SCVA Newsletter (on-line version) - February 2001
President's Message
Kenneth Tuttle
Greetings once again! With the holidays successfully
behind us, most of our attention now turns to preparing
traditional choirs for festival season ahead, and show/jazz
choirs prepare for competition. Some are preparing musicals,
while others also work to ready for upcoming tours. This third
quarter of the traditional school year is busy with impending
deadlines and performances. Time seems to increase its already
hectic speed and momentum. Be careful to remember to enjoy the
"process" of the preparation of what you are doing, not
just look at it as a means to an end - the performance. And it's
easy to get caught up in all the pressure of a festival or
competition, wanting the best experience for your groups and
kids. I try to, each day, enjoy the process of learning,
thinking, discovering, feeling, laughing, building community; and
I have found that this can often lead to singing with
intelligence an expression, no matter what the level or style of
the ensemble. The many colleagues I see at the festivals and
competitions I attend each year show me they, too, remember to
enjoy the process of it all. It shows in their outstanding young
singers and the music they make. Remember to enjoy!
Our Men's Choral clinic is set to go on February 15th at Cal-State Long Beach. The Solo/Vocal Competition isabout to occur at Cal-State Northridge on February 17th, starting at 9:00am in the Music Dept. Recital Hall. Don't miss this free semi-final round/festival with the many talented singers who are scheduled to perform. I hope you are planning on attending one of the SCVA Choral Festivals this spring! There are lots of opportunities for your students to have a festival experience, at the junior high/middle school level, as well as the senior high level. The Vocal Jazz Festival and Show Choir Spectacular are in the final stages of preparation. And over 300 young singers auditioned for this year's Junior High / Middle School Honor Choir! THe great day of singing with the SPEBSQSA/SCVA Men's Honor Choir is just around the corner. I look forward to seeing you at many of these events!
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Show Choir Spectacular 2001
Ron Soderwall, Show Choir Vice President
We have about 2 months to go (I am writing this
article in mid January) until the March 15 deadline closes the
registration period for this year's SCVA Show Choir
Spectacular 2001. At this writing I have received
17 paid registration applications from interested show choirs and
more applications are flooding in at the rate of about 3-4 per
day. Is yours one of the applications that I have already
received? Or are you waiting for something magical to happen that
will enter your group in this exciting experience? Call
me if you are unsure or need more information (949) 936-7885.
You don't dare wait any longer to apply. The festival date is
March 24, 2001.
Our competition schedule at Northwood High School will be the same as last year with the Junior High and Middle School show choirs in the morning (8:00 AM - Noon), the High School beginning and intermediate Men's, Women's and Mixed show choirs in the afternoon (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM) and finishing off the day with the High School advanced Men's, Women's and Mixed show choirs in teh evening (6:00 PM - 10:30 PM). As always we will be awarding trophies and plaques during all three sessions following each divisional adjudication (5-6 choirs per division). This will allow an opportunity for those who have to exit, due to prior commitments, to leave between each divisional performance. It will alsohelp us retain ample comfortable seating for the choirs and guests at each session.
We will have available a fully stocked "FOOD COURT" throughout the entire festival day (beginning at 6:30AM) so that you won't have to take your group(s) off campus to eat. The food and drink offerings will be inexpensive and varied.
Remember, that all guests of the performing show choirs will have to purchase an admission ticket at the door in order to enjoy this event ($5.00 each). We offer only one price for all guest tickets...sorry, no discount for children. Of course, your singers will not have to purchase a guest ticket as your entry fee covers their attendance as performers. Each guest ticket will allow the ticket holder to attend all sessions throughout the entire festival day if so desired.
Upon receipt of your completed registration form (and festival fee) you will receive an information packet with all the needed items (maps, schedules, auditorium schematic, rules and policies , etc.) to make your day at the SCVA Show Choir Spectacular 2001 an exciting and memorable experience. But, don't wait. Register NOW.
The registration fee is $150.00 per show choir (payable to SCVA) and mailed "immediately" to:
Ron Soderwall
SCVA VP/Show Choirs
Woodbridge High School
2 Meadowbrook
Irvine, California 92604
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SHOW CHOIRS ARE EXPENSIVE
Ron Soderwall, Show Choir Vice President
I am now in the preliminary process of designing my
budget needs for the 2001-2002 choral year at my school. As
I figure in all the entities that make a program run smoothly, I
am continually amazed at the line item marked "Show
Choirs". Many of you will be confronting this same
arena as we draw closer to June. And, like me, you'll be
asking your booster club to help raise the needed finances so
that your kids won't be spending the year selling everything
under the sun to meet the financial obligation of a fully packed
program. Not only is the problem magnified by the continued
fundraising efforts of parents and students, but the loss of
class time to account for money and issue product to the sellers
is a distraction from our main goal and that being the choral
education of our young people.
