DUNDEE

CHOIR
DIRECTOR'S
GUIDE

Brianne Boyd, Director 2003-2008

Contents
Dundee Choir Program
Repertoire, Music Ordering & Storage
MSVMA Membership & Festivals
Concert Planning
Uniforms
Accompanist
Piano Tuning & Maintenance
Music Theory & Sight Reading
Incorporating Keyboard into the Curriculum
Incorporating Writing into the Curriculum
Curriculum Maps
National Anthem Singers
Fundraisers & Activity Account
Field Trips
CD Recording
Letters, Awards
*Also look for: zip drive with files of all class materials, handbooks,
parent contacts, etc.

Dundee Choir Program

5th Grade Choir - participates in Fall, Winter, and Spring Concert
6th Grade Choir - participates in Fall, Winter, and Spring Concert
7th Grade Choir - participates in Fall, Winter, and Spring Concert, plus Solo &
Ensemble Festival and Choir Festival. Soloists (auditioned) also sing the
National Anthem for school sports games.
8th Grade Choir - participates in Fall, Winter, and Spring Concert, plus Solo &
Ensemble Festival and Choir Festival. Soloists (auditioned) also sing the
National Anthem for school sports games.
(7th and 8th sometimes perform together, especially at festival, depending on
the size and ability level of the group)
DHS Concert Choir - participates in Fall, Winter, and Spring Concert, plus Solo
& Ensemble Festival and Choir Festival, plus various field trips. Soloists
(auditioned) and small groups also sing the National Anthem for school
sports games.
DHS Chamber Choir - select auditioned group, rehearses one day a week
after school from October through April. Performs Christmas carols and
participates in Solo & Ensemble Festival, and other events as determined.
DMS Select Ensemble - select auditioned group, rehearses one day a week
during lunch from October through Jan or later and participates in Solo &
Ensemble Festival.
Soloists (optional) meet for a short private lesson each week and
participate in Solo & Ensemble. I have recently begun a tradition of only
allowing soloists from grades 10-12, who are also in Chamber Choir.
Traditions
The students are used to rehearsing their music Monday through
Wednesday, doing sight-reading practice and music theory lessons on
Thursday, and (if they are good) on Friday we review our songs weve worked
on that week and then take student suggestions for activities (musicrelated). Some Friday activities do students favorite warm-ups, sing songs
from previous years, look at new music, have open mic time, play music
games.

In the fall, we do a concert with all choirs 5-12. In the winter, the HS band
and choir perform together and the MS choirs do their own concert. In the
spring, the HS choir has their own concert and the MS choirs have their own
concert.

Repertoire, Music Ordering & Storage

Order all music from J.W. Pepper, without exception. Any other company
takes too long and is less reliable. You will have an account with which to
purchase music and supplies (currently $1600 total, check to see if it has
changed).
To order music:
1) Go to jwpepper.com and pick out your pieces.
2) Call Pepper and get a quote of what you want faxed to the middle
school (734-529-7380).
3) Turn in the quote to the MS secretary to get a purchase order number
(MS + HS are on one account, all orders go through the middle school).
4) After receiving the purchase order number, call Pepper back and give
them the PO number so they can put the order through.
At the middle school, to save money, you can have the students share music
(order for half of the students). 5th and 6th graders have one binder and 7th
and 8th graders have another binder, since some of their music is combined.
At the middle school, there are many songs available in the 5th and 6th grade
music textbooks as well.
At the middle school, there is a yellow Get America Singing book that you
can also use, particularly for 5th grade.
At the high school, students receive their own copy of each piece and are
assigned a specific number so the music can be traced and retrieved at the
end of each year.
*Do not allow students to take their binders and music home.
Music library:
You will find a library of music at both schools, organized in Pepper boxes
(youll need to order several of these boxes each year), with notes of when
the music was performed and suggestions for performance. Approximately
50% of your repertoire should come from the libraries as you will not have
the funds to order all new music.

