In the spring, students who are members of the audition choirs (Chorale and Concert Choir) are eligible to participate in Solo Competition and/or Small Ensemble Competition at several festivals. Success at these festivals will earn points toward lettering in Vocal Music and will greatly enhance the musical development of the singer. Here are some guidelines:

SMALL ENSEMBLES
1. The students in the audition choirs will form small ensembles (groups of 3-8 students) and will be assigned two songs to learn during the 3rd quarter. 3. The assigned songs will be used for festival competition, IF all the students in the ensemble choose to participate. Learning the ensemble music is REQUIRED; performing at the Winter Concert is REQUIRED; festival competition is optional.
4. More information will be provided at the beginning of the 3rd quarter.

SOLOS
Students who wish to perform a vocal solo at a festival in the spring have 2 options:
1. A student may obtain a private voice teacher who will aid the student in selecting appropriate music and who will prepare the student for the festival. THIS IS THE BEST OPTION FOR SUCCESS AT THE FESTIVALS. Students who took private lessons from Mrs. Tally in the 2010-2011 school year may continue to do so, at no charge. Mrs. Tally will not take any additional students.
2. A student may subscribe to the SmartMusic software program, which is a wonderful tool for selecting music, practicing, and preparing for solo competition. Because the Vocal Music department subscribes to this program, student subscriptions are available for $36 per year. Home internet access is ideal; as an option, the student may access the program through 2 computers which are available in the Vocal Music classroom. Mrs. Tally will check the progress of students using this method of solo preparation and will determine if the student is adequately prepared to compete.
3. More information about SmartMusic will be available in Oct. or you may go to the website at www.smartmusic.com