Parent-Singer Handbook 2019 – 2020 (Children’S Chorus, Treble Choir, Chorale & Concert Choirs)

Parent-Singer Handbook 2019 – 2020 (Children’s Chorus, Treble Choir, Chorale & Concert Choirs)

Honors Choirs of Southeast Minnesota Assisi Heights, Suite 920 1001 14th Street NW Rochester, MN 55901

Office Phone: (507) 252-0505 Office E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.HonorsChoirs.org

Office Hours Monday-Thursday: 10:00am - 4:00pm (closed Fridays)

Updated: 5/22/19 HONORS CHOIRS ORGANIZATION

Mission Statement The mission of the Honors Choirs of Southeast Minnesota is to promote the highest standard of excellence in the preparation and performance of choral music, seeking to provide artistic challenge and growth opportunities for youth throughout the region and enjoyment for the community at large.

Conductors & Music Staff Rick Kvam, Artistic Director Rick Kvam, conductor-Concert Choir men & women, gr. 10 – 12 [email protected] Aaron Schumacher, conductor-Chorale boys & girls, gr. 7 – 9 [email protected] Bill Nelson, conductor-Treble Choir boys & girls, gr. 5-6 [email protected] Amy Nelson, conductor-Children’s Chorus boys & girls, gr. 3-5 [email protected] Korrie Johnson, instructor-Half Notes boys & girls, gr. 1-2 [email protected] Jan Kvam, pianist Concert Choir & Treble Choir Jon Davis, pianist Chorale & Half Notes Cindy Breederland, pianist Children’s Chorus

Administrative Staff Jayne Rothschild Executive Director [email protected] Mary Wille Lead Administrator [email protected] Karri Campbell Finance Administrator [email protected]

2019-20 Board of Directors Melissa Saunders– President Bruce Bonnicksen Dotti Loutfi Anjanette Bandel – Vice President Amy Crockett Jeff Pieters Anna Sanchez – Secretary Jolene Hansen Valerie Presa Chuck Johnson – Treasurer Amelia Harthan Chris Rowen Heidi Dieter– Past-President Rafael Jimenez Dan Tschumperlin Bradley Nuss Mary Vogel Janine Yanisch

The Board of Directors generally meets every third Monday of each month except December and July.

2019-2020 SEASON

Fall-LA-Palooza Spring Finale Sunday, October 13, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. Sunday, April 26, 2020 All four choirs (no Half Notes) TWO performances: 3:00 & 5:00 p.m. All five choirs ~ Bethel Lutheran Church, Rochester Glad Tidings! Sunday, December 8, 2019 Ovation TWO performances: 3:00 & 5:00 p.m. Sunday, May 17, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. All five choirs ~ Bethel Lutheran Church, Rochester Concert Choir Only ~ Lourdes Chapel, Assisi Heights

Christmas at Assisi (with Choral Arts Ensemble) SUMMER MUSICAL Friday, December 13, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. June 2020 Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. Our 13th fully-staged musical featuring area adults and Sunday, December 15, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. youth of all ages. Watch for audition announcements. Concert Choir Only~ Lourdes Chapel, Assisi Heights

VOICES Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. All four choirs (no Half Notes) ~ Bethel Lutheran Church, Rochester

CHOIR CALENDAR Important dates for the 2019-20 season are listed below. A calendar will be posted for each choir in the SINGER ACCESS area of the HC website (www.HonorsChoirs.org). Any changes will be announced in the Weekly Notes, announced at rehearsals, and appear as updates on the online Choir Calendar. After Sept 8, 2019, do not rely on this document for correct dates as it will not be updated once the season begins

Regular Rehearsals All four Honors Choirs ensembles rehearse on Sundays beginning September 8, 2019. Rehearsals are held at ASSISI HEIGHTS, Rochester. Rehearsal times:

Children’s Chorus 3:00-4:15 p.m. Treble Choir 3:00-4:45 p.m. Chorale 6:00–8:00 p.m. plus voice part sectional rehearsals from 5:10 to 5:50 on a rotating basis) Concert Choir 6:00-8:30 p.m. plus voice part sectional rehearsals from 5:00 to 5:50 on a rotating basis)

No Rehearsals will be held on these Sundays: Dec. 15, 22, 29; Mar. 29; Apr. 12 (except for Concert Choir)

Additional Rehearsals for Concert Choir only: Mon., September 30 Thur., December 12 Mon., January 27 Mon., April 6 Sun., April 12 Sun., May 10

One Hour Dress Rehearsals for Children’s Chorus (9AM), Treble Choir (10AM) and Chorale (11AM) Saturdays, Dec. 7 & Feb. 22 & Apr. 25 (Bethel Lutheran Church) Dress rehearsals for Concert Choir take place the same day as concerts.