*After a performance or at the end of the year be sure to collect all pieces,
put in numerical order, put back in boxes or make new boxes, and add your
own notes on the back of the music boxes.

MSVMA Membership & Festivals

Participation in the Michigan School Vocal Music Association is very important
to our program. Please check out their website www.msvma.org and the
District 12 page for more details.

At the beginning of the year (in September) you will need to register
each school with MSVMA. There is an online registration and a form
that you will need to print and turn in to the office for payment. I would
also strongly suggest attending the fall MSVMA meeting. Make sure the
district managers have your email ASAP because all info is sent by
email.

Main events include Honors Choir in October (optional for select HS

students), Solo & Ensemble in January (select students from grades 712, MS & HS events are on separate days), and Choral Festival in March
(required for 7th+8th and HS choirs, MS & HS events are on separate
days).

In the past we have also hosted HS Honors Choir auditions at our

school on the second Saturday in October. Please contact me for
information on how to do this.

You MUST get registration in on time (5-6 weeks before each event).
Plan to register for Honors Choir the second week in September, S & E
at the beginning of December, and Choral Festival at the beginning of
January. Most registration is now online and instructions will be sent by
email. When you turn in a payment request to the school office, know
that it might take a few days or even weeks for them to get it in, so do
it early!

You MUST bring original copies of each song to each event (2 copies for
S & E, 4 copies for festival), with MEASURES NUMBERED. It is easy to
forget this, and they will not let you receive a rating if you do not follow
this direction.

Make sure you have a copy of the MSVMA calendar and that you check
the website often.

Transportation:
*Make sure you fill out a BUS REQUEST AT LEAST TWO WEEKS BEFORE choir
festival. This is very important!!!!!!!!!! Copy it, have the principal sign, and
put it in the transportation box.
For S & E, students should be driven by their parents/car pools.

Concert Planning
One of the most important and complicated aspects of your job here is
planning concerts. Here are the essentials:
1) Scheduling concerts: all major events should be scheduled by the end
of May for the following year. You will need to coordinate with sports
schedules (can be found online, ask bill Plumb), band schedule,
elementary music schedule, and major school events such as parentteacher conferences, homecoming, etc. Other events that come up
during the year should be planned and scheduled at least one month in
advance. You can check the school facility calendar to make sure it is
clear at the location and date you need.
2) To schedule an event which will take place at the school, you need to
email Jenny Wilson, who manages facilities. Inform her of the exact
location and time that you need to reserve and she will put it on the
facility calendar. For concerts, dont forget to also reserve the location
2-3 days in advance for rehearsals during the school day as needed.
Especially in the fall and in the spring, students will need to spend at
least one day rehearsing on stage.
3) Throughout the year, inform the school offices and principals of your
upcoming events so they can be put on newsletters.
4) Two weeks before an event at the school, enter a maintenance request
at myschoolbuilding.com (school ID number is 793117162, password is
submit), for the event set-up. (Youll also use this website for any other
maintenance issues you need throughout the year.) Write that you
need risers set up on stage.
5) Microphones, lights, sound it is best to set these up yourself. At the
HS, youll find mics in the classroom cabinet because they kept getting
lost otherwise. Students can help set up microphones, and Sue Schott
can show you how to set up the sound and lights if a student is not
able to.
6) Combined rehearsals typically for 2-5 days before a concert, the 7 th &
8th grade will combine during VIP/choir/band time. The band teacher
can tell you more about this. Sometimes this will be because the choir
needs it, sometimes band, sometimes they will coincide. You just need
to email the 7th grade teachers and ask them to switch 4th and 5th hour

