CHS Choir Update #19
A Weekly Update from the CHS Choral Department
Greetings CHS Choir, Family & Friends!
I hope this week's newsletter finds each of you well, having enjoyed a wonderful holiday break and some quality time with family and friends.
While we all could undoubtedly use three or four more days of R&R, I'm am truly excited about the experiences and opportunities we have planned for our students this Spring. I cannot wait to continue our musical journey together! Some of the highlights include a collaborative performance with the choirs of ULM, Solo & Ensemble Contest, a joint performance with the Crowley HS Choirs and the CHS Band Department, Madrigal Festival, our UIL Community Concert, and our Spring Trip to Nashville.
Lots of great information has been included in this week's newsletter for your review, including information about our new student teacher from UNT, Mr. Bryan Aguilar. Please continue reading below to learn more about upcoming special events and other important opportunities you and our students in the near future.
Warmest Regards,
Eric L. Cooley, director
CHS Choral Department
When We Return...
Monday
- Teacher Work Day
- Show Choir Refresher Camp (1:00-5:00 PM)
- Classes Resume
- Distribution of Independent Music Learning Project Info
- No Scheduled Activities
Thursday
- All-State Mock Auditions
- Trip Payment Due
- Booster Club Meeting (6:00-8:00 PM)
Friday
- No Scheduled Activities
Saturday
- All-State Choir Auditions @ UTA (All Day)
Full Calendar Link
Introducing Bryan Aguilar ...
When we return to school in January, we will be welcoming our Mr. Bryan Aguilar to the CHS Choir Family as our first-ever student teacher.
Mr. Aguilar is a native of El Paso, Tx and in in the final phase of his studies at UNT as a Choral Music Education major. While at UNT he has participated in the UNT A Cappella Choir for 3 years and the Collegium Singers; a graduate student ensemble for early music. In addition to these responsibilities, Mr. Aguilar has served as the President of the “UpFront!” Music Ed. organization, a group he founded to assist others in their journey leading through service. He is excited to spend time with The Choirs of Centennial in January.
Mr. Aguilar will be with us through the end of February, at which time he will move to an elementary campus in Denton to complete his internship. We are thrilled to welcome him to our team and work with him as he prepares to enter the teaching profession in the Fall.
Show Choir Rehearsal information Update
On Monday, January 6th, Shades of Blue will participate in a Show Choir Re-Boot Workshop from 1:00-5:00 PM. This workshop is required of all show choir members as we prepare for our upcoming showcase performances on February 6th and 10th. Students may enter through Door 23 starting at 12:40 PM. Please Bring water bottles, character shoes and wear your show choir shirt for this rehearsal.
We will resume our normal rehearsal schedule for the remainder of the month of January. Our first rehearsal in February will take place on February 6th and coincide with the BISD School Showcase. The BISD Show Choir Showcase (a different event) will take place on Monday, February 10th at 7:00 PM immediately following our regularly scheduled rehearsal.
As a reminder, all rehearsals for this ensemble are listed on the CHS Choir Calendar on the Choir Webpage and are available for printing/review.
Solo & Ensemble Contest Information
This week students will receive information about this year's BISD Vocal Solo & Ensemble Contest. This contest is a great opportunity for choir members to build their skills as a singer and to receive feedback regarding their individual growth and development as a performer. This event will be hosted on Thursday evening, February 20th at Centennial HS and will be adjudicated by area high school choral directors and vocal coaches from local collegiate institutions.
The goal of this project is to help promote the expansion of personal confidence and performance skills through more individualized learning and performance experiences. In addition to these skills, this process is a wonderful opportunity for students to refine their communication skills and practice elements of personal deportment that will aid them in life for years to come.
There are two ways to participate in this year’s process. Students may register as either a “Curricular” contest or an “Official Contest" participant. Participating in either category will satisfy the academic requirements of this course.
