Parents

How does the All State process work?
How does the fundraiser money work?
How does District Music Contest work?
Are all students required to be in the musical?
Does my child have to participate in set strike on a Sunday?

How does the All State process work?
All State Auditions are held in October.  Students are asked to pay the fee for auditions by September 1.  Students will be provided the music for All State (usually 6 selections).  At the audition in October, 3 selections will be named.  Each singer will record a video at school to upload to the NMEA online audition site.  All State choir is held the weekend before Thanksgiving in Lincoln, NE.  The performance is at the Leid Center.

How does the fundraiser money work?
There are group fundraisers and individual fundraisers.  In a group fundraiser (such as a concert or event), the money will either go to the general choir account, or be divided equally among a predefined group of students (i.e. trip participants, show choir).  Individual fundraiser can easily be tracked to single students (i.e. candy bar sales, cookie dough & pie sales, etc.).  In that case, students will be credited a predetermined percentage (usually 40% or 50%).  This money still belongs to the SHS Choir, however, as long as the student stays in choir they will have access to that amount for trips, outfit fees, show choir camps, etc. If a student graduates or drops choir with leftover money credited to them, the money goes back into the general choir account.  No fundraiser money will be given to a student as a "refund".  No money can be transferred to other students.

How does District Music Contest work?
District Music Contest is held in April.  It is usually a week or two following the musical.  Scottsbluff often has the choir ensembles perform and are judged.  Students can also sign up to sing solos or in small ensembles.  There is no cost to sign up, but Scottsbluff is limited in the total number of entries possible.  With the musical being such a large project, students are encouraged to rehearse their solos early to be ready for Districts.  All entries are judged on a rating scale of I to V.  There is no state music contest in Nebraska.

Are all students required to be in the musical?
Being in a musical production is an extremely rewarding experience.  However, the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes is massive!  Part of the curriculum of choir is for students to learn musical theatre production from all aspects.  There are many careers in the theatre that do not involve performing at all!  All choir students are required to be involved with the musical in some way, whether that is onstage or serving on a crew.  This is a requirement for their 3rd quarter grade in choir.  Each crew has a different time involvement.  Many students do not have time to be in the cast or on a crew that rehearses at night.  There are many different options that will fit a students interests and time availability.

Does my child have to participate in set strike on a Sunday?
Because there are many rental items (scripts, backdrops, costumes, etc.) that must be shipped back on Monday morning, set strike must happen on the Sunday afternoon following the show.  I have made exceptions for students who have a prior arranged conflict (i.e. church event, religious exception, out of town trip).  Set strike is a graded activity.  Those students who have a prior arranged absence will need to set up a make up time to help with stage clean up.  There is a deadline of 1 week to complete this make up.