Dear Gregory Students and Parents,
Welcome to Gregory Chorus 2014-15! Please review the following important chorus announcements and reminders:
· Parents – please take a minute or two to fill out the following online form by Friday, September 5 (you will need to know your child’s chorus class period to complete this):
· Please bookmark this website in your browser, and check it regularly:
It will be the main portal for posting all important information regarding the Gregory Chorus program throughout the year. Also, since it is in 'blog' format, comments are allowed and encouraged!
· NEW THIS YEAR! Gregory Chorus will also be using the Remind messaging service to send out reminders and other important announcements as they approach. It is recommended that all parents subscribe to this service on their cellphones, especially parents of students in our extracurricular ensembles. The service is free and private – no phone numbers are exchanged when receiving messages. To use the service utilizing your cell number or email address, subscribe here. If you would instead like to use the Remind app on your smartphone, click here to download it.
· The Chorus Uniform Contract/Polo Order Form is due by Wednesday, September 3. Families new to the Gregory music program, or students who are looking to purchase a new shirt, will need to enclose their payment of $12 with this form as well. Forms have been distributed to students in all chorus/band/orchestra classes (combo students can order their shirt through band/orchestra class, and do not need to order a separate chorus shirt). Extra forms are available for students here.
· Every chorus student will need to provide the following materials for chorus class:
- Assignment notebook – to be brought daily
- A two-pocket folder (separate from other subject folders); included inside are lined paper and pencil. These materials will reside in a folder cabinet in the chorus room.
- The folder/paper/pencil will be checked in class on Friday, September 5.
· The Chorus Calendar Acknowledgment Form is due by Friday, September 5. If you need a copy to print and sign, click here. Many thanks for putting our performance dates on your family calendar and for recognizing the importance of our concerts. As an added convenience, if you would like to automatically subscribe to the Gregory Chorus calendar on your smartphone, tablet, or computer, click here (iCalendar format).
· Concert Choir, Gregory’s honors-level auditioned treble-voice choir, will be holding auditions on Wednesday, September 3 and Thursday, September 4, after school. All treble-voiced students (girls and unchanged boys) are encouraged to try out! Sign-ups for a 4-minute audition timeslot are posted in the chorus room, but will fill up quickly, so interested students are encouraged to find a time soon. Students will also need to bring in a signed permission slip/participation contract (click here if you need a copy) prior to their audition – students will NOT be allowed to audition without the form signed by a parent/guardian. The first rehearsal will be on Friday, September 12, from 6:55-7:45am. For more information about Concert Choir, see the information posted below.
· Men’s Ensemble, Gregory’s premier all-male vocal group, will begin rehearsals on Wednesday, September 10, from 3:10-4:00pm. No audition is required, and all boys at Gregory (including those not in chorus) are encouraged to check it out! Interested students should sign up in the Chorus Room and return a permission slip/participation contract. For more information about Men’s Ensemble, see the information posted below.
· Mixed Vocal Ensemble, Gregory's pop ensemble, will begin rehearsals on Thursday, September 11, from 6:55-7:45am. For more information about Mixed Vocal Ensemble, see the information posted below.
· 7th and 8th grade chorus students interested in auditioning for the ILMEA Music Festival should turn in their form for that by Monday, September 15. Click here for the parent signature form. For more information about the festival, consult the information posted below.
Extra- and co-curricular vocal opportunities at Gregory:
Concert Choir is Gregory’s auditioned honors chorus, and is open to any chorus student at Gregory with a treble voice (i.e. girls or unchanged boys). Repertoire consists of advanced middle school and high school level music from a wide variety of genres and cultures. The group rehearses on Mondays and Fridays before the school day, and performs at various additional events throughout the school year (see the Gregory Chorus calendar for the additional Concert Choir performance dates).
Men’s Ensemble is a non-auditioned group open to male singers (changed and unchanged voices) at Gregory. The ensemble’s one weekly rehearsal alternates on a week-to-week basis between Thursday mornings before school and Wednesdays after school. Rehearsals focus on the special needs of the changing male voice, and students have fun performing a challenging but entertaining repertoire of music from a wide variety of genres.
Mixed Vocal Ensemble is Gregory's co-ed extracurricular ensemble. The goal of the group is to provide an outlet to students in Concert Choir or Men’s Ensemble who want an additional, more pop-oriented performance opportunity. Repertoire will consist of contemporary and classic pop tunes, Broadway medleys, show choir selections, jazz standards, and holiday carols, amongst others. The ensemble will rehearse once a week on an alternating schedule with Men’s Ensemble – Wednesdays after school, then Thursdays before school. Interested students must be members of either Concert Choir or Men’s Ensemble in order to participate.
The ILMEA (Illinois Music Educators Association) Music Festival is an additional opportunity for seventh and eighth grade students. The festival is a single daylong activity on Saturday, November 8 where students work with a special guest clinician in a large choir of over 200 of the best singers from the western suburbs. At the end of the day, a concert is performed for parents, friends, and teachers. Auditions will be held at Yorkville Middle School in Yorkville on Saturday, October 4. Rehearsals for ILMEA will begin in early October, one day per week after school.
In February, IGSMA (Illinois Grade School Music Association) sponsors a Solo and Ensemble Contest. The event is an opportunity for interested students in Concert Choir, 7th Grade Chorus, or 8th Grade Chorus to perform a solo or small ensemble (duet, trio, etc.) in front of an audience and judge. The judge then works with students on a one-on-one basis, providing feedback about their performance. Students who have participated in the past have enjoyed the experience improved their skills greatly through the process. Rehearsals will be one day per week after school throughout January and February.
Many students in the Gregory music department use the summer months to attend a performance camp. These summer music camps provide students further enrichment through intensive instruction in music for anywhere from five days to two weeks, depending upon the camp. In addition to our own District 204 Summer Chorus program, others that are highly recommended are ISYM (Illinois Summer Youth Music) at the University of Illinois, and Blue Lake Camp in Michigan. Students who attend a camp are also eligible for a music department scholarship of up to $100 to help defray the costs of camp tuition. More information about scholarship auditions will be conveyed to home as it becomes available.
