MSVMA - Weekly Notes

Weekly Notes 1/14/2021

Thursday, January 14, 2021 3:00 PM | Hannah Miller (Administrator)

Tomorrow is the last day to cast your vote for the MSVMA Teacher of the Year and Board of Directors positions!

Congratulations to the nominees! Voting will close at 11:59p.m. Friday, January 15th. Please visit our website to meet the candidates and vote!

http://www.msvma.org/2021-Election-Nominees/

President-Elect
Leo Humbach
Sarah Stockton
Adam Wurst

Treasurer
Julia Holt

Secretary
Matthew Callaghan
Jessica Nieuwkoop
Laura Oprea
Dennis Ryans II
Kristina Vidal

Director of Adjudication
Amy Blevins
Brian Leduc
Pam Pierson

Director of Honors Choir
Nathan Masterson
Emily Verdonk

Teacher of the Year
Kathy Cunningham
Nathan Degner
Sheri Petersen
Matthew Snell
Sarah Stockton
Jeffrey Zurkan

Vote Now!

In this time of virtual music, the National Federation of High School Associations has put together this handy reference sheet to help directors make sense of copyright laws and current exceptions to those laws. The NFHS has been a great resource and advocate on this topic for the past few years.
1610585541437_Copyright-Guidance-for-Performance-FINAL.pdf

View PDF

February 20th is the deadline for the submission of entries to participate in the
2021 Italian Songs and Aria Vocal Competition for Michigan High School
Students. verdioperatheatre.com

Submitted by John Zaretti

Only 14 days until it’s time for MMC 2021. It’s not too late to register…

MMC Registration Link

In last week’s “Notes” the session titles and topics for the MSVMA Headliner, Dr. Joe Miller, were outlined. This week, check out the session topics and presenters who will be sharing insights and information on a variety of topics that will inspire and support the work you do with your singers in your classrooms and rehearsals...read more

Submitted by Wendee Wolf-Schlarf

Weekly Notes 1/7/21

Friday, January 08, 2021 10:41 AM | Hannah Miller (Administrator)

The election for MSVMA Teacher of the Year and Board of Directors positions
is open. Congratulations to the nominees! Voting will close at 11:59p.m. Friday, January 15th. Please visit our website to meet the candidates and vote!

http://www.msvma.org/2021-Election-Nominees/

President-Elect
Leo Humbach
Sarah Stockton
Adam Wurst

Treasurer
Julia Holt

Secretary
Matthew Callaghan
Jessica Nieuwkoop
Laura Oprea
Dennis Ryans II
Kristina Vidal

Director of Adjudication
Amy Blevins
Brian Leduc
Pam Pierson

Director of Honors Choir
Nathan Masterson
Emily Verdonk

Teacher of the Year
Kathy Cunningham
Nathan Degner
Sheri Petersen
Matthew Snell
Sarah Stockton
Jeffrey Zurkan

Vote Now!

Have you registered for the 2021 MMC? It isn’t too late.

https://amr.swoogo.com/mmc2021/

While MMC 2021 will be virtual, we are still excited to gather and learn from our colleagues and national headliner, Dr. Joe Miller. Planned are inspiring interest sessions with live Q&A, on-demand offerings to maximize SCECH needs, virtual exhibit showcasing partnering vendors, time to celebrate MSVMA members and our colleagues during social times, the first music college fair and the opportunity to view any of the MMC interest sessions following the conference at your convenience.

MSVMA Headliner is Dr. Joe Miller, Director of Choral Studies at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music. Dr. Miller is not a stranger to Michigan and we are so glad to have him back in Michigan and sharing with us. Be sure to put these on your calendar and in your MMC session schedule, as you won’t want to miss them.

“Introduction to Why” Thursday, January 28, 7:00 - 8:00 PM
When we conduct, we teach, we listen, we change. The process of questioning builds our imagination, and this world of images, sounds, and ideas is the stuff that great teaching is made of.

“Transforming Space” Friday, January 29, 8:00 - 8:45 PM
Examine your own experience with sound and space, and take a virtual site-visit to explore some creative ideas. Can we find new ways to connect with new audiences? Finding a way to join mission, space, and sound can be an exciting new chapter in the musical development of you and your students.

