Mozart's Death

December 5, 1791 was Mozart's date of death. For those of you who have no idea who Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is, he was a great composer in the classical era. His full name is Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. Do not even attempt to memorize that name. Mozart himself signed all of his works as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Look at the picture with the signature on it to get an idea.

Mozart lived to only 35 years. He had one son and a wife. His last opera that he wrote was The Magic Flute or Der Zauberflote.

This is his signature.

Written by: Rubina H.

Frederica Von Stade's Retirement in the Herbst Theatre

Frederica von Stade is one of the best mezzo-sopranos that were born, She retired yesterday, on Saturday, December 3, 2011. You could buy tickets to the Herbst theatre and watch Frederica von Stade and many others sing. The people that were there were Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, (dramatic soprano), Susan Graham, (mezzo-soprano), Susannah Biller,(Soprano), Zheng Cao,(mezzo-soprano), Richard Stilwell,(baritone), and Sameul Ramey,(Bass). Sir Thomas Allen was also supposed to come but he could not make it. Instead of him, Marilyn Horne!

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is also a world wide known opera singer. She sang and played the role of Donna Elvira in the movie, Don Giovanni.

Susan Graham sang Xerxes in this seasons Xerxes at the San Francisco Opera.

Since Sir Thomas Allen could not make it to the retirement party, SF Opera director, David Gockley read a letter that Sir Thomas Allen sent to Frederica von Stade.

All of the singers there sang something. The accompanist, John Churchwell, was a composer and most of the singers there sang something that he composed. For example, Mr. Churchwell composed a series of songs, based on the poetry that Frederica von Stade wrote herself, about Ferderica's daughter Lisa.

For once in my life, I saw Dame Kiri Te Kanawa in real life!!! I am going crazy right now!

By: Rubina H.

Come Swim with OK Go!

Google and partnered with OK GO and a dance troupe to create another great music video. This take of "All is Not Lost" is a playful HTML5 music collaboration that lets you embed a message in the music video while the troupe dance to it. Sometimes the dancers seem underwater; other times, they seem to be water bugs or frogs scooting across the surface of a pond.

According to Google's daily blog, the site was built in HTML5 for use with the browser Google Chrome. As you'll see, various video clips move, or are rendered, in multiple browser windows that move, re-size, and re-align throughout the piece as the music changes.

In the Google blog post by Keiko Hirayama, a marketing manager for Google Tokyo, the collaboration had a "special significance" for the Google team in Japan. Apparently, the team worked alongside OK Go, and the message "All is Not Lost" is in support of all the people who were affected by Japan's earthquakes.

You can see our special message in the image with this post! For The Herald's coverage of OK GO, click here. For more information about the code behind this effort, click through to the Google Code Blog.

Over the Rainbow at the Oscars

As Clara reported earlier this year, PS22 school kids from New York performed at the Oscars. Here is a vide clip from their performance at the Oscars.

A 100-Year-Old Guitar

Two men, Kornel Mariusz Radwanski and James Kline, are musicians who play 100-year-old guitar-like instruments. The music James and Kornel play is called "nyckelharpa."  Nyckelharpa is ancient Celtic, or Irish, music.

Though the guitars are 100 years old, they sound beautiful. James and Kornel play a song, "Greensleeves," that was referenced in William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, a play with a main character called Lady Greensleeves.

Music at Hillwood

Gayle Schmitt was the music teacher at Hillwood for a long time. She sings a lot of songs with the whole school. Gayle sings at the Randall Museum.Gayle mostly sings songs that entertain little children. Sometimes she invites children from Hillwood to come and sing with her at the Randall museum. We sing all sorts of songs with Gayle at music class. Gayle also composes her very own music! At the Randall museum, she mostly sings her own songs. Gayle has her own CD of songs with her singing with her band.

The talent show at our school is a very important event. Gayle is the main person in it. She chooses two songs for each classroom, then she practices, and then she preforms it with each class. We have music books in each class, then we chose a song to sing, and sing it.

Part of this article will appear in the yearbook.

The Engineering of OK Go

The band OK Go is an old band from Chicago, Illinois. They are now in Los Angeles. The band has four members, Damian Kulash (lead vocals and guitar), Tim Nordwind (bass guitar and backing vocalist), Dan Konopka (drum and percussion), and Andy Ross(keyboard, guitar, and backing vocals).

