TEACHER HANDBOOK 1 This handbook outlines policies and procedures for the third annual Massachusetts All-State Treble Chorus held during the 2018 MMEA conference. Students from grades four through six are eligible to participate in an online audition. Approximately 200 students will be selected to participate in an introductory rehearsal, final rehearsal, and performance. Table of Contents Pg. 1 Pgs. 2-3 Pg. 3 Pgs. 4-6 Pg. 6 Pgs. 6-7 Pgs. 8 Pgs. 9-11 Pgs. 12-13 Contact Information Handbook Updates, Teacher Responsibility & Student Eligibility Timeline Online Audition Process Registration Process for Selected Students First Rehearsal Concert Day Parent Informational Letter Appendix All-State Treble Chorus Committee Contact Information Elizabeth Puleo, Manager masstreblechorus@gmail.com http://www.massmea.org/newsevents/all-statefestival-concert/treble-chorus Daniel Rose, Assistant Manager masstreblechorus@gmail.com Treble Chorus Committee: Sara Carson Sandra Doneski Faith Lueth Elizabeth Puleo Daniel Rose
1. 2017-2018 Handbook Updates: a. Audition Process i. Submissions will be scored using the updated rubric found under the auditions section (p. 13) ii. Acceptance policy change- For any teacher who submits a minimum of 5 applicants but does not have a student with a qualifying z-score after initial judging, the top scoring student will be accepted into the Treble Chorus. Those selected students are in addition to those students with qualifying scores, not in place of those students with qualifying scores. b. Concerts i. There will be two concerts at the Seaport Hotel Grand Ballroom. 2. Teacher Responsibility a. All participating teachers must be MMEA members. Students are eligible only if their teacher is a MMEA member. b. Teachers must be informed about the process of auditioning and preparing students for this festival experience. This handbook will be a useful resource and includes information regarding the All-State Treble Chorus. c. Teachers must regularly check the MMEA information page for audition updates: http://www.massmea.org/newsevents/all-state-festival-concert/treble-chorus d. Teachers must communicate with parents/guardians: e. Our organization communicates with teachers, and teachers are responsible for disseminating all information to students parents/guardians. Parents/guardians should contact their music teacher with questions. In general, the All-State Treble Chorus Committee will not be in direct contact with parents/guardians. f. Please distribute the parent/guardian information letters to all students/families at the appropriate point in the process, e.g. auditions, first rehearsal and final rehearsal/performance. The audition parent/guardian letter is found at the end of this handbook and other letters will be emailed in advance of events. g. Please ensure that students/parents know the requirements for participation in this program if their child has a successful audition. h. As the process of auditioning and rehearsing begins, we will send periodic email updates. These emails should promptly be shared with parents/guardians. i. Teachers must chaperone their students to the rehearsals and concert. Parents/guardians will not chaperone students. j. Teachers should prepare students for the online audition process and create an audio recording for each student auditioning. k. Teachers should prepare selected students for the rehearsal process. l. Teachers must remain with students, as their chaperone, during the entire duration of rehearsals and performances, with the exception of Saturday, March 3, (more information below). 2
3 3. Student Eligibility a. Students from grades four through six are eligible to audition. b. Students from public schools and private schools are eligible. c. Sponsoring teacher is a current member of MMEA. 4. Timeline of Dates a. Teachers should share this information with parents. Students and families must be available for all pertinent dates, which are in bold. Students not available for the first rehearsal, will not be considered. Event Date Audition page goes live Tuesday September 26, 2017 Auditions close Friday December 8, 2017 *Due to the time sensitive adjudication process, late submissions cannot be accepted. Audition Payment/PO s due to MMEA Friday December 8, 2017 Results published Monday December 18, 2017 Accepted Student Online Registration Deadline Friday January 5, 2018 Music mailed Monday January 8, 2018 1st Rehearsal (9:30am-12:30pm) Final Rehearsal and Concert Date First Concert - 1:00 pm Second Concert - 2:30 pm February 10, 2018 Algonquin Regional High School (snow date: February 11, 2018) March 3, 2018 Plaza Ballroom, Seaport Hotel Boston, MA
