I don't think I can tell you too often that this group of kids is a super special bunch.  Truly, if you can keep your kids in Choir again next year you will see some major benefits over time.  This is a group that is uplifting, they put themselves out there with challenging things, they are kind and encouraging, and man can they sing.  I love the community they share together and how they push each other to excellence!  Keep up the good work!  

Keep practicing your songs at home with the practice tracks.  Our focus recently has been:

Storm: Using diction to add intensity and energy to this piece.  Adding dynamics and how to do that appropriately with the voice.

Lift Your Hearts: Good diction and pure vowels to create a perfect blend.  This is such a difficult piece and they have tackled it head on!

Seasons: Learning parts, especially in the sections where the rhythms aren't the same across all parts.  Adding dynamics in such a gentle song which is tricky compared to "Storm".  

Today was a great rehearsal!  

Keep practicing all three songs at home using the rehearsal tracks on the choir website.  

Also, double check that you have our two performance dates in your calendars:

Evening High School Performance: May 12th, 6p-8p

Graduation: May 16th, 8a-12:30p

 

 

We have been working on our pieces and will continue with them through this month.  We have spent a good deal of time recently arranging students so that their voices will have a better blend.  We will continue to work on this unity of sound by working on correct vowel formation and tone production. 

Keep working on your music at home!  I just updated "The Star Spangled Banner" to the correct rehearsal recordings so you should be more efficient practicing at home.  If you have any questions always feel free to email me!

Wow this group is sounding so wonderful!  Keep practicing your music every day at home throughout the week.  If there are problems with any of the online recordings please let me know so I can fix them.  I can't wait to really dig into your pieces next week!

Mrs. Austin

New music was handed out today!  This group has some amazingly fun and challenging pieces!  I love how well this group has come together this year.  Remember to go online and practice with the online recordings.  All three songs have recordings to help you learn your part.  Take advantage of this and we will make great progress throughout the semester.  Students are expected to practice their music at home 4 times per week at minimum.  These songs should be super fun to learn!

Here's to a great semester!

All of their songs are sounding so lovely!  Be sure to pull out all of your music at least 5 times before we come back in 3 weeks.  We will be performing from memory on December 20th.  Also, I have posted a rehearsal track to my page for Chicken on the Fencepost and hope to post tracks for the other two songs before we get back.  Please be sure to check those out as they will help you practice better.  I know you will enjoy their performance!

Performance Details:

 

When: December 20th, 2:00-3:00

Where: Apex gym

Attire: Solid colored top and either black pants or jeans (no holes in the jeans, skirts must be below the knee, no spaghetti straps).

 

Thank you for your patience as I've worked toward health!  Today I passed out a new piece to work on and we worked quite a bit of it in class.  Continue practicing all three pieces each day at home.  I am hoping to have practice recordings available soon for you but don't forget to use the recordings provided on my website.  Great tone and great work on your harmony!

Hello wonderful parents!  I know many of you have wondered where I've been the last couple of weeks.  I had a small surgery and then some health complications afterwords that have slowed me down considerably.  I am hoping that I am on the healthy side of things now and will be back to normal teaching. I apologize for any confusion that my absence may have caused for your family as you try to work on practicing during the week, and I thank you so much for your patience and understanding as I try to regain my health.  Thank you for having such wonderful students that make coming back to work a gift for me.  If you have any questions about your child's school work please feel free to email me.  I am hoping to have enough energy to make it through conferences but if I miss you please, please do contact me.  Your students mean so much to me and I consider partnering with you in their education a great privilege.  Thank you, Mrs. Austin

Friday was a great start to the school year!  These kids have a great sense of pitch and I'm looking forward to how far they can go this year!  

Homework: None this week.  Next week however I will be passing out their music for them to work on at home.  Students will be expected to practice their songs each day at home.