TCDA Convention ᛫ 2014

Tescille Riser, Krimmel Intermediate, Klein ISD General Contractor Architect Deborah Barrick, Union Grove MS, Killeen ISD General Contractor Michael Madrid, Saint John Vianney Designer Rob Phillips, Clear Springs HS, Clear Creek ISD Electrician Carisa Niemeyer, Forest Meadow JH, Richardson ISD Host

The Architect – Logistics Blueprint (plan):

• Build a formula that fits you and your students • Rehearsals – solfege break, learn all music in 10-13 rehearsals • Documents – keep the same documents every year and update for efficiency • Stage Grids – every student has a place to stand for every song. Pencil, color coded (parts, classes), no ink

Foundation (event ticketing): • Ticketed events cut out ineligible students – creates incentive to be eligible, and displaces the behavior issues • Middle School Pop Show - $5-7; High School $7-10

◦ Complimentary tickets – given to incoming students for the next school year (recruiting) • General Cash Admission at the door – no printing or distribution of actual tickets • Reserved Seating – presale only, seats tagged on the night of the show, delegate to a parent • Fundraiser? Yes. Pays for good sound, sound engineer, lighting, simple props, etc. • Benefit? Yes, give back to community cause

Development (week of the show details) • #1 Priority – VOLUNTEERS – parents for rehearsals, HS students for performance • #2 Priority – Rehearsals – fail to plan, plan to fail. Keep momentum upbeat and moving forward. • #3 Priority – Independent Practice – pop show is the one performance where the director is not seen, it is

completely student led. The grade is based on each student’s and each group’s ability to independently perform for an audience.

The General Contractor – Themes & Programming

Color Palette (theme considerations): • Broad, yet specific • Relevant • A tradition/alumni song

Hardware (music): • Voicing

◦ Combining Choirs - Put 6th grade boys with the 6th grade girls and sing SAB - Join Varsity Boys and Girls to do a more complex SATB - Put 6th – 8th grade boys together for a song (recruitment!)

◦ Add harmonies to SA or TB music for more advanced choirs ◦ Use unison lines as solo parts in 2, 4, or 8 measure phrases ◦ In-between solo groups

• Length ◦ 4-7 minutes per choir – medleys are a great option ◦ Alter a longer medley by omitting a song or two ◦ Perform only one section of a much larger medley

• Style ◦ Perform mostly upbeat pieces

Design Plan (theme ideas): • Broadway (staple, used in 3-year rotation) • Decades (staple, used in 3-year rotation) • Motown • Legends • Disney • Movies

• British Invasion • Beatlemania • Patriotic • TV Land • Texas! • Jazz

Contractor’s Favorites (by theme)

Broadway: • Good Morning, Baltimore, Huff, SSA, Hal Leonard* • Grease A New Broadway Medley, Brymer, SAB, Hal Leonard* • Transylvania Mania, Huff, SSA, Hal Leonard • Jersey Boys Choral Highlights, Brymer, TTB, Hal Leonard • Newsies (Choral Highlights for TB Choir), Huff, TB , Hal Leonard • Annie (Choral Highlights), Strouse/Emerson, 2-part, Hal Leonard • Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat, Loesser/Brymer, SATB, Hal Leonard

Decades: • It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing), Ellington/Emerson, SAB, Hal Leonard* • Seventies Gold (Medley), Billingsley, TTB, Hal Leonard* • Baby, I’m in Love, Shaw, SSA, Hal Leonard • Do Wah Diddy Diddy, Emerson, TB, Hal Leonard • Dancin’ to the Sixties, Emerson, 2-part, Hal Leonard

Motown: • What’d I Say: A Tribute to Ray Charles (Medley), Shaw, SATB, Hal Leonard* • On Stage with The Temptations, Billingsley, TTBB, Hal Leonard • I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Brymer, 2-part, Hal Leonard • ABC, Emerson, 2-part, Hal Leonard

Legends: • Queen of Soul (A Salute to Aretha Franklin), Emerson, SSA, Hal Leonard • I’ve Been Everywhere, Althouse, TTBB, Alfred Music • Shake, Rattle and Rock!, Emerson, SAB, Hal Leonard • Proud Mary, Shaw, SSA, Hal Leonard

