Madisn City 6 th Grade Hnr Chrus Dear Sixth Grade Parents, We are very excited t be able t ffer sixth graders in Madisn City Schls the pprtunity t participate in the 3 rd annual Madisn City 6 th Grade Hnr Chrus in the upcming spring semester. This year the Hnr Chrus will be featured at the Madisn City Schls Arts Festival n April 30, 2015 in the Bb Jnes High Schl auditrium. A secnd perfrmance is planned at James Clemens High Schl n May 5, 2015. This infrmatin packet cntains infrmatin fr yu and yur student abut participatin in this chrus. The 6 th Grade Hnr Chrus ensemble will be cmprised f perfrmers selected thrugh an auditin prcess. Details regarding the date, time, lcatin and expectatins fr these auditins are all fund within the fllwing pages. If yu have any further questins yu may cntact the elementary music teacher serving yur child s schl. Hnr chrus rehearsals will be after schl n Thursdays, beginning February 12, 2015 and cncluding n April 23, 2015. This will be a cmmitment f ten weeks, and all rehearsals will be held at Mill Creek Elementary schl. (The April 23 rd dress rehearsal may take place n the stage at Bb Jnes High Schl dress rehearsal. We will annunce that time and exact lcatin as sn as it is determined by the staff at Bb Jnes.) Thank yu fr supprting the arts in Madisn City, and again we are lking frward t the Hnr Chrus experience fr yur sixth grader. Sincerely, Madisn City Elementary Music Educatrs Kristina Newsme (Heritage Elementary/West Madisn Elementary) knewsme@madisncity.k12.al.us Traci Stewart (Hrizn Elementary/Mill Creek Elementary) tbstewart@madisncity.k12.al.us Dani Breitbarth (Clumbia Elementary/Rainbw Elementary) drbreitbarth@madisncity.k12.al.us Audra Lftin (Madisn Elementary) aclftin@madisncity.k12.al.us
Madisn City 6 th Grade Hnr Chrus Auditin Infrmatin: Auditins fr the Madisn City Hnr Chrus will be held n Saturday, January 31, 2015 at Mill Creek Elementary schl frm 9:00am 3:00pm. In rder t sign up, please access the fllwing website*: http://www.signupgenius.cm/g/60b084faaa72ea64-madisn *Please nte yu d nt have t register fr an accunt n signupgenius.cm in rder t access the MCS Hnr Chrus sign-in site. Auditins will be very brief, abut 5 minutes per student. Therefre, parents need t remain seated in the small Pre-K gym at Mill Creek the entire time their child is auditining. Auditin Requirements: C Majr Scale One ctave frm memry, in slfege syllables (ascending and descending) One Prepared Piece: Arirang (Verse #2 nly) One Chsen Piece: Students may chse a piece t sing that shwcases their wn unique vcal talents fr the judges. (Please nte, students may be asked t nly sing a small excerpt frm this sng.) Cpies f Arirang will be prvided t all auditining students by the music teacher at their elementary schl. YuTube examples f Arirang can be accessed at the fllwing links. (These vide samples are nt exact matches t the auditin music, but may be useful when learning the meldy.) https://www.yutube.cm/watch?v=kf8qjoyopqu https://www.yutube.cm/watch?v=jiv4vuro7z0 Please Nte: Auditins will either be sung a capella, r with an accmpanist that yu prvide n yur wn (smene playing either pian r guitar while yu sing). An electrnic pian will be prvided fr accmpaniment at the auditin site. Students are als required t bring a self-addressed, stamped envelpe t the auditin. This envelpe will be mailed back t yur hme, alng with a letter stating yur auditin results.
Madisn City 6 th Grade Hnr Chrus Auditin Lcatin: Auditins fr the Madisn City Hnr Chrus will be held n January 31, 2015 at Mill Creek Elementary schl frm 9:00am 3:00pm. On auditin day we ask that yu park in the area n the left side f the schl clsest t Mse Chapel Rd., and enter the schl frm the drs n the Pre-K hall. (Signs will direct yu t the crrect dr.) Then yu will sign in at the registratin table. Please see the directins and map listed belw. Driving Directins: Mill Creek Elementary is lcated at 847 Mill Rd. in Madisn, AL 35758. Detailed driving directins are as fllws: Frm I-565: Frm I-565 take Exit 9 fr Wall Triana Hwy.; travel 1.9 miles. Turn left nt Mill Rd.; travel apprx.1 mile. Destinatin will be n the right. Frm Highway 72: Turn nt Wall Triana Hwy; travel 3.6 miles. Turn right nt Mill Rd.; travel apprx.1 mile. Destinatin will be n the right. MAP Mse Chapel Rd. Balch Rd. N Wall- Triana W E Park Here Mill Creek Elem. S Mill Rd.
