Choral Music Handbook

Saranac Lake High School 

Choral Ensembles

Policies and Procedures

Please take a moment to review the following policies and procedures to ensure that all parties involved are beginning the year with the same set of expectations for a successful year of choral music! Thanks so much and I look forward to a wonderful year of music making!

Rehearsals:

The Concert Choir meets every day. Rehearsal time for all of the ensembles is at a premium, and your attendance is always required! Occasionally, a rehearsal outside of the normal time slot may be required for a special event, but this occurrence would only take place with ample warning.

Full participation in rehearsal is fundamental in terms of the improvement of the individual singer and the ensemble as a whole.  Please arrive on time, without food or gum, and quietly take your assigned place so that the rehearsal may begin punctually. In terms of rehearsal decorum, one must constantly ask themself “what if everyone were doing what I am doing?” This undoubtedly leads to appropriate and enthusiastic attitudes across the board, fostering a fun and disciplined rehearsal atmosphere. Students who are disruptive or who do not offer their full participation will find themselves with a lowered participation grade for the quarter. The choral risers are "sacred artistic space" and must be kept free from distractions. To that end, there are to be NO CELL PHONES present on the risers. They are to be left in backpacks, lockers, or at the back of the auditorium. There will be no further warning. Phones will be confiscated upon first offense and participation grade lowered.

In summary:

·        Be at rehearsal on time and be respectful of the space

·        Be prepared with all materials (music, pencil, etc.)

·        Bring positive energy, leave negative energy and behavior at the door

·        Do not bring cell phones onto the risers at any time

·    Strive for excellence in your music making, pride, and degree of respect for your director and all ensemble members

Lessons:

High School Chorus members receive small-group instruction by way of pull-out lesson groups. Students will be expected to leave a particular class once every cycle on a rotating period basis to take full advantage of this opportunity.

It is the responsibility of the student to speak to their teachers at the beginning of the day of their lesson, reminding them that they will not be in class that day. Politely ask for any homework ahead of time and be sure to promptly make up any missed work.

In order for the Music Department to continue to benefit from the lesson system, we must take them very seriously. Realistically, however, we recognize that there are times, though rare, when a student absolutely cannot miss a class. For this reason, students are allowed to miss one lesson a quarter without making it up before it starts to affect their lesson grade. Each lesson missed after this one must be made up or receive a grade of zero to be averaged in. Please make every effort to attend lessons or make them up promptly after school or during a free period!

Grading:

Students are graded based on fullness of participation, knowledge of the music, musical performance skills, and occasional assignments. The grading scheme is as follows:

60% Rehearsal Participation                

40% Lessons

Achievement levels are spelled out in the graph below and hold true for both lessons and ensemble grading. Specific to lessons, students are assessed on a personalized rubric each lesson that includes ratings for each component of the lesson: warmup, sightreading, ensemble repertoire, solo repertoire, and general fullness of participation in the lesson. While not averaged in, students also provide a self-evaluation at the end of each lesson as a way for me to monitor their own perceptions of their abilities and improvement.   

Performances:

Concert Choir is a performing ensemble, and thus participation in the performances is essential and mandatory! Please take a moment to review the District Performing Arts Calendar and pay special attention to the Winter and Spring Concert dates that apply to you. Barring a dire emergency (sudden hospitalization, death of a family member), there should be no absence from a performance. Absence from a performance will result in a loss of 65% of the quarter participation grade. Please make it a priority to be at all performances!

Concert Attire:

I firmly believe that the more professional an ensemble looks, the more polished they will sound. It is thus that the following dress code will be strictly enforced:

Women: White shirt or blouse with sleeves. Please dress modestly.

       Black slacks or skirt (tea or ankle length ONLY-the audience should never see your knees!)

                Black dress shoes

Men: White button-down dress shirt (long-sleeved preferred) with long dark tie

           Black long pants

           Black shoes and black socks

Vocal Ensembles:  Tuxes and gowns are provided for your use, but care must be taken to keep track of all parts of your uniform. They are to be returned AT the Spring Concert, so be sure to bring a change of clothes that evening.

Choral Opportunities:

As in years past, there will be an auditioned group of high school singers separated into a Women’s Ensemble and a Men’s Ensemble. Look for auditions in late September.

Area All-State is an area-wide festival pooling the best singers from our Zone. It is available for high school students by way of a one-on-a-part live audition in late September. Let us continue Saranac Lake’s amazing showing at this Festival!

All-County and NYSSMA Solo Festival are two exciting opportunities for high school singers which occur later in the year. More on these to come!

Performance Fridays:

The tradition at Saranac Lake of “Performance Friday” will continue this year! This is a unique and strictly voluntary opportunity for students to make music in front of their peers during the rehearsal time at the end of each week. Generally, one or two “acts” will perform each week, and students are encouraged to sign up prior to the date of performance. Get those creative juices flowing!

Closing Remarks:

I look forward to continuing the legacy of excellence in performance that has become the hallmark of Saranac Lake High School. I pledge to you all to work my hardest and hope that you will do the same. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to drop by or contact me at school either via phone (518.897.1473) or e-mail (benwaredre@slcs.org).  I look forward to a fantastic year!