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 7 th graders I strongly recommend one of the pieces we’re learning in class. For 8 th /9 th 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…)

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