Transcript Solo & Ensemble Slide Show

The Beginning of a Great
Adventure!
A journey that will be different,
difficult, dangerous—maybe even
a disaster!...but the end result will
be dynamic!
It’s Festival Season!
• Fairfield Jr. High Solo & Ensemble Festival
(optional for beg. choirs, required for adv.)
• District Jr. High Solo & Ensemble Festival
(all participants chosen school festivals)
• District Jr. High Choral Festival
(combined adv. choirs)
What is Solo and Ensemble?
• Solo and Ensemble is just what it sounds like…
an event where music students get together and
perform in either ensembles, or as a soloist, with
a piano accompanist. This event is, in some
ways, similar to an audition, and in some ways is
similar to a concert. Participants perform in a
room in front of a judge, and are given a
performance rating- I, II, III, IV, or V, based on
their individual performance.
Why do Solo & Ensemble?
• It’s a fun opportunity to work with others.
• It challenges and develops your individual
musicianship.
• It helps you develop leadership and social
skills.
• It helps prepare you for advanced classes.
• It counts as a term project (in beg. choirs),
in advanced classes it is required. 
Preparing for the Event
Step 1- Round up your people
• If you’re doing an ensemble, you’ll need to find
other people to be in it…be careful to pick
people who are committed and willing to work
hard (sometimes the non-committed people
might be your friends…scary!). 4 max per part.
You’ll also need a piano accompanist (unless
you choose a piece that is written to be sung a
cappella). In most cases, ask someone you
know, like a parent, grandparent, friend,
neighbor… If you don’t like relying on others just
do a solo!
Preparing for the Event
Step 2- Choose your music
• You’ll want to choose something that isn’t too hard to learn and
practice on your own (but one that will challenge you slightly), and
that you actually like. For 7th graders I strongly recommend one of
the pieces we’re learning in class. For 8th /9th graders you may also
consider pieces learned in choir previous years. Or… you may come
in before, after, or during intervention to the choir room and look
through Mrs. Miner’s files and books. Remember that you will be
responsible for giving an ORIGINAL piece of your music to
your judge during your performance. It must have the
measures numbered. Students must perform ART MUSIC: art
songs, folk songs, spirituals, classical works, and some appropriate
sacred hymns or liturgical pieces. Broadway, show tunes, movie
tunes, or pops songs are not considered appropriate literature. (Hint:
if you’ve heard it on the radio, it’s probably pop.) When in doubt,
ask! 
What is Art Music?
• Classical musicians talk a lot about Art
Music…Art music, serious music, concert music
is an umbrella term used to refer to musical
traditions implying advanced structural and
theoretical considerations and a written musical
tradition. The term primarily refers to classical
traditions (including contemporary as well as
historical classical music forms) which focus on
formal styles, invite technical and detailed
deconstruction and criticism, and demand
focused attention from the listener.
What is Art Music? (continued)
• Art song strives to be the perfect combination of
music and literature, based on four elements;
poet, composer, singer, and accompanist. Art
song paints for us a picture of what the poet
might have envisioned. The performance of an
art song literally breaths life into this picture. Still
not sure? Ask Mrs. Miner!!!!
Preparing for the Event
Step 3- Practice
• This is the most important part, as it’s the whole point of
Solo and Ensemble- to practice a piece and strive for the
highest rating possible. If you aren’t offered an
opportunity to practice at school, find a way to get
together with your ensemble or your accompanist after
school, as much as possible. You may find it helpful to
write out a schedule for your practice (when you will
know all your notes, be memorized, how often you will
practice with your accompanist, etc.) Remember:
Singers ALWAYS perform memorized. Also remember
to practice introducing yourself, your piece, and your
accompanist.
Tips and Warnings!!
• Doing too many (more than two) events is not
something you want to try to pull off! You may
end up with serious schedule conflicts (such as
two events being scheduled at exactly the same
time), or at the very least you’ll be running back
and forth an awful lot, and all that stress will
effect your performance. If a lot of people are
asking you to be in their ensemble, learn to turn
them down, for the good of everyone involved.
For solo and ensemble strive for QUALITY not
just QUANTITY.
Remember…
• You absolutely must have the original copy of
your music to give to the judge, not a photo
copy.
• You must sing Art Music don’t get to attached to
a piece of music that you like until you’ve
checked to make sure its appropriate.
• Plan to dress appropriately for your
performance. If you could wear it as concert
attire, you could wear it to this performance. Do
not wear casual attire (jeans, flip flops, clothing
that is dirty or full of holes…)
Whiner
Talker
Lazy
Joker
Bosser
Put-downer
Follower Leader Worker
Encourager
Listener