We're Rockin' this Holiday Season

We have been very busy this week with daytime performances by all high school groups and evening performances by every singing group in the district.  If you have missed any performance, make sure that you pick up a make-up assignment to work on over break.
Our season of making a joyful noise is far from over.  On Sunday the Harrison Show Choir and Molto Alto will be joining the Southern Gateway Chorus for an afternoon of music.  Call time is 1:45 pm.
Our Show Choir will tour some of the senior centers in our district on Tuesday; visiting the Harrison Senior Center at 12:30, Crosby Senior Center at 1:30, at Merchant's Bank & Trust at 2:15 and Wesbanco at 2:45 pm.  Don't forget the musical meeting if you are a high school singer- I promise there are plenty of singing parts in this musical.  Finally, high school singers will cap our vocal week with a WCC exam on Thursday.
The Junior School Singers will be touring the elementary schools on Wednesday and Friday where our 6th grade choirs will join them in singing Cool Yule and Thinking of You.  Finally, many of our 6th grade singers will be touring elementary classrooms singing/teaching carols with the younger children.  Share the Joy!

Busy Week

We have a busy week scheduled:
The 6th grade district choir and Junior School Singers will be performing at 7 pm in the Activity Center on Tuesday, December 6th.  Please report to your check in station at 6:45 in your choir shirt.
The HS choirs and Show Choir will perform during the day on December 7th, wear your t-shirt and jeans. We also have an evening performance following the empty bowls dinner at the Activity Center on Thursday, December 8th at 7 pm.  This concert commands full formal uniform.  The Show Choir will also be performing with the Southern Gateway Chorus on Sunday, December 11th at 2 pm.

Harrison Tree Lighting

The HS Wildcat Concert Choir and JS Singers had a great time at the tree lighting tonight.  You sounded great.  However, I have no pictures to post because I was too caught up in directing, singing with you and having fun to remember to take a few pictures.  If any of our Harrison Voices parents took some pictures, please e-mail them to HarrisonVoices@gmail.com so we can post them here on HarrisonVoices and possibly on the Music Booster's Facebook page and district web-site.  The city of Harrison had a videographer on hand, so check out their website in a few days to see if they have posted a link to some of the video of the parade and our singers.

Enjoy your Families/Memorize your Music

Our various Holiday performances begin during the week after Thanksgiving Break.  The Wildcat Concert Choir and the Junior School Singers will be performing at the Harrison Christmas Tree lighting on December 3rd, the 6th -8th grade singers have a Holiday concert on December 6th, all high school students perform on the 7th (daytime) and the 8th evening with our Show Choir performing on the 11th and again on the 13th in Harrison.  Whew!  A busy season coming upon us fast- let's all make sure we enjoy our time together and our love of making music!

JS Variety Show this Friday

Come out and enjoy the Junior School Variety Show on Friday in the activity center at 7pm.  The Junior School singers will be the opening act.  Students should wear their choir shirts, jeans and comfortable shoes.  I got a preview of the show today and it looks like a lot of fun!

Show Choir Workshop

On Saturday, our Harrison Show Choir attended a workshop at Hamilton High School with Rhapsody in Blue and other Hamilton show choirs.  We were very excited to learn from top notch show choir clinicians and Hamilton groups that have vast knowledge of the competitive arena.  A fun performance event capped off the evening and we experienced the unique exhilaration of performing for a loud and rollicking show choir audience.  More than anything, it was great fun!

TLC for your Voice

Now that we have entered cold and flu season and our school absence lists are getting longer, it's time to discuss vocal health.  "No Pain, No Gain" is a popular saying that applies to many facets of life, but not your voice.  If it hurts to talk or sing, you may be damaging your vocal chords.  The best treatment for an illness related problem with your voice is rest, lubrication and hydration (water is best).   Try not to take numbing cough drops before trying to talk our sing- you may accidentally do damage to your chords and not know it.  If you are not sick and your voice hurts when you sing, you may be using an incorrect technique or method of singing.  See Mrs. Purdy for more information.

First Quarter Ends Friday

All floating assignments and IWAA points need to be turned in by Friday.  If you have make-up work for a missed rehearsal or performance you must turn that in by Friday as well.  Grades currently posted on progress book reflect all quarterly assignments turned in as of Sunday, October 16th.