Online Audition Process and Acceptd 1. Student Eligibility: a. Participation is extended to students of teachers belonging to MMEA in grades four, five, and six. A maximum of ten students are allowed to audition from each school. If a teacher teaches in more than one school, s/he can submit up to 10 applicants per school. Please note: teachers will not be guaranteed student acceptance. 2. Parental Permission: a. For auditions, all students must print and return a signed permission slip to their music teacher. Teachers will be required to verify receipt of the permission slip within the Acceptd application. The audition permission slip can be found, as a part of the parent letter, at the end of this handbook. 3. Photo and Video Release: a. MMEA reserves the right to take pictures for official publicity and archival purposes. This applicant's parent(s)/guardian(s) has given permission for Soundwaves Recording to videotape their child's performance in the 2018 All-State Treble Chorus Festival. The parent(s)/guardian(s) is aware that DVDs of the performance will be available for sale to participating families. If this is an issue for any of your students, please contact the manager: masstreblechorus@gmail.com. 4. Audition Payment: a. The audition fee for each candidate is $25.00. We do not offer scholarships or waivers. Check with your administration, as many school systems have a non-discriminatory clause that will cover students who cannot participate due to financial hardship. b. There are three methods of payment: i. Parents/Guardians may pay for their own child: Parents/guardians may pay ACCEPTD directly via phone (888-725-2122 ext. 2). Parents/guardians will be expected to provide personal credit card information, in addition to their child s name, their child s music teacher s name, their child s school and school district. Before instructing parents to contact ACCEPTD to make the payment, please be sure that the application form is completed and the audition audio is uploaded to ii. iii. the online portal. Teachers pay for their student(s): In this case, parents/guardians will first pay teachers for their child. Teachers will use their personal or school credit card to pay for their students by entering their information in the last section of each student form in ACCEPTD. School district/pto pays for student(s). In this case, the teacher will use a school/parent organization to pay for all students who audition through ACCEPTD. In lieu of credit card information, teachers who choose this option will receive a coupon code to enter on the Acceptd payment screen. To receive your coupon code(s), please contact masstreblechorus@gmail.com with the names of your students, your school name, and the total number of codes required. Teachers must fill out a PO/Check form and mail in their school check and form by Monday November 27, 2017. This form will be found on our 4
5 website. MMEA - Massachusetts Music Educators Association Attn: All-State Treble Chorus Auditions P.O. Box 3886 South Attleboro, MA 02703-3886 5. Preparing for Auditions: a. We strongly recommend that teachers meet with and prepare auditionees for a successful audition. b. Teachers are responsible for recording students and uploading files to our online audition program, ACCEPTD. 6. Audition Materials: a. The audition will consist of two parts: a vocal exercise and My Country Tis of Thee. Notation for both are found in the appendix. Teachers will record both, in that order, on one audio file using the provided accompaniment track. b. The provided accompaniment track is on the website (http://www.massmea.org/newsevents/all-state-festival-concert/treble-chorus). The recording includes modulations for the vocalise and a standard harmonic introduction for My Country Tis of Thee. Use the mp3 in a multi-track recording, e.g. GarageBand or Audacity, or play it from a speaker while recording your student s audition on another device, e.g. using the computer speakers to play the accompaniment and an iphone/ipod touch to record the performance of the singer. c. To follow the accompaniment students will sing the vocalise using a oo vowel and begin as written and modulate up by half steps to the key of A (highest note will be an A). Students are permitted to modify the vowel of the highest note to ah between the keys of F and A major. d. For My Country Tis of Thee, a I-V-I chord progression will be played to tonally prepare your students. This is not to establish tempo, students will be expected to sing the song a-capella in its entirety in the provided tonality at their own tempo. 7. Using Acceptd: a. Acceptd is an online audition web service that MMEA has contracted to manage the All- State Treble Chorus Auditions. This website is user-friendly and will guide you step-bystep. It is recommended that you use Google Chrome for best compatibility. Acceptd will be available for use on Tuesday September 26, 2017. b. Login: If you have used Acceptd in the past, login in to begin the process. If you are new, you will need to sign up and create a login. Please use an email address that you check frequently as that is how we will communicate with you during the process. Through the new account you created, you will add in information on all your students auditioning, as well as upload recordings. c. Personal Information: You will need to type in personal information on all of your students including: parent name, and emergency contact number. d. When filling out the address field, teachers are required to use their SCHOOL ADDRESS for the ACCEPTD page. 8. Uploading Music: a. Do not include the name of the student or school in the recording or in the name of the audio file. Teachers should not speak or count off for students at the beginning of the recording.
