White House High School
Course Syllabus: Select Choir
Instructor: Ms. Stepleton
[email protected]
Course Description
Welcome to White House High School’s Select Choir! This class will focus on basic music theory and learning and performing a variety of music for concert and contest. Through listening, lecture, class discussion, and performance, students will gain a greater appreciation for music as an art form. This choir serves as an advanced choral experience.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will be familiar with many genres and eras of music as well as the elements of music including rhythm, sound, melody, harmony, pitch, etc. They will be able to speak and write about music by analyzing and listening. The main purpose of this course is to create a respect for a variety of musical outlets that will result in lifelong patrons of the arts while learning to perform high quality and challenging music with excellence.
Course Donation Request: $20 (Suggested) to cover music materials and performance folders
Materials
Students music have the following materials EVERY DAY in class:
Students will be issued copies of music for their folder. Each piece of music in the folder costs between $1 and $4 per copy. At any given time, a student may have up to $25 in music costs in their folder. Students are responsible for their music. The singer may take it home to practice, but must have it in class for every rehearsal. If music is lost or damaged, the student will be financially responsible for replacing that music.
Classroom Expectations
Mutual Respect:
Students will have respect for self, students, teacher, and their property. Mutual respect creates an atmosphere conducive to learning, growing, and trying new things. Everyone is expected to be in his or her seat with all the required materials (binder, pencil) ready to participate at the beginning of class. Tardiness is disruptive and is not respectful of other students’ learning.
Participation:
Students are expected to be an active participant in class. This includes corporate discussion, small group work, rehearsal, written and digital activities, and assignments.
Atmosphere:
Water in a clear bottle is always welcome! Food and drink should only be consumed at the bistro table. Help us keep a clean room so we can create the best learning environment. Practice rooms are only to be used with permission.
Electronic Devices:
No electronic devices are allowed during rehearsal and classroom discussions. Occasionally, there will be times when electronic devices are allowed to advance our discussion. Ms. Stepleton will make it known when these times occur. Electronic devices should be kept securely in backpacks, or at the charging station. Phones that are out without permission are subject to confiscation.
Performance/Concert Policy
Students are to be present at all performances except in the case of personal sickness, death in the family, an act of God, or extenuating circumstances approved by the Director and/or Principal.
Should a WHHS sporting event conflict with a WHHS Music Department Performance, it is the student athlete’s responsibility to communicate the conflict to the director and the coach at the beginning of the season. Please consult your performance schedule and game/meet/competition schedules early and often.
Grading
Class Participation- 30%
Formal Attire
All uniforms are property of WHHS Choral Department and are loaned out with the expectation that they will be properly hung in a closet until concert time. During the season, it is expected that students will wear their formal attire at the appropriate time, using care to dress with pride (clean, pressed, ect.) At the end of the season, all items that were issued should be dry cleaned, then returned to school. If at any time, there are any tears or flaws, please notify Ms. Stepleton immediately.
Men - Men will be issued a black tuxedo jacket, a pair of tuxedo pants, a white tuxedo shirt, a black vest, and a black bow tie in a garment bag. Men will be required to provide their own black dress shoes (no tennis shoes), and black socks.
Women - Women will be issued a black formal dress and a string of pearls. Ladies are expected to provide their own black closed-toed dress shoes (no sandals or tennis shoes), and black nylons.
Extra Credit
Concert Attendance:
You may attend music performances throughout the semester and receive extra credit. Performances must be attended outside of school hours to receive credit. Examples may include: band or choir concerts at the elementary or middle school, WHHS band concerts, church concerts, and symphony or theater performances. A ticket stub or printed program from the concert should accompany a one paragraph summary of the performance (5 sentence minimum) in order to receive credit.
Attending a performance is worth the equivalent of a regular assignment.
Course Syllabus: Select Choir
Instructor: Ms. Stepleton
[email protected]
Course Description
Welcome to White House High School’s Select Choir! This class will focus on basic music theory and learning and performing a variety of music for concert and contest. Through listening, lecture, class discussion, and performance, students will gain a greater appreciation for music as an art form. This choir serves as an advanced choral experience.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will be familiar with many genres and eras of music as well as the elements of music including rhythm, sound, melody, harmony, pitch, etc. They will be able to speak and write about music by analyzing and listening. The main purpose of this course is to create a respect for a variety of musical outlets that will result in lifelong patrons of the arts while learning to perform high quality and challenging music with excellence.
