Grammar School Choir

Grammar Choir is an auditioned singing group for 4th and 5th graders directed by our grammar school music teacher, Ms. Brianna Pylant. Throughout the year students will learn songs that vary in style, genre, language, culture, and more. They perform two seasonal concerts (December and May) as well as performing at the field trip in the spring. During rehearsals, Ms. Pylant uses songs, activities, and games to develop students’ musicianship skills. Over time children practice and learn proper vocal technique, breathing, singing posture, diction, vowel pronunciation, tone quality, how to read music and performance skills.

If you have any other questions that are not answered below, contact Ms. Pylant at [email protected]

 

Rehearsal:   The group meets on Tuesdays after school from 3:45 – 4:45. Choir rehearsals begin in mid-fall and continue until the final concert in the spring.  

 

Membership:

1. Students must be in either 4th or 5th grade.  Students who have not been in Grammar Choir before must audition.  
2. In August, an information sheet and audition form will be sent home in Wednesday folders to all 4th and 5th grade students.  
3. If your child was not enrolled at ACE when auditions took place but would like to audition for choir, email Ms. Pylant at [email protected]. Your child will still need to submit an audition form as it has important information that will need to be kept on file. Students may pick up a form from Ms. Pylant’s classroom. 
4. Students wanting to participate in Grammar Choir for the current school year must return the audition form (ONLY the audition form, not the information sheet) to Ms. Pylant by the date disclosed on the information sheet. This includes former Grammar Choir students that would like to participate for the current school year. Forms submitted after the submission date will not be accepted. 
5. IMPORTANT: Previous Grammar Choir members MUST submit an audition form in order to participate for the current school year. However, they DO NOT have to re-audition.  
6. Once a student has submitted the audition form, Ms. Pylant will send out an email to parents of the auditionee with an individual audition time and date based on the information given on their audition form. If a student cannot make their given audition time, please email Ms. Pylant at the address listed above to either reschedule or cancel that student’s audition. 
7. Audition results will be sent out after all auditions have been completed, including make-up auditions. 

Auditions:  Students will be asked to echo a variety of vocal warm-ups to gauge their range. Next, students will be taught a small musical excerpt to assess their ability to follow music and match pitch. Finally, students will be asked to sing Happy Birthday or My Country ‘Tis of Thee.  

Participation Fee:  There is a $45 participation fee per student. However, Ms. Pylant does not want any singer to not participate due to the family's financial circumstances.  

• If a family cannot pay the participation fee, please email Ms. Pylant at [email protected]
• If a family has two students participating in Grammar Choir and cannot pay both fees at the same time, please email Ms. Pylant at the email listed above. 
  
  

The participation fees cover a student's choir polo shirt, registration fee, and field trip costs (i.e. food, transportation, etc.). Participation fees also help cover items the whole choir can use such as sheet music, concert accompanist fees, special equipment such as risers, and other materials they may need throughout the year.  

Field Trips:  Field trips vary from year to year. Previously Ms. Pylant has taken the choir to Large Group Performance Evaluation, also known as LGPE, to perform for a group of judges that give the choir scores based on various choral standards such as repertoire, vocal technique, and more. While there, students have the opportunity to practice their performance skills as well as watch and listen to other young choirs. 

Other field trips have included workshops with local college professors that specialize in young, developing choirs as well as singing around the community. The choir has also visited Mercer Singers and been invited to participate in their rehearsal.  

Benefits of Choir:  The Choral Program:

• teaches discipline, focus, work ethic, team spirit, and delayed gratification. 
• teaches self-expression and self-confidence.
• teaches personal integrity and respect for others. 
• provides a safe and supportive environment for children to grow, have fun, and create friendships. 
• is an important aspect in early childhood development. Not only does it create well-rounded individuals but it changes the physical structure of the brain, aiding students in their core academic studies.