Choir
February 15, 2024
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We are always looking for new singers! The Braves Choir welcomes all singers of any level of vocal ability. Whether you have taken part in half a dozen honor choirs and vocal festivals, sung in your local church choir, or only jammed out in the car, we would love for you to share your unique voice with us. You will have the opportunity to meet new friends in any grade, build strong connections with others, express yourself, build your confidence, develop a life-long skill, and have fun singing for others in a group setting-- you never have to sing alone in our choir unless you wish to. Every voice is individual and invaluable in a choir-- there is no other voice like yours! Whether you feel you are a terrible singer and want to learn, a decent singer who wants to improve, or an excellent singer who wants to push themselves to new heights, practicing in the choral setting and in individual lessons with the director will help you do so.
Choir normally has one major concert per quarter, with some other fun events thrown in the mix. In the fall, you will learn the fundamentals of effective and healthy singing through interesting and varied choral repertoire. Before winter break, we learn a mixture of familiar carols, winter-themed choral music, and continue our Cherokee tradition of singing the Hallelujah Chorus each year by inviting graduated members and community members to sing with us! When we return from winter break, we learn several modern popular songs from various genres and decades-- we've sung everything from Billie Eilish to Queen, and plenty in between! Finally, for the spring concert, we learn three challenging choral pieces and master them to perform not only at our spring concert/senior night, but also for Large Group Contest, where we compete for a division ranking in a competition with the other local area schools.
In addition to Large Group Contest, there are plenty of other fun opportunities offered to make music in choir! In the beginning months of each school year, All-State Chorus auditions are held for those who really wish to push themselves to learn challenging music and compete for a spot amongst the best of the best. Only 600 students are selected to the All-State Chorus... an acceptance rate less than that of Princeton! The choir also learns a song to perform for Veteran's Day to honor our veterans for their service to our country and a piece for graduation to bid farewell to our graduating seniors at the end of the year. Willing choir students are often called upon to sing carols in the winter, whether for local nursing homes or for the Cherokee Christmas Parade, and we love to spread joy and holiday cheer that way! In the mid-winter months, students can choose to sign up for Solo and Ensemble, an event in which solo singers or other small groups of singers can perform a song or two memorized for a judge to receive a rating and some useful advice on how to continue growing as a vocalist. The Music Boosters hold a wonderful event called Tastes and Sounds in late March each year, where singers can learn and perform solos for an audience as they get to eat tasty food from many area establishments! There are honor choirs held throughout the year, in which dedicated musicians can push themselves to learn several extra pieces outside of class, then spend a school day rehearsing this music with the top singers from each of the area schools before performing them in a concert that evening. Finally, every four years, choir students are able to save up and go on a trip to perform and bond as a group. In 2023, we flew to Disney World and Orlando Studios in Florida for several days and were able to perform in Disney's beautiful venue, as well as ride plenty of rollercoasters in the meantime!
We also have a small separate ensemble called Jazz Choir which sings swing, blues, Latin, and other jazz-oriented songs. This is an auditioned ensemble and rehearses on Mondays, Wednesdays, and every other Friday morning from the time that marching band season ends through March at 7-8am. In addition to all the skills learned in the curricular choir, jazz choir members learn to master jazz-related concepts like vocal improvisation, swing rhythms, syncopation, and more. The jazz choir sings on microphone and is accompanied by a student rhythm section of a pianist, drummer, and sometimes a bass guitarist and electric guitarist. This ensemble goes to several competitions in the winter months to compete for placements, rankings, and scores against other jazz choirs, often having the chance to earn trophies or awards if they do well!
In addition to the educational benefits, social benefits, self-confidence benefits, and mental health benefits, being a part of a musical ensemble like a choir also has financial benefits! Many colleges and careers are looking for well-rounded team players who are flexible, creative, and have both the grit and the drive to practice and improve over time. Many colleges offer scholarships for students who earn solo awards at Solo and Ensemble, honor choirs, jazz choir events, or for those who are accepted into the All-State Chorus. In addition, many colleges offer large music scholarships for both major and non-major students who audition, many of which can reach $7000 per year or more, as well as free lessons throughout their time in college. Who knows-- maybe you will even be the next one to become famous with the vocal skills you develop in choir and inspire a generation to come with your music!
Tyler Puettmann
tpuettmann@ccsd.k12.ia.us
712-225-6755