9th Grade/Junior High Choir Auditions

The audition cuts have been released for the TMEA Region 6 9th Grade/Junior High Choir Auditions this Saturday. A PDF listing of excerpted sections can be found by clicking here.

Piano audition tracks which have been trimmed for the audition on Saturday have been uploaded to the Dropbox. You will find them under a folder in "Region Choir > 9th Grade > CUTS".

We are still in need of an additional chaperone for Saturday! We have to have another adult go. Please make sure you have signed up here (in Charms): https://www.charmsoffice.com/charms/volunteerR.asp?s=cenhsc&v=4474423

Lastly, please click here for the letter containing the details regarding the trip for the auditons in Odessa.

High School Region Choir Audition Information

The audition cuts have been released for the TMEA Region 6 High School Auditions this Saturday. A PDF listing of excerpted sections can be found by clicking here.

Piano audition tracks which have been trimmed for the audition on Saturday have been uploaded to the Dropbox. You will find them under a folder in "High School > REGION CUTS".

Lastly, please click here for the letter containing the details regarding the trip for the auditons in Odessa.

Choir News for Late September

Greetings, Bobcat Choir Family! 

Busy but exciting times are upon us. In just the next several days we will have our fall concert, our high school region auditions, and our first individual fundraiser. Please take a few moments to carefully read all of the information below. Some items require your urgent attention.

Booster Club News

Our booster club will be having their first general membership meeting of the new year tomorrow, Thursday, September 27, at 5:00. The students will be busy practicing the newly released cuts at 4:00 and the parents will meet at 5:00 to make goodie bags and then conduct a business meeting shortly after (about 5:30). They will be looking at future fundraising efforts, electing officers, and crafting their budget for the year. We have a wonderful, fun group of parents that I really enjoy spending time with and working together with. Won’t you please join us? Let’s get involved in a wonderful program that supports all of our students!

If you would still like to join the booster club or order a yard sign, garment bag, or booster shirt, please come prepared to order those at the concert on Monday. We will be doing our group order immediately after the concert. If you turned in an order form but have not paid for items on that form, please bring that payment to the concert.

High School Region Choir News

Tomorrow, Thursday, September 27, students auditioning for the High School Region Choir will have a very important cut release party. This is where we find out, along with everyone else in the region, which of the 5 pieces are to be cut and what sections of those that remain will be on the audition. It is VERY IMPORTANT to the success of those auditioning that they be here to intensely polish those selections to be heard on Saturday. Student should come to the CHS Choir Hall as soon as possible after school on Thursday and we will receive the cuts electronically by 4:00pm. Once we have those, we will rehearse with each section until about 5:00-5:30. Students auditioning: Please make plans to be here!

Then, Saturday we will be traveling to the High School Region Choir Auditions in Odessa (Saturday, September 29). We will email out more details to those that are involved by tomorrow. We anticipate a departure time of 5:30am (meeting at 5:00am) and a return time of around 9:00pm. The school will be providing for a box lunch and $10 towards dinner at the Midland Mall for all students participating.

We will be issuing uniforms to students tomorrow to take home for the fall concert. Students must have paid their $35 activity fee to be able to check out their uniform. Students must be in uniform for the performance. So, you can see that if a student has still not paid their activity fee, they are in a pickle. Very few of the dozen or so of you that have not paid your activity fee have spoken to a director about your plans to pay that fee or get an extension. This must be taken care of immediately.

Again, this is a friendly reminder that everyone is responsible for their own pair of SOLID BLACK SHOES as part of their choir uniform (boys must also have solid black socks that extend higher than the ankle). Students must have these for the fall concert and all future performances. These do not have to be anything exceptionally nice, but they need to be SOLID BLACK. Students not in correct uniform, including solid black shoes (and BLACK SOCKS, for boys) will not be allowed to perform and their grade will be affected accordingly. Let’s not have to deal with all that, please. Make sure you are prepared with black shoes and socks! Men also need to wear a white undershirt beneath their white tux shirt.

