was a little crazy, but picked up and ended with a BAM! It always great to see just how much kids remember even after a few weeks break. Our older group is the primary instrument group. This year they have about  5-6 songs that they will be learning, one of which is being written and composed by the wonderful directors :-) Our younger is mainly our dance group. Today they got to learn the dance to Magdalenha as well as had the opportunity to start learning the basic Samba Reggae rhythm on the instruments. They are all really excited to get started.

Seeing how many kids are interested in joining the group this year just pushes us even more. Each time we start we question whether or not we should continue and if kids will be interested and without fail kids show up. I am not sure about Alfie but for me its so much fun to work with the little ones. Especially Kindergartners. They get super excited to learn something new.

All in all Samba has started on a great note. WE couldnt have asked fora better group. They are all talented in their own way.

Summer ...To another year.

In Lak'ech

You are my other me
if i do harm to you
I do harm to myself
If I love and respect you
I love and respect myself

This poem was the main focus of our summer. Teaching the students that by loving and respecting others you love and respect yourself. We will continue to focus on this during the school year.

It was wonderful to to teach the students something that has a lot of meaning to it. And for them to not just learn the poem in English but in the Mayan language as well. Our hope was that by the time summer was over they would have grown a little and would know what life is about. That its not always about themselves but about those around us in our lives.

This summer was also a busy summer. With Mr. Alfie preparing for his audition to the Berklee College of Music, our Samba Group prepared to put on a show at a fundraiser to help Alfie raise funds. They learned new rhythms and breaks. Best of all two of our very own came up with their own Loopie Break. It was such a proud moment for us both to see them work on something and see it come to life.

It was also a growing and learning experience for both of us. Learning how to approach the students what works and what doesn't. Learning to listen to them more and take what they say more seriously. Kids are full of life and have many great ideas. Their input is greatly valued.

As we get ready to start the school year our Samba calendar is starting to fill up! Its so exciting to know that what just started as a fun little group is becoming well known throughout the community. THese kids really deserve it. they work really hard. Most people do not realize that they practice almost every day for over an hour sometimes two. And for the most part they do it with a smile on their faces. haha

We look forward to growing and working closely with the Samba group. To continue to bring the joy of music to our community. To work together as one.

We invite to join us for a fun ride this year!

Thank You

 

First and foremost thank you to all of our families for all of their continued support and dedication to our Samba Group. We say this a lot but it is the truth, we couldn't have done so much and have been so successful it wasn't for our awesome samba families. We often sit and reflect on all that has happened. As directors with a small idea its mind blowing to know all that we have done and how much we have done in our community.  Never in our wildest dreams did we think we would have performed at soo many places and that people would receive us with open arms and actually like we have to offer.

 

This of course would not have happened without our kids. These kids have given up their time playing out on the play ground with their friends to spend hours and hours rehearsing and learning new things. They showed up to every performance excited and ready to play. Even giving up their Saturdays. We couldn't have asked for a better group this year. It is only the beginning and we have a lot of the kids returning next year and during the summer. We have 7 students leaving us and we are sad to see them go but hope that they will return to us to play again.

 

Our vision does not stop here, our vision is to continue to work with the community. To help those need. To bring happiness to those around us. It is our dream to be able to work with students from k-12. To keep inspiring them and to keep working to teach them respect and responsibility. To teach them how to .love one another, their community and their loved ones.

 

Just because this school year is coming to an end. Does not mean that Samba is coming to an end. If anything it is the beginning of a new chapter.

 

Thank you again to our families our friends and most of all our Samba KIDS!!

SO much happening.

For the last several weeks, even months, our group has been busy busy with rehearsing, learning new breaks, rhythms, dance moves etc... Since the beginning of the school, the idea was that we would put on a performance for our deticated families and friends. A showcase sort of speak. The planning began a date was chosen and thus Cinco de Mayo Music festival was born. At first our group was the only group performance, but in the middle of it all classes joined and signed on to peformance with us. The students are very excited! We selected what we all think are fun songs, songs that will lift people up. That speak about everyone coming together as one.

It is important to teach the value of working together as a community. Of working with others and sharing that music is a universal language that all can relate to. The students, teachers and parents all seem excited for this event.

Not going to lie and say this has all been easy. Nothing in life is easy, you have to work extra hard and fight to be heard. We have of course been blessed with talented kids! People in our city and community of them, and have loved them. SO much so that they have been asked to perform all over tucson at different events. The kids love it!!!

Our vision is hope is to keep bringing people together through our music, drive and heart!

Crazy but sure to be magical!

We”ve been called crazy many times, but this time crazy fits this group pretty well. Well the directors anyway! Now this isn’t an insult at all.. We have been known to come up with some pretty out there ideas.  Most of the time we get the “Um if you say so “  look.  This time though we have a lot of support behind us.  These next 3 weeks are going to be crazy!!  We normally rehearse with our Samba kids Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.  But with our crazy ideas, we will also be working with,  two 5^th grade classes, two 4^th grade classes, a 2^nd grade class and two exceptional ed classes..   Crazy Right?  It might be for others, but for these two crazy directors that come up with crazy ideas it’s a dream!! Getting the opportunity to share the magic of music is truly a blessing. 

What started off as a small evening performance for the parents and families of Cub Club Samba has now turned into a full on music festival. The event will feature different types of music and styles.  As well as an amazing play that was written by teachers in our Primary Ex Ed class. It seriously is going to be a night to remember.


Even our program director thinks we're nuts! Bringing in all these classes. Plus having water added to one of the songs! Yes you heard right! Our very own version of water drums! The kids are really excited to add this to mix! 


We invite all of you to come join us for our Cinco De Mayo celebration! 

Brazilian,
African,
Bob Marley
Glee
Shairka
K'Naan & David Bisbal


AHH just thinking about it makes the heart race!


Rehearsals for the next three weeks are going to be fantastic! Stressful yes, difficult maybe..but rewarding and a great learning experience!