COMMANDO CHORUS
HANDBOOK
Director:
CHRISTOPHER I. CARRICK
School 615.824.3456
http://hms.sumnerschools.org
2014-2015
CONTENTS
WELCOME LETTER 3
GOALS 4
OUR NATIONAL STANDARDS 5
OF MUSIC EDUCATION
CHORAL PROGRAMS 5
FEES 6
SUPPLIES LIST 6
FUND RAISING 7
EXPECTATIONS AND PROCEDURES 7
GRADING POLICY 7
ATTENDANCE 8
DRESS CODE 9
CONCERT ETIQUETTE 10
STUDENT LEADERS 11
BEHAVIOR 12
VOLUNTEER FORM 13
CONTRACT 14
WELCOME
Hello singers and parents! My name is Mr. (Chris) Carrick and I’m looking forward to another great year as the choir director at Hawkins Middle School. Parents, I want to thank you for your support, and particularly for encouraging your child in his/her study of music. Students, I want to thank you for your desire to pursue music in your life. I hope you find it as fulfilling as I have.
I have been the music teacher at Hawkins Middle for ten years. I have also led an after-school chorus at HMS for three years in the past. This will be the fifth year that HMS has offered a choral program during the school day, and I am excited to be a part of this new tradition. I hope that you are as well!
Fine musical performance goes far beyond just singing all of the notes correctly. Expressive, meaningful, musical performance requires more. It requires you to give a part of yourself. True vocal performance is a visual as well as aural experience. You must involve your soul’s interpretation of the music on your face. We are all actors at heart, and for a truly effective performance, we must convey meaning in every way possible. It is no wonder so much evidence is coming forward showing the powerful effects of music education on young people’s intellectual, social, and emotional development!
Good Is The Enemy Of Great. It is not my desire to have a good choral program, but to start and maintain a Great choral program. I hope that you will join me in this desire and do everything that you can to make the Hawkins Middle School Commando Chorus the best that it can be.
Our chorus competed against other choruses for the first time during the 2012-2013 school year. I am very pleased to say that the Hawkins Commando Chorus came away from that competition with a “Superior” rating, and a first place standing for “Overall Highest Score Middle School Concert Choir.” Those standings were repeated with the 2013-2014 school year! I look forward to the challenge of helping our students maintain their “Superior” rating once again.
GOALS
To help us have the most successful year possible, I would like to share several goals for the choir program this year:
¯ To generate a love for both singing and music
¯ To create a lifelong emotional outlet through the development of the student's musical and vocal ability
¯ To provide a fundamental background in music appreciation, theory, choral thinking and vocal technique, skills and knowledge necessary for
independent musicianship
¯ To promote responsibility and good citizenship through participation in a choral organization
¯ To encourage self-discipline as well as team cooperation through the goal of excellence in performance
¯ To give those students who may choose music as a career a positive, encouraging, and successful early experience
Remember – it is important to understand that the skills that are necessary to succeed in chorus are the same skills necessary to succeed in any music program. The voice is an instrument that must be practiced like any other instrument. Gaining confidence, control and developing versatility with the voice requires thoughtful practice and dedication.
OUR NATIONAL STANDARDS OF MUSIC EDUCATION
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of
music
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines
5. Reading and notating music
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
7. Evaluating music and music performances
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines
outside the arts
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture
CHORAL PROGRAMS
Hawkins Middle School offers three choral ensembles that group students by grade level.It is important to note that great vocal skill is not a requirement, but the basic building blocks of musicianship are needed to ensure success in the program.The ability to sing in tune, the desire to succeed in music, and the willingness to work together with other students to perform to the best of our abilities is necessary for our program to succeed.
Each grade level is separate, but may perform its own repertoire of music at our concerts or join with other grades to perform.The music gradually becomes more advanced as the year progresses, and also as each student moves through the 6th, 7th and 8th grade choral groups.The skill of reading music is gradually introduced and is ultimately necessary to perform increasingly difficult (and more interesting!) music.We do want to challenge ourselves to be musicians who sing, and not merely singers!Therefore, students are expected to practice their instrument at home, and make every effort to keep pace with other chorus students.
Currently, our choral ensembles are open to all students and do not require an audition.
FEES
Music is very expensive. Because this is only the fifth year that Hawkins Middle School has offered chorus during the school day, the school owns a limited amount of music. Copyright law requires that a purchased copy of music be on hand for every student performing. Also, accompaniment CD’s must be purchased for most selections. Because of these expenses, each member is asked to give $7 to cover the cost of new music. This “fee” was presented on the school registration fee list and is not an additional fee on top of the $7 already requested at Bootcamp.
A chorus shirt will also need to be purchased. This shirt will be worn for various functions that the chorus participates in. The current cost of this shirt will be no more than $15.
Total Current Cost = $22
SUPPLIES LIST
The following supplies must be supplied by the student within two weeks of the beginning of school:
· 1 Inch, Three Ring Binder (Hard-Backed with Pockets Suggested)
· Tabbed Index Dividers (placed inside of binder)
· Sharpened Pencils – No Ink Pens
· Highlighters (No more than 1 or 2 different colors suggested to save space in the binder)
· A dry erase marker
· A 1 subject spiral notebook
· Suggested: Pencil pouch for highlighters and pencils
FUND RAISERS
It is unfortunate, but fund raising is a necessary part of many school programs. Music and accompaniment CD’s are very expensive, but without them, our program could not exist. Fund raising will also be necessary if the chorus is to participate in activities outside of the normal school day. All members are requested and expected to participate in any fund raising event.
