E-Mails: March 2012

Prairieland Barbershop Camp Scholarship

March 30, 2012

Dear parents,

The Prairieland Barbershop Chorus is offering two full choir camp scholarships to the WIU Summer Senior High Choral/Vocal Camp. I have attached the information. I highly encourage interested students to apply!

Have a great weekend!

Melanie Butcher, Choral Director
Macomb High School
1525 S. Johnson Street
Macomb, IL 61455
Phone: 309/833-6255
Fax: 309/836-1034

HS Choir Update

March 30, 2012

Dear parents and students,

HS Organization Contest is Friday, April 13th beginning after school at MHS. This is a required performance and students are free to leave after their performance. Below are the warm up and performance times for each choir.

  • Concert Choir: 3:20 pm warm up/3:40 pm performance
  • Mixed Chorus: 4:20 pm warm up/4:40 pm performance
  • Jazz Voices: 5:50 pm warm up/6:10 pm performance

Organization Contest help needed: Please see the attached volunteer form from Cheryl McGowan. We are in need of parent helpers and also we need individually packaged baked goods for the concessions. Please see the attached form for details. Thanks, Cheryl for organizing this!

Musical ticket information – MHS will present South Pacific on April 19, 20, and 21, 2012. Please visit the district website to find information about advanced ticket sales, performance times and ticket prices.

Senior poster – It has been a tradition at MHS for every Senior Choir Member to have their own poster displayed at the Spring Concert. Underclassmen in choir are assigned a senior and those students create the posters for them. Please send some pictures of your senior and any memorabilia you would like included on the poster by Friday, April 27th. Thank you!

Senior Slideshow – Abby Dace, Choir Historian, is in the process of putting together a senior slide show for the end of our May 7th choir concert. If you have pictures you'd like included, please send them to Abby at: abigailrace@yahoo.com Any type of picture would be fine: individual pictures from any age, senior pics, group pictures of kids, choir pictures.)

Rehearsal schedule next week – Monday: Madrigals and Tuesday: Jazz Voices (Men's Ensemble will practice at the end of choir rehearsals until we get closer to the concert.)

Camp scholarships – Just a reminder about the Choir Boosters camp scholarship applications. I have attached the information again.

Tissues – we have run out of our stash of Kleenex in the choir. If your child would like to bring a box of Kleenex, we would greatly appreciate it. ☺

Upcoming Dates for end of the year:

Upcoming Dates for End of the Year
Date Event Place/Time Who Is Involved
Fri, Apr 13, 2012 IHSA Organization Contest Place: MHS; Time: See above all students required
Thu-Sat, Apr 19-21, 2012 Musical: South Pacific Fellheimer Auditorium interested students only
Thursday, May 3, 2012 Choir Boosters Meeting 5:00 pm, choir room
Mon, May 7, 2012 HS Spring Choir Concert Fellheimer, 7:30 pm (later start time) All students required
Tue, May 8, 2012 Men's Ensemble to perform at JH Choir Concert Fellheimer, 7:00 pm Men's Ensemble
Tue, May 15, 2012 Auditions for the 2012-2013 Madrigals, Jazz Voices, and Men's Ensemble Choir room, 3:15-7:00 pm Interested students
Sat, May 19, 2012 HS graduation; Concert Choir will perform Western Hall, 7:30 pm All Concert Choir members required

Visit us at MacombChoirs.org

Sincerely, Mrs. Butcher

Tissues for Choir

March 30, 2012

Dear choir parents,

We have run out of our "stash" of tissues at both Edison and the Jr/Sr. high school. ☺ If your child wants to bring more into choir, we would appreciate it.

Thanks much!

Mrs. Stegall and Mrs. Butcher

Summer Music Camp Scholarships

March 26, 2012

Dear choir parents,

You may know that the Macomb Choir Boosters gives thousands of dollars each year for interested students to attend summer music camp. We know that this is the time when you are making decisions about your summer plans. We hope that your child continues their vocal/choral study and considers attending a choir or vocal camp this summer. We highly recommend WIU's summer music camp as a number of local students attend the camp, and we teach at the camp. However, we also like ISYM and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. However, students may use their scholarship money to attend any approved vocal or choral camp.

Attached is a PDF of the 2012 Macomb Choir Boosters Choral Camp Scholarship application if your child is interested applying for a scholarship. WIU's site also had additional scholarship monies for students who are looking for scholarship money.

We will give more information to the students in class; but if you wanted to being "surfing," here is the information about the camps we recommend.

Thanks so much!

Erin Stegall and Melanie Butcher

The WIU Junior Honors Chorus Is Now on Facebook

March 26, 2012

Dear Choir Parents,

On Friday, March 23rd, nineteen Macomb Junior High Students were honored by being chosen through audition for the First Annual WIU Junior High Honors Choir. These students were among an elite group of singers throughout of the region (Illinois and Iowa). I have forwarded an email from my husband (the director) that contains information about a FaceBook page that has photos and sound files from the event. I hope that more students audition next year and participate in this wonderful festival. I was VERY proud of all the Macomb Students represented as they learned a great deal of difficult music in order to participate.

Thanks much!

Erin Stegall

---- Original Message ----

Subject: The WIU Junior Honors Chorus is Now on Facebook

Thanks directors for sending students to our first annual Junior Honors Chorus at WIU. I have created a Facebook Page for this event and have loaded images and video. The link to this page is http://www.facebook.com/WiuJuniorHonorsChorus. Please share with your students.

The final concert video, recorded on our new HD documentary camera will be posted sometime next week. We'll let you know.