Performances (see online calendar and Weekly Notes for call times which are earlier than concert times) Sun., October 13 Fall-LA-Palooza (4:00 & 6:30 p.m. concerts) All four choirs Sun., December 8 Glad Tidings! (3:00 & 5:00 p.m. concerts) All four choirs, plus Half Notes Fri., December 13 Christmas at Assisi (with Choral Arts Ensemble) (7:30 p.m.) Concert Choir Sat., December 14 Christmas at Assisi (with Choral Arts Ensemble) (7:30 p.m.) Concert Choir Sun., December 15 Christmas at Assisi (with Choral Arts Ensemble) (4:00 p.m.) Concert Choir Sun., February 23 Voices (4:00 p.m. concert) All four choirs Sun., April 26 Spring Finale (3:00 & 5:00 p.m. concerts) All four choirs, plus Half Notes Sun., May 17 Ovation (4:00 p.m. concert) Concert Choir

Other Important Dates Sun., Sept. 8 (vary by choir) First Rehearsal All four choirs Sun., Sept. 8 (vary by choir) Parent Meetings Parents of all four choirs Sun., Sept. 15, 1:00 – 7:30 p.m. Retreat at Assisi Heights Concert Choir Sun., Sept. 15, 1:00 - 7:00 p.m. Retreat at Assisi Heights Chorale Mon., Dec. 2, 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. School Tour & Harmony For Mayo Concert Choir Wed., Mar 11-Sun., Mar 15 Chorale Tour (optional): Indianapolis Chorale Mon., Apr. 13 (early evening) Make Up Rehearsals (Easter) Children’s Chorus, Treble Choir, Chorale Mon., Apr 20, 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. School Tour & Harmony For Mayo Treble Choir & Chorale Fri., May 1 – Sat., May 2 Music in the Parks (optional): Chicago Treble Choir Sun., May 10, 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. Ovation rehearsal Concert Choir

Special Calendar Notes

Children’s Chorus & Treble Choir: First rehearsal: 9/8 Children’s Chorus 2:00 – 4:15; Treble Choir 2:00- 4:45 Mass Piece Rehearsal: Late end time on 12/1, 2/16 and 4/19 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Chorale: Mass Piece Rehearsal: Earlier start/end on 12/1, 2/16 and 4/19 4:30 – 7:00 p.m.

Concert Choir: Mass Piece Rehearsal: Earlier start/end on 12/1, 2/16 and 4/19 4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

ATTENDANCE POLICY Honors Choirs requires excellent attendance to develop the blend, balance, and general preparedness that will assure excellent performances. Families should put all rehearsal and performance dates on their calendars and avoid scheduling conflicting activities. Honors Choirs singers are expected to be at all rehearsals and performances and adhere to the attendance policy, which states:

● Singers are expected to participate with their ensemble in ALL concerts and performances. Failure to do so is grounds for dismissal. Please mark performance dates on your family calendar. When signing up for other activities, singers should consider the Honors Choirs dates to which they are already committed.

● A singer may miss up to two rehearsals between September and the holiday concert and two rehearsals between January and the spring concert. This includes concert rehearsals and pre-concert warm-ups. (For Concert Choir, this includes all concerts and rehearsals in the months of December and May.) More than two absences in either of these time periods may be grounds for dismissal from the choir. In extenuating circumstances when there is a third absence, the conductor may allow the singer an opportunity to demonstrate his/her mastery of the repertoire in order to continue participation. After a fourth absence, a singer cannot continue in the choir. Decisions regarding absence consequences are reviewed by the staff, and the decision of the conductors is final.