EXPECTATIONS AND PROCEDURES
¯ Come to everything with a positive, “I Can Do This” attitude
¯ Follow the directions the first time they are given
¯ TRY, TRY, TRY. If you fail then TRY, TRY, TRY again
¯ Be to everything early. (“On-time” is late)
¯ Check the objectives to see what you will need for the day
¯ Have all of your supplies ready before the bell rings
¯ Take and show pride in Hawkins Middle School and the Commando Chorus (disrespect of the School, the Chorus, or any other Organizations within the school will result in IMMEDIATE dismissal from the group)
GRADING POLICY
It is important to remember that chorus classes are treated as academic classes. Students will have to earn grades. Academic success in chorus requires mandatory attendance at performances, individual assessments, classroom performance, and a positive attitude. Since the chorus learns as a group, sings as a group, and performs as a group, we must all have a supportive attitude towards our fellow students, thus ensuring group success.
The Grading Scale for chorus is broken down into the following three categories:
¯ Class Work (25%)
· class work, home work, folder checks, etc
¯ Assessment (35%)
· sight-reading, ear-training, etc
¯ Performances (40%)
· concerts, other performances
NOTE: Grades are not determined strictly by inherent music ability, but also by the effort put forth in class to become a better musician. Each choir member is expected to follow the expectations listed below to increase his/her success in demonstrating his/her skills.
¯ Be in assigned seat when bell rings
¯ Have folder, pencil, highlighter & planner
¯ Exhibit excellent posture
¯ Maintain consistent focus
¯ Demonstrate mutual respect
¯ Display a positive attitude
¯ Be a team player
¯ No gum or candy
ATTENDANCE
All students are required to attend all rehearsals and concerts unless they are ineligible (such as suspended). Students are given a grade based on performance, concert etiquette, and conduct. Notice for all concerts and rehearsals will be sent home in ample time to plan accordingly – in most cases they will be listed on the choir calendar which will be handed out early in the school year.
The importance of each student’s individual participation in the concert cannot be stressed enough as every student has worked both individually and within the group to master the material for presentation at the concert. Therefore attendance is both critical, and mandatory!!
¯ Helpful Suggestion: Please post the “Commando Chorus Calendar” on family calendars, parents’ planners, student planners, refrigerator, etc.
¯ Friendly Reminder: Students are expected to stay for the entire duration of all concerts. All of our students have worked hard to put forth an excellent performance. Please respect our students by remaining and giving them the same attention that was shown to your child by others.
DRESS CODE
Strangely enough, music sounds better when performed by a group that looks good on stage. All students will be required to purchase a Commando Chorus Shirt. The cost of the shirt should be no more than $15. In addition to the shirt, all students will need to provide khakis, belts and appropriate shoes & socks. Uniforms will be worn at all concerts in which the chorus is involved, unless otherwise indicated.
The shirt is to be tucked in, and the slacks/pants are to be at the waist with a belt (no sagging).
The exception will be at sporting events in which the chorus is singing our national anthem. Members will need to wear their Commando Chorus Shirt and blue jeans that do not have holes. The shirt is still to be tucked in, and jeans are still to be worn at the waist (no sagging).
Showing up to a performance not wearing the appropriate “uniform” will result in a loss of points from the Performance grade.
CONCERT ETIQUETTE
Formal concert etiquette will be taught during class and expected during all formal concerts and performances. Parents can help reinforce the following basic behaviors with your child.
¯ Arrive early and stay until the end. It is discourteous to arrive late, to still be settling once the program has begun, or to leave before it is over.
¯ If you must enter or leave during the program, do so discretely and in between performances, during the applause. We don’t want to do anything to distract the performances.
¯ Silence cell phones and watches.
¯ Sit still, quiet and be attentive: Avoid any noise-making or distracting behaviors, and especially during a performance: talking/whispering, unwrapping candy, moving around in your seat, passing notes, etc.
¯ Do not tap, snap or clap along with the beat of a song unless invited to do so.
¯ Applaud enthusiastically! Applause is what affirms to the performers that the audience is enjoying and is appreciative of their efforts.
o The conductor and any guest soloists are applauded when they walk onto the stage.
o Applause for the music is held until the end of each selection or until the end of the entire performance of an extended work.
o Applaud when the conductor turns toward the audience and bows.
o Standing ovations are acceptable for particularly moving performances.
¯ Catcalls, whistling, or other loud audible noises are best reserved for athletic events or other activities that elicit exuberant responses from audience members and are not considered appropriate at formal concerts.
¯ When young children attend formal concerts, they learn to be good audience participants. Crying, chattering, and otherwise noisy children, however, should be removed from a performance immediately and should return only if such behavior does not recur.
STUDENT LEADERS
Our groups will have several student leaders, chosen by Mr. Carrick, to help fulfill certain duties. In the military tradition of being Commandos, each section will have a Lieutenant, and each class will have a Commander.
The Lieutenant’s responsibilities will be:
Ø To positively help maintain the focus of all individuals within their group
Ø To positively help ensure that all individuals have all supplies each day
Ø To positively discuss any issues with members of their group and attempt to guide the member to a solution
The Commander’s responsibilities will be:
Ø To take class attendance each day
Ø To answer the door
Ø To give music and necessary items to new members to the chorus
Ø To help the Lieutenants in positively guiding members towards solutions of issues
Ø Concerts
o 8th Grade: Attendance
o 7th Grade: Uniforms
o 6th Grade: Programs
In addition, all student leaders will be asked to remain after concerts to help with “clean up.”
BEHAVIOR
It is expected that each student will behave in a manner that will promote the greatest learning potential for themselves and for the entire group. Therefore, each student is asked to:
1. Have all supplies everyday
2. Be on time to class