PTSA Reflections Contest

The PTSA is sponsoring the Reflections contest once again! Last year we did have our student, Kellie L. receive an award for her composition. Below is the letter that gives you more information.

- Mrs. Christy

September 20th, 2010


Dear Student,

You are invited to participate in this year’s Reflections program. The theme for this year is, “Together
we can…” Reflections is a cultural arts program sponsored by the National PTA. The primary goal of
Reflections is to encourage students to express themselves creatively through the arts.
Students may submit works of art in any of the following categories: Music, Literature, Visual Arts,
Photography, Dance Choreography, and Film/Video Production. All entries must be original and the
work of only one student. (No group work or parent assistance please.) Be certain to consult the official
rules before you begin your Reflections project. You may a locate the Reflections packet with rules at
http://www.nyspta.org/ under the heading “programs/awards”. A completed Reflections application must be
attached to your entry. All entries are due by Friday, October 22nd. Please deposit your entry in the
Reflections box located in the Main Office. Winning entries will be forwarded to the Suffolk County
Reflections committee for further judging.

If you have any additional questions regarding Reflections, please feel free to contact me at 366-2663 or
via email: debbiemahoney@optonline.net

All Smithtown High School West students are eligible to participate in the Reflections program this year.

Best of luck to you!

Sincerely,

Debbie Mahoney

PTSA Reflections Chairperson

Wednesday October 6 the United States Air Force Band and Singing Sergeants will be here to give a concert. We will be holding workshops throughout the day that will give you the opportunity to work with them.

If you attend the concert, please bring me a program or ticket stub so you can receive extra credit!

-Mrs. Christy

Lesson Schedule

Here is the lesson schedule for the first concert.

As I said in class, this is a rotational lesson schedule that all of your teachers will have. You miss the class on the rotation once a month. Each week you should attend one lesson with your assigned lesson group. This year I will be teaching lessons during periods 2,4,7 & 8.

If your lesson falls on a day when you have a test in your class, take the test and makeup the lesson!! Even if we have a day off of school, I should see you in a lesson that week.

If you have any questions, let me know! The schedule and lesson groups are now up!

LESSON SCHEDULE

LESSONGROUPASSIGNMENTS

Jazz Choir Auditions

Jazz Choir auditions will be held next Tuesday and Wednesday, September 14 &15, after school in the chorus room. This is a select ensemble of 20 members that learns different literature using vocal jazz styling and techniques. They participate in multiple concerts, school functions & community events, as well as a trip that we will be organizing and fundraising for. The list of members will be up by Friday, September 19. Everyone is welcome to audition! If the times available do not work for you, come see me and we will find time during the day. Best of luck and I am looking forward to the new year!!

Audition requirements:

            -30 seconds of a prepared Jazz Standard. This should be memorized & will be performed a capella.
            - an 8 measure sight reading sample that I will provide from a piece we are working on this spring.

Slots are five minutes in length and you will be filling out an information sheet for me, so please arrive before your audition time to complete this.

See you then!!

Mrs. Christy

Listening Suggestions for Vocal Jazz Artists:
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Sarah Vaughn
- Billie Holiday
- Frank Sinatra
- Harry Connick Jr.
- Diana Krall
- Jane Monheit
- Jamie Cullum
- B.B. King
Possible Song Titles to look into:

- Autumn Leaves
- Funny Valentine
- I’ll Be Seeing You
- Over the Rainbow
- Embraceable You
- Cheek to Cheek
- I’ve Got the World on a String
- I’ve Got You Under My Skin
- Someone to Watch Over Me
- Come Fly With Me

Concert Choir Syllabus

Attached is a link to the Concert Choir Syllabus. Please print out a copy for yourself and give me back the signature portion by Tuesday, September 14. This requires a parent signature, so make sure you go over the requirements with them.

-Mrs. Christy

Concert Choir Syllabus

Welcome Back

Hello!

Welcome back to school! I hope that your summer left you well rested and ready for another great year. I am thrilled to have you all in my choir this year and can't wait to get started. We have a much bigger number this year, so I will be trying to use this site more frequently to keep you up to date on what is going on in the class.

I will put up the syllabus and we will review it tomorrow in class.

See you soon!

Mrs. Christy

Sectional Schedule

Here is the sectional schedule leading up to the concert. I know many of you are going to be out on field trips these next two weeks. You are only excused from sectionals if you are on a field trip and I receive notification from attendance. If not, see you there!


