February 2013

February

We are well underway!  The kids are doing great, we’re all having fun, and music is being sung. 
We will try costumes on our new friends today during class.  You will notice the costume fee on your tuition statement if it is applicable to you.  I like to order these ASAP because my seamstress is in Utah and needs as much time as I can give her to complete the task.
Next month’s statement will include a props fee.  Just to give you a heads up about that, the harmonic tunes prop fee will be $14.  That includes their fiber optic wand, an LED sword, a troop TaVaci T-shirt, knee high green socks.
The Tiny Tune prop fee will be $5.  This includes their fiber optic wand, and a sailor hat.
Calendar

February 7- tuition/costume fee due

February 14- Esther teaching solo(Betsy watching her daughter Savannah play Annie in the Athens Academy production of Annie!)

March 7- tuition/prop fee due

       -specialty rehearsal begins

April 4- tuition/Performace fee due

April 11- NO TAVACI!!! Gwinnett County Spring break

May 2- tuition due

May 24- 6:00 PM Blocking rehearsal

May 25- 9:30 AM Dress rehearsal

May 25- 7:00 PM Concert (kids arrive at 6:30)

Specialties

In the next couple of weeks I will send a note home with your child if they will be asked to participate in a specialty number. 

1- I’m on my way 1^st grade, 1^st grade. Sung by kindergarten and Pre-K age friends, this number uses a top hat and cane. ($5 prop fee for a top hat and cane)

2- A father/daughter number sung by my youngest Harmonic tunes. Girls portray a wind up doll and her wish to be human. Dads sing about how “scrumptious” their daughters are. This poly-harmonic song comes right out of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. (unsure at this point about additional costume/props)

3- Newsies- performed by my older Harmonic tunes will be sure to please the crowd. (costume will be an individual responsibility.  I’ll send home some ideas and you can check closets for peices)

 TaVaci Trivia:
To receive your next charm for your bracelet (or your bracelet and 1^st charm), please sing for me the “firework song.   Start at, “you just got to ignite…” and end at, “as you shoot across the sky-y-y”  tell me what word you turn your light ON.

As always, if you have any questions, shoot me an e-mail at:  betsyga@bellsouth.net

We love your kids.  They are fabulous!  Thank you for sharing them with us.

January 2013

January

Here it is, the moment we’ve been waiting for!  TaVaci starts Thursday!  I hope you’ve all enjoyed your Christmas break.  We had a fantastic time skiing in the mountains of Utah.  Visiting family and friends was nice, but the SNOW was incredible.

With a new year comes new music, new games, and new friends.  We are excited to welcome several new faces to our group.  Welcome.

New Friends:  If you have any friends that would like to try TaVaci, now is the time to bring them along!  All the material is new, so they can just hop right in with us.

Music:

Tiny’s-  My Tiny’s will be singing a fun medley of Veggie Tales songs!  We love Veggie Tales!    My little sister (who has a TaVaci group in Utah) had never heard of Veggie Tales.  I let her know that she was being an abusive parent by not letting her kids in on the joy of silly singing veggies! 

Their next song is the Navy theme song.  We will sing it with sailor hats.

The last song is a funny song about “helping” mommy in the kitchen.  We will use big colorful mixing bowls for this number.

Harmonic’s- My Harmonics will sing a Star Wars medley.  I have to be honest here, I’ve got some movies to watch before I can explain to your kids.  My brother was rolling on the ground laughing, so it’s funny, I just need to figure out why!  We will be using lightsabers as a prop.

They are also singing a boy scout rap.  It’s funky and I know the kids will like it, especially the boy scouts in the group!  We will have a troop TaVaci T-shirt and knee high socks for this number.

Their last song is a rock and roll medley.  It’s a fun tribute to rock-n-roll.  I haven’t decided if we will use proud Mary wigs or not.  Maybe a specialty type situation.

Entire group-  Our opening number is: It’s My Turn Now.  It’s a fun song from the Disney Movie Jump In.  We previewed it in the fall and lots of my kids were already familiar with it.  Our closer is “Firework”. We will use a fiber optic light wand.  My Tiny’s will be so excited to be involved in a “lights out” number.

