September Newsletter
Hello Clements Choir Family!
Jade Blakey | jade.blakey@fortbendisd.com
Justin Shen | justin.shen@fortbendisd.com
Volunteering for the fall: Please sign up to help us out with our events this year! Many hands make light work!
T-shirt Order: Purchase here! Pop Show T-shirts are due by TODAY! Students get a pop show t-shirt provided by the booster club, free of charge. You have a choice to personalize the sleeve for $10. Parents and family members may purchase one, too. Those are $20 without the personalization and $30 with the personalization. Family T-shirts are on sale through September 18.
Fees (paid through Presto Parent Account): Check Presto for any outstanding fees.
Forms (signed and sent through Presto Parent Account): Required- All are due Sept 2nd for a Major Grade
Booster Club Membership Form
FBISD Emergency Contact Form
FBISD Handbook Acknowledgment Form
Uniform Contract
Optional
All-State Contract (due Sept. 2nd)
Voice Lesson Contract (first come, first served - ASAP)
Choir Website: Please visit our website for the calendar, practice tracks, and other pertinent information! | clementschoir.org
Calendars: There is an electronic calendar for all the major choir events for the year, choir leadership, and all-state rehearsals.
Spring Trip (optional): Clements Choir is headed to NYC! Be on the lookout for another email with more details!
Events – Required
Choir Express | Wednesday, September 2nd Your night will go much faster if fill out your forms and pay fees via Presto prior to attending. If you are having issues, we can help you at Choir Express.
6 PM- 8 PM Students who are new to CHS Choir & their parents in the Commons
Please arrive around 5:45 to find parking and check in. We can’t start until we’re done checking in!
It will start with a performance and parent meeting from 6-7 PM. From 7-8 PM, you will go to the auditorium to go through a check list of items and information. You will also get fitted in your choir gown or tuxedo. It will go faster if you already know your dress size or tux/pant size.
5PM - 7PM Returning students and parents in the auditorium. This is come-and-go, but if you arrive closer to 7PM, you might be in line with the newbies!
8th grade Invitational, required for Concert Chorale (5th period) | Tuesday, Sept. 8, @ Elkins High School Auditorium:
This is a new, casual concert event. Students must wear their Polo and Jeans to participate. If they do not bring their uniform, they cannot participate.
We will have a bus back to Clements – if you would like to pick your student up from Elkins, please plan on watching our short performance at 5:45. Please park by 5:30PM. You will hear almost 250 8th-12th graders make beautiful music together! This will be First Colony, Fort Settlement, Sartartia, Quail Valley, Elkins and Clements together.
Pop Show Group Dress Rehearsal, required for all, double daily grade | Wednesday, Sept 16th, @ 3pm Clements High School Auditorium:
Students will need to wear close-toed shoes. Students are released after their rehearsal.
Timeliness is important. Students will be penalized for lateness to call time.
3:00 PM Everyone (I've got a Feeling)
3:30 PM Cantiamo & A Cappella (3rd & 7th period)
4:15 PM Concert Chorale (5th period)
4:35 PM Con Brio & Sonoro (2nd & 4th period)
5:00 PM Senior Song
5:20 PM All done!
Pop Show, required for all | Wednesday, Sept 23rd , Concert at 7PM (Tickets are $10), student call times @ 5pm Clements High School Auditorium:
We are so excited to show off what we’ve been working on so far! Uniform will be Pop Show T-shirt and Jeans (no holes) with sneakers or other close-toed shoes. We need parent help to serve the student dinner. Sign-up here. Doors will open @ 6:30 PM. Tickets are $10 for people 5 years old and up and tickets are on sale now! This is a required performance for all choir students and will count for two major grades this grading period.
Timeliness is important. Students will be penalized for lateness to call time.
4:40 PM Chamber (6th period)
5:00 PM Everyone (I've got a Feeling)
5:30 PM Cantiamo & A Cappella (3rd & 7th period)
5:50 PM Con Brio & Sonoro (2nd & 4th period)
6:10 PM Pizza for all students served in Commons + Show circle
6:30 PM Doors Open for families
6:50 PM Students at “Places”
7:00 PM Concert Start
8:45 PM Approximate Concert end time
Events- Optional (but strongly recommended!)
