Please post a link to a song that expresses an emotion (or one that relates to yourself).

Please also post a link to a song that is from a specific culture for us to share in class.

Choir: please post a link to a song that will help us know more of who you are.

Due: Friday, September 12

All Choir students, please post a comment below so I know that you are able to use this blog for our class. Due Date: Tuesday, August 26

Choir: Please remember that our spring concert will be held on May 21 at 6:30 PM. All choir members need to be there at 6PM. I am asking for you to wear all blues/whites for this concert.

We also are asked to be a part of SAA’s Music Festival singing “When You Believe” with the band on Saturday evening May 17. Please see the school’s website and further down on my blog for more information about the Music Festival. We will wear all black for this event.

I am highly encouraging ALL choir members to challenge themselves to sign up with a song (solo/duet/etc.) to do for the school music festival. This is a great experience for anyone to get specific feedback on their voice. And, some will be chosen to sing their solos as part of the music festival. The cost is minimal. It is only $10 for the first submission and $5 for each additional submission. The price you are paying for specific feedback from some very talented judges is well worth it. It is a worthy investment.

We will be choosing a date and time soon for an end of the year choir party. Thank you for all of your hard work this year!

Parents, hi:)

Our choir is gearing up for our next concert very soon.

Next week are Parent Teacher Conferences. If you would like the chance to meet with me, please email me ahead of time about a time to meet next Thurs. or Fri. between 3-6PM. I really need to try to make my schedule out ahead of time, so please email me about this soon if you need a time with me.

Dates:
Thurs. March 6th: 1-1:30 we will rehearse right after school with the Jazz Band
Monday March 10th from 3:30 to 4:30 rehearsal
Wednesday March 12th concert at 6:30 (students be here at 6PM)
(We also will have 5/6th grade assembly on Tues. March 11th during school and the Jr. High assembly on Wed. March 12th during school)

*they are asked to wear all black with a colorful shirt or tie or top to go over it with something sparkly included to the concert:)

Please remember that we are asked to be a part of the school Music Festival and have a number we are working on to perform. This will be on the evening of SATURDAY May 17th. Please mark your calendars. Also, please see the blog and/or the school website for information on helping your student enter the festival with solos or duets or groups or even instruments.

Our final concert is still scheduled for Wednesday, May 21st.

Thanks!
Melissa Burke

*Please visit the school website for the actual entry forms!!!!