“Building Voice Through Community” Saturday, January 30, 10:00 - 10:45 AM
If the choral art is to continue being a vital part of our culture, we must focus on ways to respond to current society. What does it take to reach a modern audience? We must find ways to resonate with our changing community that promote and celebrate our deep musical heritage, advancing new voices and connecting to the human experience. We will explore new ideas in programming and audience engagement.
This session will focus on the Interpretation and Presentation aspects of the rubric. Taking risks and addressing choral performance from a community engagement perspective can deeply influence our students and our audiences.

Look for more session features in next week’s MSVMA Weekly Notes...

Submitted by Wendee Wolf-Schlarf

Weekly Notes 11/19/2020

Thursday, November 19, 2020 2:11 PM | Hannah Miller (Administrator)

Wow, the changes just keep coming in 2020. We know that many of you are spending the next days adjusting to the reality of going virtual for a few weeks. With many of our members virtual since the beginning of the school year, we invite you to use MSVMA as a resource to ease the burden of this transition. We also want to remind you of our curriculum that has been developed to be used for in-person or online formats.

With deadlines for the virtual S&E festival approaching during this period of remote learning, we also wanted to give a quick update on the festival. The registration and video submission deadlines for the festival will remain as planned. As a reminder, registration is due November 30th and the video submissions are due December 15. If schools do indeed go back in-person after December 8, that would give directors a week to record, compile, and submit as long as they are already registered. One of the biggest considerations in keeping the festival deadlines is the uncertainty of the future, anticipating rising COVID cases for the foreseeable future, and attempting to avoid “chasing smoke” throughout the year.

There are some important things and options to know and remember with this information. First, large ensembles can choose to participate in the choral festival at the end of March rather than in S&E. This is a great option for ensembles that have not been able to rehearse in full capacity this semester and for groups that cannot meet in the next few weeks to record their submission. Second, rehearsal tracks are allowed and encouraged this year. This change should allow solos to be recorded at home.

If students or directors have registered and paid but decide they are unable to record a submission to participate, refunds can be requested by filling out a Google form on our website. The form is linked to the S&E and Musical Theatre Festival webpages. The deadline to request a refund is November 30th.
We know that each day adds to an already challenging year and hope we can bring support and stability to the lives of our members.

Virtual Solo & Ensemble Festival

Eligibility

All students 6-12th grade may participate as soloists or in ensembles, receiving a Final Determination or comments only.

Registration

The director must complete the online registration.
The submission fee for each event is $25.
Payments can be made by credit card or check. Please mail all checks to:

MSVMA
P.O. Box 1131
Big Rapids, MI 49307

Invoice and payment must be postmarked by November 30. Purchase orders are accepted.

Event Registration

Virtual Musical Theatre Festival

Eligibility

All students 7-12th grade may participate as soloists or in ensembles, receiving a Final Determination or comments only.

Registration

The director must complete the online registration.
The submission fee for each event is $25.
Payments can be made by credit card or check.
Invoice and payment must be postmarked by November 30. Purchase orders are accepted.

Event Registration

If you have questions about registering for virtual events, check out our FAQs.

The Verdi Opera Theatre of Michigan is pleased to announce that plans
for its 2021 annual Italian Songs and Arias Vocal Competition for
Michigan High School Students are up and running.

Information for eligible students to participate in
this exciting event can be accessed through the Verdi Opera's website:
www.verdioperatheatre.com .

Submitted by John Zaretti

Weekly Notes 11/12/2020

Thursday, November 19, 2020 2:10 PM | Hannah Miller (Administrator)

Virtual Solo & Ensemble Festival

Eligibility

All students 6-12th grade may participate as soloists or in ensembles, receiving a Final Determination or comments only.

Registration

The director must complete the online registration.
The submission fee for each event is $25.
Payments can be made by credit card or check. Please mail all checks to:

MSVMA
P.O. Box 1131
Big Rapids, MI 49307

Invoice and payment must be postmarked by November 30. Purchase orders are accepted.

