Vocal Music

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Handbook

Our Program

Most placement auditions take place in the spring of the preceding school year for returning Westland High School students. At the beginning of the following school year auditions will take place for new choir students. Each choir has a specific level of musical achievement students must meet to be placed in each performing ensemble. The director has the right to place students in the appropriate choir.

Concert Choir

Beginning level men and women
Open to all students, no audition necessary
Placement may include vocalizing, and pitch matching exercises.

Men's Ensemble - Back by popular demand!

Beginning to advanced level men
Open to all students, no audition necessary
Placement may include vocalizing, and pitch matching exercises

Women’s Ensemble

Beginning to advanced level women
Open to all students, no audition necessary
Placement may include vocalizing, and pitch matching exercises

“Volume One” – Select Show Choir

Advanced level men and women – Open to auditioned students grades 9-12
Meets zero period, as well as extra evening rehearsals
Auditions may include vocalizing, pitch matching, sight-reading, and dancing.

Symphonic Women's Chorus - New this year!

Intermediate to advanced level women
Open to auditioned students grades 9-12
Audition may include vocalizing, pitch matching, and sight-reading

Symphonic Choir

Advanced level men and women – Open to auditioned students grades 9-12
Open to auditioned students grades 9-12
Audition may include vocalizing, pitch matching, and sight-reading

VOCAL MUSIC PROGRAM FEE

Every student that participates in the Vocal Music Program at Westland is responsible for a $60 program fee. There are a couple different ways you can take care of this fee. Students can either choose to fundraise the money through the provided fundraiser, or pay the fee out of pocket. Either way, students are responsible for the full $60. If you only raise funds for a portion of the total, you will be responsible for the balance. You will be receiving more specific information about upcoming fundraisers from our Vocal Music Boosters soon. Specific information regarding our first fund raising event will be coming soon.

The full program fee is due no later than Monday, October 29, 2007

VOCAL MUSIC T-SHIRTS

All members of the Vocal Music Program will be responsible for purchasing a Vocal Music T-Shirt. This shirt will be part of the required dress code on the day of our concerts and will be worn throughout the year. The cost of this shirt is $__________. Please make checks payable to Westland Vocal Music Boosters.

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS

“Nurturing Musicians. Inspiring People.”

Being a part of WHS Vocal Music is a privilege that is not to be taken lightly. Along with this privilege comes the expectation to act in accordance to our program slogan “Nurturing Musicians. Inspiring People.” Students are expected to live by the program slogan at all times in and outside of class. In order for class to be as productive as possible, each choir member will be expected to participate fully in rehearsal. Not participating is simply not an option. All students must abide by the following expectations.

Nurture Musicians

Be on time and prepared ·

Be where you’re supposed to be, ready to learn, ready to sing, with everything you need
Help your fellow choir members learn
Leave gum, food, and beverages (except water) in your bag

Inspire People

Be respectful

Treat ALL others like you want to be treated ·
Have a positive, teachable attitude. ·
Positive comments and compliments are encouraged and welcome! Anything less is NOT ·
If someone needs help, help them ·
Encourage your fellow choir members

IN CASE OF BEHAVIOR ISSUES

In accordance with the Westland High School Student Handbook, disruption or any kind of inappropriate behavior may result in one or more of the following consequences:

Verbal warning and loss of participation points
Vocal Music Dept. work or Lunch Detention, and loss of participation points
Vocal Music Dept. work and/or Lunch Detention with notification to parents/loss of participation points
Office referral(s) and loss of participation points

REQUIRED CONCERT ATTIRE

Failure to wear the correct concert attire may prohibit the student from performing in a concert

ALL CHOIRS (except Volume One) are responsible for the following concert attire

Vocal Music Shirt (see above)
Black dress pants. These must be nice dress pants, not jeans.
Black closed-toed dress shoes. No larger than 2 inch heels.
Choir Robe – provided by WHS Vocal Music Program

VOLUME ONE

Volume One Shirt
Competition Show Outfits

GRADING

Grades for choir will be an average of all grades taken during a six-week period.

PARTICIPATION/ATTENDANCE– 50%

Students will begin each 6 weeks with 150 participation points. If the student does nothing to loose these points, he or she will keep all 150 points. These 150 points make up half of the six-week grade, and are extremely important. Students who come to class on time, have a positive teachable attitude, are prepared for class, and actively participate in all activities will have no problem keeping all or most of the 150 points. If a student decides not to sing because of personal illness, the “I can’t sing today” worksheet will be worth 5 points. Choosing not to do the worksheet will result in no credit. All Westland High School Tardy Policies will be strictly followed. Please refer to the Student Handbook for more information.