● Notify the HC office in advance of any anticipated absences. If a singer becomes ill, call or email the HC office and conductor with notification of the absence.

● If a singer decides not to attend a rehearsal due to weather, it is recorded as an absence. If, however, choir rehearsal is cancelled due to weather, it is not considered an absence.

● Because all absences “count” (even those due to illness and weather issues), singers should be careful to use them only when absolutely necessary.

● For singers in Chorale and Concert Choir, missing a sectional counts as one-half absence. Missing rehearsal on the same date results in a total of 1 absence.

● Singers with perfect attendance are announced at the Spring Finale concert.

Tardiness Punctuality is a primary ethic of the Honors Choirs. Because rehearsal time is precious, we expect singers to be in their seats and prepared to sing at the start time. Tardiness is also unacceptable because it is discourteous to the conductor and the other singers. This means each week singers should arrive about five minutes before the start time so that they can check their singer folders, remove coats, and be ready to sing when the rehearsal begins. Please make punctuality a high priority. The following rules are observed with regard to tardiness:

● 1-15 minutes late = tardy (4 tardies = 1 absence) ● More than 15 minutes late: each time = 1/2 absence ● Leaving rehearsal early: each time = 1/2 absence

COMMUNICATION WITH SINGERS & PARENTS Honors Choirs makes every effort to keep singers and parents informed. We use the following tools to do this:

Website: www.HonorsChoirs.org Look here for general information about the choirs, the concert season, ticket purchasing, etc. For specific information for each choir, go to the bottom of any page on the website and click on SINGER ACCESS. The passcode is SINGERS. A calendar is located on the website listing all Honors 5

Choirs events. We make every effort to keep the site updated and accurate, so if you ever find an error or have a question, please call or e-mail the office.

Weekly Notes: Each week, conductors and office staff prepare weekly announcements. These are read at rehearsal and then emailed to parents/singers on Monday. Weekly Notes are archived on the Honors Choirs website (under SINGER ACCESS). If you do not have internet access, please request a hard copy of the Weekly Notes to be given to your singer at rehearsal.

We use Mail Chimp to email Weekly Notes. Your computer may be set to block mass emails, or not recognize the Weekly Notes as sent from Honors Choirs. If you are not receiving Weekly Notes, please contact the office for instructions on how to “opt in” to the emails.

Turning in things at rehearsals: A “FORMS” box is located on the table where singers check in before rehearsal, and you may use this to turn in payments, order forms, impending absence notes or any other communications you need to deliver to the office.

E-mail: Please check your e-mail regularly, and if your singer is in Chorale or Concert Choir, encourage him/her to do the same. Please let us know of any e-mail address changes. Singers in Chorale and Concert Choir who do not have e-mail should find an e-mail “buddy” who will call and let them know if there is a last minute e-mail with important choir information for singers or parents.

Calling the Honors Choirs office on Sundays: It may be difficult to reach an Honors Choirs administrator on Sundays, however you may call the office, 252-0505, to leave a message about an absence. If there is an emergency during rehearsal, please e-mail both Mary ([email protected]) and Jayne ([email protected]) as we typically monitor our email from our phones. Please do not call the Assisi Heights general number as the switchboard operator has no way to reach us.

PARENT VOLUNTEER TEAM Honors Choirs appreciates its many volunteers. As a non-profit organization, we rely on the help of our parents and friends to make the program the best it can be. Please consider joining the Parent Volunteer Team. You can sign up to chair and/or serve on a committee, help plan and organize the fall family event, help with various office tasks, assist in concert set up and take down, chaperone, usher, help at the promotional sales tables, assist with the musical, and the list goes on! Details of committees will be available at the parent meetings at the beginning of the season. We hope each of you will find some way to help that fits your schedule. Your efforts, large or small, will help the entire organization and keep the choirs strong and growing! THANK YOU!

FALL-LA-PALOOZA This is a fun, family-centered event to kick off our season. All choirs will perform, and there will be a carnival following the concerts, including games, food, family fun, and a chance for kids to get to know fellow singers. All family and friends of Honors Choirs singers are welcome to attend. This is a huge event with a lot of opportunity for parents to help. Watch for more details on how to get involved.

