Handbook
Introduction
Hello! Welcome to a new year in the Zionsville West Middle School Choirs. We are glad you are a member of the ZWest choir program, and together we look forward to a year of progress, growth, and personal fulfillment!
You matter....Our goal as a choir is musical and artistic EXCELLENCE, and every individual in our choir is important to our success. We are striving together for a high level of fun, performance, and education and we are here to SUPPORT each other and to RESPECT each other. As we work to become better as individuals, we also better the group.
Why music?
Music is science....it is exact, specific, and requires precise acoustics, frequencies, volume changes, melody, and harmony all at once and at the exact right time.
Music is mathematical...and is based on the division of time into fractions which must be worked out instantaneously.
Music is foreign language...not just the musical terms, which are usually in Italian, German, or French, but also the musical symbols themselves, which are recognized throughout the world across all nations.
Music is history...and reflects the time and environment of its creation
Music is physical education...it requires the coordination and control of diverse sets of muscle groups, including the diaphragm, back, chest, facial muscles, and abdominal muscles (to name a few).
Music is interpersonal...when we practice and perform with others and for others, we are learning how to work in tandem with each other, mixing our diverse strengths and weaknesses to create sounds and connections that could not be accomplished alone. Music develops a sense of responsibility to others and ourselves in order to accomplish goals. It allows us to see that there are multiple valid ways to approach the same subject. We become able to say "What others think matters".
But perhaps most importantly...
Music is emotional intelligence...it allows us to recognize and express how we feel, and helps us develop empathy for others and recognize how they feel. It develops our sense of reflection and allows us to go beyond "good or bad" or "right or wrong" to ask ourselves, "How am I doing and what will I do next?". It excites us, it inspires us and awakens all shades of emotion within us. In short, music allows us to express that which cannot be said with mere words.
Some material from:
Groth Music Company. "Why music is important to us all", accessed 2012. http://musicmagic.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/why-music-is-important/
Davis, J.H. Why our schools need the arts. New York: Teachers College Press, 2008.
Every large organization needs guidelines and rules to assure order and consistency. The following information will cover some of those guidelines and should be kept as a source of information for all choir members and their parents.