Other reminders about uniform dress:

• No necklaces, bracelets, watches, or distracting jewelry. Small rings on fingers are okay as long as there are not too many and they are not distracting. Remember: when working for a uniform appearance, less is more.
• Students are to not have died their hair to a non-naturally occurring color. For example, blue, green, neon red, orange, purple, etc., are not appropriate; however, a student who is normally brown-haired, can be red, blond, etc.
• No visible undergarments. 

If you have questions, please consult our online handbook: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1nMoG-sT9-5ZEMfgUuFVOKf1EiwI4GZShplMoFq1HMNw 

Fall Concert

Our fall concert is next week! We think you will be VERY surprised at how great each group is sounding this early in the year. Our fall concert will be on Monday, October 1, at 7:30pm at Holy Angels Church.

Some important notes about concerts:

1. We are guests in a sacred space. Please do not bring in ANY outside food or drink. Please do not leave trash. Please do not touch the kneelers. Do not disturb the holy water font at the front of the church, unless you are doing so for sincere purposes. Please help us be respectful and reverent so that we can continue to be invited back. We are EXTREMELY fortunate to be in this wonderful space. DO NOT MESS IT UP FOR US!
2. THIS IS A CHANGE: When students arrive, they should enter from the NORTHEAST entrance. Those are the double doors right under the bell tower. I figure that’s an easier landmark for everyone to find.
3. All other doors to the church will be locked until 7:00pm. After 7:00, we will unlock the southwest entrance doors (that’s the wall of glass doors by the parking lot that enter into the foyer/lobby).
4. Adults that are not ushering or chaperoning, need to remain outside the church until 7:00pm. We will not open the church for audience seating prior to 7:00pm. It may even be a few minutes after 7:00, so please be patient and be courteous to those parents that are volunteering to work the doors.
5. These students have worked very hard to prepare for an EARLY fall concert. We ask that you remember that we are on a learning journey and not every sound from every group will be perfect this first time around. Please be encouraging and supportive of all groups. Come expecting to hear great progress and development and to enjoy the growth made by all groups in only 5-and-a-half weeks of school. Despite that disclaimer, I think you will be impressed with what each group is accomplishing this early in the year. 

Below are the call times for each group:

• 4:00 - Chorale(does not have to be in uniform, will be able to leave and come back)
• 4:45 - Bella Voce (does not have to be in uniform, will be able to leave and come back)
• 5:15 - Concert Ladies Blue [7th Period] (please come dressed for performance)
• 5:30 - Concert Ladies Orange [6th Period] (please come dressed for performance)
• 6:15 - Men’s Choir (please come dressed for performance)
• 6:30 - HarmoniCats (wearing regular choir uniforms for this performance)

PARENTS: we need YOUR help! We are asking for at least one parent to sit with each class during the concert and help us monitor behavior. Students will not be on phones or allowed to talk, and will check-out after the concert, but only after everything is clean, put away, and everyone is ready to go home. PLEASE, we need you to sign-up now here: https://www.charmsoffice.com/charms/volunteerR.asp?s=cenhsc&v=4474401

Junior High/9th Grade Region Choir News

In cooperation with Lee MS and Glenn MS, we are offering a couple of intensive rehearsals for students auditioning for the JH/9th Grade Region Choir. These rehearsals are not a substitute for students working and practicing individually. These workshops are to add polish onto the groundwork they have already done on their own. The next workshop for the 9thgrade/junior high music will be held on Thursday, October 4. Rehearsal will begin at 5:00pm and we will finish by 6:30. Location to be determined.

