King Philip Regional Middle School Choral Program Handbook

King Philip Regional Middle School 2018-2019 Choral Program Handbook King Philip Regional Middle School 18 King Street Norfolk, Massachusetts 02056 Mr. Ryan DeWolfe, Chorus Director (508) 541-7324 ex. 2480 dewolfer@kingphilip.org Office Hours: Wednesdays 2:15-3:00 or by appointment

Welcome to the King Philip Middle School Choral Program! My name is Mr. Ryan DeWolfe and I am the General Music Teacher and Choral Director at King Philip Regional Middle School. I am excited that you are going to become part of this welcoming and successful choral program. In this handbook, all of the requirements and general information regarding this choral program are outlined for your convenience. Throughout the course of the year you will learn the basics of proper vocal health, singing technique, solfege, sight-singing and music literacy. In addition to creating a strong music literacy and vocal foundation, you will prepare for three concerts and one competition during this school year. Additional community performances and opportunities always arise throughout the school year as well. Dates regarding pull-together rehearsals, concerts, competitions and additional performances are outlined in the calendar section of this handbook. If a date must be changed a letter will be sent home and the chorus website will be updated with the date change In addition to the 7 th and 8 th grade chorus offered during the school day, there are many other vocal opportunities for you to participate in. A select honor chorus, all-district chorus, and the spring musical are opportunities for you to continue to grow as a singer. All of these groups are outlined in the co-curricular offerings section of this handbook. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the handbook or chorus program please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to a very exciting and rewarding 2018-2019 school year. Regards, Mr. Ryan DeWolfe General Music and Chorus Director dewolfer@kingphilip.org (508) 541-7324 ex. 2480

Course Goals During this course, students will strive to meet the following: Develop a strong choral singing technique, both individually and as a group. Build music literacy and become familiar with the solfege system and basic sight-reading. Study, rehearse and perform a diverse repertoire of choral music. Perform in three school concerts and one competition annually, as well as additional community performances. Course Expectations For the chorus to be a welcoming, supportive and successful environment; students are asked to abide by the following course expectations: Be prepared and on time: Students are asked to be in their seats with their music folder and pencil before the start of class. Students who are consistently tardy interfere with the vocal integrity of the group. Perform to the best of your ability: Students are asked to try their best every day. Practice good posture, vocal habits and other instructions that Mr. DeWolfe will give you during the chorus rehearsal. Always use a pencil : The chorus music is not yours to keep so you are asked not to mark the music in pen. A pencil is common practice when marking music. Practice good vocal health: Not only is it important to perform to the best of your ability each day, students are asked to take care of their voice. In a chorus classroom, your voice is your instrument and it is extremely important that you practice good vocal habits every day. Respect: The King Philip Middle School Chorus is a place where mutual respect is extremely important. Respect between teacher and student is just as important as students respecting

each other. It is also important that students work together as a team. Chorus is an ensemble and requires everyone to work together. Negativity, disrespect and lack of participation take away from our welcoming and successful music environment. Attendance at Dress Rehearsals and Concerts: Attendance at all pull-together rehearsals and performances is required for this course except in the case of emergency or prior approval from Mr. DeWolfe. Students who are seeking an excused absence from a dress rehearsal or concert must submit the date to Mr. DeWolfe no later than one week prior to the scheduled conflict. An unexcused absence from either will result in an automatically lowered grade (1 letter grade for dress rehearsal absence, and 2 full letter grades for a performance absence) Grading Procedures Students who participate in the 7 th and 8 th grade chorus will receive a grade based upon three categories. The three categories of grading include (1) participation and attendance for pull-together rehearsals and concerts, (2) class participation and (3) concert reflections. Each section will be weighted as follows: (1) Pull-together rehearsals and concerts (50%) (2) Class participation (40%) (3) Concert evaluations (10%) Category Descriptions: (1) Pull-together Rehearsals and Concerts Students are required to attend and participate in all pull-together rehearsals and concerts. In the event that a conflict arises students must submit a letter to Mr. DeWolfe requesting an excused absence from a pull-together rehearsal or concert one week prior to the conflict. In the event of an emergency contact Mr. DeWolfe as soon as possible. An unexcused absence from either will result in an automatically lowered grade (1 letter grade for a pull-together rehearsal absence, and 2 full letter grades for a performance absence) (2) Class Participation Students are asked to put their best effort in at every class. Time is limited and it is important that we utilize the

entire class for rehearsal. Students who are habitually late, lack participation and are disrespectful will lose points for class participation. Additionally, a variety of rubrics for performance and participation will be used to effectively evaluate this portion of the class grade. (3) Concert Evaluations Students will be required to complete evaluation forms after each concert. This form will be a tool for students to critically analyze what was successful and what could be improved upon as a chorus. After each concert students will also discuss their observations with the class and work towards goals that continuously strive for musical excellence. Concert Dress Students are not required to purchase specific concert attire. However, for our chorus to look uniformed in concert, students are asked to use the following as a guideline for concert dress. Option 1 o Short, long or ¾ length white blouse or button down shirt o Black pants or long black skirt o Black dress shoes and black socks/tights Option 2 o Button down or polo white shirt o Black pants o Black dress shoes and black socks General rule: o Jeans, sneakers, t-shirts, flip flops or colored/patterned items are not permitted. o The King Philip Middle School dress code is still in place for concerts.

