Ballard High School Choir

PARENT HANDBOOK, PAGE 1, Ballard High School

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF CHORAL MUSIC

Choral Music at Ballard shall include the following essential elements:

I. Study of vocal techniques. Each student shall be provided opportunities to:
a. Breathe correctly for singing;
b. Produce good vocal tone;
c. Sing with good diction; and
d. Develop the voice.

II. Study of Choral Techniques. Each student shall be provided opportunities to:
a. Achieve choral balance and blend;
b. Achieve good intonation and tone quality;
c. Achieve rhythmic accuracy; and
d. Achieve expressive, artistic performance.

III. Music Theory. (depth of study to be related to the difficulty and sophistication of the music performed). Each student shall be provided opportunities to:
a. Know and use the grand staff;
b. Know and use pitch and rhythmic notation;
c. Know and use key and meter signatures;
d. Know and use extra-musical symbolic;
e. Observe dynamic markings;
f. Train the ear.
g. Solfege

IV. Sight-singing method or program. Each student shall be provided opportunities to utilize an ongoing method or program to increase proficiency in reading music.

V. Music history and literature. Each student shall be provided opportunities to:
a. Experience and discuss a variety of choral styles, eras, and composers through music studied and performed, and
b. Listen critically to live and recorded performances.

VI. Performance activities. Each student shall be provided opportunities to perform individually, in small ensembles and in large groups.

VII. Creative self-expression. Each student shall be provided opportunities to:
a. Express artistry in every performance activity; and
b. Explore career opportunities.

COURSE DECRIPTIONS

Concert Choir
This class is designed to be the center, or focal point of the choral program. This is the most advanced and most active of the choral ensembles, with an enrollment of up to 125 members.
Members are selected by audition only. Concert Choir is a performance-based group, participating in a wide variety of concerts, productions and other performances.

A diverse selection of musical styles is explored, with particular emphasis on traditional choral literature. Students must be members of this group in order to be considered for: Madrigals, All-State auditions, District Festival, University Festival, and Solo and Ensemble participation.

Sophomore Choir
This class is designed to be the intermediate choir for those students who demonstrate outstanding potential and progress as freshmen. Members are selected by audition or by recommendation of the director only. Enrollment in this ensemble is unlimited. Sophomore choir builds on skills established in the freshman choirs. Members will participate in a wide variety of concerts, productions and other performances.

A diverse selection of musical styles is explored, with particular emphasis on traditional choral literature. Students must be members of this group in order to be considered for: Madrigals, All-State auditions, District Festival, University Festivals, and Solo and Ensemble participation.

Madrigal Singers
This extracurricular group is designed to meet the needs of those members of the choral program wishing more in-depth and intense involvement than the Concert Choir or Sophomore Choir.

This is a small, highly-select group of approximately 35-40 members. Members are selected by audition only. Madrigals is a performance-oriented group, participating in a wide variety of concerts, and other performances throughout Louisville and the surrounding community. The music selection requires expert independence and skill. Only those Concert Choir and Sophomore Choir members who are in good standing will be permitted to audition. Those who have shown exemplary attitude, responsibility and commitment will be selected. Students must remain in good standing in order to continue to participate in Madrigals. Members with outstanding fees, fines or incomplete assignments will not be permitted to participate.


Women’s Chorus

This class is designed to be the training course, or introduction to the choral program for women at Ballard. Members are selected by audition or by recommendation of the director only. Enrollment in this ensemble is unlimited. Women’s Chorus is a training, or skill-building group, participating in a wide variety of concerts, productions and other performances.

A diverse selection of musical styles is explored, with particular emphasis on traditional choral literature. All women must be members of this group before being considered for any of the advanced choirs at Ballard, District Festival, or Solo and Ensemble participation.

**This curriculum will include elements of Visual Art, Dance and Theater, and will satisfy the state requirement for credit in the visual and performing arts. Elements will be imbedded into the performance curriculum, with examples of visual are, dance and theater being related to the music which is studied.


Men’s Chorus

This class is designed to be the training course, or introduction to the choral program for men at Ballard. Members are selected by audition or by recommendation of the director only. Enrollment in this ensemble is unlimited. Men’s Chorus is a training, or skill-building group, participating in a wide variety of concerts, productions and other performances.

A diverse selection of musical styles is explored, with particular emphasis on traditional choral literature. Men must be members of this group before being considered for any of the advanced choirs at Ballard, District Festival, or Solo and Ensemble participation.

**This curriculum will include elements of Visual Art, Dance and Theater, and will satisfy the state requirement for credit in the visual and performing arts. Elements will be imbedded into the performance curriculum, with examples of visual are, dance and theater being related to the music which is studied.Music Theory A/P
This course serves as both a terminal course in music theory for the student not wishing to pursue university training, and an introductory course for the potential music major, or minor.

Course Outline:
I. Theory
a. Basic Material of Music
i. Notation
ii. The Overtone Series
b. Basics of Tonality
i. Major and minor scales and keys
ii. Intervals, positions and inversions
iii. Triads, positions and inversions
iv. Modes
c. Rhythm and Meter
i. Simple/Compound, Duple/Triple
ii. Syncopation
iii. Conducting
d. Harmony
i. Cadences
ii. Secondary Dominants

II. Structure / Historical Perspective
a. Form
i. Binary
ii. Rounded Binary
iii. Temary
iv. Rondo
v. Sonata Form
vi. Other Forms/Serial Techniques
b. Survey of style periods
i. Significant genre
ii. Major composers

III. Composition/Arranging
a. Transpositions
b. Harmonizations

IV. Music Reading
a. Ear training
b. Sight Singing
i. Solfege
ii. Numbers
iii. Part-singing

EXPECTATIONS

The Ballard Choir is easily one of the most talented in the United Sates. Whether or not this year will be a success, however, depends entirely on the degree to which this potential/talent is developed. The world is full of untapped, frustrated genius. Our mission is to cultivate both the desire and the skill necessary to bring every member of the choral program to the very limit of his/her abilities.

Be present at all rehearsals. If you can be excused from one rehearsal, then you can be excused from all of them. . . think about it!

Enter each rehearsal with an attitude of professionalism. Be on time. Come into each rehearsal quietly with the anticipation that you will accomplish something that you have never accomplished before. Work toward being mentally prepared to make your best effort for that day.

You must work as hard as you can at every rehearsal. You must always mark your music. Progress must be made at each rehearsal. Progress must be built upon from one rehearsal to the next. The key to a great chorus is its ability to remember" (Daniel Moe)

Each member’s effort is crucial to the success of the Ballard Choral Program. If we don’t need you today, tomorrow, or the next day, then we certainly don’t need you at performance time. Your attitude and your work ethic must reflect the fact that you are one of a select few.

You must try harder than you ever have. If your expectations are worthy of your gift/abilities, and your efforts equal your expectations, you will achieve success.

Expect great things from yourself, the director and each other. Peer pressure is only a negative when used negatively. Use your influence to help others to become better. Learn from everyone. There is no room in this organization for Prima Donas. You must be wise enough to learn from every person and situation, from the very greatest to the very least. There is a great deal of disparity in every choral ensemble with regard to ability and experience. The only thing that can be equal is effort in relation to ability and experience.

You will never be greater than your expectations; expect to be the best and work to achieve it.