ChoirSyllabus

AcademyofTucsonHighSchool
201516

Instructor:Mr.RyanPhillips
Contact:
rphillips@aoths.net
(520)4615400

ClassDescription:
Thisperformingartsclasswillprovidestudentswiththeopportunitytofortifytheirnewand
priorknowledgeofchoralliteraturewhilekeepinganopenmindtowardsnewmusical
challengesandexperiences.Throughouttheyear,studentswilllearnpropervocaltechnique
andcareoftheirinstrument,musicreadingandtheoryskills,andpositivegroupcollaboration.

RequiredMaterials:
Music(Provided)
BlackFolder3ringbinder
Pencil
WaterBottle

LearningGoals:
Studentswillbeableto:
Demonstratepropersingingtechnique
Singrepertoireinmultiplelanguageswithcorrectpronunciation
Describerepertoireusingcorrectmusicalterms
Readandperformrepertoireofvaryingmusicallevel
Demonstrateabalancedtonewhilesinginginagroupsetting

Grading:
70%Attendance/Participation
20%SightSingingQuizzes/PartChecks
10%ExtracurricularConcertAttendance

Attendance/Participation
Itisexpectedthateverystudentwillarrivetoclassontimeandtoparticipateandbe
respectfulduringrehearsal.Eachday,studentswillbegiventwopointsforattendanceand
participation.Ifastudentistardyordoesnotparticipateandisdisruptive,oneorbothofthe
pointsmaybetakenaway.Becausethisisaperformingartsclass,attendanceismandatoryfor
thesuccessoftheentireensemble.Excessiveabsencesduringrehearsaltimemayresultin
ineligibilityforperformances.
Performancesareademonstrationofastudentslearninginareasofreading,singing,
listening,andevaluation.Failuretoattendaperformanceisdetrimentaltothechoirs

performance,aswellasastudentseducation.Seepolicybelow.

An"AStudent"inthiscourse:
Maintainsapositiveattitude,isresponsive,praisesothers,isaggressiveaboutchallenges.
Takesindividualresponsibilityforknowingpart:notes,rhythms,andallconcepts.
Appliestechniquesaddressedinwarmupstomusic.
Isabletogiveandtakeinstruction.
Strivestomakethehealthiest,mostmusicalsoundatalltimes.
Constantlyworkstoimprovemusicreadingskills.
Marksmistakes,directions,stylisticinstructionsandtranslationsindividuallyandasinstructed
andappliestheminsinging.
Maintainsthehighestpossiblelevelofcommitmentinrehearsalandperformance.
Keepsuptodatecalendarregardingchoircommitments.
Takespersonalresponsibilityforandownershipinthesuccessoftheensemble.
Maintainsphysicalandvocalhealthasapersonalresponsibility

ConcertAbsences
ANYABSENCEfromaperformancewillresultintheconcertgradeofzero.Iftheabsenceis
excused,whichmustbeverifiedwithanotefromparent/guardian,youmaymakeupthezeroby
followingtheseprocedures:

Ifyoucanbeattheconcertbuthavelostyourvoiceandcannotsing,youcancompletea
concertreviewsheetforeachensemble.Makesureyoucheckinwithyourchoir
attendancetaker,andletmeknowbeforetheconcertthatthisiswhatyouaredoing.

Ifyouarenotabletobeattheconcert,youmustwriteathreepagepaperaboutoneofthe
composersbeingperformed.Provideabiographyofthiscomposer,andanybackgroundabout
thesong,lyricistorarranger.Youshouldalsoprovideadescriptionofthepiece:Whatmakesit
challenging?Bespecific.Makesureyouprovidecitationswithinthebodyofthepaper,and
provideaWorksCitedpageattheend.

Iftheabsenceisunexcused,theconcertgradewillremainazero.

Excusedabsencesfromaconcert:
Studentillness
Familyemergencies
Religiousholidays(directormustbenotifiedinadvance,inwriting)
Curricularexcursions(directormustbenotifiedinadvance,inwriting)

Unexcusedabsencescaninclude,butarenotlimitedto:
Studyorprivatelessons
Familyvacationsortrips/Collegevisitations
Work


ExtracurricularAttendanceforConcertsintheCommunity
Studentsinchoirwillattendtwoartisticperformancepersemester.Studentsareexpectedto
seektheirownopportunitieshowever,viableoptionswillperiodicallybeprovidedinclass.High
school,college,orprofessionaleventssuchasband,orchestra,choirorotherconcerts,and
theaterprogramsarealleligible.Norock,pop,orhiphopperformances(thoughMr.Phillips
doesenjoythoseaswell).Inordertoreceivecreditforattendance,aprogramorticketstub
mustbepresentedontheduedate.
Duedates:
September28th
November30th
March7th
May2nd

SightSingingQuizzes
Studentswillperiodicallybeassessedontheirsightsingingskillswithsinglelinemusical
exercises.Duringthesequizzes,studentsmustsingonsolfege,withcorrectrhythmandpitchto
receivefullpoints.

RegionalFestival:
Regionalsisanextracurricularmusicalopportunitythatisavailabletoallhighschool
students.Theprocessincludesanauditioninwhichstudentssingapreparedsoloforajudge
aswellassightsingneverbeforeseenexcerpts.Ifchosen,studentsareallowedtoparticipate
ina100personchoirofthebesthighschoolsingersinaspecifiedregion.
AttemptingapositioninthefestivalismandatoryfortheAdvancedWomensChoir.
Ifplacedintoregionalchoir,studentsarehighlyencouragedtoauditionfortheAllState
festivalwhichisanidenticalprocesstoRegionals,butonalargerscale,whichincludesallof
Arizona.

Uniforms:

TheAdvancedWomenschoirwearsdresses,whichareprovidedbyAcademyofTucson.
Thereisnorentalfee.Studentsaretokeeptheirdressesathomeandareresponsiblefor
bringingthemtoeveryperformance.
TheMixedChoirwearsrobes,whichareprovidedbyAcademyofTucson.Thereisnorental
fee.RobeswillbekeptinthechoirroomandwillbebroughttotheperformancevenuebyMr.
Phillips.

TheAdvancedWomenschoirmembersaretopurchaseaperformancepolofor$15formore
informalperformances.MoneywillbeturnedintoMrs.DoolbyFriday,August21st.