OFFICE AND REHEARSAL LOCATIONS

HC Office: Located in the lower level of Assisi Heights at 1001 14th Street NW. Follow the signs for the

Conference Center, and park in the short-term “Tenant” parking spaces in the rear Employee Lot, or in the Conference Center parking lot. Do not park in regular spaces in the Employee Lot during the week as your vehicle will be booted. Parking on evenings and weekends is permitted anywhere in the Employee Lot. Enter the building through the Conference Center doorway. We’re in the main hallway, to the right as you enter the building. If the door is locked, simply hit the call button and the Assisi Heights receptionist will buzz you in.

Rehearsals: Regular rehearsals are held at Assisi Heights

Dress rehearsals: Saturday prior to Glad Tidings!, Voices and Spring Finale are held at Bethel Lutheran Church, Rochester.

Performances: Glad Tidings!, Voices and Spring Finale are held at Bethel Lutheran Church. Fall-LA-Palooza is tentatively scheduled to be held at Century High School, and Ovation is held at Assisi Heights.

MUSIC AND REHEARSAL INFORMATION Singers receive music each semester, and a music pouch (or hard-cover binder) at the beginning of the season. Singers are responsible to care for these materials. Music is collected at the end of the semester, and the pouch/folder will be collected at the end of the season. Singers will be charged for damaged or missing music and/or music pouches/folders. Please only mark music in pencil, and erase marks prior to returning music.

Rehearsal Information Singers should always bring the following to rehearsal: • Music pouch or folder, containing all music and a sharpened pencil • A water bottle, labeled with the singer’s name

Name tags are provided and to be worn at rehearsals.

Cell phone use during rehearsals is not permitted.

Rehearsals are closed to parents and our space at Assisi Heights is restricted to our rehearsal rooms only. Please plan to drop off your singer and return at pick up time.

REHEARSAL CANCELLATION If we need to announce a cancellation of rehearsal, or any other last minute mass-communication, notification will be sent to your email address(es) and posted on the Honors Choirs Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HonorsChoirsOfSoutheastMinnesotaOfficial If it is due to a weather emergency, we will also post a message on KTTC.

TUITION and ATTIRE INFORMATION ● Upon accepting a position in one of the choirs, a singer must make a tuition payment of $100, due in June for returning singers, and two weeks after acceptance for new singers. This is non-refundable.

● Singers order their attire for concerts through Honors Choirs at an additional cost, due at the time of fitting.

● The concert attire and tuition fees for each choir are shown in the chart that follows:

Deposit Due by 6/17/19 (May acceptances) Tuition Tuition Tuition Tuition Total Two weeks after Due by Due by Due by Due by NEW CHOIR Annual acceptance Concert attire Tuition (June & later Monday Monday Monday Monday auditions) 9/9/19 11/4/19 1/6/20 3/2/20 Children’s $100 $316 $65 $65 $50 $36 Chorus non-refundable Girls & Boys: $65 $100 Girls: $75 Treble Choir $396 $90 $90 $70 $46 non-refundable Boys: $60 $100 Girls: $75 Chorale $476 $115 $115 $90 $56 non-refundable Boys: $60 $100 Women & Men: Concert Choir $536 $135 $135 $105 $61 non-refundable $100

Full Payment Incentive Families that pay the annual tuition fee IN FULL by September 9 choose between either an Honors Choirs rehearsal bag or Honors Choirs t-shirt. NOTE: This incentive is for check/cash payments only. For tuition accounts paid in full by September 9, any proceeds from fundraisers throughout the year will be credited to the singer’s account for future payments for tours or tuition. Singers on scholarship are eligible for tuition incentive.

Tuition Payment Options To facilitate the payment process and to assure the timely receipt of payments, the following options are available:

● Direct from Invoice: Tuition invoices will be sent to you via email and can be paid directly from your bank to ours with a simple, one-time set up process. We strongly encourage you to use this option as it cuts down on the bookkeeping and processing time for our small staff. ● At Rehearsal: Send your check to rehearsal with your singer. It should be placed in the FORMS box located on the table when your singer checks in for rehearsal. ● By Mail: Mail a check to the HC office: 1001 14th Street NW, Suite 920, Rochester, MN 55901 ● In Person: Stop by the Honors Choirs office and pay by check or cash (Mon-Thur, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.)