on these days. If needed, you can also combine the 5th and 6th grade by
keeping the 6th grade during last hour (you will need to email their
specials teachers). This should only be for one or two days a year
because it requires them to miss class.
7) Spring dress rehearsal in May, we have traditionally had a dress
rehearsal for middle school choirs, in which all choir students rehearse
on stage from 1:30-3:00 (day of or day before concert, depending on
when is best for the accompanist). This saves time and money, allows
for combined song rehearsals, and allows the students to see each
other perform. Youll need to notify the principal and teachers of this a
couple weeks ahead of time.
8) Concert program should be completed 2-3 days before the concert so
it can be put in administrators and superintendents boxes inviting
them to come. There are several examples of past programs in the files
that you can use. Make sure to include all soloists.
9) Location of students during concert students can no longer all sit in
the audience because there is not enough room. Our current tradition
is to have the 5th grade in the audience with a few HS students or
parents sitting with them (youll have to reserve the rows), and the rest
of the students stay in the choir and band rooms with parent
supervision. Typically 1-2 high school students can help with getting
the students on and off stage at the right time so you do not have to
worry about this. A student should also help with the curtain.

Uniforms
Middle school please read the MS handbook for uniform guidelines, which
should be strictly enforced. At the beginning of the school year, you will need
to order shirts. Shirt info:
5th & 6th grade wear a royal blue t-shirt with the choir logo; 7th & 8th grade
wear a light blue polo shirt with the choir logo. These are provided by Gene
Stock at Stock Sports Inc., and you can email him your order by the end of
September. Email: stocksportsinc@yahoo.com
High school please read the HS handbook for uniform guidelines. At the
HS there are two students (typically one senior and one sophomore or junior)
from the leadership committee, who handle all uniform organization,

distribution, and management. All you need to do is order needed uniforms

at the beginning of the year from Formal Fashions. It is imperative that this
order is placed with Debbie Rouse in the HS office by mid-September, or
items will not arrive on time for the fall concert. You will need to follow
procedure from past orders, which you can find in the HS desk filing cabinet.

Accompanist
We have a professional accompanist, Rebecca Biber, who you will need to
contact about a month before each performance to set up a rehearsal time.
Please make sure she is aware of all concert and festival dates months ahead
of time.
You will need to turn in an invoice for the accompanists services to the
secretary in the superintendents office (form is in my files). You should
complete one of these at the time of the fall concert, the winter concerts,
festivals, and spring concerts.
Contact information: rbiber@umich.edu, 734-669-0941

Piano Tuning & Maintenance

We have an excellent piano tuner, Belinda McGuire, who can be counted on
exclusively for the tuning and care of the pianos. She also installed our dolly
wheels and humidifying system. She comes in several times a year and is
very reliable, and is a great friend. The pianos are usually tuned before our
major performances in October, December, and May. Be sure to turn in the
invoices to the office secretaries.
Contact information: 734-529-5922, bgmcad@verizon.net
Humidifier/Dehumidifier: There is a system installed on the middle school
piano that keeps the piano from going out of tune since the room is not
conducive to holding pitch. The system must remain plugged in, and it
requires re-filling approximately once a week.
Refill Procedure:
1) Fill watering pitcher with cold water and then add a capful of the
treatment solution.
2) Find the tube located under the piano keys (there are brackets that adjust
to unhook the tube) and securely fit the pitcher spout inside the tube.
3) Tip over the pitcher until all the water goes in, then either tap the excess
back into the pitcher or blow it through with your mouth (fun!). Otherwise it
will leak out.

