1. Rochester Adams High School Choral Music
Concert and Chamber Choirs
2016 – 2017

2. Mr. Thomas Blue tblue@rochester.k12.mi.us
B.S. in Music Education from Roberts Wesleyan College
Master’s Degree in Music Education/ Choral Conducting from Michigan State University
Coursework for a Ph. D. in Music Education at Michigan State University
Past Music Director of Symphonia Chorale
Music Director for the Pontiac-Waterford Barbershop Chorus
Several Who’s Who Awards
WDIV Rochester Middle School Teacher of the Year
Kiwanis Teacher of the Year
Several District Awards
A Nominated State Honor’s Choir Director
Presenter at Local, District and State Conferences
Church accompanist
Reside in Lake Orion, Michigan
Married to Jana (Czech decent)
Anna (GVSU) and Grace (LOHS) and Emma (7rs.) and Noah (4yrs.)
Besides writing and performing music, interests include camping, golf, gardening and collecting books and old music ( print and recorded)

3. Choir Handbook 2016-2017 Opening Letter
Overview (course descriptions, goals, vision)
National Standards
Grading system
Performance Policy
Rehearsal Guidelines
Choral Music Calendar

4. What Makes Us Successful
Fall Concerts
Winter Concerts
Spring Concerts
Training Future Teachers from Oakland University and Rochester College
National Anthem
Voice Lessons
Spring Musical/ SMT
Performance with Rochester Symphony
Combined Performances with Stoney Creek and Rochester High
Performances with the Joeffrey, Cincinnati and Grand Rapids Ballet and the MOT Orchestra
Performances at the OPC
District/ State Solo/ Ensemble Festivals
District and State Choral Festivals
UM, MSU and OU Vocal Days
Perform music of different cultures
Study music history and art
Study singing techniques
Study pronunciation of vowels/ consonants in various languages
Practice proper articulation of poetic texts
Practice vocalises for voice range/ projection
Listen analytically to ourselves and others
Explore a variety of performance practices
Study characteristics of various voice types
Learn the vocabulary of music
Learn music reading and composition techniques
Participation as an active ensemble member
Gain self confidence as an independent singer (musician)

5. National Music Standards
Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments
Composing and arranging music within specific guidelines
Reading and Notating music
Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
Evaluating music and music performances
Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
Understanding music in relation to history and culture

6. Concerts
Concert dates are listed in the schedule of events and on the website. Concert performance is very important to the success of our class. The concert is where we demonstrate our performance practice, performance excellence and those things that are accomplished in our classroom.
Concerts are a requirement of the class and provide a musical feast for our audiences.
Our concerts provide the opportunity for us as musicians to share with you how we have “basted our musical accuracy thoroughly and efficiently in a marinade of beauty, meaning, vitality.” (P. Rardin, University of Michigan)

7. Grading in Choir
Choir will require each student’s consistent participation. The classroom grade is based on
Class performance (individual and collective) and concerts
Worksheets and Semester Projects
Tests and/ or quizzes (written or vocal)
Point system consisting of rehearsal, performance, tests and quizzes participation, make-up and extra credit points at the end of each marking period

8. A Philosophy of Music Education
David Elliot: music educator at University of Toronto
Book: Music Matters
To act artistically as a music-maker is to engage in music making and music listening as “praxis” - practice
Artistic music making and intelligent music listening involve a multidimensional, relational, coherent, generative, open, and educable form of knowing called musicianship.
Bennett Riemer: music educator at Northwestern University
Book: A Philosophy of Music Education
The education of human feeling through the development of responsiveness to the intrinsically expressive qualities of sound.
The music program is the means for arranging for aesthetic perception and aesthetic reaction (aesthetic experience) to take place systematically.

9. Multiple Intelligence Theory
Howard Gardner, Harvard cognitive psychologist
Most well known book is “Frames of Mind”
The eight intelligences are:
Linguistic (word smart)
Logical-mathematical (logic or number smart)
Spatial (picture smart)
Bodily-kinesthetic (body smart)
Musical (music smart)
Interpersonal (people smart)
Intrapersonal (self smart)
Naturalist (nature smart)
Each person has the potential for all eight intelligences
People can develop each intelligence to an adequate level of competency
Intelligences work together
Many ways to be intelligent in each area

10. Why Do I Teach Music Not because I expect you to major in music
Not because I expect you play or sing all your life
Not so you can relax
Not so you can have fun
But so you will be human
So you will recognize beauty
So you will be sensitive
So you will be closer to an infinite world beyond this world
So you will have something to cling to
So you will have more compassion, more gentleness, more goodness, in short – more life
Of what great value will it be to make a prosperous living unless you know how to live?

11. inspire passionate excellence, and beauty.
Our goal is to
nurture talent,
inspire passionate excellence,
and beauty.
(UCLA Music Department)