Specialties-  This concert has 3 specialty numbers. 

1-  I’m on my way 1^st grade, 1^st grade.  Sung by kindergarten and Pre-K age friends, this number uses a top hat and cane.  (not sure on a final price)

2-  A father/daughter number sung by my youngest Harmonic tunes.  Girls portray a wind up doll and her wish to be human.  Dads sing about how “scrumptious” their daughters are.  This poly-harmonic song comes right out of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. (unsure at this point about additional costume/props)

3-  Newsies-  performed by my older Harmonic tunes will be sure to please the crowd. (unsure at this point about additional costume/props)

I know the kids will love the music.  It’s going to be so much fun.

Props-  I don’t have a firm price on all our props.  This is what I have so far.  I’m missing the knee highs for the Harmonics as well as the specialties.  They shouldn’t cost very much.  I’ll let you know ASAP so that you can plan ahead.  Prop fees are not due until March.

            -fiber optic light wand $3 (everyone)

            - plastic bowl $1 (Tiny’s)
            -sailor hat $3 (Tiny’s)
            -troop TaVaci T-shirt $5 (Harmonics)
            -Light saber $5 (Harmonics)

Costume: (New friends Only)

Tiny Tune Girls $75-

*sparkly dress

*black bike shorts
*black netting skirt
*silk flower for hair

You will need to purchase: a pair of white footless tights & black ballet slippers

All Boys $35

*Black button down shirt $25

*red neck tie

You will need to purchase: black slacks, black socks, & black church shoes

Harmonic Girls $62

*black layering shirt-$14

*red sequin shrug
*black jazz pants-$25
*ribbon for hair-$3

You will need to purchase black socks and black jazz shoes

Calendar of Events:

January 10- TaVaci starts! January tuition due.

January 31- costume try-on (new students only)

February 7- tuition/costume fee due

February 14- Esther teaching solo(Betsy watching her daughter Savannah play Annie in the Athens Academy production of Annie!)

March 7- tuition/prop fee due

            -specialty rehearsal begins

April 4- tuition/Performace fee due

April 11- NO TAVACI!!! Gwinnett County Spring break

May 2- tuition due

May 24- 6:00 PM Blocking rehearsal

May 25- 9:30 AM Dress rehearsal

May 25- 7:00 PM Concert (kids arrive at 6:30)

 There will be a couple of practice performances added at a later time to the calendar.  It’s too soon for me to schedule them at this point.

Please also see the “studio policies” attached to this newsletter. 

I’m excited about this concert. (I’m always excited about our concerts!)  It will be fun to entertain your kids again.

 

November

November

It just seems wrong that November is almost here.  We have LOTS going on at TaVaci.  Our music is almost completely taught, almost.  Our specialties are well underway.  And, our kids are looking awesome.  We have a lot of cleaning to do, but I think we are on pace for another great concert.    Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Calendar
November 1- tuition/performance fee due- speaking parts come home

If your child receives a speaking part, please help them memorize it. Most of the parts are a joke. If your child doesn’t “get it”, explain it to them. It’s easier to tell a joke if you understand why it’s funny. Practice saying the part with expression and enthusiasm. Have your child stand in front of the mirror and say their part. They’re ALWAYS more expressive when they can see what they look like. Plus it’s funny to stand back and watch the silly things they do in front of a mirror. Grab your video camera and let it roll.

We will hold solo try-outs during class today.  If your child wants to try out, they should be prepared to sing the part that they want the MOST.  Prepare them that they may not receive the exact part that they try-out for.  And, if they had a solo last time or are participating in a specialty, they may not receive a solo this time.
November 8 & 15- pass off TaVaci Trivia
November 22- No Class- Happy Thanksgiving
November 28- Performance- The Bridge Assisted Living Center
220 Collins Industrial Way
Lawrenceville, GA 30043(678) 377-8191
- 6:00- arrive