I hope you will consider sending students to our Junior Summer Choir Camp in June!

Here is the link: Western Illinois University Summer Music Camps

Kelly and I had a great time with you students! Thanks for all your prep.

Best wishes!

James Stegall

--
Dr. James Stegall
Director of Choral Activities
School of Music
Western Illinois University
1 University Circle
Macomb, IL 61455

298.1378 (of)
298.1499 (fx)

JC-Stegall@wiu.edu

Honor's Choir RehearsaL....

March 21, 2012

Dear Parents,

I am willing to stay after school tomorrow for about 30 minutes (until 3:45 pm) to help the students with their honor choir music (I am also staying after swing choir today for about 30 minutes until 4:45 pm).

As I hear the students, a lot of them are "aware" of the music, but I wouldn't call it "memorized". A few students have it down pat.:) So, just encourage them to keep rehearsing and to COUNT when they rehearse.

Thanks much!

Erin Stegall

Honor's Choir is fast approaching – This Friday, March 23rd

March 19, 2012

Dear Honor Choir Participants Parents,

Hope you enjoyed your spring break. The WIU Honor's Choir is fast approaching (this Friday, March 23rd at WIU). Just some reminders:

  • Please have your child fill out a prearranged absence form. I attached one an earlier email and I have some here at school.
  • The singers need to have their music learned and MEMORIZED for Friday. The first order of business is "certification" where the students will sing their music in "small groups". Students who do not have their music memorized will go back with me on the bus and attend school.
  • Students will come to school on Friday, March 23. They will be dismissed from their classes at 8:30 am and go to the east (Tennis Court) doors with their music, money for lunch, and pencil for the Festival. We will bus them over for the festival. Students should wear dark jeans and pants to school on Friday. Honor Choir shirts will be given to the students at the festival for the concert portion.
  • Mrs. Butcher and I will accompany them all day long.
  • Parent Concert will be on Friday, March 23rd at 4:00 pm at COFAC recital hall at WIU and will conclude at 4:30 pm Please pick up your children from the concert.

Thanks much!

Mrs. Stegall

Prearranged Absense Form

March 9, 2012

Dear Parents,

As a courtesy to the faculty, could your singer please have this form signed and returned

I also have copies here at school for the students.

Have a great break!

Mrs. Stegall

WIU Honor Choir Update

March 7, 2012

Hello Honor Choir Parents,

We are "checking in" with the students as they come to choir, but with ISATS, I can't get to all of them to help them with their preparation. For example, I won't see the 7th grade choir student who are also in band at all this week. Some of the students are well on their way to being fully prepared and others need a great deal more support.

Here are the links again that you may use to help you. Music is required to be memorized and the students will sing off their parts at the start of the day at WIU.

MacombChoirs.org/downloads/recordings/index.php#WIU_honors_chorus

  1. I will be able to bring them to WIU via bus, but we ask that you come to the final concert, 4:00 pm and it concludes at 4:30 pm
  2. On the day of the festival, students should bring their honor choir music for reference, a pencil, money for lunch, and dark pants/jeans for the concert (they will be given a shirt).
  3. The students may need to get a prearranged absence form for this festival, but I will check with the office to confirm. The school knows that they are going, but the prearranged absence form is a courtesy to the teachers so that they know the your son/daughter will be gone for a portion of the day.
  4. Please remember that students must have their music memorized to participate. WIU will check this at the beginning of the rehearsal day. Please monitor this so we can hopefully avoid any unpleasant situations once students are on campus.
  5. The Honor Choir Polo Shirts will be distributed at the first rehearsal. Students will wear these along with jeans/dark pants for the final performance.
  6. Students should bring money for lunch in our University Union. (Burger King, Einstein Bagels, Sbarro) Mrs. Butcher and I will chaperone them during lunch.

Best wishes to all and let me know if you have questions.

Thanks again!

Mrs. Stegall

Solo and Ensemble Contest – Tomorrow!

March 2, 2012

Dear parents and students,

Students are hard at work on their Solo and Ensemble events for tomorrow's contest at Rushville High School. I have attached a revised copy of Macomb's events. Choir students will load the bus at 7:15 am on the east side of the school. Parents are encouraged to attend their child's performances and may sign out their child after they are finished for the day.

Helpers in the homeroom area: We are still in need of a few more parents who would be willing to supervise for a few hours. Thanks to those who have already sign up. ☺

Thanks and hope to see you tomorrow!

Melanie Butcher, Choral Director
Macomb High School
1525 S. Johnson Street
Macomb, IL 61455
Phone: 309/833-6255
Fax: 309/836-1034

Rehearsal calendar for Madrigals, Jazz Voices, and Men's Ensemble

March 2, 2012

Dear Parents and students,

Next week we will begin preparations for our spring concert on Monday, May 7th and also for Jazz Voices performance at Organization Contest on Friday, April 13th. We will resume Madrigal, Jazz Voices and Men's Ensemble rehearsals next week. Please see the attached calendar for March, April and May. Rehearsal times are as follows:

  • Madrigals: Mondays (and an occasional Wednesday) 3:15-4:00 pm
  • Jazz Voices: Tuesdays/Thursdays 3:15-4:00 pm
  • Men's Ensemble: Lunchtime on Tuesday/Thursdays (including the band lunch)

Thanks and have a great weekend!

Melanie Butcher, Choral Director
Macomb High School
1525 S. Johnson Street
Macomb, IL 61455
Phone: 309/833-6255
Fax: 309/836-1034

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