Pop Show Auditions | Friday, September 4th after school in choir room: Students may audition in solo or small groups. Sign-ups for a time slot are in the choir room. Please arrive 20 minutes before your timeslot in case we run early. You may leave once you audition. Here is what we expect:
Tracks must be cut to about 2 minutes or less. Upload the track here. 2:20 is too long. Audacity is a free program you can download from the Software Center on the student laptops.
Tracks must be a karaoke track. You cannot sing unaccompanied (you can use piano/guitar)
If more than one person is on stage, we expect harmony. You can’t sing in unison
We expect there to be staging- you will have a microphone to hold during the audition and are expected to move like you would on stage.
Songs are expected to be uptempo, school appropriate, and audience-engaging.
We expect students to wear their “costume” that they plan to wear. You may choose to wear the pop show t-shirt and blue jeans, in which case, you don’t need to wear anything special. But if you want to wear something besides that, you must wear it to the audition.
If students are selected to perform, they are required to attend the after-school rehearsal on Sept 22nd. It will run 3-5 PM and we rehearse in show order. If you have a conflict with part of that rehearsal, we can try to work around it. If you cannot make it all, you cannot be a soloist.
Choir Picnic | Saturday, September 12th @ Sugar Land Memorial Park (15300 University Blvd., South Meadow Pavillion) 9:30 AM-12:30 PM Everyone is invited to join us at the South Meadow Pavillion for games, friendship, and food! The Choir Officers will get you onto teams for a competition- be prepared to get splashed! We’ve got a few water games planned. Parents, you’re welcome to join us to watch the fun and meet some Booster Club Officers. We will finish with pizza. Please RSVP in BAND! Parent chaperones may sign-up here.
District Audition Hosting | Saturday, September 19th Please see our email from last week for more details.
Student volunteers, please fill out the Microsoft Form below as soon as possible so we can staff this event.
Parents/Guardians, please check calendars with your students to make sure they can volunteer for this event. We also need a little parent help to run the concession stand and be judges hospitality. Parents Sign-up here! Student Volunteer Form
All-State District Auditions, required for auditionees | Saturday, September 19 @ Clements High School
The itinerary is below. We will need 2 chaperones. If you are willing to chaperone, please click here! Students need their real sheet music in a binder. If you have not purchased sheet music for the audition, please do so immediately! Click here to order. Students will wear their choir polo and jeans. Students will have to turn in their electronic devices (phones/watches) during the audition. There will be concessions available for sale – bring small bills.
6:45 AM Come in by the band lot at Clements.
7:00 AM Warm-up in the Commons
7:30 AM Students may choose to go run cuts in their audition room!
8:00 AM Registration opens
9:00 AM Approximate audition start time
3:00 PM Approximate end time, Results will be read once the school is cleaned up!
Region Audition Prep Camp, optional | Monday, September 28, 5:00-7:00PM @ Elkins High School:
For those that continue onto the Region round of All-State Auditions after District, we are hosting a free preparatory camp at Elkins to help students get a head start on the music. There will be no transportation provided, but we will do our best to help students carpool.
Shake Shack Spirit Night | Wednesday, October 1st 12pm-9pm Come out to Shake Shack, grab a bite to eat and socialize with the choir community, all while the Booster Club gets 25% of the total sales. Choir Council, we’ll need your help hosting and welcoming our community!
Uniform Needs:
This has not changed from last year.
Informal Uniform: Choir polo, blue jeans with no holes, and closed-toe casual shoes (Tennis shoe, Converse, Vans, etc.)
Formal Uniform option 1: Gown Choir provides: Gown and Pearls You provide: 1. 1” - 2” character shoes
2. Make-up: foundation, blush, red lipstick, brown/black eyeliner and mascara, neutral eyeshadow with no glitter. (Send me an email if there is a family objection)
Formal Uniform option 2: Tuxedo Choir provides: Tux pants & jacket You provide: Black dress shirt, black dress socks, undershirt, black dress shoes.
The formal uniforms may require hemming- it must be a temporary hem, meaning the hem should NOT be cut prior to sewing. If it is cut, you will be responsible for the replacement cost.
Voice Lessons (Cut off for sign-up will be Sept. 12): We have 3 wonderful voice teachers. They teach during the school day here at Clements. It’s an incredible opportunity! $30 a week is the cost for a half-hour lesson. More information about each teacher can be found here (scroll down). Lesson contracts are in Presto. This is highly suggested for students doing the all-state process and required for Chamber Choir.
Sincerely,
-Mrs. Blakey & Mr. Shen