FMHS Choir – What Do I Need to Know?

Choir Program

  • 200+ students
  • During the school day: 4 concert ensembles
  • Outside of the school day: 2 genderensembles,2 pop/jazz/barbershop ensembles
  • Major part of musical
  • 2 choir directors, 4 on-campus voice teachers

What Happens in Class?

  • Choral music is studied and assessed
  • Daily vocal pedagogy
  • Music theory, history, composition, evaluation
  • Homework
  • Choir is approached as an academic discipline

What Happens Outside of Class?

  • Rehearsals, Concerts, and Competitions
  • Tours and Travel
  • Social Events and Bonding

Time Commitment

NON-VARSITY
Treble Choir
Gentlemen Jags
Chamber Singers / VARSITY
Jaguar Chorale
Men’s Chamber Choir*
Women’s Concert Choir* / “AUXILIARY” CHOIRS
Vocal/ease*
C’est la Vie*
Treble Choir &
Gentlemen Jags - Practicing music, sectionals
(2-3 per year)
Chamber Singers – Practicing music, sectionals (3-4 per year) / Jag - Practicing music, sectionals (5-6 per year)
MCC/WCC – Practicing music, sectionals (2 per week) / Practicing music, rehearsals/sectionals
(2 per week)
Additional rehearsals throughout year, as decided by director
Homework
(1-2 assignments per week) / Homework
(1-2 assignments per week) / N/A
Concerts
(6-7 per year) / Concerts
(8-12 per year) / Concerts and competitions
(10+ per year)

*denotes outside of school ensemble

Academic Benefits

  • Access to study partners
  • Academic advice and peer tutoring
  • Mastering planning and scheduling
  • Thinking in a different way

Social Benefits

  • A supportive, encouraging peer group
  • A place to call “home”
  • A chance to reach beyond one’s “clique”

Choir Myths

“Choir will get in the way of my academics”

-Choir students are: Valedictorian, National Merit Semifinalits, Academic scholarship recipients

“Choir means giving up athletics or other interests”

-Choir students: play football, act, march in band, swim/dive, play softball and baseball, are StuCo officers

All-State Choirs

  • 5 auditions
  • Choirs sing in San Antonio in February
  • Most students begin work in the summer at camps
  • College-Sponsored (UNT, TCU, Baylor, Tech…others, too)
  • FMHS “All-State Crash Course” in mid-August
  • Very different from MS Region Choir
  • VERY rewarding…Freshmen do make the region and all-state choirs
  • Information regarding this process can be found at
  • New Policy: All Chamber Singers & Jaguar Chorale students must prepare audition music.

Voice Lessons

  • 4 private voice teachers on campus (many teachers available off-campus)
  • On-campus rates set by LISD
  • VERY useful for students

Choir Costs

  • Yearly activity fee ($140)
  • Additional fees: voice lessons, extra events, tours, auditions, and contests

What do I do now?

  • Register for choir (all year or one term)
  • All year courses – Chamber Singers & Jaguar Chorale
  • One term courses – Treble Choir & Tenor/Bass Choir
  • Leave contact info
  • Watch for audition, summer camp, and voice lesson instruction on April 3rd at
  • Summer camp information has already been posted on under “News/Events”

Directors

Mark Rohwer ()

Lindsay Swartwood ()