6:30-7:00- perform   

The format for this performance is very much the same as for the Breakfast with Santa. Wear your costume, no speaking parts.
We go to this same assisted living center before every one of our concerts. The Grandmas and Grandpas there LOVE our kids. After we sing they will want to talk with them and enjoy their fun personalities. For some of my kids it’s great and they love it. For others, not so much. I’ll let you decide for your own child if you want to encourage them to interact with the residents or just head out.
November 29th- Last Regular Class/ December tuition Due 

This is a week earlier than regular, but we don’t have a regular class in December.  We do, however, have lots of performances and practices and (not to mention…OUR CONCERT!)  Yahoo!
December 1- Performance- Harbins Elementary
Breakfast with Santa
3550 New Hope Road
Dacula, GA 30019
Time: 9:00- 10:00ish
Wear your costume. Harbins has lots of fun crafts and activities available at their Breakfast with Santa. Tickets can be purchased for these activities upon entering the school. You do not have to pay to come in unless you want to do the crafts or eat breakfast.
We will sing about half of the music from our concert. We will not use any props or deliver any speaking parts. If we are singing a song that has a solo, the soloist WILL perform their part.
December 7- blocking rehearsal- Collins Hill High School

6:00-7:00 (everyone)-6:00-7:30 (Harmonics)
I’ll try to be prompt, but the Harmonics do have some difficult staging.
December 8- dress rehearsal- Collins Hill High School

(full costume no hair or make-up)
December 8- CONCERT!!!- Collins Hill High

TaVaci School of Performing Arts
Presents: Merry Christmas
6:30- kids arrive ready to go
7:00- 8:00 Merry Christmas

When you bring your child into the school for the concert, please stop by the restroom and encourage them to go. Little tummies get butterflies and they almost every time will need to go. Make sure their hair is pulled away from their face so that we can see their beautiful eyes and smiles. The stage lights are harsh. A little mascara, blush, and lipstick help define facial features on stage. It does not have to be over the top. Just a little to help outline their natural features.
If you have them change from their outside shoes to their ballets or jazz shoes, please hold their regular shoe at YOUR seat. That goes for coats and jackets as well. They will be up and down the whole concert and we don’t want them tripping over anything that we can prevent.
The seating in the theater is first come first serve. There will plenty of room for everyone. Just a hint, the best seats are about half way back. That is where the speakers are.
Santa has not missed a TaVaci Christmas concert yet! He is planning to attend. So, put on your holiday best and come visit with Santa. He will be taking last minute requests, as long as you’ve had a good year, that is.
Bring along your video camera and shoot away. I will ask that you turn the light off of your camera. It’s distracting to our performers to see a random light in the sea of blackness.
Still cameras are fine for before and after the concert. But, the flashing during the concert is hard for them to deal with. If you could wait to snap your photos until after, we would appreciate it.
December 9- January 9- Break
Enjoy your Christmas holiday. We will resume classes the first FULL week of school. Which is really their second week back. I like to let them get their grove on in school before adding TaVaci back into the picture.
January 10- TaVaci starts!!!
It’s a whole new year. New music, games, dances, and friends.
This is a great time to invite any of your friends that are interested in joining us to come along.

YOUR COSTUME RESPONSIBILITY

Tiny Tune Girls
White footless tights (opaque)
Black ballet slippers

Harmonic Tune girls
Black socks
Black jazz shoes

All Boys
Black slacks
Black socks
Black shoes

TaVaci Trivia

Tiny’s – Sing to me the 2^nd verse of “Please let it snow”.  (I thought we could all go out sledding……there can’t be a sleigh ride no matter how we’ve tried when outside it still feels like fall)

Harmonic’s- sing and dance- from “tonight”-  “it’s so cold let’s keep the snow comin’ decorations candy galore…jinglin’ all the way”

October Newsletter

October newsletter

Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love the crisp morning weather and the changing leaves. One thing that is not so much my favorite is that it gets dark earlier.

With that in mind, I'm asking you to come in to the building to pick up your kids when it's dark outside. Thanks :-)

Ok a few things.
Costumes

All of my friends have now been measured for their costume! Yay!!! I will place that order in a few days. So, if any of my returning students need a new piece for there costume please let me know, soon.

Specialty song
Our concert has two specialty songs. One for the Tiny's and one for the Harmonic's.