Students who choose to participate in the “Official Contest” have the opportunity to earn points for their letter jackets and “Outstanding Performer” distinctions in their division. Juniors and Seniors performing "Class One" solos and students performing "Class Two" solos are eligible to compete for scholarships in this year’s BISD Honors Recital on Thursday, February 21st.
Curricular Contest Participants: Students that choose this path will select a solo from a prescribed list of English folk songs to prepare and perform with a pre-recorded track. Performances will take place during class at the end of February. To assist our students in their preparation, students will have the opportunity to work on their music during class and receive support during sectionals outside of class time.
Official Contest Participants: Students who choose this path will have the opportunity to select from a wider variety of songs that includes folk songs, spirituals, and art songs in a variety of languages. Selections from this list must be approved by a voice teacher or Mr. Cooley. Students that choose to compete in this year's contest will work with a professional accompanist to prepare for performance. A fee of $30 will be charged of all students who participate in this process. Regardless of the track chosen by the student, NO student will be required to perform in front of more than a single adjudicator unless they invite others into the room to view their performance.
More information related to this project will be shared in next week's SMORE and in class when we return to school in January.
Men's Choir Trip to Louisiana
On Wednesday, January 29th, the members of the Varsity Tenor-Bass Choir will travel to Louisiana to participate in "Men Sing Aloud," a regional performance festival hosted by the University of Louisiana School of Music for men's choirs.
This is an incredible opportunity for our young men to share their passion for music making but also for them to learn and grow through collaboration with other singers and choirs from other parts of our country. We are thrilled to have received this invitation and look forward to being ambassadors for our program, our district, and fine arts education in Texas.
With the generous support CHS Choir Booster Club, we have been able to cover many of the required for participation in this trip. Because of these subsidies have enabled us to reduce student costs for this trip to only $25. This fee will cover and include all meals eaten by students during our time away from school. Students may begin making payments toward this trip upon our return from the holiday break. Payments may be made to the CHS Choir Booster Club using Cash, Card, or Fundraiser Credits. Deadline for payments is Friday, January 24th.
Parents interested in traveling with us as chaperones for this event are asked to register this desire with Mr. Cooley by 1/10/2020.
Master Works Concert Announcement
On Friday, February 7th, the Varsity Choirs of Centennial High School and Crowley High School will join forces to present a special performance of "Frostiana" by Randall Thompson. This performance will feature the poetry of Robert Frost, accompanied by the CHS Wind Ensemble under the direction of Mr. Shawn Murphy.
Doors open at 6:30 PM, Performance begins at 7:00 PM. This performance is open to the public. More information about tickets and seating will be released in the next few weeks. This will be a performance you will not want to miss!
Please Download FlipGrid
This spring, we will be making use of the online feedback and assessment tool called FlipGrid. While this app may be accessed through a web browser, it will be extremely helpful for students to have this app on their phone. We will use it to collect input, feedback and performance information both in and outside of the classroom environment. Thank you in advance for your help with this effort.
Nashville Trip Update
All trip participants are now locked in and numbers for this year's trip to Nashville are set. Final trip balances will be reviewed using these numbers. Any adjustments needing to be made will be communicated prior to the February payment deadline.
Our last product fundraiser for the school year will be held at the end of the month and conclude just before Valentine's Day. Funds from this sale may be use to offset final payments for this year's trip or upcoming events this spring. Students/families wishing us to use fundraiser credits to help cover outstanding balances should contact our booster club treasurer via email at treasurer@chschoirboosters.org as soon as possible.
Remind 101 Codes
- Public Announcements - @20670
- Choraliers - @cfk7a
- Con Spirito - @spiritomen
- Cantare - @cantaretc
- Spartan Chorale - @20673
- Chamber Singers - @20672
- Shades of Blue - @ef34
- Spring Trip - @centtrips
About Us
Email: ecooley@bisdmail.net
Website: www.centennialhschoir.com
Location: 201 S Hurst Rd, Burleson, TX, United States
Phone: 817-245-0370
Facebook: facebook.com/centennialhschoir
Twitter: @centennialsings