Post by wvhsparent on Jan 31, 2008 7:30:25 GMT -6
WV Sound Check sings, dances to the top
January 31, 2008
If this were Mayberry or some other small town, there would have been a parade. But this is the second largest city in Illinois with so many things happening that a stellar showing by a high school choir may go unnoticed.
But I want to make sure that everyone knows that there is more going on in District 204 than figuring out where the new high school should be built. On Jan. 18, the Waubonsie Valley High School mixed show choir was named the Grand Champions at the Midwest Show Choir Invitational in downstate Mt. Zion.
To fully understand this honor, it is helpful to understand a few things about the show choir. The group includes 50 vocal students and a dozen musicians. The choir is considered co-curricular. Students must be enrolled in a choral class at the high school to be a part of the group but they rehearse one to two times each week outside of the school day.
The males are dressed in matching suits and the females wear sequined dresses. In addition to singing, these 50 students dance. The logistics of getting 50 people of any age to move together in time to the music is amazing to me.
Dwight Jordan, a professional choreographer from Naperville, works with the students three times a year to teach them the routines. Dwight has worked on choreography for shows at Six Flags Great America, in Branson, Mo., and for Disney events.
"We are really fortunate to have him work with us," said Mark Myers, the choral director for the group which performs in about 15 concerts, festivals and contests each year.
For this competition, the students had to get up early on a Saturday morning to be to school by about 7 a.m. Then they traveled about three hours by bus to the competition site. They arrived in time to warm up before performing.
The group is allotted a 25-minute time slot. In that time, they are required to get everything on stage including drums, guitars and amplifiers for the musicians. Then they sing and dance to five songs. As soon as they finish singing, the group has to remove all equipment from the stage.
"It's like nothing you have ever seen," said Mark. "Our show is around 16 minutes which gives about nine minutes for setting up and taking down. If you go over the time limit, points are deducted from your score."
The Waubonsie choir, known as WV Sound Check, performed at 2 p.m. and then waited for the 6 p.m. preliminary award event. They found out at that point that they were one of six finalists out of 22 top show choirs at the competition. This meant they needed to perform again.
At 7:30, more than 12 hours after their day began at the high school, it was showtime again. Then at 11 p.m., the choir was named the grand champions for the event. The choir also was awarded the top honor for vocal sound and choreography.
Ta-Tynisa Wilson was named best female soloist at the event. This Waubonsie senior has been in the spotlight several times in recent months. She was the winner of the Aurora Idol contest and the Naperville Sing at the Fling contest this past summer.
"She has been wonderful," said Mark. "She is going to be majoring in music next year in college."
I asked Mark for the secret to the choir's success. "I think the district's strong music program at all levels is a big strength," he said. "And we have some really great kids at our school. I work with other students in other districts at events and they are not like our kids. We have a great mix of talent and our students really work hard. They are serious about what they do in a healthy way. Waubonsie is a very special school. I truly believe that."
I suspect that having a dedicated director willing to undergo an 18-hour day with 72 teenagers has a lot to do with the success of the program. Mark is quick to credit the entire music program from elementary to high school but his skill in helping students to realize their potential is amazing. He believes in the students and inspires them to strive to be the best they can.
In just a few weeks, Mark will be taking a group of choral students on a spring break concert tour to Italy. In June, he is taking the members of the Mosaic choir to South Africa. This teacher is truly making a difference in our children's lives and our district is blessed to have him.
Congratulations to the WV Sound Check for a job well done.
buchenot@comcast.net
January 31, 2008
If this were Mayberry or some other small town, there would have been a parade. But this is the second largest city in Illinois with so many things happening that a stellar showing by a high school choir may go unnoticed.
But I want to make sure that everyone knows that there is more going on in District 204 than figuring out where the new high school should be built. On Jan. 18, the Waubonsie Valley High School mixed show choir was named the Grand Champions at the Midwest Show Choir Invitational in downstate Mt. Zion.
To fully understand this honor, it is helpful to understand a few things about the show choir. The group includes 50 vocal students and a dozen musicians. The choir is considered co-curricular. Students must be enrolled in a choral class at the high school to be a part of the group but they rehearse one to two times each week outside of the school day.
The males are dressed in matching suits and the females wear sequined dresses. In addition to singing, these 50 students dance. The logistics of getting 50 people of any age to move together in time to the music is amazing to me.
Dwight Jordan, a professional choreographer from Naperville, works with the students three times a year to teach them the routines. Dwight has worked on choreography for shows at Six Flags Great America, in Branson, Mo., and for Disney events.
"We are really fortunate to have him work with us," said Mark Myers, the choral director for the group which performs in about 15 concerts, festivals and contests each year.
For this competition, the students had to get up early on a Saturday morning to be to school by about 7 a.m. Then they traveled about three hours by bus to the competition site. They arrived in time to warm up before performing.
The group is allotted a 25-minute time slot. In that time, they are required to get everything on stage including drums, guitars and amplifiers for the musicians. Then they sing and dance to five songs. As soon as they finish singing, the group has to remove all equipment from the stage.
"It's like nothing you have ever seen," said Mark. "Our show is around 16 minutes which gives about nine minutes for setting up and taking down. If you go over the time limit, points are deducted from your score."
The Waubonsie choir, known as WV Sound Check, performed at 2 p.m. and then waited for the 6 p.m. preliminary award event. They found out at that point that they were one of six finalists out of 22 top show choirs at the competition. This meant they needed to perform again.
At 7:30, more than 12 hours after their day began at the high school, it was showtime again. Then at 11 p.m., the choir was named the grand champions for the event. The choir also was awarded the top honor for vocal sound and choreography.
Ta-Tynisa Wilson was named best female soloist at the event. This Waubonsie senior has been in the spotlight several times in recent months. She was the winner of the Aurora Idol contest and the Naperville Sing at the Fling contest this past summer.
"She has been wonderful," said Mark. "She is going to be majoring in music next year in college."
I asked Mark for the secret to the choir's success. "I think the district's strong music program at all levels is a big strength," he said. "And we have some really great kids at our school. I work with other students in other districts at events and they are not like our kids. We have a great mix of talent and our students really work hard. They are serious about what they do in a healthy way. Waubonsie is a very special school. I truly believe that."
I suspect that having a dedicated director willing to undergo an 18-hour day with 72 teenagers has a lot to do with the success of the program. Mark is quick to credit the entire music program from elementary to high school but his skill in helping students to realize their potential is amazing. He believes in the students and inspires them to strive to be the best they can.
In just a few weeks, Mark will be taking a group of choral students on a spring break concert tour to Italy. In June, he is taking the members of the Mosaic choir to South Africa. This teacher is truly making a difference in our children's lives and our district is blessed to have him.
Congratulations to the WV Sound Check for a job well done.
buchenot@comcast.net