That Time I Thought I was Too Cool for Choir
My musical upbringing is rather unconventional compared to most music teachers. I attended private schools for most of my life, and music was not a priority in school. K-8 music classes were once a week, and the band kids would have to give up recess once a week for a small practice. I played saxophone in the band from 3rd Grade to 7th and didn’t progress much farther than “Happy Birthday.” I struggled with reading music and quit the Sax by 8th Grade. In High School, the music kids had to give up PE, so there was no way 15-year-old Fitz was giving up PE. Instead, I studied music in a bedroom, a basement, coffee houses, and Grandma’s piano.
I started teaching myself how to play guitar around the age of 14. I had an old guitar collecting dust in the basement, and my cousin showed me how to play “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” I was immediately hooked on the guitar. My younger brother got a drum set for Christmas, and we started learning our favorite songs. We had two cousins who were also getting into music simultaneously, and within a few years, we started a band. Our lives revolved around the Thursday open mic night at the Huntington Street Cafe. We’d taught ourselves how to sing three-part harmonies around Grandma’s piano, practiced every afternoon after school, and got REALLY good as far as high school kids go. We booked every gig we could get and dreamed of touring the world, playing in front of thousands of fans.
My high school athletic career didn’t go how I wanted it to, so I figured college would be an opportunity to focus on music for fun, not as a career. I connected with a few of the RAs in my dorm room who were musicians, and they suggested I audition for a cappella group. The choral director at the university, Don St. Jean, happened to be at the audition. We started conversing, and he asked me to join the university chorus. I politely declined, but in my head, I thought to myself, “Absolutely not! I'm a pop singer! I’m way too cool for this classical music stuff!”
Months later, I was listening to recordings of my performances, and I was incredibly unhappy with how my voice sounded. As much as I hated to admit it, I needed help. I took so much pride in being a self-taught musician throughout high school. Asking for help felt like defeat. I returned to the music director, Don, and asked about taking voice lessons the following semester. Thrilled with the opportunity to mentor me, Don quickly tested my voice with a few vocal exercises and determined I would be a great candidate for voice lessons next semester. “In the meantime,” Don said, “I think you should attend Choir rehearsal this Thursday. You’ll be able to reinforce many exercises and techniques we just went over in the chorus.” Once again, admitting defeat, I reluctantly agreed to join the choir. It changed my life forever.
Choir introduced me to new experiences, techniques, fantastic repertoire, and many of my closest friends. I still believe I would not have had the professional opportunities I’ve had if I didn’t join my university choir. Looking back, it was silly to think I was too cool for something based on preconceived notions of the choir and myself. As kids, we get wrapped up in who we think we are and want to be. We might’ve said things like, “I’m an athlete,” “I’m a cheerleader,” “I’m a theater kid,” whatever it was. In doing so, we may have passed up opportunities to try new things, develop new skills, become more well-rounded, and even look back regretfully. Your kids appreciate my well-roundedness and willingness to learn new things (I’ve learned so much about cheerleading this year)! By connecting with your children through music, sports, or whatever they might be interested in, we create a fun classroom environment rooted in mutual respect, and, in turn, your kids are more willing to give their best effort in class.
On Concert Attire
One of the challenges of teaching high school and middle school on the same day is communicating effectively with a wide range of ages. Because of this challenge, I realized I’d done a poor job explaining to your children how to dress for the winter concert. There was a time in my career when this was not an issue. I could tell my high school students, “Concert Black” or, “Wear what you wore for your middle school concerts,” and students knew what I meant. This is the first concert for many of your children. Many of them are struggling to visualize the experience. And the many questions I get about what to wear are sometimes frustrating. With the help of a colleague, I realized I needed to take a new approach.
For parents, here’s a link to a school music page in Pennsylvania that gives excellent suggestions to help you and your child assemble outfits for the concert. I will add all this information to my school website (with minor changes) for future reference. Here is a link to another school district with similar descriptions of Concert Black.