Additional Vocal Opportunities VOCAL ENSEMBLE Students who wish to further their capabilities as choral singers are encouraged to audition for the select honor chorus. This ensemble traditionally sings a varied repertoire ranging from classical to popular music in three-part harmony. Students who are interested in this ensemble must sign-up for an audition spot. The audition will consist of pitch recognition, range and sight singing. An informational meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 18 th and Thursday, September 20 th from 2:15-2:45. Auditions will be held on Thursday, September 27 th beginning at 2:15 and ending at 3:30. Rehearsals will primarily be Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:15-3:00. Students will not be needed at all rehearsals and a more detailed rehearsal schedule will be given out on the September 18 th and September 20 th informational meetings. ALL-DISTRICT CHORUS The Massachusetts Music Educators Association, Southeastern District, annually holds a Junior Music Festival. This junior festival allows for all students in grade 7-9 from Southeastern Massachusetts to audition for spots in the All-District Chorus. Auditions will be held on December, 2nd at Furnace Brook Middle School, Marshfield, MA. The festival will be held on March 16th-17th at Taunton High School, Taunton, MA. Mr. DeWolfe will hold multiple sessions after school to help prepare students for the audition. If you would like to audition or want more information about this exciting opportunity please see Mr. DeWolfe or visit the Music Educators website at www.semmea.org. MIDDLE SCHOOL SPRING MUSICAL The King Philip Regional Middle School offers the opportunity for students to audition for a spring musical. An information session about the musical will be held in mid-october, auditions will take place in November and rehearsals traditionally occur December through March. If you have any questions about the musical you can contact Mrs. Osborne, Ms. Duffy, Mr. Jones, and Mr. DeWolfe.

2018-2019 Required Pull-Together Rehearsals and Performances 7th and 8th Grade Chorus NOVEMBER Tuesday, 6 th Winter Concert Rehearsal 2:15-3:00 DECEMBER Tuesday, 4 th Winter Concert Rehearsal 2:15-3:00 Thursday, 13 th Winter Concert Arrival Time 6:00 pm Winter Concert Performance Time 7:00 pm MARCH Thursday, 28 th Spring Concert Arrival Time 6:00 pm Spring Concert Performance 7:00 pm (King Philip Regional High School) (*Snow Date is Wednesday, April 3rd) APRIL Thursday, 4th MICCA Festival Rehearsal 2:15-3:00 Friday, 5th MICCA Concert and Choral Festival TBA Sunday, 7th *We have traditionally performed on Saturday in the afternoon at Norwood High School. Specific performance time will be assigned in January by the MICCA association. Please keep this weekend open. Sunday, April 14 th Gold Medal Showcase** TBA (Mechanics Hall, Worcester MA) (continued on next page)

MAY Saturday, May 4th Gold Medal Showcase** TBA (Symphony Hall, Boston MA) Tuesday, 14 th Pops Concert Rehearsal 2:15-3:00 Tuesday, 21 st Pops Concert Rehearsal 2:15-3:00 (Middle School Auditorium Wednesday, 29 th Pops Concert Arrival Time 6:00 pm Pops Concert Performance 7:00 pm (Middle School Auditorium ) ** In the event that the middle school chorus earns a gold medal at the MICCA Choral Festival we will perform on either Sunday, April 14th, Mechanics Hall OR Saturday, May 4th, Symphony Hall. This will be determined the weekend of April 5th-7th at the MICCA Choral Festival. The Gold Medal Showcase is an opportunity for students to perform in a world-class venue and share the hard work they have done to receive the gold medal.

2018-2019 Policies and Procedures Acknowledgement Form Parents and Guardians: I will be utilizing Google Forms as a way to gather your acknowledgement of the policies, procedures, and dates associated with the Middle School Choral Program. I certainly understand that this time of the year you are receiving numerous requests from all teachers. However, I plan on utilizing the website with important dates, newsletters, and information throughout the course of the school year. This will give you an opportunity to become familiar with the website and the chorus page. I respectfully request that this form is completed by Monday, September 17th so I know both students and families are aware of the expectation for this course. 1. Go to the following site: https://www.kingphilip.org/domain/828 2. Once you have arrived at the webpage, click on 7th and 8th Grade Chorus on the left side of the webpage. (Do not click 7th and 8th Grade Assignments as that will not have the Google Form) 3. This will bring you to the 2018-2019 Policies and Procedures Acknowledgement Form. Click on the form and you will be able to fill out the necessary fields. 4. Once you fill out the form you are all set! If you have any questions or concerns about the handbook or Google Form do not hesitate to reach out to me. I will also have paper copies of the agreement form available at school if that is a more convenient option.