Good morning,

I’m sure a lot of y’all have been waiting on this email, but it will come to no surprise that the Florida Tour scheduled for April 16th through 19th has been cancelled. The Cobb County School District policy is that ALL field trips previously scheduled have been cancelled. Click here to read up on Cobb’s COVID-19 guidance. This will come as a heavy blow to a lot of the kids, and I am very sorry that we’re in a place that we had to cancel, but it is obviously outside of my control.

Regarding refunds, I am working with all of our trip vendors to get back as much money as possible. Luckily, many of our final payments were not due until April 1st, so most of that will come back to us. There are a couple deposits that will have to remain, particularly that with our charter bus company, His Majesty Coach. I intend on being fully transparent with you all about the money we were able to get back, and how much that means we are able to return to you and your students. Money earned through fundraisers cannot be reimbursed, but payments made in cash or check will be refunded, with a percentage removed for non-refundable deposits. Look for more information on that as the semester progresses.

I hope that everyone is staying home (when you can) and safe, and that your kids aren’t stir crazy yet! I miss making music with them dearly.

Best,
Mrs. Megan Schuitema
Harrison HS Director of Choirs

ALL ONLINE ASSIGNMENTS CAN NOW BE FOUND UNDER THE WEEKLY AGENDA TAB!

March 23-27

 

We’re about one week out from Large Group Performance Evaluation! This is a very exciting time for the kids to show judges how much they have learned so far over the course of their tenure in choir. Below is a chart of every ensemble’s warm-up, performance, and sight-reading times. Both Concert Choir (1st) and Women’s Chorale (2nd) will be performing during the school day, while the Harrison Chamber Singers (3rd) will perform just after school ends. Any parents are welcome to come observe the performances! Each group’s full time slot will take less than an hour and a half, including time to change into concert attire.

Harrison Concert Choir	1st Period Choir
1:20 PM	Change into concert attire
1:40 PM	Warm-up in the choir room
2:00 PM	Perform in the PAC
2:20 PM	Sight-read in the auxiliary gym
2:40 PM	Change out of concert attire

 

Women’s Chorale	2nd Period Choir
2:40 PM	Change into concert attire
3:00 PM	Warm-up in the choir room
3:20 PM	Perform in the PAC
3:40 PM	Sight-read in the auxiliary gym
4:00 PM	Change out of concert attire

 

Harrison Chamber Singers	3rd Period Choir
4:00 PM	Change into concert attire
4:20 PM	Warm-up in the choir room
4:40 PM	Perform in the PAC
5:00 PM	Sight-read in the auxiliary gym
5:20 PM	Change out of concert attire

Students who are missing part of class time for these performances are being counted as on an in-school field trip, so as to not affect exam exemptions. All performances are on the Harrison High School campus, in the Performing Arts Center.

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know! The kids have worked so hard for this, and we can’t wait to share the results with the judges and audience.

Megan Schuitema
Harrison HS Director of Choirs

Good evening!

I hope everyone is getting excited about the Whitacre Festival next week! See below for a comprehensive email from Georgia State regarding the Festival procedures. The short version for us is:

• 10:00am – Departure from Harrison HS, chaperones meet us at 9:45 by checking in at the Freshman Academy office.
• 11:00am – Arrive in downtown Atlanta – eat lunch at the CNN center
• 12:30pm – Walk from the CNN center to the Rialto Center for the Arts (0.4 mile)
• 1:00pm – Check in at the Rialto
• 4:30-6:00pm – Dinner break, students may split off in groups to nearby restaurants (listed here – Georgia State Area Restaurants[1])
• 6:15pm – Check in for concert/festival seating
• 9:30pm – Concert conclusion, return home
• 10:30pm – Arrive back at Harrison

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know as soon as possible! All participants have been sent practice tracks for most of the music, as well as given copies in class. Recommended attire is business casual, since every school has a different concert attire This is going to be a really unique experience and I hope the kids are getting excited for it!

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Greetings!

