NCHS Choir Handbook 2012-201 2013
Table of Contents Guidelines...2 Supply List, Course Fee, Concert Dress, Concert Etiquette...3 Fundraising Information...4 Grading Policy...5 Choir Calendar...6 Earning a Music Letter...7 Private Voice Instructors...8 1
Guidelines Self-discipline is an important element of choir rehearsal and performance. Students must realize that they are each contributing members of this group and that their commitment and behavior will have a lasting effect on the group s success and reputation. These are skills and understandings students take with them to the workplace. Their behavior during class and at public performances also reflects on North Central s 100+ year legacy of pride and excellence. Please follow these basic guidelines: Respect yourself and others. 100% positive participation will prevent disruptive behavior. Criticizing another student s voice or effort is not allowed. Be willing to take risks in order to grow as a musician. Be on time, in your seat, with your binder and pencil in hand ready to begin when the bell rings. Check for an entry task, and listen attentively when warm ups and rehearsal begin. With the exception of lunch-bunch, students are expected to leave all food, gum, and drinks outside of the room. Students may bring containers of water into the choir room. No books, gym bags, etc. will be allowed on the classroom tiers. Leave all belongings on the bookshelves, and pick up your folder as you enter the classroom. Cell phones and mp3 players must be turned off and left in your purse or backpack during class. You are expected to take all of your belongings with you as you leave at the end of class. You are responsible for maintaining your music in good condition, having your binder and pencil with you for rehearsal every day, and paying the replacement cost of any lost or damaged music. Students may not play the classroom piano or adjust the sound equipment. Concert dress code will be followed and proper concert etiquette will be observed at all performances. Consequences Many positive outcomes will result if group members follow the expectations listed above: verbal praise, applause, fun, growth, joy, and an excellent grade at semester. You ll make both friends and memories. The skills and concepts you learn in your music class will help you in all other academic areas. Should you choose not to meet the behavior expectations, the following progressive consequences will be enforced: 1 st incident A verbal reminder will be given. 2 nd incident A one-to-one conference will be held with the teacher during which you will sign a Discipline Referral form. 3 rd incident One-to-one conference, parent phone call, and 30-minute choir service to make up lost class time. 4 th incident One-to-one conference, referral to the counselor, and 60-minute choir service. 5 th incident Discipline Referral form is sent to the Vice-Principal. Further consequences are imposed on an individual basis. (NCHS School-Wide Discipline Plan) 2
Supply List and Course Fee Please bring the following to the Choir Room by Monday, September 17: Receipt indicating you have paid your $10 course fee. This fee is required from all singers to cover upkeep and replacement costs for performance attire and choir binders; students who are enrolled in more than one choir are only responsible for one $10 fee. Signed copies of Student Information Form and Contract and Field Trip Permission Form Performance Dress Code Symphonic Choir women will be issued a dress to wear when performing and must provide their own black dress shoes. Gentlemen will wear black dress pants, black dress shirt, and black shoes and socks. Fast Forward men supply their own black dress pants, white dress shirt, and black shoes and socks; they are issued a black vest and tie which they are responsible for keeping in good condition. Fast Forward and Nouvelle Chanson ladies are issued a dress to wear at all performances. They must supply their own black dress shoes and are responsible for hemming their dresses to a length that brushes the top of the shoe. Jewelry and hairstyle should match the formal character of the dresses without drawing the audience s attention away from the group as a whole. It is your responsibility to take care of your assigned robe and/or outfit. Shorten the hem of your dress if necessary, keep it clean and wrinkle-free, and wear it to each performance. Concert Etiquette Audience members (and choir members while seated in the audience) are asked to follow these standards for formal concert behavior: Refrain from talking during the performance. Remain seated for the entire performance. If you must leave the theatre, move only during the applause between songs. Applause is the only appropriate form of expressing appreciation. Wait until the conductor lowers his/her hands to indicate completion of the selection. Please eliminate disruptions by turning off cell phones and pagers and by removing small children who are crying or speaking loudly. Students are not permitted to leave until the end of the concert and are expected to remain seating in the theatre to observe all performing groups. This is part of the educational process. 3
