About the Vocal Music program...at Big Walnut

Since 1998, The Big Walnut High School has seen many new and exciting changes.  Once again the growth of our program has created a new membership record for the choral department. Can you believe that our choral program since the beginning of the 1998 school year has MORE THAN TRIPLED in size?  We started the 1998-1999 school year with only 35 choral students.  Today, there are  148 students involved in a choral music activity. A true sign of a healthy program is the enrollment of 10 percent of the total school enrollment involvement in a vocal music activity.  Based on this formula, BWHS currently has over 30 percent of the total school population participating.  We are continuing on our quest to becoming one of the finest choral programs in the state, both in quality and quantity!   ~Mrs. Huston

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW---Mandatory concert dates:   

        Spring Concert--May 16

Important Links: 

        Big Walnut Band

       Big Walnut Music Booster

       Big Walnut Local Schools

ZERO PERIOD SCHEDULE/Weekly Schedule

****Just a reminder....When weather calls for a delay, there will be NO ZERO PERIOD CHOIR

ZERO PERIOD will be on the designated days at   6:50.  It is important you are on time as our time is very limited. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looking ahead--Spring Concert May 16

Monday--May 14--ALL

Tuesday--May 15 ALL

Wednesday--May 16 ALL ***CONCERT DAY    8am all choir students will report to auditorium to run combined piece with Band... All choir students will remain in auditorium through the end of 2nd period for combined rehearsal.  This will also be a great time to run the senior song.  All students will need to report to the band room this evening at 7pm for warmup and attendance.  Concert starts at 7:30pm.  Remember this concert is MANDATORY

Thursday--May 17  EAGLE TIME--LATE START NO CHOIR 

Friday--May 18    SENIORS ONLY!!!!  Report at 7am.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What's  NEW 

BWHS Choir will perform at Gahanna Middle School West.  The BWHS Band will perform at Gahanna HS.  PLEASE not the different school. 

Students will prepare, dress and leave right after school on   Friday, April 27.   

3:15 Leave BWHS for Gahanna Middle School West

BWHS Mens Choir--Perform at 4:50pm

BWHS Ladies Choir--Perform at 6:10pm  ****Please contact me if you are willing to ride on a bus, help chaperone and bring back the Ladies to BWHS after performing. 

7:15 Ladies Choir will return to BWHS

BWHS Mixed Choir--Perform at 7:55pm

8:35pm Leave Gahanna MS for Gahanna HS

BWHS Band performs at GAHANNA HS at 9:45pm

11:45pm Return to BWHS

As always, students in choir and/or band can be signed out to depart State with parents. There will be a sign-out clipboard in the homeroom.  We encourage all music parents to attend State to support our Superior musicians! This event is a MAJOR event and parents should support their wonderful students. 

OMEA DISTRICT 10 Large Group Contest at Centerburg was held last Friday, March 9th.  All four groups (Mens Chorus, Mixed Choir, Ladies Choir and Symphonic Band) qualified for OMEA State Finals with Superior ratings this weekend at District contest! It has been a long, hard journey working towards a high criteria.

  www.yopus.com   ONLINE MUSIC COLLEGE RESEARCH RESOURCE....

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

CASE STUDY FOR THE ARTS A recent study conducted by the Americans for the Arts and the National School Boards Association found that young people who CONSISTENTLY participate in a consistent and rigorous art program are:  4 TIMES more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, 4 TIMES more likely to participate in a math and science fair, 3 TIMES more likely to win an award for school attendance, 4 TIMES more likely to win an award for writing an essay or poem, 3 TIMES more likely to be elected to a class office.  MORE GOOD NEWS for BWHS MUSIC STUDENTS !!!!!!!!!!

  SEPTEMBER 2007 Study Finds link between quality music programs and test scores.  A recent study found that students in high-quality school music education programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs.  On the elementary level, it found that students in high quality music programs scored 22 percent better in English and 20 percent better in Mathematics than students in deficient music programs.  Middle School students  scored 17 percent better in top quality programs than children who did not participate in music and 33 percent higher than students in deficient music program.  This study included 4,730 Elementary and Middle School Students in four regions of the United States.  

"Why Study Music?"

Go to www.musicfriends.org to find this answer along with many more resources supporting music education

MUSIC may add points to your IQ !!! Another study was recently released to support the power, music has to increasing a child's IQ.  A study presented in the Psychological Science journal states a child who completes 1 year of music lessons showed a 7 point increase in their IQ.  Math and language skills also increased.  This study also indicated there was no difference between keyboard lessons, singing lessons or drama lessons.  GOOD NEWS!!! 

Making music is its own reward, but it appears that the payoffs don't end there.  A Harris Interaction Poll reveled that 88% of people with a post-graduate education (Masters Degree or Doctorate) were involved in music while in school. 83% of those earning $150,000 or more had a music education.  The reason stated is "it's a rigorous discipline and in an ensemble situation, there's a great deal of working with others."  "Those types of skills stand you well in careers later in life."   Dec. 2007

Colorado Study finds links between Arts Education and Test Scores

Public High Schools in Colorado that offer arts education courses see more of their students score highly on state tests in reading, writing, and science than do those public high schools that do not offer art courses.  Regardless of student ethnicity or socio-economic status, higher test scores prevailed at the arts-richer schools.  Schools with the arts also have lower drop-out rates.  Employers today may be seeking a workforce that is more imaginative, innovative, and creative.  Please visit www.coloarts.state.co.us/programs/education/study/index.htm

1) You get to be loud. Always feel like you’re being shushed by teachers and adults? In choir, you’re actually encouraged to make noise.

2) Friendship. More than 42 million Americans sing in choruses, so you’re sure to make some new buddies.

3) See the world! Many choirs go on tours to exciting and faraway places.

4) Begin the path to stardom. Mega-celebs Beyoncé and Justin Timberlake started their careers singing in school and church choirs. Even President Obama was once a choral singer.

5) Bring home A’s. Research shows that students who sing in choruses get better grades than students who don’t.

6) Make your college application shine. Admission folks will love to see that you’re involved in extracurricular activities—especially an activity like choir, which develops teamwork skills and self discipline.

7) L’amour. Lots of singers date people they meet in choir, because music is the food of love, after all.

8) Back rubs. Yeah, that’s right: back rubs. Many choruses do them as part of their rehearsal warm-ups.

9) No schlepping. Singing does not require carrying around heavy instruments or gym bags. All you need is your fab voice.

10) Bragging rights. Not everyone can say they’ve been in the spotlight, but you’ll be able to because singing in a chorus gives you the opportunity to be front and center, baby!

--taken from The Chorus Impact Study--www.chorusamerica.org