Choir Classes: FAQs
ENSEMBLES
What is Curricular Choir?
We use the term "Curricular Choir" for the three choir classes that are part of the formal school curriculum at Eisenhower Middle School. Students may choose a Curricular Choir class as one of their electives. Curricular Choir classes are graded and happen every day. The three Curricular Choir classes are Beginning Choir, Mixed Choir, and Concert Choir. (Five Star Show Choir is NOT a part of Curricular Choir. It is an Extra-Curricular activity.)
Who is in Beginning Choir?
All 6th grade choir students are placed in this class. Beginning choir is the introductory choir ensemble for 6th grade students. This class is meant to establish the foundations of singing in a choir and is not auditioned. Everyone can learn to sing! No experience necessary.
Who is in the Mixed Choir?
All 7th and 8th graders are welcome in this class. Mixed Choir is our Intermediate Choir. It is intended for older students who are new to choir and/or continuing to develop their vocal skills. This class works at a more relaxed pace than Concert Choir. This class is open to all 7th and 8th grade students and is not auditioned. Everyone can learn to sing! No experience necessary.
Who is in Concert Choir?
Advanced choir students in 7th and 8th grade may be placed in this class. Concert Choir is the varsity choral ensemble at Eisenhower. This class works at an accelerated pace to develop vocal and choral singing skills, music reading abilities, and elements of musicality. This class is available to 7th and 8th grade students selected by Mr. G who have at least 1 year experience in EMS Choir. Being in Concert Choir requires hard work, dedication, and a larger time commitment than the other two ensembles, so Mr. G asks students who qualify for the class if they truly want to be in it before creating the class list. It's ok to say no! Students in 7th and 8th grade who prefer a more relaxed choir experience should choose to be in Mixed Choir.
Why don't I see Mixed Choir or Concert Choir listed on my schedule in StudentVue or ParentVue?
APS officially lists the Curricular Choir classes at Eisenhower as BEGINNING CHORUS, INTERMEDIATE CHORUS, and ADVANCED CHORUS in Synergy and on the EMS course selection forms. We use more descriptive names for the classes everywhere else. Our Intermediate Choir class is called Mixed Choir and our Advanced Choir class is called Concert Choir. Beginning Choir is called Beginning Choir everywhere. (Beginning Choir used to be called General Admission, but that was even more confusing, so we changed it.)
What is Five Star, and how do I get in?
Five Star is an advanced show choir which combines singing with intricate choreography to create high-energy, multi-song performances. Participation is by audition only. This ensemble is an enrichment class (the short class between 4th & 5th periods) as well as an extra-curricular activity. Students rehearse before school two mornings a week and one Saturday each month. The ensemble performs at local events, regional invitationals, and one national competition in Burbank, CA. Auditions are held in the spring for the coming school year.
Who is in charge around here?
Mr. Gonzales is our fabulous choir director! You may read about him on the staff page. You may contact him via email. (william.gonzales@aps.edu) There are lots of other people who are essential to the EMS Choir program, including choreographers, accompanists, EMS staff, the Choir Boosters, and parent volunteers. It takes a village to run a choir program!
What is Curricular Choir?
We use the term "Curricular Choir" for the three choir classes that are part of the formal school curriculum at Eisenhower Middle School. Students may choose a Curricular Choir class as one of their electives. Curricular Choir classes are graded and happen every day. The three Curricular Choir classes are Beginning Choir, Mixed Choir, and Concert Choir. (Five Star Show Choir is NOT a part of Curricular Choir. It is an Extra-Curricular activity.)
Who is in Beginning Choir?
All 6th grade choir students are placed in this class. Beginning choir is the introductory choir ensemble for 6th grade students. This class is meant to establish the foundations of singing in a choir and is not auditioned. Everyone can learn to sing! No experience necessary.
Who is in the Mixed Choir?
All 7th and 8th graders are welcome in this class. Mixed Choir is our Intermediate Choir. It is intended for older students who are new to choir and/or continuing to develop their vocal skills. This class works at a more relaxed pace than Concert Choir. This class is open to all 7th and 8th grade students and is not auditioned. Everyone can learn to sing! No experience necessary.
Who is in Concert Choir?