As I look at my show choir line item alone, I see the following (for 3 show choirs entering 4 competitions each): $2400.00 for festival entry fees, $6000.00+ for bus transportation, $500.00+ for costuming and props (above their regular show choir outfits), $2500.00 to hire a band, $10.000 for 2 choreographers all equaling a whopping $24,400.00 just for one area of my program. Quite expensive when compared to the rest of the choral needs in the department. To raise this money a large portion of the total is spread among the singers in the form of a participation fee and rest is raised by booster methods and student fundraising efforts.
Most of you who have show choirs probably do not have this kind of expense to face each year. And, maybe I am not seeing some areas of saving that could be injected into this budget (I am always willing to learn). But, I could sure use some assistance with new and innovative ideas on how to raise money plus a restatement of the tried and true methods that have worked for you over the years.
I am asking each of you who are reading this article to help us all out by sending me your ideas and including all the facts and figures necessary that have made your fundraising efforts profitable and not labor intensive (especially when it comes to yielding class time to accomplish the goal). Please include: 1) a description of the fundraising method 2) any vendors used with their addresses, phone numbers and contact personnel 3) approximate monies raised using how many students/parents in the process 4) what time of year do you proctor this effort and 5) any methods that do not use a selling product (community concerts, corporate donations and the like).
Send your responses to: Soderwall@aol.com I will be including your ideas in the next SCVA newsletter. I know that every one of our colleagues will be overjoyed to find new methods to finance our efforts along with uncovering some of the tried and true ideas that have proven themselves successful over the years. Please don't lay this request aside. We need to help each other in every way we can because all programs need money to run effectively.
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Jazz Choir Festival
Erin Crowe, Jazz Choir Vice President
The Jazz Choir Festival is just around the corner. I
hope tha I have recieved all of the applications. I apologize for
the confusion about the deadline for the applications and fees.
Just as a reminder, the SCVA Jazz Choir Festival will be held at
the Don Wash Auditorium at Garden Grove High School on March 2nd.
The festival begins at 9:00am and concludees at 5:00pm. I am
pleased that our adjudicators will be Michele Weir, Graeme
Langager and Glen Carlos. All are wll respected in both the jazz
world and in music education. All groups will have 30 minutes to
set-up, perform, and receive a clinic from one of the
adjudicators. Groups are welcome to stay for the entire day to
watch others perform. The awards ceremonies will take place after
each division has completed competition. Additional information
will be sent to each group 3 weeks prior to the festival. I am
looking forward to meeting you and your students, as well as all
of your wonderful performances!
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Solo Vocal Festival 2001
Desiree La Vertu, Solo Vocal Festival Vice-President
This year's Solo Vocal Festival promises to be
outstanding! I hope you are planning to attend this year's event,
and support the talented semi-finalists who will be performing!
The location will be at California State University Northridge in
the Music Department Recital Hall. The festival will run from
9:00am to 1:00pm.
Congratulations to the following vocalists performing in teh Semi-Final Round!!!
Jennifer Lehmer - Los Flores MS
Pola Ham - Fairmont Private School
Ali Dverksen
Davis Bandy - La Canada HS
Candace Bogan - Morse HS
Allie Bower - Foothill HS
Andrea Dodson - Fullerton HS
George Duan - Harvard-Westlake
Katie Feld - OCHSA
Chelsea Forbess - Harvard-Westlake
Erin Fry - Fullerton HS
Taylor Goldsmith - Malibu HS
Sarah Harpst - Apple Valley HS
Lily Hsu - Harvard-Westlake
Sara Klaus - Capistrano Valley HS
Jonathan Lee - Harvard-Westlake
Lon Lyons - Fullerton HS
Chrissy Masuda - Idyllwild Arts Academy
Melody Paster - Harvard-Westlake
Bonnie Quick - CCPAA
Eric Roland - Valencia HS
Lindsay Scott - LACSA
Jeffrey Sheets - La Canada HS
Carly Shepard - Fullerton HS
Elisa Singer - Fullerton HS
Melissa Stahly - Fullerton HS
Kenny Stavert - Fullerton HS
Tawny Triska - Capistrano Valley HS
Anna Strause - Fallbrook HS
MOST PROMISING 9th &10th GRADERS
Nichole Antifac - Glendora HS
Kellie cabrera - Ontario Christian School
Helen Gruner - Harvard-Westlake
Eric Miller - Fullerton HS
Lauren Nichols - Harvard-Westlake
Dan Pearle - Oakwood School
Bethany Reid - Fullerton HS
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Junior High / Middle School Festivals
Taryn Koch, Jr. High / Middle School Festivals Vice-President
The following pages include a list of SCVA festivals for spring 2001 and a festival application form.