Auditions for the JH/9^th Grade Region Choir will be on Saturday, October 13. We will need chaperones for this day as well. Please make sure you have completed your VIPS application and sent me a confirmation email of your approval. Please sign-up here if you are able to go: https://www.charmsoffice.com/charms/volunteerR.asp?s=cenhsc&v=4474423

Fundraisers and Sponsorships

Today, we began our first individual student fundraiser. We are working with Champion XPress on this fundraiser. Students are able to check-out cards that are valid for a single $13 Champion Classic Wash at any of their locations (three in San Angelo). The cards are sold for $10 and the students will receive 45% profit. Everybody wins! The customer gets a discounted car wash and we are able to raise some money. We began today with an initial limit of 5 cards per student, but tomorrow we can release that limit and check out as many cards as students would like. Please remember that lost or damaged cards must still be paid for. Any unsold cards may be returned.

We are off to a great start on our Booster Club Sponsorships. Please continue to approach business with this worthwhile sponsorship opportunity. If you checked out cards and materials for this and have not returned them, please get those back to us immediately unless you are still actively working to secure sponsorships. 

October Trip Payments

Because of our hectic schedule this weekend and next week, and the delayed start to this first fundraiser, I will be delaying the deadline for the October trip payments by a week. Please make note that the $200 October trip payment will be due on or before Tuesday, October 9 (pushed back a week from Monday, October 1).

Thank You

Thank you for attention to these items and details. If you have a question or concern, we are only a phone call or email away.

Have a great day and Sic ‘em Cats!

ACU Region Choir Workshop Information

Here are some final trip details for the ACU Region Choir Workshop:

• Wear comfortable, school-appropriate clothing tomorrow. Students and adults chaperoning may want to bring a jacket or sweater if you tend to get cold.
• We must depart by 7:00am tomorrow. Mr. Gilmore and the bus will not be here any earlier than 6:30, so please be aware of that if you arrive early and no one is here yet.
• Every student going must bring a signed ACU Permission Form. These are being distributed during class today and a copy is attached to this email. ACU will collect those at registration tomorrow morning and I will check that these are completed as students get on the bus. Please don't leave your student until we're sure that they're all good. Parents: don't forget to sign the back!
• Students need to make sure they bring all their HS region music tomorrow.
• The students will give a brief performance over what they worked on that day at 3:30. Afterward, we will take a group photo and then we will begin heading home. If time permits, we'll stop for a snack. We are planning on being home by 6:00pm.
• Lunch is included in the price of the workshop, but we'll try to stop for a snack/treat on the way home. Your student may want to bring up to $10 for this. In the past, we've gone somewhere for ice cream/yogurt...something like that.

Mid-September News

We are rolling fast into the fall with LOTS going on right now. Please take a few moments to carefully read all of the information below.

Homecoming

The choir department will be participating in the Homecoming Parade on Thursday evening. The overall theme this year is MUSIC and the choir council has decided that we will march in the parade (as opposed to designing a float) and our theme will be CHOIR OF ROCK! Dress up in your favorite rocker gear! Go crazy, show your school spirit, and let’s rock and roll (but keep it school-appropriate)! Parade line-up starts at 5pm, parade begins at 6pm, and a community pep rally immediately follows in the D Gym at CHS. This event is OPTIONAL, but FUN!

The advanced choirs (Chorale and Bella Voce) will be singing the national anthem at the football game this Friday night. This is a graded event and we are in front of a huge audience for the big homecoming game! We will do a sound check at 4:30pm at the stadium and have to clear the field by 5:15. Students will need to report back, performance ready (in choir polos and jeans), by 6:15 since this game kicks-off earlier at 7:00. The choir will sing the anthem around 6:30, so make sure to arrive early to hear them sing.

Booster Club News

Our booster club will be having their first general membership meeting of the new year on Thursday, September 27, at 5:00. The students will be busy practicing the newly released cuts at 4:00 and the parents will meet at 5:00 to make goodie bags and then conduct a business meeting shortly after. They will be looking at future fundraising efforts, electing officers, and adopting their budget for the year. Please join us and get involved!