Advanced choir students in 7th and 8th grade may be placed in this class. Concert Choir is the varsity choral ensemble at Eisenhower. This class works at an accelerated pace to develop vocal and choral singing skills, music reading abilities, and elements of musicality. This class is available to 7th and 8th grade students selected by Mr. G who have at least 1 year experience in EMS Choir. Being in Concert Choir requires hard work, dedication, and a larger time commitment than the other two ensembles, so Mr. G asks students who qualify for the class if they truly want to be in it before creating the class list. It's ok to say no! Students in 7th and 8th grade who prefer a more relaxed choir experience should choose to be in Mixed Choir.
Why don't I see Mixed Choir or Concert Choir listed on my schedule in StudentVue or ParentVue?
APS officially lists the Curricular Choir classes at Eisenhower as BEGINNING CHORUS, INTERMEDIATE CHORUS, and ADVANCED CHORUS in Synergy and on the EMS course selection forms. We use more descriptive names for the classes everywhere else. Our Intermediate Choir class is called Mixed Choir and our Advanced Choir class is called Concert Choir. Beginning Choir is called Beginning Choir everywhere. (Beginning Choir used to be called General Admission, but that was even more confusing, so we changed it.)
What is Five Star, and how do I get in?
Five Star is an advanced show choir which combines singing with intricate choreography to create high-energy, multi-song performances. Participation is by audition only. This ensemble is an enrichment class (the short class between 4th & 5th periods) as well as an extra-curricular activity. Students rehearse before school two mornings a week and one Saturday each month. The ensemble performs at local events, regional invitationals, and one national competition in Burbank, CA. Auditions are held in the spring for the coming school year.
Who is in charge around here?
Mr. Gonzales is our fabulous choir director! You may read about him on the staff page. You may contact him via email. (william.gonzales@aps.edu) There are lots of other people who are essential to the EMS Choir program, including choreographers, accompanists, EMS staff, the Choir Boosters, and parent volunteers. It takes a village to run a choir program!
EXPENSES
How much does it cost to be in choir?
The Class Fee for curricular choir is $100. This is a suggested donation amount. You are welcome to donate more if you can. Class Fees help us pay for classroom materials, EMS Choir shirts for all students, sheet music, and concert-related expenses. Financial Aid is available if you cannot pay the Class Fee.
What about trips and competitions and other expenses?
Choir students will have the option to participate in additional extra-curricular events throughout the year. Participation fees for these opportunities will be communicated to families well in advance. Financial assistance is available.
Highlights include...
How do we pay for things?
Checks should be made out to Eisenhower Choir Boosters or ECB. Checks can be mailed to us or deposited into the Boosters' lock box in the Choir Director's Office. (The choir director cannot legally handle any money for the choir program.) Parents may also make payments through PayPal or Venmo, with an added transaction fee. More information is available on the Fees & Expenses page.
Do we have to do any fundraising?
The EMS Choir Boosters run one fundraiser for all choirs at the beginning of each school year. Participation is strongly encouraged. All profits go into the general choir booster fund, and will benefit all choir students.
How much does it cost to be in choir?
The Class Fee for curricular choir is $100. This is a suggested donation amount. You are welcome to donate more if you can. Class Fees help us pay for classroom materials, EMS Choir shirts for all students, sheet music, and concert-related expenses. Financial Aid is available if you cannot pay the Class Fee.
What about trips and competitions and other expenses?
Choir students will have the option to participate in additional extra-curricular events throughout the year. Participation fees for these opportunities will be communicated to families well in advance. Financial assistance is available.
Highlights include...
- Hummingbird EMS Choir Retreat ~$100 (open to all students)
- Solo & Ensemble Festival ~$15 (open to all students)
- APS Honor Choir ~$30 (by audition only)
- NMACDA All-State Trip ~$100 (by audition only)
How do we pay for things?
Checks should be made out to Eisenhower Choir Boosters or ECB. Checks can be mailed to us or deposited into the Boosters' lock box in the Choir Director's Office. (The choir director cannot legally handle any money for the choir program.) Parents may also make payments through PayPal or Venmo, with an added transaction fee. More information is available on the Fees & Expenses page.
Do we have to do any fundraising?
The EMS Choir Boosters run one fundraiser for all choirs at the beginning of each school year. Participation is strongly encouraged. All profits go into the general choir booster fund, and will benefit all choir students.
EVENTS
What about concerts? Will we have to sing in front of an audience?
Yes! There are four seasonal choir concerts every year. Participation is required for all choir students. Performance is an important part of the music education standards. More information can be found on the EMS Choir Concerts page.
What do we need to wear for concerts and events?
