Day: June 13, 2019

Route 66

The Graz International Bilingual School or GIBS is a language school instructing in German and English with four other major languages given as options for students to study. Austrian education is typically well rounded and simple music classes are offered as part of the curriculum, though the music courses are not on the same scale as in America, Mrs. Canizares, the music teacher instructs basic music education to all levels of students at GIBS. If a student wishes to seriously study and perform music they attend the Music Conservatory in downtown Graz.

Faywen and her best friend Manon:
Manon sang in the Junior Choir with Faywen.

Mrs. Canizares, who is originally from New York City, often coordinates two concerts a semester for the GIBS community. She directs two after school choirs, a Jr. and Sr. Choir, and will arrange accompaniments to the choral songs for the various orchestral and band students who are at the school. The groups meet voluntarily after school for a few weeks leading up to the concert date. Liam and I were privileged to help instruct the younger kids for the March and June concerts. Mrs. Canizares was very happy to have a fellow music teacher and enthusiastic high-school musisian on board.

Mrs. Canizares taught the choirs, but former GIBS student Floris Fortin conducted the orchestra and choirs for the concert. He is a cellist in a well known European octet called the Oberton Octet.
  • Seamus and Tara were the lead cellos in the school
  • Liam as Concert Master

For the June concert the kids and staff choir presented “Jazz” music! The staff, senior, and junior choirs sang and the strings with a small saxophone and trumpet section played to accompany the choirs. Liam was the Concert Master for the instrumental players. Seamus loved playing his cello too. However, the best part of the concert was having Faywen play her viola for the first time in public in an ensemble. She played the viola for “A Million Dreams.” She really enjoyed the experience of playing in an ensemble!  She then stood up and joined the junior choir to sing “Route 66”! Faywen really loves this song, especially the recording made by Nat King Cole who is one of her favorite singers! The concert ended by inviting audience members to join all three choirs in singing “Halleujah” by Leonard Cohen. It was a wonderful concert and I’m so happy the kids got to be a part of a music group while at GIBS!

Faywen was the first violist ever to play in the GIBS volunteer orchestra!
GIBS Junior Choir
Singing Cohen’s “Hallelujah”