High School Region Choir News

This Saturday we will be traveling to Abilene Christian University for a workshop on the High School Region Choir Audition Music. The cost is $25 for each attendee. That will cover the workshop and lunch. Students are encouraged to bring a few extra dollars for a snack stop on the way home. We will load at 6:30am and we anticipate returning to CHS by 6:00pm. If you would like to attend, the students will present a brief recital/concert over the music they rehearsed that day at 3:30. Make sure to bring all your music!

High School Region Choir Auditions will be held on Saturday, September 29. We will get more details to you as we receive them from Region 6. We anticipate a departure time of 5:30am and a return time of around 9:00pm. The school will be providing for a box lunch and $10 towards dinner at the Midland Mall for all students.

If you would like to chaperone for the day of the auditions, we would appreciate your help. Please make sure you have completed your VIPS application and sent me a confirmation email of your approval. Please sign-up to chaperone in Charms or you may use this direct link: https://www.charmsoffice.com/charms/volunteerR.asp?s=cenhsc&v=4474310
Once those spots are full, we will not have room for any other adults.

Fall Concert

Our fall concert is approaching very soon! We think you will be VERY surprised at how great each group is sounding this early in the year. Our fall concert will be on Monday, October 1, at 7:30pm at Holy Angels Church. Please make sure you have this date marked on your calendars. Students typically have call times as early as 4:30 going up until the start of the concert. We will send more detailed info about what times each group is called very soon.

This year at our concerts we need YOUR help! We are asking for at least one parent to sit with each class during the concert and help us monitor behavior. Students will not be on phones or allowed to talk, and will check-out after the concert, but only after everything is clean, put away, and everyone is ready to go home. If you are willing to sit with your student’s class, please sign-up here: https://www.charmsoffice.com/charms/volunteerR.asp?s=cenhsc&v=4474401

Here’s your friendly reminder that everyone is responsible for their own pair of SOLID BLACK SHOES as part of their choir uniform. They must have these for the fall concert and all future performances. These do not have to be anything exceptionally nice, but they need to be SOLID BLACK. Students not in correct uniform, including solid black shoes (and BLACK SOCKS, for boys) will not be allowed to perform and their grade will be affected accordingly. Let’s not have to deal with all that, please. Make sure you are prepared with black shoes and socks! If you have questions, please consult our online handbook: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1nMoG-sT9-5ZEMfgUuFVOKf1EiwI4GZShplMoFq1HMNw

Again, students will have call times starting as early as 4:30. We try to schedule our older students earlier since they are not as dependent upon their parents for transportation. We will send that schedule out later this week so families can plan ahead for their transportation needs.

Junior High/9th Grade Region Choir News

In cooperation with Lee MS and Glenn MS, we are offering a couple of intensive rehearsals for students auditioning for the JH/9^th Grade Region Choir. The first workshop over that music will be held TODAY on Tuesday, September 18, at Lee Middle School. Doors will open at 4:30 and rehearsal begins at 5:00pm. We will finish at 6:30. If you do not have your 9^th grade region music, we’ll have some for you there!

Auditions for the JH/9^th Grade Region Choir will be on Saturday, October 13. We will need chaperones for this day as well. Please make sure you have completed your VIPS application and sent me a confirmation email of your approval. Please sign-up here if you are able to go: https://www.charmsoffice.com/charms/volunteerR.asp?s=cenhsc&v=4474423

Fundraisers and Sponsorships

We are working with our campus administration on getting approval for our first individual student fundraiser. We are working with Stripes on selling car wash tokens. Students will check out $10 car wash tokens and these are sold for $10; the students receive $5 profit and $5 goes back to Stripes. We are hoping to be able to start these early next week, pending administration approval of the fundraiser.

