Congratulations on accepting the challenge of auditioning for ILMEA!

Chorus auditions are restricted to members of Chamber Singers. This is a process that will help you improve your performance through a rigorous audition process. Hopefully, you will be selected for district and/or All-State as well!

As you know, the audition day is next week on Tuesday, October 3rd at Addison Trail High School. This year, all auditions are scheduled for all students. This allows students to have a time-frame in which they should know when the audition starts and ends. This is a new process this year for chorus, band, and jazz students so the entire district will be learning how to implement this process. Audition times are visible HERE. Students involved in marching band or show choir are excused from rehearsal that day. There is no scheduled Cats rehearsal. 

In years past, we have offered a bus that drops students off at Addison Trail High School and parents would drive students home. We plan to continue this, however, since students may not audition until later in the day, students may choose to arrange their own transportation to Addison Trail High School. Later this week, we will send an E-Mail to students that will include a link to sign up to take the bus to Addison Trail. The bus will leave around 5:30 PM on 10/3.  Note: Parking is often very difficult there. Give yourself time! Food will be available for student to purchase at Addison Trail HS if they desire. 

There is a cost for ILMEA Audition. Each separate audition costs $8. If your student makes one of the honor groups at the state or district level, Batavia High School will cover all entry fees for future festivals. Checks can be written to Batavia High School and cash is accepted. Please put $8 cash or a check in an envelope with your son/daughter's name on it and please write For ILMEA Auditions. Audition money and bus sign-ups are due on Friday, September 29th by the end of the day to Mr. Owen.

Finally, as we represent Batavia High School and our music department, we ask that students dress nicely for this audition. Students should look professional.

To summarize:

1)      Auditions are on 10/3 at Addison Trail HS.
2)      Audition times are visible HERE.
3)      Each Audition is $8. Pay by Friday.
4)      Dress nicely for the audition.
5)      Students can take the bus there (or get their themselves) but all students must arrange for transportation home.
6)      Bring money for food or pack a meal if you would like.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! We're looking forward to this process.

Here's the BHS Music Newsletter for 9/20/2017. Hope you find it helpful!


​

​Don't Forget tonight's special Show Choir schedule: 
Legacy: 6-7 pm
Parent Meeting (both groups): 7-8 pm
Swings: 8-9 pm
See you there!

Chromatics, BHS's stellar a-cappella group, is looking for a couple more members to perform with us right away. 

At this point, I'm only considering Tenors, Baritones, Altos, Mezzo-Sopranos, and vocal percussionists. I expect to add 1-3 people now. I will have another round of auditions in the Spring as we look to find apprentices for our graduating Seniors. 
Bear in mind that Chromatics learns a large amount of music, so members will be retained until graduation unless their schedule prevents them from continuing. Since we will graduate several members this spring, preference will be given to strong candidates who are in 9th-10th grades.

Interested students should join this Google Classroom: 2wg3ak

To audition: 

1. ​Join the Google Classroom using the code: 2wg3ak
2. Review the calendar and complete the Form.
3. Submit a Video Selfie of you singing a Verse and Chorus of a song of your choice (See Classroom).
4. Submit a Video Selfie of you doing some Vocal Percussion (See Classroom). 

I would love to have a couple parents help get our choir students fit for robes. Our classes meet from 735-10:44 most days, and 1-2:30. Would you be able to help? Each choir could probably get done in one class period. 

I would like to have this completely done by October 11. Please email me if you are able to help!

Each student will be assessed with two sight-reading factory assignments each week. Often, we give time for students to do them each week during class. They will always be due Thursday morning at 8:30 am, whether or not it is an A or B day. 

If students do not complete the assignment, the will be given an "Incomplete" grade in PowerSchool until they finish their assignment. Once they do the assignment, it will be graded and the Incomplete will be removed. There are no late penalties for late work.

If a student needs an assignment to be graded quickly to change the incomplete to an actual grade, please email Mr. Barsch and I will grade it as soon as possible.

In addition to the 32-point accuracy grade, you will also see a grade marked "Composite Score". This grade is not included in the average, but is there for information purposes. Comp score is  statistic that reflects both accuracy (60%) and Difficulty level (40%). This will help show growth. Ideally, the comp score will increase every week, as either Accuracy or Difficulty improves. It is possible that accuracy will go down if a student tries a higher difficulty level. Comp Score will reflect that overall growth. 

Perfect Score on Difficulty Level 1: 66.7
Perfect Score on Difficulty Level 2: 73.4 
Perfect Score on Difficulty Level 3: 80.0
Perfect Score on Difficulty Level 4: 86.7
Perfect Score on Difficulty Level 5: 93.4
Perfect Score on Difficulty Level 6: 100

Attention Tri-M and prospective Tri-M students!
Would you like to get your hours in early in the year? Rotolopalooza is in need of volunteers on Friday September 22 for set up and Saturday September 23 for clean up after the event at RMS.  To sign up go here!

        Director Dr. Eric Johnson, Founding and Artistic Director of Cor Cantiamo and Director of Choral Activities at NIU, and the singers of Cor Cantiamo would like to invite you to our Third Annual District 9 ILMEA Boot Camp and Mock Audition Event, being held on Saturday, September 30th, at Batavia High School. Check-in for the event begins at 8:30 a.m., warm-ups start at 9:00 a.m., and mock auditions finish at approximately 12:30 p.m.

       During the ILMEA Boot Camp, students and professional singers sit side-by-side and delve into all 6 of the District 9 audition songs. After a brief warm-up, Dr. Johnson will work through each piece, giving students suggestions on interpretation, phrasing, breathing, and other helpful audition tips. 

       After break, each student chooses break-out sessions to attend, which include sight-singing and tonal skills, while waiting for their assigned audition time. These blind auditions use the same format as the District 9 auditions, and the tonal skills and song excerpts will be the ones announced for the actual audition. The only difference is that every student will hear verbal feedback from the judges, and at the end of the event, they will receive their scores with written comments in each section. This is an amazing opportunity for students to practice their music and get insight into the ILMEA audition process.

        Students and teachers may purchase tickets and register individually through ticketleap, by going to www.corcantiamo.org.  Teachers may register a group of students by contacting JoEllyn.Caulfield@corcantiamo.org, and sending a check made payable to Cor Cantiamo.  Cost is only $20.00 per student.

     There will be students from several other schools in attendance, but I would love to have a lot of BHS kids there!