Fall auditions for the Barton Pond Chorus and Percussion Ensemble will be held from Tuesday, August 29th, 2023 to Friday, September 8th, 2023 during the student arrival time between 8:45 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. These clubs are open to 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. When students come into the building, they may stop by the music room to have their audition. Students can be in multiple music clubs if they would like to.
Spring auditions for the Barton Pond Chorus and Percussion Ensemble will be held from Thursday, January 4th, 2024 to Friday, January 12th, 2024 during the student arrival time between 8:45 and 9:15 a.m.
Students participating in music clubs will need to fill out a copy of the music clubs contract. You can download it here: 2023-2024 Music Clubs Contract
Chorus Auditions
For chorus auditions, students will need to prepare one song. Please make sure that the song has school appropriate lyrics. Students will also be asked to sing a few major scales and copy phrases that I sing to them. The parent or guardian of each child that makes it into the chorus will receive an acceptance email, so please fill out the chorus intent form below. The email will include our 1st rehearsal date, our rehearsal and concert schedule for the semester, and other important information. All rehearsals will begin at 8 a.m. and last until the bell rings at 8:45 a.m. If you have questions about this club, please email me at ssanders@wcpss.net.
Percussion Ensemble Auditions
For percussion ensemble auditions, students will be asked to play a steady beat on an instrument. Students will be asked to do this with and without musical accompaniment. For example, I may ask a student to play a steady beat on a hand drum and then ask them to play a steady beat along with a song that I play through a sound system. Students will also be asked to read and play basic rhythms in 4/4 time involving quarter notes, beamed eighth notes, and quarter rests. The parent or guardian of each child that makes it into the percussion ensemble will receive an acceptance email, so please fill out the percussion ensemble intent form below. The email will include our 1st rehearsal date, our rehearsal and concert schedule for the semester, and other important information. All rehearsals will begin at 8 a.m. and last until the bell rings at 8:45 a.m. Students joining this club will be provided with a pair of drumsticks. If you have questions about this club, please email me at ssanders@wcpss.net.
Percussion Ensemble Intent Form
There will be no auditions for the ukulele club. In order to participate, your child will need to have the following Donner Soprano ukulele from www.amazon.com: (click on the product's name to go directly to its page at the Amazon website) priced at $68.99. Donner Soprano Ukulele I am requiring all students to have the same ukulele so that the instruments will have the same tuning. This is also a useful product because it comes with a bag and strap for the instrument. I recommend that students visit the ukulele tab of this blog prior to the first rehearsal. Students should click on the “ukulele” tab with adult supervision and try to tune their instrument using the videos under the headings that read “how to tune a ukulele” and “ukulele tuner”. Students should use the tuning method that is the most comfortable for them. Feel free to also watch the video about how to strum a ukulele. I recommend doing these things because ukuleles can take 1 to 2 weeks for the strings to settle in. Tuning and experimenting with your instrument prior to the rehearsal can ensure that your strings will be settled in before the rehearsal and it will decrease the amount of re-tuning that we have to do during the first rehearsal. When you get your child's instrument, please be sure to install the lithium battery into the black ukulele tuner immediately, so that the lithium battery stays out of reach of small children. A video on how to do this can be found on the ukulele tab. You can also find a video there on how to use the ukulele hook strap. I would recommend demonstrating how to use the strap appropriately so that your child already knows how to use it at the first rehearsal. All rehearsals will be held from 8:00 a.m. until the bell rings at 8:45 a.m. At the first rehearsal, your child will receive a rehearsal schedule and a copy of the rules and policies that govern the ukulele ensemble. I will also send these documents to parents and guardians in a welcome email that will disclose the 1st rehearsal date. If you have any additional questions, please contact me at ssanders@wcpss.net. I am looking forward to an exciting fall semester with our ukulele club. If your child will be participating in the ukulele club, please click on this interest form so that I can get contact information for parents and guardians.
