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!

Let the challenge begin!

No one ever said teaching kids would be easy.  It’s fun and at the end of each rehearsal we are blown away. That’s not to say that we don’t get challenged.  The kids challenge us often, but every so often they thrown down a challenge of their own.  This past Wednesday for example, we were rehearsing outside.  The older kids were learning a new version of Samba Reggae while the younger kids were learning a new dance.  During rehearsal time the older kids started to whine and complain. They weren’t listening and just kept going on and on. Finally, the dance director said “While you guys were busy complaining the dancers learned entire new dance and went over it several times”  Of course that started a match! The older kids didn’t think the dancers would be able to learn what they were playing.  Of course that just set up the challenge.  The challenge was that the younger kids would learn whatever was taught and would be excited and pick up quick, while the drummers learned the dance. You can just imagine how excited the dancers were to get to drum! They jumped right in. Strapped on their Surdos (some were almost as big as the kid =) ) and were ready to play. While the drummers decided to go play on the playground… So after several minutes, the dancers where playing the rhythm! It was so great! They listened paid attention and learned! This did not sit well with the drummers. It wasn’t the same rhythm they played so in their eyes it didn’t count. What they weren’t seeing was that it’s so much fun and things get done better if they would just pay attention in the first place and just stop complaining! Needless to say that after that the drummers wanted to show off and ended up playing the correct rhythm with almost perfection!! It was awesome and it sounded great! 

If you want to hear the rhythm they learned and that caused all this you can check it out on our facebook page cubclubsamba

Practice, Practice, Practice!

After 3 days of rehearsals these kids never disappoint. They just amaze us each time. Just when we start to think "will they get it?" They take that thought and flush down the toilet! These kids are truly talented! After today's rehearsal I was so overjoyed! Actually yesterday's rehearsal was pretty amazing! The dancers rehearsed two songs they already knew and learned a new one! These kindergarten through 2nd grade students picked up the steps, practiced on their own and just got it! They had every step down! My heart was full of happiness afterwards! it was exhausted too =)

There is something to be said about drumming! The humming in your ears, the vibrations through your body AMAZING!! The drummers learned a new break and new rhythm and THEY GOT IT!!!! Just the when way you feel not only when you're playing the music but when you're dancing it, AHHH just makes you want to invite every single person you come across to listen!

With all that being said we invite everyone in the community to come and share the excitement and joy that these kids bring us! You really don't want to miss it!!!

Join us at Cyclovia Tucson Sunday March 27th! @ 11:30 am at Mission View Elementary School!