Fundraising Information Choir Department fundraisers help defray the cost of festival entrance fees, transportation, paid accompanists, and social and other special choir events. Please allow your student to participate in all of our fundraisers so that all students may enjoy enrichment opportunities such as choir festivals, solo and ensemble festivals, and All-NW and All-State honor choirs. A signed parent approval form must be turned in before students will be allowed to participate in any fundraiser. Please note that the form indicates students are responsible for the security of any merchandise checked out for sale. Students may return any unsold items in good condition by the deadline date. Merchandise not returned in a timely manner will be charged to your student account. Money collected for all fundraisers should be turned in to the Business Office. You will be given two copies of a receipt for the amount turned in. Write your name on the original receipt, indicate what the payment was for, and place it in the receipt envelope located on the choir office window. Keep your copy of the receipt in a secure place. We re always looking for creative, new ways to raise funds! If you know of any fundraisers that have been successful for other groups, please pass those ideas along to one of the choir officers. Course Fee A course fee of $10 is due from all students participating in a choir class. This fee covers robe cleaning, wear and tear on choir dresses, and other special course materials. The money is due at the beginning of the Fall semester and covers the entire year. (Students enrolled in more than one choir class only need to pay one fee.) Please pay your fee in the Business Office. Write your name on one copy of the receipt, indicate what the payment was for, and place it in the receipt envelope located on the choir office window. Keep your copy of the receipt in a secure place. 4
Grading Policy The State of Washington has adopted a set of Essential Academic Learning Requirements for the Arts. Educators throughout Washington refer to these as EALRs. If you re interested in learning more about them, the EALRs are available online at the website of the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) at www.k12.wa.us/curriculuminstruct/arts/ealrs. The four main components of the Arts EALRs are: 1 The student understands and applies arts knowledge and skills. 2 The student demonstrates thinking skills using artistic processes. (Creating, performing, responding) 3 The student communicates through the arts. 4 The student makes connections with and across the arts, to other disciplines, life, cultures, and work. This year we are continuing to pilot a standards-based approach to grading. Students letter grades will be determined by their level of mastery of the standards taught and tested during a given grading period. Power Standards for High School Music and Advanced HS Music can be found on the SPS website; follow the Curriculum Connections link. Students will have multiple opportunities to give evidence of their level of achievement and/or understanding of skills and concepts covered in class. More recent evidence will be weighted more heavily. The effect of this approach to grading is that a student s final grade will reflect his/her level of mastery at the end of the semester. Daily participation and performances are still an integral part of students grades, because those opportunities provide the evidence upon which mastery grades are based. 5
NCHS Choir Calendar 2012-2013 Please add the following events to your family calendar and your planner. Dates in bold are choir concerts. Please consider them mandatory as they provide evidence of student learning on multiple standards. Think of them as a major test at the end of a unit of study. Day Date Time Event Location Group Wed-Fri Sept 12-14 3:00 PM Fall Play auditions and callbacks NC Theatre All Mon - Wed Sept 24 - Oct 3 Record All-NW and All-State auditions Choir Office Tues Oct 23 7:00 PM Fall Choir Concert NC Theatre All Singers enrolled in Fast Forward, Nouvelle, Symphonic Fri Oct 26 TBA Choir Spooktacular Party NC All Fast Forward, Thurs Nov 1 TBA EWMEA Jazz/Chamber Choir Festival St George's Nouvelle Mon Nov 5 End of First Quarter TBA TBA during school Veteran's Day Con NCHS All Thurs - Sat Nov 8-10, 15-17 