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Directors Notes: august 2019


Director’s Notes – Beginning of School 2019

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.

This is a long email, but please read the entire document.

1 Welcome to EVERYONE! We are so excited to work with each of you this year on vocal production, music reading and overall musicianship! We hope to do an even better job at making you the best singer and choir member that you can be.

2 EVERYTHING Night – Monday, August 26 – MANDATORY - come and go between 5:30-8:00pm in the choir room. Bring your credit card or checkbook. This is for any family that did NOT attend the Pool Party/Everything Night that happened earlier in the month. We NEED to fit ALL new students for their uniforms.

**This is the ninth 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!

If you attended the earlier event, you DO NOT need to come to this one as well.

3 REMIND

This is a one-way mass text messaging service that we use to communicate 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 birthdate

(we can’t text students younger than 13) and 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 over the past two days. 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:

1st period – Chamber Women:

Text @belcanto6 to the following #: 81010

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

Zero hour – before school – Madrigal & Chamber Choir:

text @madsingers 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

Calendar events and pictures.

Instagram: @Andersonchoir

Follow and see pics from throughout the school year.

Blend – we will be using Blend this year. It should be set up within a week.

5 Handbook

The choir handbook can be found on our website and is attached to this email.

6 Health Release

This document was also sent home on the first day of class. Most students have already completed it. If not, 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.

U.I.L Large Group Evaluation was once again scheduled the two days immediately prior to

Spring Break! We did not pick these dates, but please be aware while scheduling family trips.

Thanks.

8 Fall Choir Retreat – September 7 – 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. It is one of the most fun events we do all year! More details to come.

We want 100% of choir student participation at this event!

9 All-State auditions – 1st round is Oct. 12th 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 “Woodstock” 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 30 from 5-10pm and concert dates are November 1 & 2 at 7pm and November 3 at 2pm. We will also be performing for the 5th graders on November 4 during the morning. ALL five 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:

November 1, 2 & 3 – Follies Concert (rehearsal October 30)

December 12 – Winter Concert rehearsal and performance

March 3 – Pre U.I.L. Clinic/Concert

March 12-13 – U.I.L. Concert & Sight Reading Contest

May 13 – 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 acknowledgement – accurate completion grade.

16 Contact:

Directors:

David Beussman – david.beussman@austinisd.org

Meredith Phillips – meredith.phillips@austinisd.org

Office phone – 414-7926

Booster President – Megan Helmbrecht – ahschoirtx@gmail.com

Choir Website: www.trojanchoir.com


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