The application form must be returned by March 2, 2001, along
with a check or money order for $75.00. Do not send applications
without the festival entry fee. Please note that the festivals
are assigned in the order in which the applications are received.
Every effort is made to place groups in their first or second
choice. However, some festivals fill faster than others. If all
of yoru choices are already full, I will notify you be telephone.
As you make your festival selectiosn, please remember to check
your district's testing schedule.
Please put your e-mail address on the application. When your application is filed into a festival, I will confirm via e-mail, if possible. Confirmations will be mailed to all directors after March 2.
Please note that two new festivals have been added to our list since the December issue. They will be held at El Camino High School on April 6th and Fullerton High School on May 29th.
As you review the list of festivals, please not any special components or requirements in bold print. The sight-singing workshop is a new component being piloted by SCVA this year. At the junior high / middle school level, the sight-singing workshop will involve all festival participants simultaneously and will not be considered a part of any choir's individual adjudication. The sight-singing workshop is an excellent way to reinforce the sight-singing skills being taught in your classroom or to introduce your students to important sight-singing concepts and tools.
I look forward to working with each of you. Please feel free to e-mail any questiosn you may have to tkoch@mrpk.k12.ca.us.
Best wishes for a successful festival season!
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Other services include:
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Some of our favorite recordings are:
1. D-day festival at Omaha Beach, University of Caan, Normandy,
France
2. Performances in Paris, Notre Dame, Luxembourg Gardens and
Salzburg
3. Youth Festival in Vienna
4. Festival of Goldat the Kennedy Music Center in Washington,
D.C.
5. SCVA Honor Choir and Show Choir Festivals 1998, 1999 &
2000
6. Spring K.A.M.A. Concert
7. ACDA Western Divisional Convention 2000 at LMU
8. Sweet Adeline's 1997-2000
9. Caballeros - The GMC of Palm Springs 2000
10. Many High School Show Choir Competitions 1994-2001
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Barbershop News
Mark Freedkin, SPEBSQSA Representative
The December issue of the this newsletter included a wealth of
information about our upcoming Young Men's Harmony Festival on
March 3. Please note that the location for this event has been
changed to Valley High School in Santa Ana (instead of Mission
Viejo High School).
Although the application deadline was January 15, there may still be time to include your young men in this unique musical event (depending on when you are reading this article). Even if it's too late for them to participate, we encourage all choral music educators to attend the public performance, in which 100 or more young men from junior and senior high schools throughout Southern California will raise their voices in close Barbershop harmony. You will also see the four-time International Chorus Champions "Masters of Harmony" perform, along with some very fine adult quartets. The performance will end with a combined number sung by all performers. The performance will begin at 7:30pm on Saturday, March 3, 2001. General seating tickets will be available at the door for $5.00 each. The proceeds from this performance will support local choral music education programs.
As music educators, all of you are welcome to attend any part of the clinic and rehearsal starting at 10:00am that day. Our guest clinician will be Mr. Bill Rashleigh, Music Specialist from our headquarters office in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and there will be a special session just for music educators who wish to learn more about the Barbershop style and how to use it to recruit more young men into your choral music program.
On a separate note, be sure to attend Bill Rashleigh's presentation (entitled "The Barbershop Style: It's Not Just For Your Grandfather Anymore") on Friday, March 9 at the CMEA Convention in Ontario. I'll be there as well to answer any questions and provide additional materials.
For more information, please contact:
Mark Freedkin
Home: (949) 559-9621
Work: (949) 856-7794
e-mail: Mark.Freedkin@atlp.com
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Other Items:
2000-2001 Calendar
SCVA Executive Board 2000-2002
Vocal Solo Competition
Application
2000-2001 Festival Host
Application
Show/Jazz
Choir Application
SCVA Festival Application
SCVA Membership Renewal Application
Barbershop Harmony Festival
Application