The Tiny's is a cute reindeer song.
There is an additional fee for the Tiny's song. It will be $8. This will cover the rental of a reindeer sweatshirt and a pair of antlers.

The Harmonic's is a boom whacker song.
There is a fee of $2 for this song. This will cover the cost of a neck tie.

The rehearsals for these songs will be at 5:15 for the Tiny's (in-between classes) and 7:15 for Harmonics ( right after their regular class). These extra rehearsals will start October 11th.

If I assign your child to a specialty number and you would prefer NOT to participate, let me know ASAP and I will give another child the opportunity.

YOUR COSTUME RESPONSIBILITY

Tiny Tune Girls
White footless tights (opaque)
Black ballet slippers

Harmonic Tune girls
Black socks
Black jazz shoes

(I have a former student who is looking to sell her jazz shoes. They are a woman's size 7 1/2. I'm not sure how much she is asking for them. If you are interested, I will find out)

All Boys
Black slacks
Black socks
Black shoes
Props
This concert comes with a few props, nothing too over the top

Harmonic tunes-$8.50
Rudolph nose-$3.50
Antlers-$3.50
Santa hat-$1.50

Tiny's- $4.50
Hibiscus Santa hat-$1.50
Santa hat-$1.50(snowflake)
Lei-$1.50

Calendar

October 4- tuition/prop fee due- CD's come home
October 11 & 17- pass off TaVaci Trivia
October 11th-Specialty rehearsals begin
November 1- tuition/performance fee due- speaking parts come home
November 8 & 15- pass off TaVaci Trivia
November 22- No Class- Happy Thanksgiving
November 28- Performance- The Bridge Assisted Living Center
November 29th- Last Regular Class
December 1- Performance- Harbins Elementary
December 7- blocking rehearsal- Collins Hill High School
December 8- dress rehearsal- 9:00ish AM- Collins Hill High School
December 8- CONCERT!!!- 6:30 PM- Collins Hill High

The dates for the performances above have not been completely confirmed. However, this is the way I expect it to work out. Exact times will be in our next newsletter.

TaVaci Trivia

Tiny’s:sing to me our “Please let it snow” song.  Start at the beginning…I pictured myself on a snowboard…and end at…watching an old DVD.

Harmonic’s:sing to me our “Christmas Can Can”  start at…heard this same song 20 times… and end at shopping, shopping, shopping.  Remember that we split into two groups.  Sing your correct part.

September News

September

We are well underway.  These kids are picking up on the new material perfectly.  We all know it’s weird to sing about Santa in August, but it is what it is.  We have to start now to be the wicked awesome rock stars that we want to be in December.

A Few things to keep in mind:

Esther-

A quick update.  Patrick is doing much better.  He was able to come home from the hospital yesterday!  I think Esther should be back with us next week!  Yay!  We miss her.  Thank you all for your kind words and offers to help me out.

Costumes

Tonight during class we tried on costumes.  I tried them on all of my new friends.  You will notice the additional charge on your tuition statement.  IF YOU ARE A RETURNING STUDENT THAT NEEDS A NEW COSTUME OR PIECE OF A COSTUME let me know ASAP.

Used Costumes-

I had a few friends move up to the Harmonic tunes this year.  If you are interested in selling your Tiny Tune costume let me know.  Shoot me an e-mail that includes what size it is.  I’ll try and match it up with a new student.  Save some money for everyone.

TaVaci Trivia-

Harmonics- without help, show me the sign language for Mary Did You Know.  Start at the beginning and stop at “would soon deliver you.”

Tinys- sing and show me the actions for “You gotta dance to the beat the Frosty way.  You gotta move your feet the Frosty way.”

If you can complete the trivia challenge either next week or the following week I will have a special surprise for you!

Thank You!

Thank you for sharing your babies with us.  They are so fun.  Also, thank you for being patient with me as my heart has been in the hospital with a special and dear friend.  Thank you for your prayers.  Esther has truly felt the effect.  Thanks.

CALL ME, MAYBE?