6 b. Teachers must record the vocalise and My Country Tis of Thee on the same audio file in that respective order using the mp3 accompaniment track provided on the website. c. Please note, that the following recording formats can be uploaded to the audition page: MP3, OGG, M4A, WMA, WAV, AAC, FLACP. d. For details on the recording process or for questions regarding technical difficulties, please refer to the Acceptd technical support webpage: https://acceptd.zendesk.com/home 9. Disqualifications: a. Sound enhancement, e.g. autotune or filters. b. Audible teacher voices, including counting in, speaking and/or singing. c. An introduction on the recording other than the one provided. d. Pausing the recording between the vocalise and the song and/or tampering with the recorded accompaniment track. 10. Judging Process: a. All applications will be scored with complete anonymity. Therefore, do NOT include any personal information (student name, school, age, etc.) within the audio recording or when naming the audio file. b. The updated rubric for audition scoring can be found in the appendix. Registration Process for Selected Students 1. Online Registration: a. Students who are selected must be registered online to participate in the Treble Chorus. b. Previous information provided from the audition process does not carry over. c. Payment will be conducted at the first rehearsal. (See below). d. The deadline to register students online is Friday January 5, 2018. e. Students not registered online by Friday January 5, 2018 will not be eligible to participate. First Rehearsal for Students 1. First Rehearsal Music Learning Expectations: a. Students are expected to know their music by the first rehearsal, however memorization is not mandatory at this stage. Rehearsal notes will be provided from the director with the music. b. Pitches and rhythms are expected to be sung accurately. c. Please consider offering weekly practice sessions for your students. 2. First Rehearsal Student Attendance: a. Attendance at the first rehearsal is mandatory. Students who do not attend the first rehearsal will not be permitted to participate. b. If a student misses the first rehearsal due to an illness, s/he must provide a doctor s note to the Treble Chorus Committee. Doctor s notes should be scanned and sent to the following address: masstreblechorus@gmail.com 3. First Rehearsal Attendees: a. Only students, chaperones, and other official MMEA personnel will be allowed in rehearsal space. There are no exceptions.
7 b. MMEA recognizes that some families are traveling long distances to attend these rehearsals and performances, however, for the safety of all students, it is important that only the people listed above be permitted to enter the rehearsal space. Waiting areas, as well as information on local attractions, will be available for families. 4. Chaperones: a. MMEA member teachers will serve as chaperones. We require a 10-1 ratio of students to chaperone. Below are examples of how this might work for your school/district. i. There are five schools in a particular district. From the five schools, 10 students are selected. Even though the students come from different schools, one MMEA member teacher may chaperone those 10 students. ii. If a teacher has more than ten students participating (between multiple schools), another MMEA member is required to serve as the designated chaperone for the additional students. iii. There are six schools in a particular district. From the six schools, 15 students are selected. Two MMEA member teachers will serve as chaperones. 5. First Rehearsal Check-In Process: a. Students will be checked in by their music teacher, who will act as their chaperone. b. Teachers should have payments for registration and tickets for their students (see below for further instruction). c. Teachers should plan arrivals with families. The Treble Chorus Committee will not register students accompanied by parents/guardians. 6. Festival Registration Payment: a. Chaperone/Teachers are expected to bring one registration payment for all students participating (check or P.O.) b. There are a number of ways the registration payment can be accomplished: i. All parents pay the teacher and the teacher writes one personal check for all students participating. ii. Parents pay the school and the school issues a payment (school check or PO) for student registration. iii. Parents pay the PTO and the PTO issues a payment for student registration. c. MMEA will not accept checks from individual families for student registration. 7. Ticket Payment: a. Families are able to purchase up to four tickets to the All-State Treble Chorus concert at a cost of $10 per ticket. There will be no additional tickets available for purchase, and there are no complimentary tickets available. b. To purchase tickets, families should print the purchase form from the website, fill it out, and return it to their child's music teacher with a personal check made out to MMEA. Unlike registration fees, MMEA will accept personal family checks for tickets.
