Final In-Class Performance video from Mads, Men's Ensemble, and Concert Choir!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3he23YqN8xJMGhSRWlwV1ZRWnM/view?usp=sharing

A peek in to in-class performances featuring members of Men's Ensemble and Concert Choir!

Check out this little video I uploaded on google drive from in-class performances today!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3he23YqN8xJVS16NXZEZXNNODg/view?usp=sharing

Wish I had gotten EVERYONE today! Excited to capture more tomorrow.

September Choir Newsletter

Hello, everyone!

We have a LOT going on this fall and I wanted to make sure you were aware of everything.

Uniforms:

Men's Ensemble: Men responsible for black shoes, black pants, and black collared shirt.  I will order white vests and bow-ties that the men will buy and can sell back at the end of the year for a reduced cost to future Men's Ensemble members. Those will cost $20. The payment is now set up on My School Fees and has to be paid for by a week from today (September 16th).  Students can also set up a payment contract by speaking with me- I will send you with a note to the principal's secretary who will draw up the document. 

Women's Choir: Women will wear all black, must have at least a cap sleeve and legs covered.  I have several used black dresses available for purchase for $20-$25 that will work perfectly.  They will receive flowers to put in their hair.

Concert Choir: Women who did not buy a used dress need to pay $70 to the treasurer or on My School Fees before I can order the dress (new school rule). They take a couple weeks to come in, so please be sure to get those paid for (or make a payment contract with the principal's secretary-this will also work) by September 16th.  These dresses can be sold back to next year's CC students.

Madrigals: Men responsible for their own tuxes.  Needed by October 18th. Women's dresses are arriving any day.

Important Dates:

September 28: Fundraiser kick off meeting- 7:00 p.m. in the choir room (right after P/T conferences)

September 28-29: Parent/Teacher Conferences

October 4: Choir Social "Dessert Extravaganza" hosted by the choir council, 2:45-4:00 p.m. in the choir room. Bring desserts! Please don't bring any desserts with nuts.

October 7: Deposit for tour due ($200)

October 8: Mattress Fundraiser @ HHS (more details to come)

October 18: Choir Dessert Fundraiser and Concert

Volunteer Sign-ups:

Please go to this google survey if you have some time/talents you can offer as we prepare for our fall concert! I have lots of different areas where I need help, including dessert donations, setup, etc. Please fill out the survey here if you have time or resources you can volunteer for our fall concert on October 18th.

Copies of Assignments:

If you accidentally misplace one of our assignment rubrics for concert reports, in-class performances, etc., click on the sidebar of the blog under "choir assignments" for a link to the google docs.

Instagram:

Follow us at highlandhighschoolchoir on Instagram! I have a great time sharing pics of the fun adventures happening in choir.

Remind Me:

If you want to get reminders about choir concerts and activities from our choir activities chair, text @h2egc to 81010.

Concert Report Opportunities:

There are many free opportunities to see concerts this term!  Here are only a few of the many options:

• Salt Lake Symphonic Choir Rehearsals, ever Wednesday night from 7:00-9:00 p.m.  Students only need to stay for one hour to get credit.  It is on 1871 E. Parley Canyon Road (right here in the neighborhood!)
• Music and the Spoken Word every Sunday morning in the Tabernacle on Temple Square
• Highland High School Band/Orchestra Concert
• Free Concerts on Temple Square
• University of Utah choir concerts (show your ID to the ushers at the door for free entry)

For more info on Concert Reports, keep checking back here on the blog by clicking sidebar where it says, "Concert Report Opportunities."  Also, check on the "music notes" bulletin board in our classroom under the calendar!

I'm having a wonderful year so far- what incredibly sweet, talented kids I have the opportunity to work with!

Sincerely,
Ms. Katie Houston
HHS Choir Director

Choir Disclosure Document (Men's Ensemble, Advanced Women's Choir, Concert Choir)

Concert Choir, Advanced Women’s Choir, Men’s Ensemble

Katie Houston

Highland High School

B114 | 801-484-4343 ext. 254 | katie.houston@slcschools.org

Course Description:

In Highland High School choirs, students will learn the building blocks of choral singing and music theory and demonstrate their understanding through the preparation and performance of a choral concert each term. 

Course Goals and Objectives

The Utah State Music Core divides the goals of music education into four music standards, which are the following:

1.     Perform: Students will use body and voice as means of musical expression.

2.     Create: Students will improvise and compose music.

3.     Listen/Analyze/Evaluate: Students will expand music listening skills and use musical vocabulary to analyze and evaluate music.

4.     Discover Meaning: Students will find avenues of understanding and communication through connecting music to personal growth, the joy of living, traditions, culture, and history.

Course Materials

·       Students are required to have a pencil during rehearsals at all times.

·       Students will be checked out a folder for the year and sheet music each term.  Students are responsible to pay for lost folders.

·       Students must always have their music folder during rehearsals.