Note: Tuition payments by credit card are discouraged due to the processing fees charged to Honors Choirs. If absolutely necessary, we can take a credit card payment for tuition. A 3% fee will be added to cover the added cost to Honors Choirs.

Tuition Late Fees Tuition Due Dates are clearly marked on the website’s choir calendar. Reminders will be in the Weekly Notes, and you’ll get an invoice by e-mail prior to the due date. Late fees will be assessed when a payment is not received by midnight on the date which it is due. If you are not able to make a payment on time, please call the office prior to the due date to avoid the late fee and make convenient payment arrangements.

Late fees: $10 per singer for Children’s Chorus and Treble Choir

$20 per singer for Chorale and Concert Choir

(Tuition–related guidelines approved by the Finance Committee of the HC Board of Directors, April 2009)

Tuition Refund Policy Singers who drop out of choir (or are asked to leave due to attendance or behavior issues) receive a refund only if they have paid ahead and only if they have returned all music, the music pouch, and loaned attire accessories. Payments due before termination are not refunded. (Board policy; approved August 2005)

Scholarship Information Need-based tuition scholarships are available by application. Scholarship applications are available online at https://honorschoirs.org/join/. The scholarship application deadline for this season is July 31, 2019, however should a need arise during the season we will consider an application.

TICKET INFORMATION Tickets for all performances in the regular Honors Choirs season go on sale October 1, 2019. Summer musical tickets go on sale May 1, 2020. Exception: Christmas at Assisi (Concert Choir collaboration with Choral Arts Ensemble) tickets will be available via CAE website: www.ChoralArtsEnsemble.org

Tickets can be purchased conveniently online and all seats will be reserved. You are able to choose your reserved seats and print your tickets at home, 24/7.

Online: Go to www.HonorsChoirs.org, select your seats, pay by credit card. By Phone: Call the Honors Choirs office at 507-252-0505 and pay by credit card. In Person: Stop by the Honors Choirs office at Assisi Heights and pay by check, cash or credit card.

● Unsold tickets go on sale at the door on the date of the event, 60 minutes prior to the start time. ● All tickets purchased by phone will be emailed to you or held at the Will Call table and should be claimed at least 15 minutes prior to the start time. ● Tickets are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged for other events or for tuition.

Ticket Prices All seating is reserved; All attendees require a ticket, regardless of age, including babies and toddlers.

Fall-LA-Palooza Reserved General: Adults $15, Youth/Student $10

Regular Season Concerts: (Glad Tidings!, Voices, Spring Finale, Ovation) ● Reserved Preferred seating $25 ● Reserved General Adult seating $15 ● Reserved General Youth/Student seating $10

Christmas at Assisi Heights A Choral Arts Ensemble event: Tickets sold through Choral Arts Ensemble: www.ChoralArtsEnsemble.org ● Reserved seating $25 ● General Adult seating $15 ● General Youth/Student seating $5

Summer Musical All seats reserved – Adults $15, $20, $25; Youth/Student $10, $15, $25

CONCERT ATTIRE Each choir has its own concert attire to be worn at season concerts and for other special performances. Here are the guidelines for each choir:

Children’s Chorus Girls wear a black dress ordered through the HC office. Girls should wear black opaque tights with black dress shoes with closed toe and closed heel (heel less than 2 inches). Please, no necklaces, bracelets, watches, or large earrings. (NOTE: Your dress should be washed in cold water on a gentle cycle with a mild detergent. Hang to dry, OR you can dry clean it.)

Boys wear black chino pants, a white oxford dress shirt ordered through the HC office, worn with a plain white undershirt and a red bow tie. The tie is loaned to singers for the year and must be returned in good condition at the end of the season. Boys should wear a black belt, black socks, and black dress shoes.

Treble Choir and Chorale Girls wear a black dress ordered through the HC office. Girls should wear black translucent knee-hi nylons (not tights) and black dress shoes with closed toe and closed heel (heel less than 2 inches). Please, no necklaces, bracelets, watches, or large earrings. (NOTE: Your dress should be washed in cold water on a gentle cycle with a mild detergent. Hang to dry, OR you can dry clean it.