In 1998 OK Go released 2 albums and "Here It Goes Again" won the band a Grammy Award. In 2007 they got "Best Short-Form Music Video."

The band came to be by meeting when they were 11 years old. They called the band OK Go because their art teacher would say "OK Go" when they were drawing. They kept in touch after camp and sent each other mix tapes. They met Andy Duncan in high school and who was replaced later by Andy Ross. They met Dan Konopka (a drummer) in college. OK Go formed in 1998.

The following video shows a lot of science and engineering in their work. Do not be afraid of the red-splattered band member at the start -- he's been splattered by paint. As you'll see, the band members all get splattered by different-colored paint.

The Toodala Ramblers Had a Show Again!

At the Randal Museum there was a show that was with the Toodala Ramblers. Mrs. Schmitt was the main singer, and she is the music teacher at Hillwood School.

The show was great, and the Toodala singers are Faryn, Jay, Oliver, and me, Rubina — all Hillwood students. The performance was for little kids. The band members were Gayle Schmitt on guitar. Ted Silverma on mandolin, Betsy Maudlin on the fiddle, Craig Fletcher on banjo, and Tom Drohan on stand-up bass.

To go to Gayle Schmitt's website click to www.gaylesongs.com. Gayle's show was very nice. They had a lot of audience that was cheering. Most of the crowd were small children who came with their parents. There were two shows: one of her shows was at one o'clock the other was at three o'clock. One of the band members, the fiddle player, was not able to make it. The fiddle player who couldn't make it is named Liz. She couldn't make it to the show so she was replaced by Betsy.

Written by Rubina

Pandora Radio, A Review and Comparison to LastFM

Pandora Radio is one of the many Internet Radio sites on the Internet. Your probably wondering, "What is Internet radio?" Well, Internet radio is exactly what it sounds like. It is an audio service transmitted via the Internet. It's also known as webcasting because it's music streaming the Internet. Internet radio sites are usually accessible throughout the world. Pandora launched a mobile version for Android phones and for the Apple IPhone and Ipod touch.

I think that Pandora is better than Last.fm which is another Internet Radio site, because Last.fm gives a wider variety of music which I personally don't like, even though Last.fm is easier to use.

You can read my article abou Last.fm here.

Music on da Internet!

In 2002, an internet radio site was created. It was called "last.fm." It claims to have over 30 million users in more than 200 countries. It uses a system called audioscobbbler.

Last.fm lets you pick out artists that you like and compares similar artists and chooses a bunch of songs to create a radio playlist.

Internet radio is exactly what it sounds like. It streams music throughout the internet on websites like last.fm and others.

I think last.fm is pretty cool because it creates a good radio playlist for songs and I am going to use it in the future.

Miss Gayle Schmitt Is Back with the Ramblers!

The Ramblers — led by Hillwood's very own music teacher, Miss Schmitt — are back with another show.

It is the 11th year the San Francisco Bluegrass and Old-Time Festival has been showing amazing local and national acts all over the Bay Area. The Randall Museum has been part of their local community for fifty years. The Ramblers will be preforming Saturday, February 20, 2010. It will be taking place at the Randall Museum 119 Museum Way in the city. The museum's phone number is (415)-554-9609. The museum's site is www.randallmuseum.com. The price is six dollars for kids and nine dollars per adult.

Miss Gayle Schmitt is the music teacher at Hillwood School. She is a great singer and teacher. Her band includes the instruments Banjo, Mandolin, Fiddle, and a stand up Bass. Her band played in the Randall Museum for many years.

To listen to Gayle sing go to www.gaylesongs.com.

Written by Rubins H.

Crowdsourcing b flat

This video of Bb 2.0 is amazing because, it shows people from all over the world playing the same note, the b note, so, even though we are all different some how, we are all still similar in some way.

This collaborative music and spoken-word project organized by Darren Solomon.

Hillwood's 60th Anniversary in Muir Woods

Last Sunday, Hillwood went to Camp Hillwood in Muir Woods. The occasion was the 60th anniversary for Hillwood Academic Day School.

We first had a BBQ then a long hike. We got many pictures of the woods. There weren't any deer but there were lots of trees. I loved the hammock at the camp. Everyone had a lovely time.