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to give me a shout.

betsyga@bellsouth.net

I will post this newsletter as well as each monthly newsletter on our blog:  spotlightkids.blogspot.com

May 2012

May 2012

The countdown has started!  Our concert is just two weeks away and I’m starting to get my nervous twitch.  (that’s actually a good sign)  I’m excited for you to see what we’ve been up to.

A few things to consider:

Costumes:

All costumes should now be complete.  If you are missing a piece to your costume PLEASE bring it to my attention ASAP.  Remember that jazz pants will be long and will need to be hemmed.  Please make sure to keep your costumes looking nice and clean.  We will be using them again in the fall! 

HELPFUL NOTE!!!  It has come to my attention that the little girls costumes should be taken to a cleaners if they need to be cleaned! 

The red will bleed onto the white.

Performances:

Our practice performance will be held at the Bridge assisted living center.  We will sing several, but not all of our songs.  We will not do speaking parts or use props.  Please prepare your kids.  The area that we have to sing is not huge, but the grandmas and grandpas LOVE us.  We will wear our costumes when we sing for them.  It’s fun and the kids look so stinkin’ cute in them.

Hair:

When we perform please have your childs hair pulled away from their face.  They have the cutest facial expressions and I want you to be able to get the full effect.  Make sure that their bow or flower is securely fastened and won’t fall out during our performance.  They are just for décor.  The hair should be held in place with an elastic and hair spray (I know they all hate it, but it helps with fly aways).

Make-up:

The stage lights are bright and harsh on little faces.  A small amount of make-up goes a long way.  Some mascara, blush, and lipstick will make a huge difference. (Even for the boys =)

Invitation: 

I am going to create an e-vite for our concert.  I will send it to all of you.  If you don’t receive it, please shoot me an e-mail and I will add you to the list (there are a few of you that I still don’t have an e-mail address for.)  Please feel free to add anyone to the e-vite that you would like to.  Admission to the concert is free.  It is a fun night for kids of all ages so invite away.

Parade:

We will wear jean shorts and a TaVaci T-shirt.  If you don’t have a TaVaci T-shirt, please wear a red, white, or blue T-shirt or a patriotic T-shirt.  Don’t wear your costume.  IT”S TOO HOT!!!

Calendar:

May 3- Tuition Due

May 9- Performance- Bridge Assisted Living Center

220 Collins Industrial Way

 

 Lawrenceville, GA 30043
(678) 377-8191

-          6:00- arrive

-          6:30-7:00- perform

May 10- Last Regular Class
May 18- Blocking Rehearsal- Collins Hill High

-          6:00-7:00 (everyone)
-6:00-7:30 (Harmonics)

I’ll try to be prompt, but the Harmonics do have some difficult staging.
May 19- Dress Rehearsal

- 9:30-11:30 (full costume no hair or make-up)

May 19- TaVaci School of Performing Arts

 Presents:  This is Our Moment

6:30- kids  arrive ready to go
7:00- 8:00This is Our Moment

 May 23- Last day of School
May 28- Memorial Day Parade

            Hebron Baptist Church Parking Lot

9:30-  Arrive

10:00-  Parade starts

Parade ends at the same place.  Enjoy the parade and then come back to the parking lot to collect your kiddos.

2012-2013 Registration:

Please notice the registration form attatched to this newsletter.  Please go ahead and let me know that I can plan on your kids for next fall.  The registration fee is usually $20, but if you get it to me before the concert I will take it to $10/family.  I’m thinking that I would like to divide my Tiny Tune class.  This would mean that I would have a 4:30 and a 5:”30 Tiny Tune class.  On the registration form, let me know which class time works best for your family.

I really hope that we will have every one of our friends back with us in August.  Now is a great time to tell your friends about TaVaci.  Invite them to the concert and let them come along this fall.

The best advertisement I have is you.  Thank you for telling your friends about us and what we love doing.

Questions?

If you have ANY questions please feel free to

e-mail:  betsyga@bellsouth.net

Call:  770-237-0647  or

Cell:  770-480-4491

I really want this to be a fun experience for our kids.  So, no stress.  We’ve prepared them well.  They know their stuff.  They are cuter than is allowed by law.  And, we love them.  So, let’s let them show us what they’ve got.  And trust me, they have got a lot.

