Week 31

Good Afternoon Grissom Choir,


Please make sure you read all the information below!  Everything concerning the rest of the school year should be addressed.  My goal for Grissom Choir is to not add stress on top of what your other classes may be assigning.  Our required assignments will be weekly based instead of daily.  If you have paid attention in class, and are willing to dedicate 30 minutes each week to our assignments, you will have success!  I have posted my daily teaching schedule on Canvas.  Please reach out to me during your assigned class time should you need help or review!






This Week in Choir…


All Choirs:


Submit a video recording of you singing the Major Scale followed by the Sequence.  Please use hand signs.  A PDF of the hand signs is posted on the assignment page on Canvas.
If you do not have access to a device with a working camera (phone, other laptop, etc), please message me on Canvas and submit an audio recording only.
This assignment will be used as part of your Concert/Chamber Choir auditions, so practice beforehand!


Vocal Lab:


Watch the Ted Talk by composer Eric Whitacre, and answer the questions using the Text Box on the Canvas assignment.






Departmental Fees


Make sure that you and your family are keeping up with Charms and paying your Choral Department fees! We rely on these funds to purchase music, pay our accompanist, tune the piano, purchase any necessity that will enhance the students music education, and more (of which these necessities were already purchased for this school year!). Our wonderful treasurer has been sending out emails to students who still owe. Please make out checks to GCPA and send to our Treasurer’s house at 2502 Wynterhall Rd. SE Huntsville, AL 35803. Names will soon be sent over to our school bookkeeper for those that have yet to pay. Remember, underclassmen will NOT be able to register for next year’s classes if your fee has not been paid, and seniors will not be allowed to walk! Should you have any questions on how to log into your Charms account, do not hesitate to ask.




Senior Scholarships Applications


Seniors, please visit www.grissomchoir.com/students to access the scholarship information for this year! The application is a Google Drive Form, and the 2 Reference Forms are SEPARATE Google Drive forms that must be filled out by your references, and submitted by them (simply email your references the link!) All 3 of these documents (digital application and 2 digital reference forms) are due no later than April 24th. Late applicants will not be considered.  Our scholarship recipients will be announced the evening of April 30th online!




Senior Slideshow Information


Seniors, please fill out the link at www.grissomchoir.com/students if you want to be featured in our Senior Slideshow.  This must be done by April 24th.  Late entries will NOT be featured.  Our slideshow will debut the evening of April 30th online!




Leadership Team Applications


It is time for students to begin thinking about wether they want to apply to be on our leadership team for next year. Open positions include: Vice-President/President-Elect, Secretary, Social Chair, Librarian, (must be registered for Vocal Lab), & Recruitment Chair. Student must fill out the digital application found at www.grissomchoir.com/students, complete an interview with myself and our current student Presidents & President-Elect through Zoom, and record a short video to be presented online to the Grissom Choir student body concerning why they wish to be on the Leadership Team.  An online voting form will be given to all other students to express who they think will be best in each position.  If you wish to co-run for a position, you must speak with Mr. Ratcliff beforehand.




Concert Choir Auditions


I will begin auditioning EVERYONE for Concert Choir beginning this week, no matter if they will be returning next year or not. This audition will consist of a relatively easy sight-reading portion, along with our scales that we do everyday in class. THESE AUDITIONS WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF AS PART OF YOUR WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS FOR GRISSOM CHOIR ON CANVAS.  If students have been participating in class and putting their best effort forward, this audition will not be difficult or scary. The Concert Choir member list will be posted online at the end of the semester.




Chamber Choir Auditions


Being the top advanced ensemble, this audition will be a little more involved. Each auditioning student will be required to fill out the digital application and get 2 teacher recommendations found at www.grissomchoir.com/students. The application is a Google Drive Form, and the 2 Reference Forms are SEPARATE Google Drive forms that must be filled out by your references, and submitted by them (simply email your references the link!) All 3 of these documents (digital application and 2 digital reference forms) are due no later than May 1st. Late applicants will not be considered.  Performance wise, students will sight-read a more advanced passage of music, and will be required to learn “Star Sonnet” using sheet music and provided practice tracks (see Canvas & website).  INSTEAD OF ZOOM, WE WILL BE USING GOOGLE MEET FOR ONLINE VIDEO AUDITIONS.  More information about this process will come soon.  You must also sign up for an audition time slot found on the website at www.grissomchoir.com/students.  Please enter your name in a time slot that is during your normal choir time based on the e-learning schedule posted on Canvas.  The Chamber Choir member list will be posted at the end of the semester.




GCPA Board Interest


With the school year soon to be wrapping up, it is time to begin gathering volunteers for next year’s Grissom Choral Parent’s Association Board. We still have a few positions that are still available. If you are interested in volunteering in some way next year, please let me know!




Trip Updates:


European Performance Tour - 7th installment of $177 was due this PAST Friday. Please make out checks to GCPA and send to our Treasurer’s house at 2502 Wynterhall Rd. SE Huntsville, AL 35803.