Concert Day 1. Concert Day Arrival: a. The registration window will be 7:00 a.m.-8:15 a.m. Rehearsal begins at 8:30 a.m. b. As with the first rehearsal, only students, designated chaperones, and other official MMEA personnel will be allowed in rehearsal and registration process. There are no exceptions. We understand that some families are traveling long distances to attend these rehearsals and performances, however, for the safety of all students, it is important that only the people listed above be permitted to enter the rehearsal space. Waiting areas, as well as information on local attractions, will be available for families. 2. Concert Day Chaperone Policy: a. For the Saturday Morning Rehearsal on March 3, 2018, chaperones (MMEA member teachers), who have registered for the conference, are permitted to attend sessions. Teachers will send the All-State Treble Chorus managers an email with the session they will attend along with their phone number. In case of an emergency, teachers will keep their phone on during the duration of their session. 3. Concert Day Rehearsal Schedule: a. The final rehearsal schedule will be determined by the visiting conductor. This schedule will be posted on the MMEA information page at least one week in advance. 4. Concert Day Required Materials: a. Students must bring their scores. b. Students must bring a pencil. c. Students must bring snacks, bottled water, and a bagged lunch. These items should be clearly labeled with the student s name. 5. Concert Day Attire: a. Students should wear black pants/long skirt and a comfortable shirt. Their festival t-shirts will be worn over the shirt they arrive with. b. Festival T-shirts will be provided the morning of the concert rehearsal. 6. Concert: a. There will be two concerts. Parents will be assigned to attend either the first concert at 1:00 pm or the second concert at 2:30 pm. b. There will be a waiting area available for parents while their child is performing in the other concert. Chaperones are required to attend both concerts and to ensure students are safely to returned to their families. c. MMEA members with a conference badge will be able to attend the concerts for free. d. Other school officials, e.g., principal, classroom teachers, etc., are eligible for a limited amount of complimentary tickets. Email the managers if you are in need of a school official ticket. 8
All-State Treble Chorus Parent Informational Letter 9 September, 2018 Dear Parents/Guardians, Students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade have the opportunity to audition for the 2018 All-State Treble Chorus. A successful audition will allow the student to participate in the third annual Massachusetts All-State Treble Chorus Festival on Saturday, March 3, 2018. Details regarding the audition and participation requirements of the All-State Treble Chorus are attached. This information is available to help you decide whether or not your child is able to make this commitment. Parents/Guardians must read this document before permitting their singer to participate in the audition. Your child will work with his or her music teacher to submit an online audition via Acceptd, Inc. This audition will include a recording of your child singing a vocal warm up and an unaccompanied version of My Country Tis of Thee. Teachers will also fill out a brief recommendation for each applicant. Completed applications can be submitted online between Tuesday, September 26, 2017 and Friday, December 8, 2017. The fee to audition is $25.00. Your child s music teacher will be in touch with you about our payment options. Thank you for your support with this process, and best wishes to your child as s/he prepares to audition. Sincerely, The All-State Treble Chorus Committee www.massmea.org My child,, has my permission to audition for the All- State Treble Chorus. By signing below, I agree to: Read the attached materials. Pay the $25.00 audition fee. Allow my child s music teacher to post an audio audition. Allow MMEA to use my child s photograph in rehearsal and/or performance for official purposes and archival purposes. This applicant's parent(s)/guardian(s) has given permission for Soundwaves Recording to videotape their child's performance in the 2018 All-State Treble Chorus Festival. The parent(s)/guardian(s) is aware that DVDs of the performance will be available for sale to participating families. Parent/Guardian Signature Date Parent/Guardian Name (please print)
Important Parent/Guardian Information Please read prior to auditions, and please be willing to commit to the following obligations before allowing your child(ren) to audition. 10 Mandatory Dates First Rehearsal and location: February 10th, 2018, Algonquin Regional High School Final Rehearsal and Performances: March 3rd, 2018, Plaza Ballroom, Seaport Hotel Audition Process Auditions will be held online through a reputable audition service called ACCEPTD. Your child s music teacher will be responsible for this process and will prepare the online audition. There is a $25.00 non-refundable cost for auditioning. For the audition process, MMEA will not accept individual checks from parents/guardians. It is the teacher s responsibility to inform you of the method of payment. Please contact your child s music teacher about how to proceed with this payment. Once the audition window has closed, your child s submission will be judged and given a score based on the rubric on the following pages. Your child s music teacher will contact you with the results when they are available. Event Date Audition page goes live Tuesday September 26, 2017 Auditions close Friday December 8, 2017 Results published- Teachers will notify students Monday December 18, 2017 Music mailed to teachers for accepted students Monday January 8, 2018 1st Rehearsal- Teachers will chaperone 9:30am-12:30pm Final Rehearsal and Concert Date First Concert - 1:00 pm Second Concert - 2:30 pm February 10, 2018 Algonquin Regional High School (snow date: February 11, 2018) March 3, 2018 Plaza Ballroom, Seaport Hotel Boston, MA If your child is selected: Your music teacher will confirm your child's availability and register your child online. S/he will be required to participate in the mandatory first rehearsal on Saturday February 10th 2018, and a final rehearsal/performances on Saturday March 3rd, 2018.