Thank you for sharing you’re your little ones with us.  We think they are incredible.

Have a Great Summer!

April Newsletter

My closet is getting over crowded with props and costumes. So, we must be getting close to concert time! Yay!
As we draw closer to performance time practices become super important. We have almost completed learning all of our material. The next few weeks will be cleaning and polishing. Please make every effort to be to class each week. I realize that things come up and there may be a day that you have a conflict. That’s OK, but other than that le’ts hang out on Thursdays.
I’m, going to attempt to answer any questions that you may have about the concert. If I miss one, please feel free to shoot me an e-mail: betsyga@bellsouth.net

Costumes
Costumes are in…kind of.
Tiny Tunes are complete and have been sent home with your child today. Please have your child try it on to make sure it fits. If anything needs to be adjusted let me know ASAP.
I didn’t super love the scarves on the Tiny’s at the Christmas concert so I have sent home a red silk flower with your child today. Please use this bow instead of the sarf. Having said that, please hold on to the scarf. I may decide to use it as a neck tie in one of our numbers.

Harmonic tunes costumes are where the “kind of” comes in. Their shirts, shrugs, and ribbons are here. But, the jazz pants won’t be here for two more weeks. I decided to send the rest of the costume home today. (Did I mention that I can’t walk into my closet?) As soon as the jazz pants get here I will send them home with your child. Please remember that the pants WILL be too long. They will need to be hemmed.

Solos
Solo try-outs were held today during class. I hope all of you received the e-mail that I sent with the words to the solos attached. I will announce the solos next week. Sometimes I decide to do a duet or tri in place of a solo. I try to be fair. Some kids are more confident and can hold the notes if they sing with a friend or two.

Speaking Parts
I will send home the speaking part assignments with your kids next week. I wanted to wait until after the solo try-outs to assign speaking parts. These speaking parts need to be memorized. They need to be able to deliver them with the right inflection. Most of them are jokes. I usually have to explain to the kids why they are funny. So, if your child doesn’t “get” the joke please explain it to them.

Props
We will start practicing with some of our props during class. Sometimes the kids are sad that I won’t let them have their props. I will let them have their props but not until after the concert. If your baby is sad please help them understand that I have to keep them all together until after our show. Then, by all means, they can have their props. I certainly don’t need 30 fedora hats.

Calendar
April 12- Tuition/Performance fee due/Specialty fee (if applicable)
April 19- Speaking Parts go home
May 3- Tuition Due
May 9- Performance- Bridge Assisted Living Center
220 Collins Industrial Way
Lawrenceville, GA 30043(678) 377-8191
- 6:00- arrive
- 6:30-7:00- perform
May 10- Last Regular Class
May 18- Blocking Rehearsal- Collins Hill High
- 6:00-7:00 (everyone)-6:00-7:30 (Harmonics)
I’ll try to be prompt, but the Harmonics do have some difficult staging.
May 19- Dress Rehearsal
- 9:30-11:30 (full costume no hair or make-up)
May 19- TaVaci School of Performing Arts
Presents: This is Our Moment
6:30- kids arrive ready to go
7:00- 8:00This is Our Moment
May 23- Last day of School
May 26- Memorial Day Parade

What are YOU in charge of?
Tiny Tune Girls- Every little girl needs white footless tights and black ballet shoes. Even if you were here in December, check your tights for holes or runs. Also, make certain that your ballets still fit. Nothing is worse than squished toesies.
Boys- You need black slacks, black socks, and black shoes. Please make sure that your pants fit (no floods). We really need to make sure that your socks are black. Espescially the older boys, white socks will glow brightly in our black light number.
Harmonic tune girls- You will need black socks (again with the black light number) and black jazz shoes.
All Harmonic tunes- Each of you will need a bath robe for the Mom Song. Make sure that it has a pocket and a tie.
Tiny Tunes Specialty- Each of you will need a plain pink leotard.

I guess that will do it for now. If I think of anything else I will send a note home with your kids. Which by the way, your kids are fantastic. I love them all so much. They keep me smiling all week long. Thank you for sharing them with me.