Disney: • Disney Classics (Medley), Billingsley, 2-part, Hal Leonard* • Around the World with Disney (Medley), Billingsley, 2-part, Hal Leonard • The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Funk, TBB, Alfred Publishing • Disney Movie Showstoppers, Huff, 2-part, Hal Leonard • High School Musical (Choral Medley), Snyder, 2-part, Hal Leonard

* Contractor’s Overall Top Pick

The Designer – Choreography Basic Steps (movement plan):

• Determine the style of the song. The style of the dance should be determined by the style of music. ◦ Is it upbeat or a ballad? ◦ Is it Jazz, 70s, 50s?

• Dissect the structure of the song. (i.e. 8 measures of 8 counts followed by a dance break: 16 measures of 8 counts) or (verse 1, chorus, verse 2, chorus, bridge, chorus)

• Always keep your student’s dancing abilities (or lack thereof) in mind. Work with what you got! ◦ It is okay to challenge your group but be realistic. ◦ Better to keep it simple and precise than difficult and sloppy ◦ Golden rule: The larger the number of performers on stage for a song, the simpler the dance steps

should be. ◦ Who has dance training? Who moves well? Who will struggle? ◦ Any costumes that will help/hinder the dance skills?

• Choose music for a choreographed Pop show with tempos in mind. ◦ It is difficult to stage a ballad all the time. ◦ Remember that most kids will audition on solos that are VERY SLOW! You need variety in your choral

selections. ◦ Be mindful of medleys that end with a slow song…you want to end BIG!

Follow My Lead (hiring a choreographer) • Be sure that the choreographer understands that the faces MUST be out to the audience! Some dance

teachers struggle with this concept. Choreography should not inhibit the singer! • Select dance captains (preferably drill team, cheerleaders) who can help assist in teaching the class when the

choreographer is not available. • Video tape the actual instruction of the dance. • It helpful if music is already learned before you start choreography • Be PATIENT! What seems simple for you may be very tricky for the students. • AMPLE TIME: GO SLOW TO GO FAST!

• Re-use movements and patterns if possible especially in the chorus/refrains • Spacing…make sure everyone can be seen in windows. • Be FLEXIBLE! Have a plan A, B, C, and sometimes D! Be ready to adapt to a new plan FAST!

The Electrician – Sound

Plug Plan (what goes where): • Microphones – plug them into the channels. Label your microphones so you know which mic is being used!

If mics are powered (choir mics, etc.) use “phantom power”. • CD player/iPod, etc. – plug them into stereo channels or the “CD/Tape In” • Instruments, computers – plug into LINE IN. Use the “LOW CUT”. • Stage monitors – plug into AUX 1. Easy way is to “daisy chain” into one send. • Main speakers – MAIN OUT.

Power Plan (volume levels): • Turn everything on! Make sure all your gains are turned all the way to the left. Then… • Pull Mains up to zero. • Start with channel 1. Pull the fader up to zero. Have someone talking/singing into the microphone while you

slowly turn the gain to the right. When you reach your optimal sound, move to the next channel. • Once all levels have been set, leave the gains alone. • Next move to the monitors. Make sure any AUX faders are up, then adjust each channel’s AUX sends.

Remember, these are not affected by the faders. • EQ any choir mics you may have. Be patient, and warn your kids that feedback will happen.

Performance Plan (concert details): • Show them how to sing into the mic – Talk on the microphone and move the mic around while you speak to

give the kids an idea of how important it is to use the mic properly. • With solo mics – Adjust the fader as needed for your kids. Feedback? Tell the singer to get closer to the mic. • One kid per mic, if possible. • Remind your kids that the mics are always on, and will pick up anything they say or do backstage. I can tell

you plenty of embarrassing stories, most involving wireless mics. • If your choir mics give you feedback, keep working with the EQ or pull them down. Your acoustic environment

changes when you add kids, props, decorations, audience members, etc. and may cause some unexpected issues. Remind your kids that the choir mics are there only to add to their sound, but they must create the sound themselves!

• No spitting into the mic (say “check” instead of “test” into your mic) • No stepping on any floor mics