Purpose: 

GMEA organizes and carries out the All-State performance program in order to allow the selected students an opportunity to work with other students of equal caliber under the direction of highly qualified conductors. Each student auditions on a statewide basis and is selected on merit when judged by professionals against all other applicants across the state. Selection to All-State is recognition of excellence in musical knowledge, technique, and interpretation.

PROCESS: 

GMEA organizes and carries out the Sixth Grade Statewide Honor Chorus performance program of activities. This program provides selected students with the opportunity to work with other students of equal caliber under the direction of highly qualified master conductors and musicians. Selection to Sixth Grade Statewide Honor Chorus recognizes excellence in musical knowledge, technique and interpretation. The Vice-President for All-State Events is Chair and supervisor of every Sixth Grade Statewide Honor Chorus activity (By-Laws, Article I, Section 4).

Sixth Grade Statewide Honor Chorus follows the same rules, regulations, and responsibilities as other All-State Events, including membership, registration, fees, responsibilities of involved personnel, and awards (refer above to Section I.B, E.). The Sixth Grade Statewide Honor Chorus event is planned by members of GMEA for their students. In order to participate in this ensemble, students must be enrolled in a Georgia school at the time of their nomination and the event. Teachers with students participating must teach at the school listed on the application.

GMEA members will register students for the Sixth Grade Statewide Honor Chorus through Opus. Participants will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. A maximum of four students per school may be registered. When a maximum of 500 students has been met, registration will close, even if the deadline has not been reached. No alternates will be allowed in order to expedite the formation of the choruses and the teaching of the music. To beeligible to participate, a student’s name must be on the original Opus registration. Students not listed on the Opusregistration will not be allowed to participate. Teachers will not be allowed to change the original list of students’names submitted. Selected students must attend all rehearsals and the concert.

All date and location information for this event can be found on the GMEA website and in the GMEA Statewide Calendar. No On-Site Registration takes place for this event. Fees for Sixth Grade Statewide Honor Chorus can be found in the Application Fees section of this Handbook.

The Choral Chair will appoint and assist the Event Organizer as needed. The responsibility for securing a clinician and accompanist lies with the Choral Division Chair and may not be delegated to the event organizer.

Student attire for the Sixth Grade Statewide Chorus performance is as follows:

Ladies will wear a floor-length black dress with sleeves or jacket, OR floor-length black skirt and black blouse with sleeves or jacket, OR floor-length black pants and black blouse with sleeves or jacket. Blouses will hang below the waist of a skirt or pants by 3 inches. Also, all ladies are to wear black shoes that completely encompass the foot. Flip flops or sandals of any kind present a safety issue when maneuvering steps or risers, and are not acceptable attire.

Gentlemen will wear a black, long-sleeved dress shirt, black pants, black socks, and black shoes that completely encompass the foot. Flip flops or sandals of any kind present a safety issue when maneuvering steps or risers, and are not acceptable attire.

Region assignments for choral auditions are based on District participation. If a choral director wishes to change regions from the one to which they are assigned, they must first contact the Organizer of the region in which they wish to participate. They must receive permission from that Region Organizer BEFORE they register their students for the All-State auditions. The Region Organizer has the right to deny the request for a change. No one will be permitted to change regions after they have registered. Exceptions will be made for individual students who will be participating in other school related activities and need to schedule an audition out-of-region and close to the activity in which they are participating, such as a marching festival, sports activity or other school related event.

FIRST AUDITION

In order for a student to be eligible to participate, two (2) components of the regional audition must be completed: Scales/Solo and Sight Reading. Students should be prepared to audition first on EITHER the scales and solo components (Component 1) OR the sight-reading component (Component 2). Students will be assigned a room when they arrive for the audition.

COMPONENT 1

I. Scales (To Top)

Students will sing a Major, Natural Minor, and Chromatic scale (a cappella) using the appropriate starting pitch as listed on the All-State Chorus Information page of the GMEA website. Judges adjudicating scales and solo will assess each scale for accuracy, ascending and descending. This component will comprise a potential 6 points of the overall audition. The rubric for assessing scales can be seen on the All-State Chorus Information page of the GMEA website.

II. Solos (To Top)

Students will sing the appropriate required song from memory for their level in the key for which they have registered in Opus. See the Chorus Division Webpage link for All-State Chorus Information to view and download the pdf copyof the appropriate level solo as well as the “Learning and Accompaniment” mp3 files. Solos must be sung in theappropriate key for the part they have registered. Students will not need to bring any materials to the audition. Accompaniment tracks will be provided at each solo adjudication panel. Failing to comply with the audition song requirements will result in disqualification.

The adjudication panel will rate singers on intonation/pitch accuracy, rhythmic accuracy, vocal tone quality, diction, breath control/phrasing, and dynamics/appropriate style. The rubric can be viewed on the All-State Chorus Information page of the GMEA website. This component will comprise a potential 30 points of the overall audition.

COMPONENT 2

III. Sight-Reading (To Top)

Students will sing three (3) different 4-measure sight-reading examples using the method with which they are accustomed. Before each example, students will hear the block chord in the appropriate tonality, the arpeggio of the block chord, and the starting pitch before being given a 30-second practice period during which students can sing out loud without being scored. At the end of each 30-second practice period, students will hear the block chord and starting pitch again before performing each example. A rest will be performed silently.

Students will receive credit for each half measure sung with correct pitches and rhythms. They will receive bonus points for each example for maintaining intonation and a relatively steady tempo throughout the performance. The rubric used to score sight-reading may be seen on the Chorus Division Webpage link for All-State Chorus Information. This component will comprise a potential 30 points of the overall audition.

If a student begins a sight-reading example on a pitch other than the one given by the judge, BUT sings intervallic relationships and rhythms correctly throughout the example, credit for the remaining half measures will not be affected. If a student changes tonality midway through a sight-reading example, BUT sings intervallic relationships and rhythms correctly throughout the rest of the example, credit for all subsequent measures beyond the half measure where the tonality change occurred will not be affected.

SECOND AUDITION:

The second All-State chorus audition will be on the music for the choir to which the student has been assigned. The student will be scored on correct pitches and rhythms only, and NOT on language. The student may choose to sing the language of the piece or sing on a neutral syllable.

The student will sing an excerpt from each piece on the program. Students are not allowed to bring their music into the audition room. Music marked with the excerpts will be provided for the audition.

A student must attain a passing score of 70 on the second audition to attend the All-State Chorus event. Students scoring 100 will receive a gold seal on their certificate.

The scoring formula is based on the number of measures included in the audition and the number of correct measures the student sings. The student can miss all pitches and all rhythms in one measure and that will be counted as one measure missed or one mistake. The number of measures can vary between 75 and 120 per choir.