Week 33

​Good Afternoon Grissom Choir,

I hope that everyone has had a successfully first 2 weeks of E-Learning for all of your classes!  For those that are still not submitting assignments, your name will soon be handed over to your grade level counselor/assistant principal, and you will not be considered for Concert or Chamber Choir next year.




This Week in Choir…

All Choirs:

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


Vocal Lab:

Complete MusicTheory.net Assignment - Note Identification: https://www.musictheory.net/exercises/note/bg1yrybynyyyjy
Students should submit their completed Progress Report to Canvas to prove that they completed the exercise. To create a report,  finish the exercise, then click on the Actions icon in the top right corner of the exercise and select “Show Progress Report”
Next, sign the report by entering your name and clicking “Sign Report”.
After signing, a Verification Code appears. You should then right-click on this code and select “Copy Link”, “Copy Link Location”, or “Copy Shortcut” (depending on the web browser) to copy its web address. Then paste this link into the submission box on Canvas for this assignment and submit.




Nashville Heritage Festival Update

Our travel company, WorldStrides, is allowing all seniors & chaperones of senior students a full refund for this trip since we have so few.  However, the money will not be available until July.  As soon as Grissom Choir has been credited the monies, we will begin reimbursing the 6 individuals to whom this applies too.  All other travelers, the trip is postponed until the Fall!  Due to the change of travel time, there may be a few adjustments to our activities, or even venue.  More information will come later in the year.  We are very fortunate to be able to postpone our trip and not forfeit any money for those that will be members of Grissom Choir next year!


Senior Scholarship Applications

Seniors, you have FIVE more days to turn in your scholarships!  I only have 2 applications submitted so far.  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, you have FIVE more days to turn in your scholarships!  I only have 1 senior submitted so far.  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 Google Meet, 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.  These applications are due no later than May 1st.


Concert Choir Auditions

I began auditioning EVERYONE for Concert Choir beginning this past week, no matter if they will be returning next year or not. The audition consists of a relatively easy sight-reading portion, along with our scales that we do everyday in class. THESE AUDITIONS ARE BEING 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, these auditions 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).  WE WILL BE USING GOOGLE MEET FOR ONLINE VIDEO AUDITIONS.  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.


Trip Updates:

European Performance Tour - 8th installment of $177 is due in 2 weeks, Thursday April 30th. Please make out checks to GCPA and send to our Treasurer’s house at 2502 Wynterhall Rd. SE Huntsville, AL 35803.  Please make sure you have registered for our Trip Protection plan!  If you have not, see the email sent out earlier in the week.