Chorus is available to all students and meets every other day for the entire school year. Students with no singing experience up to an advanced level can expect to significantly improve their singing voice and musicianship. Chorus offers many styles of music from the classics and Broadway, to jazz, folk, and pop/rock. This is accomplished through ensemble and/or solo singing, as well as occasions to meet and work with local and nationally famous musicians. In order for the students to clearly understand professional performance, Chorus offers optional field trips to see Broadway musicals in New York City. Three curricular concerts, including a Cabaret concert concentrating on solo voices and small groups, are presented to the public. Because the concert is at the middle school, the students will need to attend in-school combined rehearsals prior to the concert. The students also attend one evening dress rehearsal the night before each concert to accommodate the professional musicians who accompany the group and to coordinate the various ensembles. These rehearsals and concerts are the only required “homework”. Chorus incorporates the study of foreign languages, interpretation of musical terminology and notation, sound production, and performance techniques focused on communication with the audience. Each student will be offered the opportunity to take small group voice lessons throughout the school year. Chorus students from grades 10 through 12 will be eligible to compete at the PMEA district, regional, and state levels. Special scholarship awards will be given to senior chorus members. Chorus is a performance based art and is therefore graded by evaluation of each student’s participation in class, rehearsals, and concerts, as well as the level of dedication to the group’s goals. With the exception of three concerts and rehearsals, all required work is accomplished during the school day.