The hike was long and hard but I mainly liked stone stacking. There was a fun Pinata to whack. Don't forget about the candy. There was also a lot of singing with Ms. Gayle Shcmitt. Mr. Eric Grantz, the owner, hosted this wonderful BBQ. There was lots of desserts and lots of dumplings and meat. The camp is were Hillwood's summer program takes place each year.

The Lego Artsist

Nathan Sawaya chooses not to sculpt out of clay but Lego's. Nathan was busted on Mythbusters that a ball of Lego's will not crush a car. Nathan started in 2000 and lives in New York. His childhood dream was to have fun. After college he discovered Lego's.

Nathan's art is in South America in the show titled, The Art of the Brick. Nathan was born in Colville,Washington and raised in Veneta, Oregon. Nathan's newest work is Circle Triangle Square.Today Nathan has more than 1.5 million bricks in his New York art studio.

By Rubina and Anya

Below is Rubina and Anya's highlights from their story:

"Birds on the Wires"

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

Jarbas Angellis has written an original composition. His inspiration came from a picture in his local newspaper. The picture was of birds sitting on electrical wires. Angellis drew notes on composition paper to represent the birds. Later the notes became chords, then becoming different rhythms, all in the key of C Major.

This must have been quite an effort to be able to create a song based on the position of the birds, however, the effect is the same as any other song. This song, though short is much worth hearing.

The picture was by Paul Pinto, the music by the birds, the idea from Jarbas Angellis.

by Brigette W.

Viki the Pop Singer

Virginia Maestro Diaz or Viki a pop singer from Spain. When she was 7 she found out she was in love with music. In the 60's she was the lead singer of a cover versions band, or in a piano voice duet. At 19 she went to college to study music.

Viki was in the TV show "Operacion Triunfe". When Viki was 12 she composed her first song on guitar. When she was 15 she joined her first band. Soon she was interested in blues and jazz.

Play with the video that goes along with one of her popular songs. Wait for it to download (about 30 seconds) and then click on the screen.

By Anya J. and Rubina H.

Watch Rubina (left) and Anya discuss their story. Filmed by Zack O.

The Interesting, Exilerating Music of the Presidential Speech

I really liked the music because it gives you a chance to know that the president of the united states is going to come on the platform. I also liked how he kept talking about how education was going to take us to where we want.

I'm writing this because a lot of people in the United States need this advice The music was also cool because I like that kind of music. The speech was also very interesting because Obama started telling stories about how he had to wake up at 4:30 A.M to be home schooled.

Photo credit: Current.

Brick Artist

Art and music made out of Legos? What do you think? And who is the artist behind all the little, colorful squares?

Student Assignment: Rubina, Anya
Spend several minutes reading about Nathan Sawaya on his website. Look through his website, and check out some of his artwork.

Write a brief -- about ten sentences -- about what Nathan does. What do you think? Which of his creations do you like best? Capture three to five images of his work. Remember to credit his website as a source for these images (see example below; you can but and paste the text.

Remember to include the basics -- also known as the five W's -- of a news story:

• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why

Photo credit: Brick Artist

Crowdsourcing In B-Flat

In Bb 2.0 is a fun, inspiring collaborative music and spoken-word project organized by Darren Solomon. This is a form of "crowdsourcing" developed with contributions from a lot of volunteers.

Assignment: Julien G.
Read the FAQ (frequently asked questions), and then write a news story. Remember to answer the five W's of a news story (who, what, when, where, and why). Also, consider the following:

• How did the person who made this come up with the idea?
• Did he play any of the instruments?
• What is crowdsourcing?
• How could The Hillwood Herald do this (again, look to the FAQ for help)?

Now watch the following: How do you think they did this? It, too, is an example of crowdsourcing. Why?

The Music of Birds

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

Student Assignment:
Brigette W.
Jarbas Angelli, a Brazilian musician, saw a picture of birds sitting on electrical wires, taken by Paul Pinto, in a local newspaper. He cut the photograph out, and set about matching the birds to appropriate notes. Angelli’s short clip features his own arrangements, but he is careful to give credit where credit is due—to the birds themselves.

Read Agnelli's own blog post about his work.

Brigette, as a musician what do you think about his his effort? Would this be easy or difficulty to do? With your special talent as a violinist, consider what other music-related information might be helpful to your readers.

When writing the story, remember to answer the five W's of a good news story.

• Who
  
• What
  
• When
  
• Where
  
• Why
  

Embed the music video from Vimeo in your blog post.