Concert on Monday

The Harrison choirs are hosting a concert this Monday, October 10th at 7pm.  All choirs have worked very hard so come and support them at the Harrison Activity Center Auditorium. (This blogpost was guest written by the Wildcat Concert Choir press secretary).

Dress Rehearsal Week

This week we are preparing for our Monday, October 10th concert.  We are still looking for backstage help on the night of the 10th.  Parents that pledge to help backstage will be saved a prime seat in the theatre.  WCC students will need to prepare their formal concert uniform (suits and dresses).  Ladies, we would like the hem at the top curve of the foot so that we can move our feet but maintain the formal length.  All men's shirts and pants are in and waiting in the choir room to be picked up, most of the dresses have been passed out as well (5 dresses had to be re-ordered).  Remember, black dress shoes everyone.  The JS t-shirts will be in soon.  JS students need black pants, black socks and black shoes for our performance.  Sixth grade students will wear their new choir t-shirts (to be delivered during our Thursday, after school rehearsal), tennis shoes and dark jeans.

Voluntary Show Choir Choreography Rehearsal

Thanks to Legacy Christian Church for providing us rehearsal space tomorrow from 4-6pm.  If you can't make the entire rehearsal, just come for what you can- we will be cleaning all choreography in preparation for finishing our opening number this week.  This rehearsal is for Show Choir members only.

JS Cedar Point Trip Meeting postponed until Tuesday due to illness

All of our choirs are adding choreography in preparation for our October 10th Concert.  We have reserved the transportation for our 6th grade combined rehearsal after-school on Thursday, October 6th.  Parents of 6th grade singers will need to pick up their child at 5pm at the activity center.

All Junior School singers who are interested in joining us for the trip to Cedar Point in May need a parent to attend the informational meeting Tuesday, September 27th in the Junior School Cafeteria (postponed from Monday date due to illness).  If you cannot attend, please ask your child to bring home an informational packet.

Midterms Next Week

Midterms come out next week.  HS & JS singers need to remember to do their floating assignment and to gather at least 10 IWAA points if they are aiming for an A+.  Our first combined concert is just three weeks away.  It is time to begin memorizing music and adding choreography.

Nashville, here we come

The parent meeting for our spring trip to Nashville went very well.  Many students are interested in participating.  If your HS Concert Choir or Show Choir student is interested in attending, Mrs. Purdy has all of the information that they need to get on the bus.

In the Swing of Things

We are into the third week of school and already working on several pieces of music in every choir.  We are half-way to our first all choir concert on Monday, October 10th at the activity center.  All members of the Southwest/Harrison community are invited to attend a 9/11 remembrance on Sunday, September 11th in the old Kroger parking lot at 6pm.  The HS Wildcat Concert Choir will be performing the Star Spangled Banner to open this solemn event.

We're Off to a Great Start

We're off and running here at Harrison Voices.  Our secondary choirs have begun several pieces and discussed communication of text, style, part singing, ear training, pop vs. traditional dictation and fashioning a lyrically balanced phrase.  Don't forget to read your handbooks for homework.  Your paperwork should be completed by early next week at the latest.  If you are involved in our Wildcat Concert Choir, our uniform measurements will take place next week.  Stay tuned for more details.

Music is on the way- it's not too late to sign up!

Music for all choirs has been ordered and should be on the way.  We are awaiting approval for our anticipated spring trips: JS choirs to sing and play at Cedar Point and HS choirs to visit Nashville to view a National Show Choir Competition and have some fun in the country music capitol.  It is not too late to sign up for choir.  Contact Mrs. Acra at connie.acra@southwestschools.org (JS students) or Mrs. Barker at jenny.barker@southwestschools.org (HS students).  If your class schedule is too full to add choir as a class we are having a lunch bunch at the JS during first bell lunch (for those of you who want to sing but are already scheduled for Art or Band, this is the group for you!) and we are starting a show choir at the HS that will meet before first bell Tue, Wed. & Thurs. 

Welcome to Harrison Voices

We are busy this summer preparing music and setting up events for the school year.  Several upperclass choir members gathered with Mrs. Purdy on Friday, June 17th for a little lunch and to narrow the list of music we will order for HS Concert Choir and our new Harrison Show Choir next year.  Show Cats auditions will be held during the second week of school.  If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Purdy at amanda.purdy@southwestschools.org