Thank you for joining us for the Eric Whitacre Residency at Georgia State University.  We are excited to host such a fabulous musician, composer and conductor!  As the residency draws closer, I wanted to share important information and reminders with you as you make your plans to arrive to campus.  Please read this email carefully.

LOCATION

The residency will be housed in the Rialto Center for the Arts, located at 80 Forsyth Street NW, Atlanta.  Maps and driving directions to the Rialto can be found on the Rialto Center Website.  Please allow plenty of time for downtown traffic as you make your arrival plans.

ARRIVAL

Check-in opens for the Choral Festival at 1:00pm on Tuesday, February 4 and closes at 1:45pm.  The rehearsal begins at promptly at 2:00pm.  When your school arrives, the director should check in at the information table in the Rialto Lobby to receive your student wristbands, adult credentials and group’s concert tickets. After check-in, you and your group will receive further instructions and be directed to rehearsal seating.

Credentials & wristbands MUST be worn at all times. Admittance into rehearsal will not be permitted without them.  Entrance into the evening concert will not be permitted without a ticket.

CHORAL FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

1:00pm – Check in opens for the Choral Festival
2:00pm – Choral Festival Begins
4:30pm – Choral Festival Concludes
Dismissed for dinner on your own
6:30pm – House opens for concert seating
7:30pm – Concert Begins
9:30pm – Estimated concert conclusion

WHAT TO BRING

Schools should purchase their own original music for Animal Crackers Vol. 1, Animal Crackers Vol. 2, and Sleep prior to arriving to the festival.  Music will not be provided on-site; please ensure your students bring their music.

We ask that you keep personal items to a minimum.  You WILL NOT need iPods, iPads, tablets, laptop computers, or any other sort of electronic devices during the festival.  Cell phones are permitted if kept silent and you feel their presence is necessary.  Large amounts of cash are NOT NEEDED.  While we have a flawless safety record with our student camps, we would like to remind everyone that you will be visiting a city environment and spending the day with people they do not know.  Please leave unnecessary items at home.

The School of Music’s ACDA chapter will be holding a bake sale between 1pm – 5pm.  If your students would like to purchase baked goods during this time, please have them bring additional money.

DINNER

Dinner is on your own prior to the concert.  Ample time is allocated for your group to walk to and enjoy dinner at any nearby restaurant.  A sample list of restaurants is attached.  While it is not an exhaustive list, it should give you an idea of the types of restaurants within walking distance.  If you are planning to sit down for a group meal, it is recommended that you contact the restaurant in advance to make reservations.  You can view the Georgia State Interactive Map to see locations such as Peachtree Street and CNN Center’s proximity to the Rialto, each about a 10 – 15 min walk.

ATTIRE

Dress Code for the concert will be comfortable, business casual. Each school may determine their own dress code. Participants are encouraged to dress appropriately for performing from their seats in the audience during the concert. Participants are encouraged to wear nice, comfortable clothes for the day and plan to wear the same attire for the evening. It is recommended to wear shoes that are comfortable for walking downtown. Concert black will NOT be required for Choral Festival Participants. Changing/Dressing rooms will not be provided.

We look forward to having you on our campus in the coming weeks.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact our office at directly at cotaoeo@gsu.edu.

Amy Reid

Georgia State University | College of the Arts

Office of Educational Outreach | 404.413.5927

55 Park Place | Suite 910

 

Concert Choir 

Section Leaders:
Soprano – Lindsey Hoenig
Alto – Keeley Taylor
Tenor – Alex Guercia
Bass – Luke Renier

Class Rep: Carly Christian

Women’s Chorale

Section Leaders:
Sopranos – Allie Gospodareck, Sophie Caveney, Abby Carlton
Altos – Abigail Forester, Kelsey Foster, Lily Kate Soetebier

Class Rep: Georgia Holland

Harrison Chamber Singers

Section Leaders:
Soprano – Estrella Dearborn
Alto – Lily Kate Soetebier
Tenor – Owen Davis
Bass – David Champion

Class Rep: Mallory Kiger