Ellsworth Junior Senior High School Vocal Music Mission Statement

 

The faculty and students of the Ellsworth Junior Senior High School Vocal Music Department will strive to:

 

• Achieve the highest possible standard of choral music performance.

• Positively represent our school in the community through music performance.

• Develop a lifelong appreciation of music from a variety of genres.

• Perform a variety of music from various cultures and historical periods.

• Demonstrate commitment to the ensemble and its members.

 

 

Course Objectives

 

• Engage in quality choral music performance.

• Increase sight-reading proficiency of music.

• Understand the historical context of all pieces performed and accurately apply historical performance style.

• Make aesthetic judgments based on critical listening and analysis.

• Perform foreign language pieces with proper diction and style.

• Understand the meaning and emotion of the text and express that meaning and emotion to the audience through performance.

• Understand basic music theory and musical terminology as they apply to repertoire rehearsed.

• Continue to develop proper vocal technique and learn to apply appropriately to choral singing.

• Understand the necessity of shaping vowels properly and matching them with the rest of the ensemble in order to create an overall blend.

• Perform music from a variety of cultures in order to gain a broader worldview.

 

 

Ensemble Descriptions

 

Junior High Choir: Junior High Choir is a large mixed ensemble available to all 7th and 8th grade students interested in singing in choir. Junior High Choir performs a variety of choral repertoire from Renaissance to 21st century. Members of Junior High Choir will have the opportunity to audition for KMEA and KCDA honor choirs individually, as well as perform at music festivals individually and as an ensemble.

 

High School Choir: High School Choir is a large mixed ensemble available to any 9th through 12th grade student interested in singing in choir. High School Choir performs a variety of choral repertoire from Renaissance to 21st century. Members of High School Choir will have the opportunity to audition for KMEA and KCDA honor choirs individually, as well as perform at regional and state festivals and contests individually and as an ensemble.

 

Ellsworth Singers: Ellsworth Singers is a select small ensemble available to any 9th through 12th grade student enrolled in High School Choir by audition. Ellsworth Singers perform a variety of choral repertoire from Renaissance to 21st century. Members of Ellsworth Singers will have the opportunity to audition for KMEA and KCDA honor choirs individually, as well as perform at regional and state festivals and contests individually and as an ensemble. Ellsworth Singers members will have several additional performance opportunities throughout the school year, including, but not limited to, the national anthem at sporting events, Singing Valentines, National Day of Prayer, and Pops and Pizza.

 

 

Music Selection Policy

 

Ellsworth Junior Senior High School choirs perform a variety of repertoire from many different musical styles and genres. These genres include, but are not limited to, secular, sacred, jazz, folk, patriotic, and ethnic music in various different languages. Students are expected to participate in all performances. Please communicate in writing any concerns you may have regarding the repertoire.

 

 

Calendar

See the Calendar page. Dates and times may be subject to change. Adequate notice will be given regarding any additions or changes.

 

 

Classroom Expectations and Policies

There is only one rule in this classroom, and that is RESPECT. If you are respectful at all times, there is no need for any other rule. Be respectful of the director and your colleagues. By being absent, late, unprepared, undisciplined, or not trying your best, you are being disrespectful of everyone else’s time, including your own. Be respectful of the classroom and everything in it. Please put chairs, risers, and folders away neatly before leaving the classroom. Please do not bring any food, gum, soda, etc. into the choir room. Only bottled water is allowed. Your music, folder, and concert attire are not yours to keep. Do not lose or damage these items, or you will replace them.

 

 

Choir Family Values

The following Choir Family Values were established collectively by all members of the choir. Students and faculty will hold each other accountable for upholding them.

 

High School Choir

 

1. Family - treat everyone like family

2. Support each other - build each other up, don't tear each other down

3. Teamwork - work together, carry your own weight

4. Hard work - be persistent, improve every moment

5. Dedication - be present (physically, mentally, emotionally)

6. Open-mindedness - consider others and their ideas and opinions

7. Effort - be your best self

 

Junior High Choir

 

1. Respect - everyone matters, treat others how they want to be treated

2. Support each other - build each other up, don't tear each other down

3. Teamwork - work together

4. Listen - to each other and to Ms. Huey, everyone has a voice

5. Be vulnerable - allow yourself to connect to each other and the music

6. Effort - always do your best

 

 

Attendance Policy

• Attendance is required at all performances and rehearsals.

• Absences from performances due to illness, accident, or family emergency will be honored, but the director must be notified BEFORE the performance.

• Unexcused absences from rehearsals will result in a loss of all daily rehearsal skills points for that day.

• Unexcused absences from performances will result in a loss of all points for the performance.

• Each unexcused tardy will result in a deduction of 2 points from your daily rehearsal skills points. A student is considered tardy when he/she is not seated quietly and ready to work when the bell rings. Ready to work includes having music, folder, PENCIL, and a good attitude.

 

 

Activity Policy

• Even more so than when at school, when traveling to contests and festivals outside of school, it is of upmost importance that students represent EJSHS in a positive manner at all times.

• Students must be academically eligible to go on a trip or to compete in a contest or festival.

• Inappropriate behavior, tardiness, or inappropriate attire will result in a loss of all performance points for the performance attached to the trip.

