Chorale and Vocal Jazz choirs were recently awarded with a honor, being selected to perform at the Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) convention. They have not been previously selected for this event, with the only other GCHS appearance being the Jazz Band in 2005. The selection process for KMEA happens the year before, allowing for months of preparation.
“At the end of last year, we submitted a recording that was judged blindly to be able to perform at the convention, and we were selected. So starting in August, we started working on our music, and it’s been a huge amount of work. The kids are singing a 30 minute time slot of music, which is seven pieces, and the pieces are advanced level,” Abigail Martinez, choir teacher, said.
On Monday Feb. 23 the Chorale Choir performed at the First United Methodist Church to show the community their performance pieces.
“We got to perform for the community. A lot of people enjoyed it, they enjoyed our ending song the most,” Chandler Hass-Powers, Arts & Comms. junior, said.
The choirs have used a variety of rehearsals to fine tune their songs.
“We’ve had after school rehearsals, like sopranos one day, basses one day and so on. We’ve had clinicians come in, we hired other choir directors from universities and high schools to come, travel here, spend the night and come and help the kids. We had a Saturday morning rehearsal with a clinician from KU and we had a benefit. We had a practice concert, if you will, a performance concert Monday night to show the community what we’ve been working on. So it’s been 7 or 8 months of hard work,” Jennifer Sanders, assistant music director, said.
There are many parts of the choir that must work together.
“The students have worked really hard, and Mrs. Martinez has micro-zoned into every single piece and made it sound really good.
All the tuning’s good, all the rhythms are good and our accompanist, Andrew Zoschke, is phenomenal,” Sanders said.
KMEA is specifically meant to reward music teachers.
“It means a lot to me. It’s sort of the highest honor in the state, because all of my colleagues and all the choir people from all over the state will get a chance to come see our choir. It’s like, we get to sing on a state stage,” Martinez said.