Thursday, May 20
Period 4- Alto
Period 5- Tenor

Friday, May 21
Period 4- Soprano
Period 5- Basses

Monday, May 24
Rehearsal- periods 7 & 8

Tuesday, May 25
Period 2- Alto
Period 3- Tenor
Period 6- Inst. For Jabberwocky
NIGHT REHEARSAL 6:30-8

Wednesday, May 26
Period 2- Soprano
Period 3- Basses

Thursday, May 27
Rehearsal- Periods 8 & 9

JUNE 1 & 2- TBA

Testing Schedule 5/3-5/8

Next week is testing for Quarter 4. Sign ups for your time are on the choral board in the music suite. You must sign-up INDIVIDUALLY for a ten minute slot. The material that will be covered is:

Jabberwocky (memorized)
The Road Home (memorized)
Vamuvamba
Ah! si mon moine voulait danser
Tangueando (first three pages)


There will also be makeup lessons/ extra help 7th period Monday through Wednesday May 3, 4 &5.

Jazz Choir Gigs

This Thursday the HS West Music Department is performing at Barnes and Noble at Smithhaven Mall. The event goes from 5-10 so stop by and check it out! Our department with receive a portion of anything purchased at this time.

Jazz: Please be there by 6:30 at the latest. Wear Jeans and our Black T-shirts with the numbers.

Saturday: The Jazz Choir will be performing with the Harbormen Chorus at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Center in East Setauket. Tickets are $10 & the show starts at 2:30 pm.

Here is the address you can type into Google Maps:
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Center
380 Nicholls Road
East Setauket

Jazz please wear Jeans and the tye-die shirts. You have to be there by 2.

Pieces for the spring concert

Here are the videos of the three pieces we are currently working on on YouTube. There is also a link to Witness and Alleluia which we will be performing at NYSSMA on Tuesday, May 18.

Jabberwocky http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsHGyk9A5_o

The Road Home http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf626jCdxbw

Vamuvamba http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RCDcyxUbSA

Witness http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfu1EOaDQ0M&feature=channel

Alleluia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLo1IMqhjSI&feature=PlayList&p=8CF3940DC3F66A38&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=82

Lesson Schedule for Remainder of Year!!

In this view, Friday is cut off... Click on the above image to view the full lesson schedule.

Please make sure you are coming to one lesson a week! The end of the year will come very quickly.

Our concert is Wednesday, June 2.

THURSDAY SECTIONALS

This Thursday the mens sectional will be changed to second period.

The schedule is now:
2nd- men
3rd- women


See you then!!

Mrs. Christy

GALA WEEK!

Here is the schedule for Gala sectionals:

MONDAY

5TH PERIOD- SOPRANOS

7TH PERIOD- ALTOS

TUESDAY

5TH PERIOD- BASSES

7TH PERIOD- TENORS

WEDNESDAY

YOUNG PEOPLES CONCERT

THURSDAY

3RD- WOMEN

6TH- MEN

NIGHT REHEARSAL 6:30- 8:30

CONCERT

SATURDAY- 7PM CONCERT DRESS

We will be in the auditorium for 8th period, all week! See you there!!

Changes due to Snow Days/ Godspell

This weeks testing and lesson schedule is going to be slightly altered due to Fridays snowday.

More than anything I am concerned about you making up the lessons you have all been missing because of this and previous snowdays. This weeks lessons are 2, 4 & 5 periods. This Wednesday's lessons will be meeting on Thursday WITH THE THURSDAY LESSON GROUPS due to Godspell previews that I will be involved with during the day.

In addition, I will be holding 2 makeup lessons on 7th period Thursday and 7th period Friday.

Your test for this week I am moving to the week of March 8th. That means that the week of March 8th you will be tested on Witness, Londonderry Air and Alleluia. It must be MEMORIZED! I expect confident, well prepared performances as some of you need to work to raise your grades from the test on Muie.

See you in rehearsal!! Hope you enjoyed the unexpected three day weekend.

Mrs. Christy

Testing Schedule for Gala

Here is the testing schedule for between now and the Gala concert. You only have two more weeks to make up any missing lessons!

This week we have a test on Muie Rendera (memorized) and Laudate Pueri (with music).

3/1 you will have a test on Londonderry Air & Witness (memorized)
3/8 you will have a test on Alleluia (memorized)
Sectionals will be the week of 3/15

MARCH 18 NIGHT REHEARSAL 6:30- 8:30 pm

You must be here to participate in the Gala Concert!

Gala T-Shirt

Below is the link to view the form for the Gala T-shirt. Each t-shirt will have GALA 2010 on the front and then your name listed on the back of the shirt. They are $12 each. Please make sure you indicate your size on the order form!

Click here to view this form.



Please get this back to my BY THIS FRIDAY!!!!

Lessons on Monday Jan. 4

Happy New Year!!

I hope that you remember to check the blog this weekend! Monday we begin lessons again. They will be as follows:

Group A: Period 3

Group B: Period 5

Group C: Period 6

Please spread the word and see you then.

-Ms. Kvam