Course Donation Request: $20 (Suggested) to cover music materials and performance folders
Materials
Students music have the following materials EVERY DAY in class:
- 1/2 inch 3 ring binder
- 2 sharpened pencils
Students will be issued copies of music for their folder. Each piece of music in the folder costs between $1 and $4 per copy. At any given time, a student may have up to $25 in music costs in their folder. Students are responsible for their music. The singer may take it home to practice, but must have it in class for every rehearsal. If music is lost or damaged, the student will be financially responsible for replacing that music.
Classroom Expectations
Mutual Respect:
Students will have respect for self, students, teacher, and their property. Mutual respect creates an atmosphere conducive to learning, growing, and trying new things. Everyone is expected to be in his or her seat with all the required materials (binder, pencil) ready to participate at the beginning of class. Tardiness is disruptive and is not respectful of other students’ learning.
Participation:
Students are expected to be an active participant in class. This includes corporate discussion, small group work, rehearsal, written and digital activities, and assignments.
Atmosphere:
Water in a clear bottle is always welcome! Food and drink should only be consumed at the bistro table. Help us keep a clean room so we can create the best learning environment. Practice rooms are only to be used with permission.
Electronic Devices:
No electronic devices are allowed during rehearsal and classroom discussions. Occasionally, there will be times when electronic devices are allowed to advance our discussion. Ms. Stepleton will make it known when these times occur. Electronic devices should be kept securely in backpacks, or at the charging station. Phones that are out without permission are subject to confiscation.
Performance/Concert Policy
Students are to be present at all performances except in the case of personal sickness, death in the family, an act of God, or extenuating circumstances approved by the Director and/or Principal.
Should a WHHS sporting event conflict with a WHHS Music Department Performance, it is the student athlete’s responsibility to communicate the conflict to the director and the coach at the beginning of the season. Please consult your performance schedule and game/meet/competition schedules early and often.
Grading
Class Participation- 30%
- The success of the choir depends on the active participation of every member!
- The student will actively contribute to all individual and group activities.
- The student will follow the classroom rules and regulations at all times.
- Timeliness and preparedness are essential for all musicians! If a student is tardy to class (unexcused), or unprepared for class (i.e. without music) the student’s daily class grade will be lowered.
- Being present for every class/rehearsal is the best way to prepare for the performance! Should a student be absent for 3 or more classes during any concert-preparation season, that student will need to individually demonstrate that he/she is prepared to sing in the concert by performing the repertoire for the teacher before or after school, or during lunch.
- Students will be expected to perform daily assignments in class. Students will be assessed individually and in the group setting.
- Students will demonstrate the following skills throughout the year:
- Singing and signing of scales, patterns, and musical excerpts
- Notating phrases and patterns on the staff or in rhythmic notation
- Reading and Performing rhythmic exercises
- Sightreading/sightsinging musical examples
- Musical vocabulary
- All performances fall into this portion of the grade. Students are expected to attend performances and perform all rehearsed music, and use proper behavior and dress expectations at performances.
- Should a student be tardy or absent to a concert performance, the performance assessment grade will be lowered.
Formal Attire
All uniforms are property of WHHS Choral Department and are loaned out with the expectation that they will be properly hung in a closet until concert time. During the season, it is expected that students will wear their formal attire at the appropriate time, using care to dress with pride (clean, pressed, ect.) At the end of the season, all items that were issued should be dry cleaned, then returned to school. If at any time, there are any tears or flaws, please notify Ms. Stepleton immediately.
Men - Men will be issued a black tuxedo jacket, a pair of tuxedo pants, a white tuxedo shirt, a black vest, and a black bow tie in a garment bag. Men will be required to provide their own black dress shoes (no tennis shoes), and black socks.
Women - Women will be issued a black formal dress and a string of pearls. Ladies are expected to provide their own black closed-toed dress shoes (no sandals or tennis shoes), and black nylons.
Extra Credit
Concert Attendance:
You may attend music performances throughout the semester and receive extra credit. Performances must be attended outside of school hours to receive credit. Examples may include: band or choir concerts at the elementary or middle school, WHHS band concerts, church concerts, and symphony or theater performances. A ticket stub or printed program from the concert should accompany a one paragraph summary of the performance (5 sentence minimum) in order to receive credit.
Attending a performance is worth the equivalent of a regular assignment.