Director’s Notes – Beginning of School 2018
Welcome new and returning choir students and families! This document is to provide some information to all of you. Throughout the year, at the beginning of each month, we will be sending these ‘Director Notes’ to help everyone stay on top of important choir information.
Please read the entire document.
1 Welcome to Mrs. Phillips! I am so excited to have her join the Anderson Choir family! You can learn more about her on our website. Come meet her at Everything Night!
2 EVERYTHING Night – Monday, August 27 – MANDATORY - come and go between 5:30-8:00pm in the choir room. Bring your credit card or checkbook.
This is the eighth year of this event and is for ALL choir students and their parents. Come take care of ‘everything’ related to choir in one night! Meet the teachers and booster officers, buy spirit items (yard signs, tote bags, uniform bags, etc.), sign up for voice lessons if interested, get fitted for uniforms if new to choir this year, pay fees, and more. You can pay with cash, credit or check at this event.
We want 100% of parents and students at this event!
3 REMIND
This is a one-way mass text messaging service that we use to communicate last minute reminders to the students. Parents are welcome to sign up as well. Each class has a specific text in order to receive that class’s information. Students cannot respond to the text and neither individual’s phone number is shown.
If you choose to participate, standard text messaging costs apply. Messages will show up as Mr. Beussman: “message”
When you sign up for the first time, you will receive a text asking for your name to populate the class. Please use your first and last name. Once done, you’re done. If you already use Remind for another class, you will just be added to the appropriate choir class as well. Many students did this in class today. Parents are welcome to also sign up for their student’s class.
If you have trouble signing up, try going to the Remind.com website and download the app or choose to receive the texts via email.
Below is the easy way to sign up. Students should know which class to sign up for. However, if they do the wrong class, I am able to move them. Please use your first and last name when signing up:
2nd period – Bella Voce – Varsity Treble Choir:
text @varsitywo to the following #: 81010
3rd period – Concert Choir - Tenor/Bass Choir:
text @3men to the following #: 81010
5th period – Nova Voce - Freshmen and more Treble Choir:
text @5freshmen to the following #: 81010
7th period - Chorale:
text @2chorale to the following #: 81010
4 Stay connected!
Website – www.trojanchoir.com
Volunteer to help, calendar, music, pictures, forms, general info, links etc.
available in one place.
Remind – see above
Facebook Group - www.facebook.com/groups/andersonhighschoolchoir
Log into Facebook | Facebook
Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.
Calendar events and pictures.
Instagram: @Andersonchoir
Follow and see pics from throughout the school year.
Twitter – www.twitter.com/AndersonChoir
5 Handbook
The choir handbook can be found on our website. There is also a scavenger hunt related to the handbook that the students must fill out. Our choir handbook is attached to this email.
6 Health Release
This document was also sent home on the first day of class. Please fill it out as completely as possible. It is a completion grade. It is also attached for your convenience.
7 Calendar
Attached is our choir calendar for the school year. Please get all of these dates on your family calendar immediately so that conflicts can be prevented.
8 Fall Choir Retreat – September 8 – 2-10pm
This is our choir time of fun, games, and singing for all current choir members.
It happens here at Anderson in the cafeteria, gyms, and choir room.
Parent chaperones and both directors will be present during the entire event.
This is a great opportunity for students to get to know each other better within their choir and
across the other choirs. More details to come.
We want 100% of choir student participation at this event!
9 All-State auditions – 1st round is Oct. 13th at Bowie High School
Students can sign up, pay their $25 entry fee, and get music and recordings immediately or at
Everything Night.
Don’t wait and try to cram. We want you to be successful in this process.
Also see the attached FAQ sheet for details of what this is.
10 FAQ sheet
Confused about some of the events our choir or individual choir members participate in? Read the attached FAQ sheet to get some answers.
11 Follies
Follies will have the theme of “Disney” this year. There will be solos and small groups in this show as well. All choirs are performing at this concert. An after school rehearsal is on October 24 from 5-10pm and concert dates are October 25 & 27 at 7pm. We will also be performing for the 5th graders on October 26 during the morning. ALL four dates are required of ALL choir students.
12 Private Voice Lessons – We have teachers available for one-on-one lessons. The private teachers are available during choir classes as well as before or after school to work with our students. This allows the student and family to make it work in their schedule. Lessons can really help students accelerate their vocal development as well as give specific attention to an individual’s music learning needs and voice concerns. Most of our students who excel at the individual competitions take private lessons. We highly encourage your child to take lessons particularly if they are participating in the All-State audition process and for solo/ensemble contest. Many of our students have already signed up, but there’s room for more. If you’re interested in taking voice lessons, sign up ASAP! The first students to return the forms will be the first ones scheduled. Please return the forms to Mrs. Phillips!
13 Anderson Choir Concerts – These are required co-curricular events. All choir students must
participate. These are graded performances as they are part of our curriculum. Our Follies
and Winter Concerts also have required rehearsals.
This year’s concerts are:
October 25 & 27 – Follies Concert (rehearsal October 24)
December 13 – Winter Concert rehearsal and performance
March 5 – Pre U.I.L. Clinic/Concert
March 14-15 – U.I.L. Concert & Sight Reading Contest
May 7 – Spring Concert/Senior Celebration
14 Get involved
Sign up at EVERYTHING NIGHT to volunteer to help the Anderson Choir program. Most ‘jobs’
require only a small time commitment, but are so important in helping the students have a high
quality experience. Please step up and volunteer!
15 Choir Assignments DUE ASAP!
1 – Class shape to put on wall – completion grade.
2 – Health form – completion grade.
3 – Handbook Scavenger Hunt – accurate completion grade.
16 Contact:
Directors:
David Beussman – david.beussman@austinisd.org
Meredith Phillips – meredith.phillips@austinisd.org
Office phone – 414-7926
Booster President – Sheri Terrell – ahschoirtx@gmail.com
Choir Website: www.trojanchoir.com
Mr. B & Mrs. Phillips