Hello Northwest Kansas District Junior High Choir Directors! Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year! I hope you all had an enjoyable summer and are rested and ready for a great school year!
My name is Kayla Tiemeyer, and I am the Junior High Honor Choir Chairperson in our District. I teach K-12 Vocal Music at Rawlins County USD # 105 in Atwood. Thank you Johnny Matlock, from Hays for accepting the position as Assistant Chairperson. If any of you have questions or concerns please feel free to contact me. If you are new to our District or know of someone who is a new teacher to our District, PLEASE email me or give me a phone call to let me know so that I can make sure that they get al of the necessary information. We want to welcome all new teachers to our District!
This years date for the JH/Middle School Honor Choir, Junior High Band and High School Jazz is on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009 at Hays High School. The concert is set for 3:00 p.m. I am very excited to announce that Joel Johnston from Omaha, NE will be our Director/Clinician for our Honor Choir again this year and Kathy Jamison from Quinter, will be our Accompanist! We had such a great sounding group and the kids had so much fun last year- I expect the same this year. Thank you Joel and Kathy! The Choir Rehearsal will begin at 8:30 a.m. that morning. Please plan on being in the rehearsals or having a sponsor from your school in rehearsals to help keep the energy of these students under control. A schedule for the day will be available soon.
The list of music is as follows and is available at Senseney Music, in Wichita. Krista Hart from Senseney Music is the representative for Choral Music there and is excellent to work with if you haven’t worked with her yet. Also, Joel emailed me an mp3 recording of the “Tres Cantos Nativos” for us to listen to and to use in teaching our students. If you are unable to download this attachment from him, please let me know as I have a few CD’s and can send you a copy. He is also using choreography on one of the pieces and is asking each girl to bring a Bandana. Please have your students well prepared in their music when they come that day. They will have an awesome experience if they know their music well, before coming to the mini convention in November.
The audition format is the same as what it has been in years past and is on the website for you to use in submitting the names of your students. The rules remain the same this year in our Audition process for our Junior High / Middle School students. WE ask that everyone PLEASE DO YOUR BEST IN SENDING IN THE TOP 15% of your Choir members who are deserving of this honor and PLEASE SEND A BALANCE OF PARTS if at all possible. The form also has you rank your students and include their year in school. Please fill in all of the necessary information. It t is very hard to have a balanced Choir if we do not all abide by the guidelines. I strongly believe that we all have the best interests of our students at heart and want this to be a very positive experience for them. You can also email me your list of students – please include their name, ranking in your choir and year in school. THANK YOU EVERYONE!
PLEASE NOTE: The deadline for submitting the names of your students is Friday, October 9, 09. NO NAMES WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9. If you have a student audition for Band and Choir and he/she makes the Band, you may ring an alternate but please let me know right away after the Junior High Honor Band List comes out so that I can do my best to include the correct names on the program.
Please do not forget to order the list of music below and to have students bring their music, a folder, and a pencil on the day of the convention. Remind your young ladies to bring a bandana.
Thank you again to all of you for your hard work that you do with your students! It is not an easy job but as long as we all keep that “passion” alive in our hearts, it will pay off with our kids! If you have questions, or concerns, please do not hesitate to email: ktiemeyer@usd105.org or call me at the high school in the afternoons: 785-626-3289, or at the grade school in the mornings: 785-626-3217. Thanks again and I look forward to working with you!
Sincerely,
Kayla S. Tiemeyer, Northwest Kansas Junior High Honor Choir Chairperson
2009 JUNIOR HIGH HONOR CHOIR LIST OF MUSIC
Come, Ye Sons of Art 3 –Pt. Mixed Crocker Hal Leonard 08551355
Homeward Bound SAB Keen/Althouse Alfred
Tres Cantos Nativos SATB Leite Earthsongs
Friend Like Me SAB Keen/Althouse Hal Leonard 08637322