Whitney Point
TRA Chorus
Whitney Point TRA CHORUS
HANDBOOK ~ 2018-2019
Welcome back to school! I am very excited about this school year and am looking forward to all the wonderful music we are going to be creating! This handbook will present some very valuable information as well as help to answer any questions you may have about the upcoming year. Please make note of the chorus dates on your calendars and let me know about any conflicts you are aware of. Thank you for your support of the chorus program here at Whitney Point!
ENSEMBLES
6th, 7th/8th Grade Chorus- This group is open to any students in grades 6-8 who are interested in and enjoy singing. You are welcome to be part of this chorus, even if you have never been in a group like this before. This ensemble meets every other day during the school day for a full period and is divided into two levels (6th grade and 7th/8th grade).
Each group will learn music to perform for our concerts both separately and also as a combined 6-8 group. In addition, when students reach 7th and 8th grade, their ensemble will have smaller sectional rehearsals for each voice type in the group. These rehearsals will be during lunch periods once every 3 weeks; students will have a chance to eat and then report to their rehearsal.
Important curriculum that this group focuses on are: proper vocal technique, note and rhythm reading, understanding of musical elements, music history, music theory, music of different cultures and performance practices.
Select Chorus- This is an audition-based group available to students in 6th-8th grade. Students participate an audition process early in the school year and are selected to participate in this group. There are a set number of slots for each voice part, and a list of alternate students are chosen, should a slot open up. All students are encouraged to audition but not required to, and will be provided with more specific information regarding the audition process in the beginning of the school year. Current members of Select Chorus must re- audition every year for voice part placement only and will not be eliminated if they already are a member of this group.
ADDITIONAL VOCAL OPPORTUNITIES
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As a member of 6th-8th grade chorus, students can choose to participate in a number of additional singing experiences:
All County Chorus- A select group made up of the best musicians in Broome County that performs in March.
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NYSSMA Solo Festival- Students choose and prepare a solo song performed by memory in Front of a judge and are given a rating/score and comments. Students who perform exceedingly well on their NYSSMA solos May submit their scores to be chosen to participate in this highly Selective group of singers through the region.
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TRA Musical- Students audition to be a part of the TRA School musical, Willy Wonka, and are given a performance role in the production. Students in grades 7&8 may also work behind-the-scenes in this production.
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School-Community Musical- A bi-annual Musical production that is open to middle school students and above. Auditions are typically in December and further information will be provided once Mrs. Knapp has selected the show.
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Tri-M Music Honor Society- A music honor society specifically for middle school music students, selection is based on student leadership, citizenship, and academic standing. The mission of this group is to provide community service through music, and includes several performance opportunities. Interested students complete an application in early January and participate in an induction ceremony in February.
GRADING POLICY
Students will receive a number grade for chorus that counts toward their overall average and honor roll placement. If a student wishes to drop chorus, they must do so by October 1st. After this date, any students registered for chorus will be expected to remain for the rest of the year. Exceptions will be made for reasons including required academic remediation and discipline, but these matters will be handles through the Guidance Office.
Grading procedure for each 10-week marking period will be:
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Daily Participation and Effort- 50%, Quiz/Test Average- 25%, Concert Performance-25%
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Daily Participation and Effort- This grade is based on attitude, effort, and participation. Each student begins each rehearsal with 10 points. Points are deducted if the student fails to participate and put forth good attitude and effort. Students who do not attend sectional rehearsals will also lose points from their Participation and Effort average unless they have a written excuse. Students who are removed from rehearsal due to disciplinary or behavior issues will lose all 10 points for that day.
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Quizzes- At least 4 quizzes will be given throughout each marking period. Quizzes are focused on vocal technique, note and rhythm reading, understanding of musical elements, music history, music of different cultures, and performance practices. Students who score an 80% or below may elect to retake their quiz, and the higher grade will be counted. However, students must take the initiative and approach me to be able to retake a quiz.
Final Exam- The final exam will be given in June and will assess cumulative knowledge for the year. The exam will include a written portion as well as a performance portion.

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Performances- All scheduled performances are mandatory and are part of the student’s grade. Students earn a “100” for attending and participating in the concert with no behavior/disciplinary issues. Failure to attend a concert (unless there is a family emergency and your parents have notified me) results in a grade of “0”. The student must provide a written excuse signed by a parent/guardian. If this is provided the student will have the opportunity to complete an alternate assignment for a grade to replace the “0”.
SECTIONAL REHEARSALS
Sectional rehearsals occur once every 5 weeks during lunch periods for 7th/8th grade students. Students eat their lunch, then report to the chorus room with all members of their voice part. These rehearsals are crucial to the success of the choral program as they focus on specific vocal development and practice, allowing sections to perform together and develop stronger part retention, which in turn benefits the rest of the ensemble. Failure to attend a rehearsal without a valid excuse will result in a reduction of Participation and Effort points.
CONCERT DRESS
Concert dress for ALL concerts will be black bottoms and black tops. Boys should wear black pants and a collared shirt, girls should wear a black shirt and black pants/skirt. For our chorus competition in May a chorus T-Shirt and black bottoms will be required.
MUSIC IN THE PARKS COMPETITION
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This year the 7th/8th Grade Chorus and Select Chorus will travel to a music competition at Dorney Park on Saturday, May 11th, 2019. The band and chorus will be going to the same competition, so as to cut down on costs for students who are members of both groups. This is a very exciting trip for the students! They will have the opportunity to compete against schools from all over the state and hear feedback from judges on their performance, then enjoy the park. Please watch for information throughout the year regarding fundraising and trip information.
No money is refunded after March 1st, 2019 for any reason, as we will have already sent in the money for competition fees, theme park tickets, and Schafer bus rental at that point and are no longer able to obtain a return from these organizations.
DISCIPLINE POLICY
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It has become necessary to implement and behavior policy regarding the competition trip, so we will be adopting a policy similar to other field trips at the TRA. If a student receives more than 3 AER referrals they will not be allowed to attend the chorus trip. If a student receives an out-of-school suspension they will not be allowed to attend the trip. If a student is repeatedly showing poor class participation, effort, or behavior the course of action is as follows: 2 verbal warnings, written documentation, student is sent to the office, phone call made to the parent, meeting with parent and vice-principal, competition trip participation revoked. In the event of removal from the trip any money raised by the student through fundraising sales is forfeited.
Every effort is made to maintain teacher-parent communication, however sometimes information can be lost on its way home. If you have any questions regarding this trip please contact me.