11 Students are required to attend both rehearsals (indicated above). Students unable to attend will not be allowed to participate. In the case of an unexpected illness or family emergency, we require a doctor s note or other form of documentation. There will be an additional $25.00 registration fee for festival costs. The music teacher and student are responsible for finding time to rehearse and learn the music before the first rehearsal. Students are expected to have notes and rhythms learned, but not memorized by the first rehearsal. Sheet music will be mailed to your child s school. Transportation to first rehearsal and concert sites will be mutually agreed upon between teachers and families. Students will be chaperoned by their music teacher or a designated MMEA member teacher. Please note, ONLY chaperones and MMEA personnel will be allowed into the rehearsal space. Parents/Guardians will not be permitted. There are no exceptions. We understand that some families are traveling long distances to attend these rehearsals and performances, however, for the safety of all students, it is important that only designated personnel be permitted in rehearsals. Waiting areas, as well as information on local attractions, near the rehearsal and performance sites will be available for families. For the final rehearsal/performances on March 3rd, students will need bottled water, snacks, and a packed lunch. These items must be clearly labeled with their name. As with the first rehearsal, ONLY designated chaperones and MMEA personnel will be permitted in the rehearsal site. Parents/Guardians will not be permitted. We will have a waiting area and will provide a list of local attractions. Attending the Concerts There will be two concerts - First at 1:00pm and the second at 2:30pm. Parents will be notified which concert to attend via their purchased tickets. There will be a waiting area available for parents while their child is performing in the other concert. Chaperones are required to attend both concerts and to ensure students are safely to returned to their families. A ticket purchase form will be provided in your child s music folder. That same form is available at http://massmea.org/newsevents/all-state-conference. Return it, along with payment, to your child's music teacher. Personal checks should be made out to MMEA. There will be no complimentary tickets available for this event. Communication The first line of communication is your child s music teacher. Please contact him/her with any questions. If the music teacher is unable to answer the questions, s/he will contact the Treble Chorus Committee and then get back to you. Your child s music teacher will be your best resource during this process.
Appendix 12
13 Massachusetts All-State Treble Chorus Audition Rubric Note Accuracy: The student performs: 4-All pitches accurately. 3-All but 1 or 2 pitches accurately. 2-All but 3 or 4 pitches accurately. 1-All but 5 or 6 pitches accurately. 0-More than 6 pitches inaccurately. Rhythmic Accuracy: The student performs: 4-All rhythms accurately. 3-All but 1 or 2 rhythms accurately. 2-All but 3 or 4 rhythms accurately. 1-All but 5 or 6 rhythms accurately. 0-More than 6 rhythms inaccurately. Consonants: The student performs: 4-All consonants articulated clearly and correctly. 3-Most consonants articulated clearly and correctly. 2-Some consonants articulated clearly and correctly. 1-Few consonants articulated clearly and correctly. 0-With no consonants present. Vowels: The student performs: 4-All vowels with proper placement, shape, and purity. 3-Most vowels with proper placement, shape, and purity. 2-Some vowels with proper placement, shape, and purity. 1-Few vowels with proper placement, shape, and purity. 0-With no vowels with proper placement, shape, and purity. Tone Quality: The student performs: 4-With a consistently supported, resonant tone. Register transitions performed without change of tone. 3-With a predominantly clear tone. Breathiness, nasality or stridency in one register. 2-With some evidence of clear tone, but often affected by breathiness, nasality or stridency in register transitions. 1-With a tone quality that is breathy, nasal or strident throughout all registers. 0-Without using the singing voice. Tonality and Intonation: The student performs: 4-All pitches with a fixed tonal center and in tune. 3-Most pitches with a fixed tonal center and in tune. 2-Some pitches with a tonal center, others that shift less than a whole step and/or out of tune. 1-Few pitches with a tonal center, others that shift a whole step or more and/or out of tune. 0-With no established tonal center. Phrasing/Style: The student performs: 4-All phrasing exhibits proper breath placement, shape and direction. 3-Most phrasing exhibits proper breath placement, shape and direction. 2-Some phrasing exhibits proper breath placement, shape and direction. 1-Few phrases exhibit proper breath placement, shape and direction. 0-No evidence of phrasing exhibiting proper breath placement, shape and direction. Musicality: The student performs: 4-Always with a steady tempo at appropriate dynamic levels that complement the piece. 3-Mostly with a steady tempo at appropriate dynamic levels that complement the piece. 2-Sometimes with a steady tempo at appropriate dynamic levels that complement the piece. 1-Rarely with a steady tempo at appropriate dynamic levels that complement the piece. 0-With no sense of tempo or dynamics.