I plan on showing images/videos of choir performers in appropriate concert attire to help them visualize how nice and uniform everyone will look. They will be much more receptive to dressing up when seeing examples of other choirs.
Here are some additional ideas to help your child enjoy the experience of preparing for the concert.
Many of my high school girls shop for outfits together in the days leading up to the concert and help each other with hair/makeup before the concert. It might be fun for moms (aunts, grandmas, guardians, etc) to organize a shopping trip for your child and a few of their friends. They’ll have fun trying on outfits together.
I always dressed in very comfy clothes during the dress rehearsal or the day of a concert, then changed into my concert attire. Transitioning from comfortable clothes to my outfit helped me mentally prepare for the concert. Like athletes, changing into their pads/jerseys helps them mentally prepare for their game. The “shirt before the shirt” has become part of my pre-concert routine/ritual. Encourage your kids to have some sort of pre-concert routine as they prepare for the concert, especially if they already have a unique routine for their sport.
Your kids have no idea how amazing they will feel when they all dress in their “Concert Black.” It will help them feel like a valuable team member because they are!
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any additional questions.
Thank you,
Mr. Fitz
SMS/SHS Music Department
Syllabus and Rehearsal Expectations
Please see the following links to the Choir Syllabus and Choir Welcome Presentation. Much of the syllabus is borrowed from the Seymour High School Choir, and I will make minor tweaks throughout the year as I get better at working with middle school students. Also:
I still need to discuss concert attire for choir with Ms. Quinn. We share several of the same students and will defer to her to maintain consistency.
I also wanted to share with you my Rehearsal Etiquette Expectations Rubric. I've already discussed my expectations with your children, and I want to ensure you know how I grade participation and class etiquette. Please Know:
I rarely give a perfect score (18/18 points) based on this rubric. Your child is meeting expectations if they have a 17/18 for their class grade.
A grade of 16/18 or lower for a class grade will have a comment in PowerSchool addressing where your child lost points based on the rubric.
Self-evaluation is a critical part of the rehearsal process and life. Therefore, I will have students practice grading themselves every two weeks via Google Forms. I will ultimately have the final say in their class grade, and any discrepancies will be discussed with your child to help them better understand their impact on the group.
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about the syllabus or rubric.
Thank you,
Mr. Fitz
SMS/SHS Music Department
Welcome to Choir
Hello SMS Parents,
I'm not sure how many of you could make Meet the Teacher night, but I wanted to formally introduce myself. My name is John FitzGerald, and I have the pleasure of being your child's choir teacher. I started my career as an intern at Seymour Middle School in 2016, and I have taught Choir, Band, and Music Production at the High School for the past five years. This year, Dr. Compton has promoted me to the Middle School and High School Choir teacher role. I know that your children have worked under several music teachers in a short time, and this new role will give them the consistency they deserve as we look to grow our music community into something special.
While a teacher, I continue to work as a professional musician and spent much of my 20s working in the music industry as a bassist, guitarist, and backing vocalist for a pop solo artist, and I still perform at restaurants from time to time. I've opened up for artists and bands such as Hansen, Sum 41, Aaron Carter, and Jake Miller, to name a few, and I've worked with professionals now touring with Grammy winners. All these experiences would not have been possible without a strong foundation in choir. Aside from my professional life, my hobbies include golf, CrossFit, and watching college football or rugby with my friends and family.
My motto is One Sound, One Team, One Family. Much of my work this year will be focused on building community amongst all singers in Seymour. As a community, we will...
Develop technically sound, versatile singers capable of singing a variety of genres.
Become proficient in music literacy, theory, and ear training and become smart singers in the process.
Perform with enthusiasm and CONFIDENCE.
Work as a team: We support ourselves and support each other. Older kids are expected to mentor younger kids. Everyone brings value to the group.
Please know that change and success will not happen overnight; we have a long process to enjoy. I look forward to connecting with all of you at upcoming concerts and performances, and I'll send out the syllabus next week. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Mr. Fitz
SMS/SHS Music Department