Ways a student will loose participation points (per day)

Unexcused absences, tardiness, non-participation in class activities, disruptive behavior, and non-teachable attitude

PERFORMANCE ATTENDANCE AND BEHAVIOR – 35%

For this portion of the grades students will either receive full credit or no credit. In other words, it is mandatory to attend all performances. Performances are the culmination of all of the hard work everyone has put in to the group, and they are extremely important. Unavoidable conflicts must be submitted in writing and signed by a parent to Mr. Rone 4 weeks before the concert date. If the conflict is deemed excused, the students will have until one day after the concert to turn in the concert make-up assignment. No make up assignments will be accepted late. Please remember, having to work, not having a ride to the performance, and club meetings or practices are all unexcused absences. If a performance is missed for an unexpected emergency i.e. death in the family, the student must present a note from his/her parent or guardian the day they return to school. If the absence is deemed excused by the director, a “make-up” assignment will be given. If there is no performance during the six weeks, these points will become participation/attendance points.

WRITTEN/AURAL TESTS AND QUIZZES – 15%

Students will be tested at various times throughout the year. Testing may include written tests and quizzes, as well as formal and informal singing tests.

SEMESTER AND FINAL EXAMS

In accordance with SWCS District Exam Policies, semester and final exam grades will count as 1/7 of each semester grade. In other words, 86% (approx.) of the semester grade will be the average of the three six-weeks in the semester and the remaining 14% (approx.) will be the semester exam or final exam. Grading periods that do not have built-in exams will be calculated using the Vocal Music grading scale.

VOCAL MUSIC BOOSTERS

Parental support is a vital part of a good choral program. Throughout the year there are many opportunities to help with various activities. Chaperones are always needed for daytime and evening choral activities, as well as social activities. The music boosters will also play a key role in successful fund-raising. If you would like to help at anytime during the year, it is important that you get involved with our Choir Boosters. Letters will be sent home giving you more information.

THE VOCAL MUSIC CALENDAR

Each student has received and signed for a vocal music calendar. This calendar gives rehearsal dates, concert dates, and other very important information. Please take time to transfer the information from this calendar to your family calendar. Any changes/additions to the calendar will be given as soon as possible.

CHOIR TRIPS

One of the privileges that goes along with being a member of the WHS Vocal Music Program is being able to travel in and outside of school hours to learn, rehearse and perform. Some of these trips may simply be an extra rehearsal in the choir room, and others may include traveling to other destinations and perhaps staying overnight.

Written parental permission is required for all activities off school grounds and/or outside of the regular school day.
All members must have a current Emergency Medical Form on file with the choir director and the school administration.
When off school grounds, we are representing Westland High School, ALL school rules apply at all times. This includes bus-riding procedures.
Students will ride their assigned busses. No changing busses.
Upon arrival, remain seated until further instructions are given.
Departure times will be announced for each trip. Plan on being at least 20 minutes early in order to load and organize.
Stay with the group. In the event of a change of plans, you must be with everyone else. This will prevent a student from being left somewhere.
Be where you are to be, when you are to be there, with everything you need.
Conduct yourself in a manner that conveys respect, pride, and professionalism at all times. Remember, you are representing yourselves as well as the school. The way you behave in public reflects on a lot more then just yourselves.
The use or possession of tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, narcotics, hallucinogens, or other mind-altering substances at or before any choir function is absolutely forbidden. The use or evidence of use will result in the student being sent home immediately at the parent/guardian’s expense. The student will also be removed from choir, and the school authorities will be informed for further action. There will be absolutely no tolerance of such behavior.
The director holds the right to send a student home, at the parent/guardian’s expense, if the student’s behavior is severe enough for such actions.
All students will be expected to ride in the provided vehicle except when:

A written request is submitted prior to the trip with signature from a parent/guardian and the student.

Before the student is released, the parent/guardian must check with the choir director for confirmation

In the event of scheduling problems or other circumstances, the parent/guardian may take the student directly to the event. In this case, notice must be given to the director prior to the event.

FACTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC

"Students with coursework/experience in music performance scored 52 points higher on the verbal portion of the SAT and 37 points higher on the math portion than students with no coursework or experience in the arts. And a difference in scores increase with the number of years involved. Those who studied music four or more years scored a combines 101points higher on the SAT than students with no coursework or experience in the arts."

- Profiles of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board (1997)

More Facts About the Importance of Music

"A research team exploring the link between music and intelligence reports that music training is far superior to computer instruction in dramatically enhancing children's abstract reasoning skills necessary for learning math and science. After six months of lessons, those children who received the music training performed 34% higher on tests measuring spatial-temporal ability than the others. These findings indicate that music uniquely enhances higher brain functions required for mathematics, science, and engineering."

- Review from Neurological Research Journal, February 28, 1997 on a study done by Dr. Gordon Shaw and Dr. Frances Rauscher.