Music Theory & Sight Reading

In addition to learning and performing choral repertoire, it is very important
to build and develop basic music reading skills of the students. We have tried
various methods over the years that combine books, projects, keyboard
playing, and sight reading.
Series books:
The MS uses the 30 Days series (various worksheets as applicable to each
grade level), and alternates between the two books every year. Students
keep a Theory Thursday folder in the classroom and accumulate
worksheets throughout the year.
The HS has been using the Essentials of Music Theory series and working in
groups, but this has not worked too well and should probably be scrapped.
HS is now using the 30 Days series as well, and will eventually do projects
such as write out all their key signatures, create sight reading exercises for
the class, and write their own music.
Projects:
In addition to the worksheets/quizzes, students should have several fun
projects throughout the year to enhance concept learning. Examples:
creating their own music based on that weeks lesson, listening to music that
demonstrates a lesson, doing puzzles or music games, and playing the piano.
Sight Reading:
We use the moveable do solfeggio system (the only acceptable system for
teaching our curriculum). Sight singing starts with learning solfege patterns
using warm-ups, games, and our valuable solfege banner (have students
show you what we do with the banner, and feel free to invent whatever other
activities you want).
By the end of 6th grade, students begin to transfer what they know to reading
written music. In 7th and 8th grade and high school, students write their own
solfege exercises and must prepare for festival-level sight reading. Practice
worksheets and books can be found in the classrooms; students typically do
this each Thursday and then daily in the 1-2 months prior to festival. It is
very important that grades 7 through HS are doing sight reading exercises on
a regular basis.

Incorporating Keyboard into the Curriculum

Playing the piano has become a valuable part of our choir program, as it has
proven to 1) help students understand concepts of scales, chords, and key
signatures, 2) encourage more interest in music and allow for more creative
projects, and 3) allow some students to be able to play parts in their choir
music and assist with warm-ups and sectionals.
* The teacher pianos are off-limits to students except when given
permission by the teacher. The electric piano at the HS and all the portable
keyboards are for student use and can be shared between the MS and the
HS.
Incorporating keyboard lessons, games, and projects into your choir
curriculum is strongly encouraged. This can be done along with the theory
and sight reading lessons, and works well as an end-of-year project also.
Here are some ideas that we have used in the past:

5th and 6th grade Assign numbers 1-5 to fingers on right hand and
connect to solfege and note names in C Major. Experiment on the
keyboard with correct hand position and see how many songs you can
play with just those five fingers (Mary Had a Little Lamb, Jingle Bells,
etc.). Make up your own songs. Join with 1-2 other people and create a
song. More advanced students can use two hands or add chords. Put
on recitals for the class, etc.

7th and 8th grade Learn major scales using the piano (create pattern of
whole and half steps, and figure out which black keys are needed for
different key signatures). Depending on skill level, learn several
different scales (use correct hand position). Learn simple songs (such
as Twinkle Little Star) and play them in different keys. Learn to sing
and play I, IV, and V7 chords.

HS Same as 7/8 but at higher level. Learn I, IV, and V7 chords in

different inversions and in several keys. Play simple songs in different
keys and write them on a staff. Create a choral arrangement of a song,
using the piano for assistance. Advanced students pre-approved by the
teacher will also assist with class warm-up exercises and sectionals.

Incorporating Writing into the Curriculum

Our school takes part in the Collins Writing Program, which requires writing in
all subjects. You can ask the language arts teachers for help with this, or look
it up online. I have been working toward at least 1-2 writing assignments per
month; it is best to do them on Theory Thursday days, when students have
a folder and pencil with them. It is important that you include writing
assignments into choir class occasionally, as we have spent most of our staff
meetings this year discussing how we will all do this.
Some ideas for writing assignments: goal setting for future classes or events,
a who am I bio sketch about a classmate, music term vocab cards or
jeopardy questions (HS), reflections on a performance, peer assessments,
journals, etc. In the spring we have had HS students write program notes for
the concert (each student researches 2-3 songs and writes a paragraph on
each, then the best ones are included in the program).

Curriculum Maps
You will find a binder marked curriculum maps at each school this is a
rough outline of what needs to be accomplished with each group each month
of the year. To be honest, its mostly been referred to at the beginning and
end of the year to help in making overall plans. Its purpose is more to let
administrators and others know what is being studied in choir. The HS has
just started using pacing guides (I have not done it yet) so youll need to
check with the HS principal on how to do this, and you can use my current
curriculum guide to help create your pacing guide.