Boys wear black tux pants, a white tux shirt ordered through the HC office, worn with a plain white undershirt and a blue (Treble) or red (Chorale) tie. The tie is loaned to singers for the year and must be returned in good condition at the end of the season. Boys should wear black socks and black dress shoes. Pants are dry clean only.

Concert Choir Women wear a black dress ordered through the HC office. Women should wear black translucent knee-hi nylons (not tights) and black dress shoes – closed toe and closed heel, heel less than 2 inches. Please, no bracelets, watches, or large earrings. (NOTE: Your dress should be washed inside out inside cold water on a gentle cycle with a mild detergent. Hang to dry, OR you can dry clean it.)

Men wear black tux pants, a white tux shirt (worn with a plain white undershirt), a bow tie, and a black vest ordered through the HC office. Men should wear black socks and black dress shoes. Pants and vest are dry clean only.

SINGER GROOMING All singers should follow these guidelines as they prepare for public performances:

● All singers, male and female, should have freshly shampooed hair and should style it so that hair is pulled back and off the face. ● We strongly recommend that girls use barrettes or a headband to hold their hair back neatly or put their hair in braids, a bun or a ponytail. Boys and men with long hair should put their hair in a ponytail. ● Any hair accessories should be black. 10

● Boys & men should have a clean-cut appearance; well-trimmed facial hair is acceptable. ● All parts of concert attire should be clean and in good repair.

DROP OFF & PICK UP PROCEDURES AT ASSISI HEIGHTS Honors Choirs staff and parent volunteers supervise the parking lot each week. Their primary concern is the safety of your singer. All singers should enter Assisi Heights through the COURTYARD door located on the side of the building (see map below). The rear door (Office Entrance/Conference Center) will typically remain locked during Sunday rehearsals which is an Assisi Heights security directive.

Drop Off/Pick Up Times & Locations

Children’s Chorus: Drop Off: 2:45 – 2:55 Side Courtyard Pick Up: 4:15 Side Courtyard

Treble Choir Drop Off: 2:45 – 2:55 Side Courtyard Pick Up: 4:45 Side Courtyard

Chorale Drop Off: 4:55 – 5:05 (sectionals) Side Courtyard 5:45 – 5:55 (rehearsal) Side Courtyard Pick Up: 8:00 Side Courtyard

Concert Choir Drop Off: 4:45 – 4:55 (sectionals) Front Curb 5:45 – 5:55 (rehearsal) Side Courtyard Pick Up: 8:30 Side Courtyard

Singers driving themselves: Park in the rear of the building, the Canticle Lot, or the upper Mayo lot (near the solar panels). Do not use the side parking lot as this will interfere with Treble Choir pick up. Walk around to the side courtyard doors to enter the building. Please do not enter or exit the building through the rear doors (Office/Conference Center) or the main/front entrance of Assisi Heights.

Basic Instructions for a SAFE Drop Off/Pick Up

● Because of the overlapping schedules of the four choirs, it’s important that singers are dropped off and picked up during their specified time.

● Parent volunteers and staff will be in the lots to direct cars and ensure safety of the singers.

● When dropping off and picking up at the SIDE COURTYARD, drive past that area to the rear lot and make a loop to turn around and approach the courtyard curb as if you are ready to exit the parking lot. Please do not turn around in the short driveway leading up to the power plant. Go all the way around to the rear lot to make the turn.

● When dropping off at the FRONT CURB (for Concert Choir SECTIONALS), pull up to the curb, drop your singer on the sidewalk, then proceed all the way down to the end of the driveway to turn around in the circle. Do NOT drive up under the covered area immediately in front of the building. The carriage entrance is not designed for heavy traffic, and is often times used for loading and unloading Sisters who need special assistance.

● Always use the pick-up line. Please do NOT instruct your singer to meet you in another area of the parking lot. Singers cutting through the car line to get to parked cars presents a significant safety risk.

● Singers will be escorted to the courtyard curb to meet waiting cars. We use the entire length of the parking area as a loading zone. Cars move all the way forward to the end of the lot, and then we load these cars as a group. When these cars leave, the next group pulls forward. Please do not stop in the middle of the parking lot to pick up your singer.