This is a reminder that we are needing the Booster Club Sponsorship Forms back. You are welcome to keep seeking sponsorships, but if you have already sold some sponsorships, we need that information back, because every family or business who donates toward a sponsorship will be listed in our concert programs. We are upon our cutoff deadline for the fall program. We hope you have been able to approach some business leaders and solicit their sponsorship of our program and students. We are really working to raise a substantial amount of sponsorships for the group to be able to bring down the cost of the trip for everyone, to fund our annual scholarships, and to provide for quality design and printing of concert programs, among other group expenses. We thank you for your help with this new approach to an entire-group fundraiser.

Thank You

Thank you for attention to these items and details. If you have a question or concern, we are only a phone call or email away.

Have a great day and Sic ‘em Cats!

Back to School 2018

It is hard to believe that our summer break is almost over! I hope that it has been a joyful time of recharge and relaxation for all of you. The time has passed so quickly! I am so proud of the successes of the last year and the growth and development of each student in the program. We have an exciting year of choir lined up and many exciting plans for the year are being finalized as I write this letter.

As is the custom every year, the combined high school choirs, bands, and orchestras of SAISD have been asked to perform for a convocation ceremony of all the administration, faculty, and staff at the Foster Communications Coliseum on Wednesday morning, August 15. All of the members of the school board and district administration will be in attendance as well, so we want to make an excellent impression on each of them. It is vitally important that we make the statement that excellent choral singing at Central High School is alive and thriving! To accomplish this, we are going to be having rehearsals to prepare the music for the ceremony. Please see the schedule below for exact dates/times. All standard rehearsals will be held at the CHS Choir Hall and the tech rehearsals and performance is at the coliseum.

For our new students, you will discover that for each event and competition you participate in, you accumulate points towards earning a letter jacket. Attending all of the convocation events and the SAISD All-Region Choir Boot Camp can get you well on your way to earning a letter jacket! Don’t miss out on earning these EASY points!

It is an expectation that all members of Chorale, Bella Voce, HarmoniCats, and those on the Choir Council fully participate in these events. Everyone receiving this letter is highly encouraged to participate - including any new students and incoming freshmen at CFC - you are especially welcome! Also, if you know of anyone who likes to sing and might consider joining choir this year, invite them to these rehearsals and let them see what all the fun is about! We want you to come to as much of these events as you can, but don’t skip the whole thing because of a singular conflict. We would really prefer that you come to all of it, but we don't want anyone to not attend at all because they can't make it to everything. We think you'll have a lot of fun seeing all of your choir friends again after summer break!

The schedule and map are located below (look for ATTACHMENTS and click on the link).

What to Bring:

• Your All-State music packet OR $15 for a region music packet
• New students will need to purchase a blue choir polo shirt for $20 (to be worn at performance on Wed.)

Again, I hope you all had a great summer and I look forward to seeing all of you again in what promises to be a truly AWESOME year in choir! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. Make sure you sign up for Remind text messages: text the message @catchoir18 to 81010 (or try texting @catchoir18 to 325-200-0719). Keep checking our website and like our Facebook Page for future communications and any updates to the schedule that may occur.

Attachments:

1. Schedule & Map

Celebration of Life for Haley Frizzell

For those who would like to attend the Celebration of Life for Haley Frizzell, that service will take place on Saturday, August 4. The service will begin at 2pm at PaulAnn Baptist Church (2531 Smith Blvd, San Angelo, TX 76905).

Haley was a 19-year-old Central High School graduate who died in a San Marcos apartment fire on July 20. She was an alumna of the CHS Choir and Theatre programs with many friends who fondly remember her and will miss her greatly. Your presence at this event would be greatly appreciated.

2018-2019 All-State Choir Audition Repertoire

The PDF attached below outlines the pieces to be learned and auditioned at each level of the competition this year.

Errata: Please see this webpage for all amendments, corrections and errata. You will be responsible for all notes and corrections listed on that page as they come directly from TMEA and the all-state choir clinicians.

Recordings: Here is a link to the page explaining how to access the practice recordings.

Attachments:

1. 2018-2019 All-State Choir Audition Repertoire for Region 6