·       Every choir wears a uniform. Students purchase their own uniforms, though I do have a limited number available to rent for $20 a semester.  Uniforms can be purchased on a payment plan if there are financial constraints.  Additionally, there are several used uniforms from previous students that can be purchased at a reduced cost. 

Assignments and Procedures:

We will be learning in a variety of ways.  Here is a description of each assignment and accompanying policies:

Participation (10 points per class period)	Participating in choir each day is the most important part of this class.  When students are dedicated during class, they earn 10 points per class period. To earn 10/10 participation points daily, a student must do the following: ·       Refrain from chewing gum and/or eating ·       Have all materials ready (folder, notebook, pencil, etc.) ·       Be on time (students automatically lose 5 participation points per tardy) ·       Refrain from texting ·       Refrain from talking while teacher is instructing Participation points for absences are not excused, even if the absence is excused (unless student is participating in a school-sponsored activity).  Participation points can be made up within a month of the absence/tardy.  To make up participation points, do one of the following: ·       Work on choir or other vocal music outside of class for 30 minutes (piano practice doesn’t count). Enter practice time on Charms (see blog for instructions). This counts for 10 participation points.  Students MUST indicate in the practice log under “title of song” the date of the absence or tardy they are making up or else it will not be counted.  ·       Do some brief research on one of the pieces we are singing or one of the composers of the pieces and type 1-2 paragraphs about what you learned.  You may print it or email it to me. This will count for 10 participation points.
Music Notebooks (5 points per entry)	In choir, students learn note names, rhythms, time signatures, dynamics, and other elements of choral singing. I will provide a notebook for students in class.  Students will do an activity in their notebooks daily after warm-ups to help build their musical understanding.  At the end of the term, I will collect the notebooks and give 5 pts. per activity. I throw out a few activities when I calculate the total value of the notebook so students with excused absences won’t be penalized.
In-Class Performances (50 points; terms 1 and 3)	Students will sing alone or in a group of no more than five people for their in-class performance.  Students will be graded as individuals for this assignment.  Term 1 can be any genre of music; term 3 must be suitable for region solo/ensemble and have an accompanist.  More details on that will be provided in January.  In-class performances must be memorized.
Sing to Serve (50 points; terms 2 and 4)	For Sing to Serve, students will serve the community through music and write a one-page reflection about their experience.  I will keep students in the loop about musical service opportunities that come up throughout the year.
Concert Report (50 points each term)	Students must see a choral, orchestral, or band concert once each term.  Performances must have a conductor. Choir festival observation will count as one of the four concert reports. Upcoming concerts are posted in the classroom under our class calendar.  I will do my best to post those upcoming concerts on the choir blog as well.  Plan in advance! Students must turn in a program along with detailed notes on the concert report form (found on Charms). If there is no program provided, students must take a selfie with the choir in the background. If there is not a program or picture, the assignment will only get half credit.
Concerts and Festivals (100 points each; at least 1 per term)	Performances cannot be missed.  If a performance is missed, points cannot be made up unless it was arranged with me at least three weeks in advance by a parent due to a critical family circumstance or region/final athletic event. If excused by me, students will write a 3-page research paper as an alternate assignment (also worth 100 points) due the day of the concert.   If there is an emergency illness excused by a parent, the alternate assignment will be given after the concert and student will have 1 week to complete it. A choir festival for each choir is held once a year at one of the schools in our region during term 3 or term 4.  Students are required to participate.  See the choir website or Charms calendar for the exact date and location of the festivals.

Additional Policies:

·       Cell phones: I reserve the right to take a cell phone from a student if he/she is using it during class during an unauthorized time. The cell phone will be put in jail and cannot be “bailed out” until the end of class.  Bail is either singing “For She’s a Jolly Good Lady” or doing 10 minutes of classroom service during lunch.

·       Hall Passes: Students will receive three “Houston Hall Passes” each quarter. I must sign this pass before a student leaves the classroom to use the restroom or get a drink. When the passes are gone, so are the hall pass privileges for the quarter. Students who do not use one or all of these passes can turn them in at the end of the quarter for 5 points extra credit each.

                                                                                                                                                  

Choir Calendar:

·       Students are expected to keep themselves informed of upcoming concerts and events. There will be no acceptable excuses for not knowing about a performance!  All performances are listed in two places.

1.     www.highlandhighschoolchoir.blogspot.com

§  This website will also include concert reminders, due date reminders, notifications about upcoming performances acceptable for concert reports, and more. Please check it often!

2.     www.charmsoffice.com

§  You will need to UPDATE YOUR INFO and ADD A PARENT in the Charms system in order to get credit for this assignment.  For instructions on how to do this, please refer to the Highland High School Choir website. Charms is how I best communicate with parents and students and track practice for missed participation points.

Please visit this website and complete the survey in order to get credit for this assignment:

https://goo.gl/forms/NGAyFMlF7VAWoA283