● Once your singer is in your car, remain in the car line and exit after the car in front of you. Please do NOT circumvent the exit line by pulling out of line to go around cars in front of you.

TOUR SCHEDULE Honors Choirs recognizes the importance and benefits of traveling together to learn and perform outside our home base. The following is a schedule of the touring opportunities that will be offered in the upcoming years. Families are encouraged to begin participating in the offered fundraising immediately if costs of travel are a concern. Our goal is to have 100% participation in the tours so that all singers are able to benefit from these opportunities. Details of each tour are generally announced in May/June of year prior (Chorale and Concert Choir) and September (Treble Choir).

Treble Choir: Spring 2020, 2022, 2024 Overnight in close proximity (for example, Chicago) Chorale: Spring 2020, Summer 2023, 2026 5 – 7 days U.S./North America location Concert Choir: Summer 2022, 2025, 2028 10 – 12 days international trip

Note: Singers removed from the roster during the season (for whatever reason) are not eligible to tour. Refunds of tour payments are subject to the timing of the singer’s dismissal from choir, not guaranteed, and possibly forfeited.

FUNDRAISING TO COVER EXPENSES Honors Choirs offers fundraisers during the season, giving your singer the opportunity to raise funds to go directly to paying tuition, cover cost of tours and/or attire costs.

● The fundraiser is optional and offered to those who wish to participate. 12

● Fundraiser profits are credited to your family account. These funds may be used at your discretion for tuition, tour costs or attire.

● Fundraiser profits are sometimes split between the singer and the Honors Choirs general operating budget. Percentages will be clearly communicated in fundraising information.

● Credits in singers’ accounts are held over and can accumulate from season to season.

● Should a singer decide not to continue participation in Honors Choirs, any balance of funds in his/her accounts is held for the singer for one year. If the singer does not rejoin Honors Choirs at the end of that year, the money will be deposited in the Honors Choirs Singer Scholarship Funds, and the family will receive a receipt for that amount as a tax-deductible donation.

● Account funds can be moved from one singer to a sibling. Funds cannot be transferred to non-nuclear family.

RECORDINGS In order to respect our performance spaces and maintain an atmosphere focused on the music, video taping, audio taping, and photography are not permitted during concerts. The concerts are professionally recorded for both audio compact discs and video DVDs.

● DVDs (recorded by Sam Hurne, Audio Visual Images): DVDs of concerts are available to order prior to, and for a limited time after each concert. DVDs of Fall-LA-Palooza, Glad Tidings! and Voices are $18 each, and will be sent home from rehearsal with singers 4-6 weeks after the concert. Spring Finale DVDs are $19 and will be mailed in early summer.

● Audio CDs: At the end of the season, a season compilation CD (audio) is available for each choir. These CDs are available to pre-order, and for a limited time after the Spring Finale concert. They are $20 each and will be mailed in early summer.

● DVDs/CDs can be ordered as available online at www.HonorsChoirs.org (STORE tab). Order forms will also be available online and at each concert.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES There are several ways beyond Sunday night rehearsals that singers can enhance their musical knowledge and skills. ● Honors Choirs Music Theory Lessons: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kqpRtvs6EDJ- B0eHRmM9nX7i-zAOSVRf?usp=sharing

● Learning CDs: All singers receive learning CDs in September and January. Conductors compile these for singers to use for weekly practice at home.

● Music Theory Websites: Singers can access the following websites in order to work on their own: http://www.musictheory.net http://www.zzounds.com/edu--musictheory 13

● Private Lessons: A listing of area voice and instrument teachers can be found at: Rochester Music Guild: www.RochesterMusicGuild.org Rochester Area Keyboard Club: http://www.keyboardclub.org/Find_a_Teacher.html

AMAZON SMILE Donates to Honors Choirs! You can make your Amazon purchases count for Honors Choirs. Please use this alternative site – it is the same as the regular Amazon site – but it will generate a credit to Honors Choirs whenever you shop! www.smile.amazon.com/ch/41-1747145

We thank you for sharing your talented children with us. Get ready for a wonderful year of music!