7:30 PM NC Fall Play NCHS Mon - Tues Nov 19-20 all day Festival of the Arts INB PAC Selected participants Wed - Fri Dec 5-7 3:00 PM NC Musical auditions NC Theatre All Tuesday Dec 11 7:00 PM Holiday Choir Concert NCHS All TBA Dec 19 - Jan 1 TBA Winter Break during school MLK Con NCHS All Tues Jan 18 7:00 PM NC Piano Recital NC Theatre Piano Lab Tues Jan 18 2:30 PM Deadline for Solo & Ensemble Entries Choir Room Fri Jan 25 End of First Semester Sat Feb 2 all day EWMEA Solo & Ensemble Festival Rogers Thurs - Mon Feb 14-18 Fast Forward, Nouvelle, and volunteers MENC All-NW Conference All-NW and All-State Honor Choirs Portland, OR Selected participants Thurs - Sat Mar 7-9, 14-16 7:30 PM NC Musical Performances NC Theatre Tues Mar 26 7:00 PM Festival Choir Concert NCHS All Tues - Wed Mar 26-27 TBA EWMEA HS Choral Festival Shadle Park HS Symphonic Choir Mon - Fri Apr 1-5 Spring Break Fri Apr 9 End of Third Quarter Fri-Sat Apr 26-27 TBA State Solo & Ensemble Festival Ellensburg, WA Regional winners Mon May 13 AP Music Theory Exam NCHS Tues Jun 4 7:00 PM End of Year Choir Concert NCHS All Fri Jun 7 TBA Graduation Rehearsal INB Center All Sat Jun 8 TBA NC Graduation INB Center All Wed Jun 12 End of Second Semester 6
Earning a Music Letter North Central High School s music letter is an award given to students who have contributed to the growth of the school s choral music department and its reputation in the community. The following are the essential requirements for earning a Choral Department Music Letter. Each student striving for a music letter must meet the requirements in one academic year. The four areas of achievement are: academic, performance, service, and attendance. All students wanting to earn a letter will need to keep track of all service points, performance requirements, and academic requirements. The application will be turned in at the end of the year and verified by the choral music director. Fulfilling these requirements earns a letter. Fulfilling them again in a second year earns a pin. Letters and pins are awarded at the May concert. Fines and fees must be paid up before submitting application. Academic Achievement Requirements: 1. 2.5 GPA for all classes. This is based on your annual GPA, not your cumulative one. 2. 3.0 GPA for all music classes, also based on annual GPA. 3. No suspensions during the year. Performance Requirements: 1. Audition for at least one solo per year. 2. Perform at ALL required performances (concerts, festivals, competitions.) 3. Perform at 85% of all other performances (cons, holiday extras, luncheons, etc.) 4. Perform at all special events for which you are selected and attend all related rehearsals. (All-State, All-City, All-Northwest.) Service Requirements: 25 points must be earned during one academic year. Point Value Service Activity 5 Audition for All-State or All-Northwest 10 Participate in All-State or All-Northwest 5 Participate in an Honor Group by instructor recommendation (All-City, etc.) 2 Solo participation in Solo and Ensemble Festival (+1 point for II rating, +2 points for I rating) 5 Solo competition outside of school (MusicFest, etc.) 3 Stage Crew (3 points per semester) 3 Section Leader (3 points per semester) 5 Choir Officer (5 pts per year, lose 1pt per missed meeting or event) 2 Solo in a concert (max 10pts per year.) 3 Sing the national anthem for a school event (9 pts max per year.) 5 Private voice lessons per semester 3 Church or community choir participation per semester 5 Cast member in NC, Civic Theatre, or Children s Theatre production 1 Participate in Choir Fundraiser (1 point per fundraiser)? Leadership Points (to be awarded at discretion of teacher) Attendance Requirements: 1. Participate in a choral group for two semesters (one full school year.) 2. Good attendance fewer than 5 total absences and tardies per semester. 7
Private Voice Instructors Learning to sing is very much like learning to play an instrument. Practice in and out of class will help you master the breathing techniques and fine motor skills that will allow you to achieve improved vocal quality, resonance, flexibility, and control. Concepts covered in class will help you acquire the music concepts you need to read and perform increasingly difficult music. Each voice is unique, however, and the best way to improve your voice is through private voice lessons. This list is probably not complete, but it will give you a place to start in your search if you are interested in finding an instructor. Holy Names Music Academy 326-9516 Patricia Blankenship 468-1096 Robin Campbell 535-4014 Melissa Drumm 448-9172 Marge Halvorsen 534-0331 Noree Johnson 389-5300 Nancy Klingman 624-6285 Scott Miller 474-9044 Steve Mortier 468-1096 Darnell Preston 467-1448 Susan Wyndham 534-6320 8