The standard concert attire is your EMS Choir t-shirt, plus black clothes from home. This is the EMS Choir uniform. You don't need fancy clothes, but everything should be black and clean and moderately nice. The important thing to remember is that everyone needs to look the same. When the audience looks at the choir, they should see a well-presented group of musicians. There are more details on the Performance Attire page.
Is there a fun choir event for everyone?
Yes! All choir students are invited to participate in the Hummingbird EMS Choir Retreat in the spring. We ride a charter bus out to the Hummingbird Music Camp in the Jemez mountains, spend the night, enjoy fun teambuilding activities, and work on vocal skills and performance pieces. The trip fee for this event is usually around $100, and financial aid is available.
When do all of these things happen?
The Curricular Choir Calendar is maintained as a dynamic Google Doc, and updated throughout the year. Please mark the scheduled concerts, deadlines, and events on your home calendar.
How do we know what's happening?
Information will be communicated through monthly newsletters and via email. All newsletters will be posted on the Choir Newsletters page, and links to the newsletters will be emailed to families around the 1st of every month. Most choir emails to parents come from the Boosters. (eisenhowerchoirboosters@gmail.com) The parent/guardian email lists are generated at the start of each school year, so please complete your choir student registration and watch for our emails. Contact us if you'd like additional email addresses to be added to our mailing lists. We will also post announcements on this website.
What about concerts? Will we have to sing in front of an audience?
Yes! There are four seasonal choir concerts every year. Participation is required for all choir students. Performance is an important part of the music education standards. More information can be found on the EMS Choir Concerts page.
What do we need to wear for concerts and events?
The standard concert attire is your EMS Choir t-shirt, plus black clothes from home. This is the EMS Choir uniform. You don't need fancy clothes, but everything should be black and clean and moderately nice. The important thing to remember is that everyone needs to look the same. When the audience looks at the choir, they should see a well-presented group of musicians. There are more details on the Performance Attire page.
Is there a fun choir event for everyone?
Yes! All choir students are invited to participate in the Hummingbird EMS Choir Retreat in the spring. We ride a charter bus out to the Hummingbird Music Camp in the Jemez mountains, spend the night, enjoy fun teambuilding activities, and work on vocal skills and performance pieces. The trip fee for this event is usually around $100, and financial aid is available.
When do all of these things happen?
The Curricular Choir Calendar is maintained as a dynamic Google Doc, and updated throughout the year. Please mark the scheduled concerts, deadlines, and events on your home calendar.
How do we know what's happening?
Information will be communicated through monthly newsletters and via email. All newsletters will be posted on the Choir Newsletters page, and links to the newsletters will be emailed to families around the 1st of every month. Most choir emails to parents come from the Boosters. (eisenhowerchoirboosters@gmail.com) The parent/guardian email lists are generated at the start of each school year, so please complete your choir student registration and watch for our emails. Contact us if you'd like additional email addresses to be added to our mailing lists. We will also post announcements on this website.
EDUCATION
What supplies do we need for class?
Students will need a 3-ring binder and pencils. Music will be checked out to students each quarter, which they'll keep in their binder. Students should bring a water bottle to class, because singing is thirsty work. Students will also need a quiet/private place to practice at home, and a wired microphone/headphone combo for recording music.
What is SmartMusic?
All choir students are expected to use an online practicing site called SmartMusic for class assignments. Mr. Gonzales will teach students how to effectively use SmartMusic and show them how to set up their accounts. Basic SmartMusic accounts for students are paid for by the EMS Choir Boosters. Premium SmartMusic accounts are not required. Note: Mr. G's grading rubric for SmartMusic assignments is VERY generous, so please don't let the automatically generated score freak you out! You don't need to be perfect!! Give it a try, do your best, and turn in your assignments, even if you don't think you did very well. You'll get better, and practice makes progress!
What do we need to do at the start of the year?
Students will need to join the Google Classroom for their ensemble. (Parents are welcome to join the Google Classroom too, if they are interested.) Additionally, please fill out the Student Registration Form as soon as possible. The Registration Form will be posted as an assignment in the student's Google Classroom. We use the information from that form to order class t-shirts and to ensure that students and guardians are in the choir communication loop. Email Mr. Gonzales or the EMS Choir Boosters if your parents are not receiving our emails.
Is there standardized testing for choir?
Yes! Albuquerque Public Schools does a Music Performance & Assessment (MPA) Festival every spring. This event is required for all students, and gives the district a way to assess students and choir programs. More information can be found on the MPA page.