National Anthem Singers

One of the traditions we have created here is that all choir students learn the
National Anthem. In 6th grade the students do a unit on it, learn all the words
and notes, etc. and (attempt to) sing it individually for the class for a grade.
There is an emphasis on respectful performance with proper singing (as
opposed to pop-style diva singing, chest singing, or other such horrors such
as breathing between Spangled and Banner).
Choir students in grades 7 through 12 audition to sing the National Anthem
before home sports games (all basketball, volleyball, football, and sometimes
wrestling and swimming). This is taken very seriously, and a level of
excellence is expected, particularly at the high school.
Only current choir students are allowed to sing at games, unless the athletic
director has a guest lined up. Students who have sung in the previous year(s)
dont have to audition; anyone new has to get your approval. A good way to
audition is to have all interested students sing for the class on a Friday. For
performance, MS students can sing solo or as a pair in unison. HS have to be
solo or a group in 3-part harmony. The HS choir has their own 3-part
arrangement that they sing as a choir or in small groups for games and other
school events. *This arrangement will need to be taught to the new students
at the beginning of each year.
Ask the athletic director at each school for the game dates. Games start
before the school year begins, so sign-up needs to be done right away.
Students typically sign up on the board to sing for games. MS students sing
at the game start time and HS students sing at the start of the Varsity half.
Students who have done it in the past can tell you how it works.

Fundraisers and Activity Account

Typically the choirs do a fundraiser each fall and spring. Fundraisers have to
be pre-approved a few months ahead of time by the principal and put on the
school fundraising calendar.
***There is a new procedure that must be followed before any fundraiser. It
involves filling out several forms, getting them signed by the building
principal, and then giving them to Steve Seeburger. There are also papers
that need to be filled out after the fundraiser is completed. If you cannot find
a copy of these forms, ask Steve Seeburger where to locate them.
We have had success with Century Resources, although it may be time for
something new. The good thing about Century Resources is that they pretty
much do everything for you. Our contact there is Greg Neering
(gneering@cenres.com ). Catalog fundraisers make the most money and are
easiest to manage but will always get some complaints from parents.
Little Caesars is also a good option, but is more work on your end, and you
have to worry about refrigeration. The products sell well, though. Krispy
Kreme donuts has been done by the band and can be looked into as well.
The HS has also done a Karaoke Night in the past, in February. There will be
a file on this in the cabinet, and students and counselor Michelle Sanford can
fill you in. Contact me for more details; this takes at least a month of preplanning.
Selling concessions at games is not recommended because it has proved to
be more trouble than it is worth.
Choir account:
You will have a book to keep track of choir fundraising deposits and
expenses. Please be sure to keep very accurate records.
To make a deposit: Count money and fill out a deposit slip, and record in the
book. Put in an envelope and turn in to the MS office.
To request a check: Fill out a check request (in the account book) and get the
principal to sign it. Attach a copy of the invoice and turn the request in to
Eva Wade in the business office.
*Be prepared to spend a decent amount of your own money on things
throughout the year. Sometimes you will not have time to request a school

check before making a purchase or payment and will have to use personal
money. For small purchases, keep petty cash in your drawer so you can
repay yourself. Keep your own record of these transactions in case they are
questioned. For large expenses, pay with personal check or credit card so
you can copy your receipt and payment proof and turn in a check request for
reimbursement. This should of course be kept to a minimum, but it will
happen. Dont be afraid to ask for reimbursement.
Student accounts:
Students do not literally have individual accounts, as this is complicated
and there are some legal issues with it. All fundraiser money belongs to the
school and it is your choice how to use it.
However, during a year when the HS is taking a big trip, students can
participate in fundraising and in turn lower the individual cost of their trip.
The fundraising money should not be used for anything other than the
particular trip for which it is assigned. It is your responsibility to keep track of
how much money is allotted to each students trip cost (for example, every
item they sell in the fall fundraiser will earn them $3 toward their trip), and
your right to approve or deny the use of fundraising amounts for a students
trip.
At the middle school, we are using a system that rewards students for
fundraiser participation. For example, all students who participate in the fall
fundraiser (sell at least one item or turn in a donation) receive a reduced cost
on their spring field trip (typically Music in the Parks at Cedar Point). The
reduced amount will be TBA based on how much total is raised and how
much you want to use for this trip. You can also offer an incentive such as
students who sell 20 items or more receive a free field trip.
Please contact me if you have questions regarding current use of fundraising
money/accounts.