SAA Music & Arts Festival 2014: “When you believe!”
When: Saturday, May 17th, 2014 Where: All events will be held at Syracuse Arts Academy, Syracuse UT
What: There are several events associated with our school’s festival this year: (May 17th, 2014)
*1:00-4:00 pm- Adjudications for Solo and Ensemble music festival competition and visual art entries. (Jr. high building)
*5:20-6:20 pm- Viewing of visual art competition entries. (Elementary & Jr. High Gyms)
*6:30-8:00 pm- Music & Arts Award ceremony and concert. (Jr. High Auditorium)
Who can participate?
-Music Solo & Ensemble Competition: 1st-9th grades
-Visual Art competition- K-9th grades
-Awards Ceremony & Concert-
*All elementary kids have the opportunity to participate in a group musical number.
*Jr. High band, choir and selected 5th & 6th grades students will perform in a combined number.
*Judges will select superior performances to perform in the concert.
Music Festival Performing Art Information & Rules 2014:
* All Music Festival Participants must turn in an entry form, which can be accessed and printed via the school website at www.syracuseartsacademy.org, music & art teachers blogs, or school offices. There is a $10 participation fee for the first entry and $5 for any additional entries, whether art or music.
Approved Instruments:
Percussion, brass, winds, vocal, piano, & strings (includes guitar).
- Solos, duets, or ensembles.
(Ensembles not to exceed 8 people.)
Approved Genres:
*Classical, jazz, contemporary, pop, musical theatre, original composition, original arrangement, & jazz improvisation.
*All musical performances should be quality in nature and memorized with the exception of brass, winds, duets and ensembles.
Performing Arts Rules:
1. All entrants will be assigned a specific time to perform their selection for a professional musician in their specific area of competition.
2. All performances should be “family friendly.” Lyrics should be free of vulgarity or profanity.
3.Times will be assigned after applications are received.
4. Selections should not be longer than six minutes or the participant will be penalized.
5. Participants must have the original music for their adjudication. No photo copied music, unless proof is provided of permission to copy. Exception: original compositions, original arrangements, & jazz improvisation. Students do not need to have their original music notated in order to enter their original arrangements, or original compositions into the festival.
6. Music measures should be numbered before giving music to the judge.
7. All solos should be memorized. Exception: brass and wind instruments or duets and ensembles.
8. Selections should be “quality” in nature and performance worthy.
9. Participants must provide their own accompanist if needed. Digital pianos will be placed in adjudication rooms for the use of accompanists. Vocal participants may bring an iPod, iPhone, or ipad with music accompaniment on it.
(Tech crew will be available during adjudications to help set up music for vocal participants.)
10. Students may enter a maximum of three entries in the music or performing arts area. Each entry must be a different genre or instrument and should support the festival theme. (For example, a student may not enter three classical pieces on the same instrument. They may however enter three pieces that are different genres on the same instrument, or same genre on different instruments.)
11. Students may enter three music entries and three visual art entries for a maximum of six entries into the festival.
12. Music Festival winners will be chosen from each grade division and genre. The winners must have a “superior” rating in their adjudication in order to receive a trophy and perform in the festival awards ceremony. If chosen as a festival winner, they must be present and ready to perform at the concert, on May 17th at 6:30 pm, SAA Jr. High auditorium.
Visual Art Entry Information & Rules 2014:
*All Art Festival Participants must turn in an entry form, which can be accessed and printed via the school website at www.syracuseartsacademy.org, music & art teachers blogs, or school offices. There is a $10 participation fee for the first entry and $5 for any additional entries, whether art or music.
Theme: “When you believe!”
When do I submit my artwork? All artwork must be turned into the school on Friday May16th, between 1:00-2:30 pm to the Jr. High gymnasium. Artwork not received by May 16th, at 2:30 pm will not be entered into the festival.
What types of visual art can I submit?
*Illustrated literature (small storybook, essay, comic book), sculptures, painting, drawing, pottery, ceramics, collage, photographic collage, photography (black & white & color), punch work, metal etching, fiber work, computer–generated digital art, and glass art, multi-medium art, and jewelry
Visual Art Entry Rules 2014:
1.There is a maximum of three visual art entries per student.
2. All entries should be the original work of one student. (Parents and teachers can guide but should not be involved in creating the art piece itself.)
3. If artwork is a copy of an original, participant must give credit to and provide name of original artist.
(Please see Mr. Schroeder’s blog for copyright laws.)
4. Entries from the same student must be in different areas of visual art.
5. All work must be “family-friendly.” No vulgarity, profanity or inappropriate images. “I express myself with respect.”
6. Students’ artwork should support the 2014 festival theme: “When you believe.”
7. Visual art entries must be turned in at Jr. High gymnasium, on May 16th, 2014, between 1:00- 2:30 pm.
(Art received after this day and time will not be entered in the festival.)
8. An “Artist Description” form must be securely attached to your art entry before turning it in. (These can be printed from the music and art teachers blogs, school website, or a hard copy can be received from both school offices.)
9.Make sure everything is secured to your entry when you turn it in.
(The festival committee and teachers will not be responsible for things falling off or coming loose.)
10. No hazardous materials of any kind. No sharp edges.
11. No art pieces resembling weapons or dangerous materials.
12. No art work suggesting racial attitudes or agendas. “I express myself with respect”
13. No frames. Mounted or matted preferred.
14. Art festival winners will be chosen from each grade division within the multiple styles. The winners must have a judges “superior in show” their adjudication in order to receive a winner’s ribbon and be honored in the festival awards ceremony. If chosen as a festival winner, they must be present at the concert, on May 17th at 6:30 pm, SAA Jr. High auditorium to receive their award.
15. All festival art pieces must be collected and taken home by the artists between 6:20-8:30 pm, with the exception of art festival winners. If chosen as a festival winner, please turn your art piece into the small ticket office in the foyer of the Jr. High, at the end of the festival. Winning art will be kept in nice condition for further viewing opportunities. After these events conclude, art will be returned to the student.
What types of materials can I use?
No hazardous chemicals or materials of any kind. No sharp edges. No frames. Mounted or matted preferred.
What dimensions should my project be?
*2D art should be no larger than 16 in x20 in. *3D art should be no larger than 12 inches in any dimension. There is a 25lb. weight limit on all art.
How are entries judged?
Entries are judged primarily on quality and creativity of the artwork and how well the student uses his or her artistic vision to portray the theme. They will not be judged based on presentation (i.e. expensive mounts or mats