Choir class is just lots of singing for an easy participation grade, right?
Not really. There's more to choir class than showing up and singing songs! There are assignments and grades. Students will learn new things, and there are assessments to measure progress. Yes, choir students spend a lot of time singing and working on skills, but they also learn things like sight reading, music history, performance skills, and so much more. Check out the Curricular Choir Syllabus for more information.
But will we have fun?
Yes! Choir is a fun class!*
*I can't promise that you'll have fun, because fun is a personal thing. But I can tell you what I've seen. I hear laughter and silly moments and happy students in the choir room every day. I also hear beautiful, amazing music. You can't make beautiful music without focus and hard work, and working hard to create something beautiful IS FUN. It's the best thing about choir. New choir students don't know very much about singing in a choir. Everyone feels unsure and nervous in the beginning. That's ok! Mr. Gonzales will help you learn. Teaching is his job, and I think he's very good at it. After a few weeks, everyone starts to sound more confident and comfortable. They start working together. Then BAM! Beautiful music! It's amazing to hear, and it sounds like so much fun.
What supplies do we need for class?
Students will need a 3-ring binder and pencils. Music will be checked out to students each quarter, which they'll keep in their binder. Students should bring a water bottle to class, because singing is thirsty work. Students will also need a quiet/private place to practice at home, and a wired microphone/headphone combo for recording music.
What is SmartMusic?
All choir students are expected to use an online practicing site called SmartMusic for class assignments. Mr. Gonzales will teach students how to effectively use SmartMusic and show them how to set up their accounts. Basic SmartMusic accounts for students are paid for by the EMS Choir Boosters. Premium SmartMusic accounts are not required. Note: Mr. G's grading rubric for SmartMusic assignments is VERY generous, so please don't let the automatically generated score freak you out! You don't need to be perfect!! Give it a try, do your best, and turn in your assignments, even if you don't think you did very well. You'll get better, and practice makes progress!
What do we need to do at the start of the year?
Students will need to join the Google Classroom for their ensemble. (Parents are welcome to join the Google Classroom too, if they are interested.) Additionally, please fill out the Student Registration Form as soon as possible. The Registration Form will be posted as an assignment in the student's Google Classroom. We use the information from that form to order class t-shirts and to ensure that students and guardians are in the choir communication loop. Email Mr. Gonzales or the EMS Choir Boosters if your parents are not receiving our emails.
Is there standardized testing for choir?
Yes! Albuquerque Public Schools does a Music Performance & Assessment (MPA) Festival every spring. This event is required for all students, and gives the district a way to assess students and choir programs. More information can be found on the MPA page.
Choir class is just lots of singing for an easy participation grade, right?
Not really. There's more to choir class than showing up and singing songs! There are assignments and grades. Students will learn new things, and there are assessments to measure progress. Yes, choir students spend a lot of time singing and working on skills, but they also learn things like sight reading, music history, performance skills, and so much more. Check out the Curricular Choir Syllabus for more information.
But will we have fun?
Yes! Choir is a fun class!*
*I can't promise that you'll have fun, because fun is a personal thing. But I can tell you what I've seen. I hear laughter and silly moments and happy students in the choir room every day. I also hear beautiful, amazing music. You can't make beautiful music without focus and hard work, and working hard to create something beautiful IS FUN. It's the best thing about choir. New choir students don't know very much about singing in a choir. Everyone feels unsure and nervous in the beginning. That's ok! Mr. Gonzales will help you learn. Teaching is his job, and I think he's very good at it. After a few weeks, everyone starts to sound more confident and comfortable. They start working together. Then BAM! Beautiful music! It's amazing to hear, and it sounds like so much fun.
EXTRAS
Are you on social media?
Yes! The EMS Choir Instagram for all ensembles is ems_choirs. The Choir Booster Facebook group is Eisenhower Choir Boosters.
Are you on social media?
Yes! The EMS Choir Instagram for all ensembles is ems_choirs. The Choir Booster Facebook group is Eisenhower Choir Boosters.
May I make a donation to help your program?
Yes please! We'd love for you to visit our Donations Page. We receive minimal state or district funding, and tax-deductible donations help us provide unique and excellent musical opportunities to students.
Yes please! We'd love for you to visit our Donations Page. We receive minimal state or district funding, and tax-deductible donations help us provide unique and excellent musical opportunities to students.