Field Trips
We have started a tradition of the HS choir going on a major (overnight) field
trip approximately every two years - Cleveland in 06, Chicago in 08, and New
York in 09. The next trip is tentatively planned for spring of 2011. Planning
for these trips begins in April or May of the previous school year, by
contacting one or more tour companies and receiving itineraries and quotes
for various locations. You can contact me for suggestions. Make sure you
consider school calendars when planning for dates; students should miss no
more than one day of school. In the past, we have gone over spring break.
When you decide what youd like to do, a request explaining the trip purpose
and plans must be given to the principal and to the board of education. Once
the trip is approved for the board (by Sept), plans can be made for students
to arrange payments and fundraise throughout the year for a trip in April or
May.
During the off-tour years, the HS has gone on a 1-day trip to Lansing to
sing at the Capitol (free for the students). You will probably receive a letter
each year inviting you to do this. If the school will still pay for the bus, I
would recommend taking this trip. The students take a tour of the Capitol
building, do a performance there, and go out for pizza on the way home (use
fundraising account $ for dinner).
The MS has participated in Music in the Parks at Cedar Point every year. This
takes place at the end of May but it is good to register as early as
September. Payments are due in February and April. When you register you
will receive detailed info about the event. Check with the principal to make
sure it is approved. It is up to you to decide which classes to take; typically
grades 6-8 have gone but 5 can go if they are mature enough, or if a class is
causing trouble, they can be excluded. It is good to combine small classes to
have as large a group as possible performing. The students perform for
judges in the morning and then go to Cedar Point in the afternoon. Students
should sign up for this in Jan or Feb. You will also need several parent
chaperones (recommend approximately one for every 4 students). In the
past I have arranged for two chaperones to be in charge of 6-8 students.
Transportation:
For major HS trips, busing is arranged by the tour company. For Music in the
Parks and Lansing, the school should provide a bus (two buses will be needed
for Music in the Parks if over 50 people are attending). Be sure to fill out a

BUS REQUEST FORM at least two weeks prior to the event. Copy it, have the
principal sign, and put it in the transportation box.

CD Recording
In 2007, we successfully recorded a CD with Hourglass Productions, and plan
to make one again in spring of 2009 and 2011. We did a professional
recording session in the HS choir room and each choir did a few songs for the
CD. There is a minimum order of 100, so pre-selling is a good idea. Please
contact me in February or March for more details on how to arrange the
recording.

Letters, Awards
We have a tradition of awarding students with keepsakes at the end of the
year. These will need to be ordered in March because they sometimes take
up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. Make sure you have approximately $200 left in
your music ordering account for these items; otherwise you will have to use
fundraising account money.
In the MS office you will find an envelope with examples of awards and order
forms.
In the HS office file cabinet you will find copies of past orders.
MS

5th graders receive a certificate that you fill out.

6th graders receive a royal blue ribbon, 7th graders receive a light blue
ribbon, and 8th graders receive a white ribbon.

Each grade receives a different pin.

Seniors receive a medal that they can wear at graduation.

Students who have been in choir for all four years at the HS (theyll be
able to tell you who qualifies for this) receive an engraved trophy.

HS

Varsity Letters at the HS, we order letters from Neff (can be found in the
large HS desk drawer), paid for by the fundraising account or the music
ordering account if you have enough. Students who have been in HS choir for

at least one year with a passing grade can have a letter if they want one (at
the beginning of their second year in HS choir).