 

 

Student Performance Attire and Etiquette

 

The goal of this uniform wardrobe code is to let the ensemble be seen (and heard) as a single unit, rather than a group of individuals. Any wardrobe item that will cause the audience to remember a single student above the entire ensemble may not be worn in concert.

 

• All EJSHS choir members will be provided with a robe on the day of the performance. These uniforms are the property of EJSHS and must be returned at the end of each performance. All students must wear black pants, black closed toed shoes, and black socks with the choir robe. Performances are considered formal events. Please make sure your wardrobe is clean, pressed, and hemmed for each performance. If you are unable to provide appropriate attire, please contact Ms. Huey as soon as possible and an appropriate wardrobe will be provided.

• Ellsworth Singers: Women will be responsible for purchasing the choir dress and strand of pearls for Ellsworth Singers. The cost will be available at the time of ordering. Men must provide black pants, a white button up dress shirt, black dress shoes, and black socks. Men are also responsible for purchasing a tie and vest with a group order. Please launder your dress clothes between performances.

• Please keep hair pulled back and away from the face. No distracting hairstyles.

• Women can wear makeup, but it must be worn tastefully. No excessive makeup.

• Do not wear any scented lotions, perfumes, or cologne out of courtesy to those who may have allergic reactions.

• Please do not wear any jewelry. This includes visible body piercings.

• Please do not touch your face or hair while performing. If you absolutely have to scratch an itch or move your hair out of the way, please do it between songs.

• When performing, your eyes should ALWAYS be on the director. Do not scan the crowd or look around. You will get distracted.

• When standing on risers, stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent so that you do not fall or pass out. Should you feel sick, DO NOT BE A HERO and try to keep singing. Step off the risers and go sit down. You will be a bigger distraction and take down people with you should you pass out during the performance. Your health comes first!

 

 

Grading Procedures

40% Daily Rehearsal Skills

• 5 points will be given daily for attendance, promptness, preparedness, participation, effort, attitude, cooperation, respect, and improvement.

• In the event of any absence, students are responsible for getting with someone from their section, discussing what was missed, and adding score markings as necessary.

• In the event of an excused absence, students will have the opportunity to make up points from the absence by writing a one page fact sheet over one of the following topics:

  • A composer from the literature for the upcoming concert

  • A poet from the literature for the upcoming concert

  • Analyze what a piece of literature means. How do you express the meaning?

• Make-up work must be turned in within one week of the excused absence.

• Make-up work will not be accepted for unexcused absences.

• Two points will be removed from a student’s daily attendance points if he/she is tardy or unprepared for class (without pencil, music, etc.).

 

20% Board Work/Assignments

• Each day, students will have a very brief Board Work assignment they are to complete as they enter the room. Students will have a Board Work Journal provided to them so they can record all assignments. All Board Work must be completed and checked at the end of each quarter. Board Work is pass/fail only; any incomplete Board Work will fail. Students will be given opportunity to correct Board Work until it is complete for full credit. Board Work must be complete even for days missed in class.

• Other in-class assignments or points-on-completion tasks (ex. turning in required forms, etc.)

 

30% Performances

• All performances are mandatory. Failure to attend an ensemble performance may result in failure of the course for that nine-week grading period, if the absence is unexcused. A performance is considered an examination of material that has been covered in class.

• In the event of an excused absence from a performance (illness, death in the family, family emergency, etc.), students will have the opportunity to make up performance points by completing one of the following:

  • Write a two page paper on a composer from the current literature

  • Write a two page paper on a song (include information about composer, poet, events happening when the song was written, and how you connect to it)

 

10% Singing Exams

• Students will be given one graded singing exam per quarter (they may have additional ungraded tests). These tests are conducted in a practice room, away from an audience. Students will be evaluated on learned, classroom elements of singing. Students do not have to be exceptionally gifted singers to pass singing exams, they ONLY need to have worked on elements taught in class.

• Singing exams will be pass/fail only. Each quarter, students will have one chance to re-take the singing exam if they failed previously that same quarter.

• Singing exams are designed to evaluate how a student is keeping up in class; they are not designed to test which students are the most naturally talented or gifted. Students of basic or average ability will be able to pass singing exams easily if they have worked hard in class and sing with confidence.

 

 

Student Leadership

 

Section Leaders will be appointed by Ms. Huey, with ensemble nominations taken into consideration. The roles of the section leader include:

• Provide musical guidance and leadership to section.

• Demonstrate strong music reading abilities and vocal technique.

• Assist with distribution of materials to section.

• Assist with sectionals, as needed, and identify potential issues to discuss Ms. Huey.

• Field concerns from within the section.

• Bring issues before Ms. Huey, section leader team, or fellow section members.
• Maintain a professional working relationship with peers and teachers.
• Attend brief section leader meetings with Ms. Huey, as necessary.

 

 

Lettering

 

High school choir students may apply for a school letter each year they participate in choir.

• In order to letter, students must not only receive an A in the class, but also complete two items from the following list:

  • Audition and make KMEA District Honor Choir.

  • Audition and make KMEA State Honor Choir.

  • Perform in the school musical.

  • Perform at Regional Solo and Small Ensemble Contest.

  • Perform at State Solo and Small Ensemble Contest.