How to build your Choir Program through the use of

a Summer Choir Camp

Cyndie Lowry

Choir Director

Mitchell Intermediate School

clowry@conroeisd.net

WELCOME! Meet some of my friends…

v  Connie Horton, Head Choir Director at McCullough Jr. High School

Organized and helped to develop our Cantate Choir Camp

Formerly my co-teacher at Mitchell

My students feed into her choir program

v  Julie Stobbe, Music Teacher at Buckalew Elementary School

Co-teacher for our Cantate Choir Camp

Her students feed into my school choir program

History of Cantate Choir Camp

In the beginning…

v  The Cantate Choir began in the mid to late ‘90s

v  Was first used as a way to build the choir program for Mitchell Intermediate.

Great way to introduce yourself to the new choir members coming in

Great way for the students to meet and greet incoming students

v  Later, added in two new flex schools who fed into the same JH/HS

v  Then included the feeder elementary schools

v  Now open to the whole district

Forms and Documents used for Registration

u  We use 3 different forms

v  Registration form with address, email, shirt size

v  Liability form from the District

v  Parent Permit to Travel/Medical Emergency Information

If you would like hard copies of our forms, email me at clowry@conroeisd.net

 

Choir Camp Informational

Flyer

Registration Form

District Liability Form

Parent Permit to Travel Medical Emergency Treatment Form

Repertoire u  Examples of Camp Songs

v  Sansa Kroma

v  COFFEE

v  Boots of Shining Leather

v  Yonder Come Day

v  A Ram Sam Sam

v  Scotland’s Burning

v  My Dame Hath a Lame, Tame Crane

All of these examples come from 150 Songs for Singing and Teaching by Edward Bolkovac and Judith Johnson, Boosey & Hawkes

Boots of Shining Leather

Repertoire

u  Examples of Ocatvos

v  American Game Song Medley

arr. by Earlene Rentz; Shawnee Press E0533

v  The Blue-Tail Fly

arr. by Jill Gallina; Shawnee Press E0405

v  Here Rattler, Here!

arr. by Ruth Dwyer & Martin Ellis; Colla Voce 24-96790

v  Whisper!

Greg Gilpin; Heritage Music Press 15/2812H-2

v  Seven Silly Songs Mark Weston; Heritage Choral Series 15/2114H

v  She’ll Be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain

arr by Russell Robinson; BLP Choral Music BL691

v  Rhythm of the Rain Jerry Estes; Alfred Choral Designs 17730

She’ll Be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain

Classroom/In-Seat Songs

u  Used primarily to get up and move in between instructions of songs/octavos

v  A Chee Chee Chaw

v  Car Song

v  I Put the Penny in the Gum Slot

v  Diction Understood

from Choir Builders by Rollo Dilworth/Hal Leonard

Games we Play

v  Hello, Hello

v  Charlie, the Monkey Man

v  Shoo Fly

v  Our Old Sow

v  Little Swallow

Little Swallow

Shoo, Fly!

Typical Daily Schedule 9:00 – 10:00 Greet/Warm Ups/Rehearsal

10:00 – 10:15 Restroom/Water Break

10:15 – 11:00 In Seat Songs/Rehearsal of Camp Song/Octavo

11:00 – 11:30 LUNCH

11:30 – 12:00 Games/Restroom/Water Break

12:00 – 12:45 Rehearsal

12:45 – 1:00 Announcements/Dismissal

Our Personal Stories From Erin Reeves, former music teacher from Powell Elementary

For the past six years at Powell Elementary, Cantate Choir Camp has served as such a refreshing start to each school year, and its effects last well into the year! I always cherished working with the other teachers in my feeder zone. I cherished the enthusiasm for choir that it built! It was always such a WONDERFUL recruitment tool because the excitement it built had a ripple effect out from the participants into their peers who had not even been present at the camp, creating a huge pool of motivated new choristers for my own school choir! When I began at Powell my 4th grade choir probably contained around 60 students. Each year, I watched it grow little by little until this past year saw my enrollment up to 104 choir members at its largest point! I know that Cantate Choir Camp played a huge role in getting those students interested in choir, helping keep them excited throughout the year, and leading many to choose choir as an elective as they traveled on to Intermediate School.

From Brittany Teigland, music teacher at Bush Elementary Camp is really great for my choir. Personally I love the jump start and great ideas I gain from you girls each time to start off the year. It gives us a chance to "clinic" so to speak, together.

 

My kids that attend bring excitement back to school about starting choir. They have a head start on those bus songs that I use as warm ups and team building games/activities throughout the year. Since we've been doing this for a while, I've really noticed how our use of similar terminology at camp, in our school choirs, and with our feeder choir groups really helps the students grasp choral concepts.

 

So it isn't just about building the choir for this one year, our working together has created an amazing culture of choir in our feeder. The kids say "oh my brother learned this game at camp, or we play that at my school." Choir is the thing to be part of starting in elementary and up! In my book that is a great culture for our schools.

 

Thank you for coming!

Feel free to contact me at

clowry@conroeisd.net

for any questions or copies of

music or forms