Madisn City 6 th Grade Hnr Chrus What t Expect n Auditin Day: Befre yur auditin: Prepare and bring yur self-addressed, stamped envelpe. Arrive at Mill Creek Elementary 10-15 minutes befre yur auditin time. Park in the left side parking lt. Sign in at the registratin table lcated just inside the drs. After signing in, students and parents will be directed t the Pre-K gym t wait, and a separate area will prvided fr warming up befre the auditin. Parents must remain in the Pre-K gym during their child s entire auditin; they are brief. Students are nt allwed t bring music int the auditin rm. While waiting in the cafeteria, an escrt will call yur name and lead yu t the auditin rm (the music rm) at yur apprpriate auditin time. During Auditin: The escrt will take yur self-addressed envelpe t the judges table, and will direct yu n where t stand. A judge will ask yu t state yur name ludly and clearly. A judge will then play the nte middle C n a pian. This is yur cue t sing the C majr scale, (ascending & descending) using slfege syllables. Yu will then be asked t sing thrugh the secnd verse f Arirang, fllwed by yur chsen auditin piece. The judges will then thank yu fr yur auditin, and yu will be escrted back t the cafeteria t meet yur parents. After Auditin: A letter f acceptance r declinatin will be mailed t yur hme in the selfaddressed stamped envelpe yu prvide. Nne f the auditin results will be psted in a public frum. The judges scre sheets and cmments will nt be mailed t yur hme, but each music teacher may be able t prvide helpful feedback abut the auditin results at the request f a student r parent. If yu are accepted int the Hnr Chrus, yur music teacher will give yu the perfrmance music and a schedule f the required rehearsal times. Hnr chrus rehearsals will be after schl n Thursdays frm February 12 - April 24 at Mill Creek Elementary Schl.
Madisn City 6 th Grade Hnr Chrus What are the judges listening and lking fr? The judges will be giving yu a scre fr yur scale singing, as well as the excerpts required in the auditin. It is pssible t earn up t 45 pints during yur auditin. They will be judging yur perfrmance in three majr areas; Presentatin, Accuracy, and Musicianship. A brief explanatin f each f these areas is listed belw: Presentatin Be cnfident in frnt f a crwd, make eye cntact, and present yurself well n stage. Accuracy Sing crrect ntes, stay in the same key, sing the crrect rhythms, stay n beat, memrize the lyrics and perfrm them crrectly Musicianship Add persnality t the music, breathe in gd places, phrase the lines, demnstrate gd tne quality (r sund) in yur vice, and sing as high and lw as yu can withut singing ff pitch, straining, shuting r cracking (yur range). A sample f the judges scre sheet is included n the fllwing page:
Madisn City 6 th Grade Hnr Chrus Criteria Scale Arirang Chsen Piece Musicianship /5 /5 /5 -Singer has nice vice quality. -Singer s vice des nt crack. -Singer des nt strain r shut. -Singer is singing crrect style f musical selectin. -Singer can easily sing a wide range f ntes (lw and high). Accuracy /5 /5 /5 -Singer can sing the crrect wrds fr memry. -Singer can prnunce wrds crrectly. -Singer can sing the crrect pitches. -Singer can sing the crrect rhythms. Presentatin /5 /5 /5 -Singer has crrect facial expressin t match style f selectin. -Singer is standing with a tall back and shulders relaxed. -Singer is making eye cntact with audience. TOTAL: /15 /15 /15 GRAND TOTAL: /45 1 = Nt Evident 2 = Fair 3 = Gd 4 = Excellent 5 = Superir
Madisn City 6 th Grade Hnr Chrus Helpful Hints t Prepare fr Yur Auditin: Several weeks befre the auditin day: Practice yur music at hme as much as pssible. Always warm-up yur vice befre yu practice by singing lng ntes n an syllable. (Prnunced as in the wrd fd. ) Practice in frnt f an audience, made up f yur family r friends. (Remember yu will be singing in frnt f judges wh are strangers t yu.) Rehearse withut a CD. (Yu will nt sing with recrded music during the auditin.) If a sng is t high r lw fr yur vice yu may sing it in a different key. Yu may want t ask an accmpanist (a pian r guitar player) t rehearse with yu. If yu wrk with an accmpanist yu need t infrm them f the auditin date and time s they can prepare t cme with yu. Lk ver the judges scre sheet and ask yurself hw well yu think yu re ding. Yu might want t seek a private music teacher fr a few vice lessns in rder t prepare fr the auditin. (This is purely ptinal. If yu practice, yu can have a beautiful auditin withut the help f a private music teacher.) On auditin day: Try nt t be stressed ut. Drink plenty f water. Get a gd night s sleep the night befre the auditin. D nt cnsume any sugar r caffeine befre yur auditin. (These are nt healthy ptins fr yur vice, and they will make yu feel even mre nervus and jittery.) Arrive early t yur auditin s that yu are nt wrried abut time. Arriving early will als give yu a chance t warm-up. Items yu MUST bring t yur auditin: Yur self-addressed, stamped envelpe. Yur parent r the chapernes that will be driving yu back hme. Yur psitive attitude abut hw well yu are ging t perfrm! Items yu MAY want t bring t yur auditin: Bring a snack with yu if yu think yu may be hungry. Bring alng a bttle f water. Yu may want t bring sme lip balm as well. Bring a sweater/jacket in case yu feel cld while waiting t auditin.
Madisn City 6 th Grade Hnr Chrus Madisn City Hnr Chrus Permissin Frm I, the undersigned parent/guardian, hereby grant my child permissin t auditin fr the Madisn City Sixth Grade Hnr Chrus. As part f the auditin prcess, I understand that I must sign my child up fr an auditin time and have them at Mill Creek Elementary Schl, n Saturday, January 31, 2015 at their assigned time. I understand that I must stay in the parent waiting area during auditins. I understand that this auditin is a valuable learning tl that my child may use t build their musical skills and stamina. I als understand there is a pssibility that my child may nt scre in the tp percentile and therefre, may nt be admitted past the auditin runds. I realize that the judges are cmmunity members wh d nt knw my child s past vcal experience. They d nt hld allegiance t ne schl ver anther and will be judging based n slely what happens in the auditin rm. I give the Madisn City music teachers permissin t mail the auditin results t the address listed belw. Child s First & Last Name: Child s Grade: Child s Hmerm Teacher: Child s Schl: Parents First & Last Names (printed): Parent email address: Parent phne cntact: Mailing Address: Signed: Date: