GETTING INTO CHORUS AND BELLS

Chorus and bells
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Students in fourth and fifth grade are eligible to audition for chorus or bell ensemble. Before the audition, students must bring in an agreement form signed by a parent. Without this form, a student will not be allowed to audition. The form can be downloaded here. It is my belief that if a student and a parent can't even get one simple form back, then they're probably not really that interested in the group and will likely not show up for rehearsals and/or performances and also that they would be unable to get other forms returned in a timely manner. Auditions are held in the first two to three weeks of the school year.

Chorus and bells runs only from the start of the year up to December break. This group gets the Universal field trip in December (typically the weekend after Thanksgiving weekend) and the Holiday Concert that's usually the week after we get back from the field trip. Occasionally there is also a concert at Border's Books for the holidays.
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Chorus requirements:

Students must
1. be in fourth or fifth grade.

2. bring back the signed audition agreement form.

3. be able to sing confidently and on pitch from middle C to high E.

4. be able to sing their part in a round without messing up, stopping or getting confused.

5. be able to make it on time to one rehearsal per week by 8:00 am.

6. have good behavior.

7. be able to stand still with their eyes on me and their hands by their sides without slouching, fidgeting, or getting distracted while singing.

 Bell Ensemble requirements:

Students must
1. be in fourth or fifth grade.

2. bring back the signed audition agreement form.

3. be able to use two mallets in an alternating left-right pattern.

4. memorize long melodies.

5. have quick and accurate hands.

6. have good behavior

7. be able to sit and listen to instruction without incessantly playing the bells and getting distracted.

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staff
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There are 30 spots in chorus and 10 in bells. If more than 30 chorus or 10 bell auditionees meet the requirements stated above, the following conditions take effect:
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1. Fifth graders have priority over fourth.

2. Confident independent singers have priority over quieter ones who will only sing if someone else joins them.

3. Students with smoother and quicker mallet motions have priority over ones who are stiff and jerky with starts and stops.

4. Students with consistently good behavior have priority over ones who, while still good, are less consistently good.

5. Students who come to school on time have priority over ones who have a tendency to show up late. Unfortunately, this is where a parent who gets their child to school late can blow their child’s chances to be in chorus or bells.
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