Post a link to the video of your assigned genre of music for our listening/analyzing activity by next Wednesday Feb. 19th.

Parents and Students:

Please keep in mind that our next two concerts are scheduled as follows:

6:30 PM March 12

and

6:30 PM May 21

These two weeks will also involve the standard school assemblies.

Our school will also be participating in the School Music Festival.  Last year the festival was held in May.  Choir students are asked to be a part of the group performance.  The date will be announced for this event soon.

Thank You!

Parents!

Please remember we do have a required joint choir and band rehearsal from 1 to 1:30 this afternoon in the auditorium.

Also, this Saturday, December 7 is our Barnes and Noble day. Choir students are not required by grade to participate, but we really need as many choir students as we can get to come and help us sing. Please be at Barnes and Noble in Layton by 12:45 if you would like to participate. We will sing at 1PM. Students, please dress in all black and add Christmas Accessories (red and green colors). ***This is the same outfit we will be wearing on Dec. 19 for our Christmas Concert.

Parents, also keep in mind these dates:
Monday Dec. 16 REQUIRED dress rehearsal combined with the band directly after school. Your students will need to stay through the entire rehearsal and that may be at least one hour (until 4:30ish) after school.
Tuesday Dec. 17: 5th and 6th grade assembly during school
Wed. Dec. 18: Jr. High assembly during school (students may dress in best dress this day)
Thurs. Dec. 19: Christmas Concert for Choir and Band at 6:30 PM. All choir members need to be at school (in all black with red and green accessories) by 6PM. Our concert will NOT be as it has before where we are separate from the band performances. We will be performing in between and with the band number throughout the program. Please be here on time to be able to see the entire performance.

Thanks!
Melissa Burke

Hi!

I am sharing an important announcement about a change in date for our Winter Concert. It was scheduled at 6:30 PM on December 18. However, we have discovered that this is the same evening at the concert at Syracuse High School, so we have decided to move our concert to Thursday, December 19 at 6:30 PM. Since this concert is required as part of the grade for your student, I need you to please email me at mburke@syracuseartsacademy.org as soon as possible if your student has a conflict with this change in date.

The dress rehearsal will still be held on December 16 directly after school. This dress rehearsal is also required by grade. Please be sure your student plans to attend. Since we will be performing combined with the band in this concert, we will need to be at the entire dress rehearsal. Please plan on your child staying after school until 4:30 PM on that Monday. The rest of the assembly schedule during school will remain the same for our students (5/6 grade assembly on Tuesday and Jr. High assembly on Wednesday).

Due to needing extra time to rehearse with the band, we will need to meet for a 30 minute rehearsal immediately after school on Thursday December 5. This is an early out day, so that would happen at 1PM.

The dress for this concert will be all black but students may accessorize with the colors red and greed (example: red tie, red and green hair accessories, etc.). Please note that the order of the concert will not be the same as it has before. The choir will be performing in between different band numbers and along with the band, so please plan to have your students there by 6 PM on Dec. 19 and plan to stay for the entire concert which begins at 6:30 PM.

We also have been invited to sing as a choir at Barnes and Noble in Layton on Saturday December 7. This event is not required by grade, but we would like as many as possible to participate. Please try to make your student available to attend. The dress will be the same as for our Winter Concert. I will send an email and post to the blog when we determine a time for the performance on this day.

Thanks for all you do, and please email me if you have any questions. PLEASE don’t just reply, but actually send an email to mburke@syracuseartsacademy.org or post a comment on my blog with any questions: blogs.syracuseartsacademy.org/mburke.

Thanks,
Melissa Burke