Event Registration

Virtual Musical Theatre Festival

Eligibility

All students 7-12th grade may participate as soloists or in ensembles, receiving a Final Determination or comments only.

Registration

The director must complete the online registration.
The submission fee for each event is $25.
Payments can be made by credit card or check.
Invoice and payment must be postmarked by November 30. Purchase orders are accepted.

Event Registration

Registration is open for the Michigan Music Virtual Conference. While the conference format is different this year, there will still be inspiring presentations by our MSVMA colleagues and our headliner, Dr. Joe Miller, Director of Choral Studies at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music. In addition to educational sessions we will also have musical performances from our virtual honors choirs and time to gather as we celebrate the members of MSVMA with election results, 2021 MSVMA Teacher of the Year and social time to get together with friends and colleagues. More details will follow, but be sure to place these dates on your calendar and plan to join us at MMC 2021.

To register, visit amr.swoogo.com/mmc2021.

Join us to learn about the process of preparing and performing a collegiate vocal audition. The 2-hour workshop will include a panel Q&A, specific topic presentations, and mock auditions with individual faculty feedback. The event is open to high school students and their families, voice teachers, and choral teachers. More information can be found on the Audition Workshop Website: https://wmich.edu/vocal/workshop

REGISTRATION
Please fill out this short registration form to receive the Zoom link, submit advance questions for the Panel Q&A, and submit a video link to receive a 1-on-1 verbal clinic and written feedback on your mock audition and singing (optional).

Weekly Notes 11/5/2020

Thursday, November 05, 2020 12:27 PM | Hannah Miller (Administrator)

Virtual Honors Choir

You must register and pay to receive the link to upload your video.
The upload link will be sent to the email address on the registration form.
Make sure your video submissions follow the guidelines below!
The deadline to register and submit your video is Friday, November 6 at 11:59pm.

For information on how to view your event registrations or invoices, click here.

Virtual Solo & Ensemble Festival

Eligibility

All students 6-12th grade may participate as soloists or in ensembles, receiving a Final Determination or comments only.

Registration

The director must complete the online registration.
The submission fee for each event is $25.
Payments can be made by credit card or check. Please mail all checks to:

MSVMA
P.O. Box 1131
Big Rapids, MI 49307

Invoice and payment must be postmarked by November 30. Purchase orders are accepted.

Event Registration

Virtual Musical Theatre Festival

Eligibility

All students 7-12th grade may participate as soloists or in ensembles, receiving a Final Determination or comments only.

Registration

The director must complete the online registration.
The submission fee for each event is $25.
Payments can be made by credit card or check.
Invoice and payment must be postmarked by November 30. Purchase orders are accepted.

Event Registration

This giving season, please consider making a tax-deductible gift to MSVMA to help us continue to offer valuable musical experiences for you and your students. Your generosity will support the costs of adapting to delivering our programming virtually and supporting our membership.

Visit www.msvma.org/donate for more information.

Thank you for your support of MSVMA!

Weekly Notes 10/30/2020

Friday, October 30, 2020 1:03 PM | Hannah Miller (Administrator)

Virtual Musical Theatre Intensive

Congratulations to Director of Specialized Festivals Lyn CieChanski and Coordinators Kathryn Witkowski and Megan Sinclair on the successful launch of our first Virtual Musical Theatre Intensive. The event provided 98 students the opportunity to sing for clinicians and participate in a variety of topic sessions safely via Zoom. Students enjoyed interacting with a talented group of University of Michigan clinicians lead by Catherine A. Walker and including Jason DeBord, Ann Evans Watson and Geoff Packard.

Virtual Solo & Ensemble Festival

Eligibility

All students 6-12th grade may participate as soloists or in ensembles, receiving a Final Determination or comments only.

Registration

The director must complete the online registration.
The submission fee for each event is $25.
Payments can be made by credit card or check. Please mail all checks to:

MSVMA
P.O. Box 1131
Big Rapids, MI 49307

Invoice and payment must be postmarked by November 30. Purchase orders are accepted.

Event Registration

Virtual Musical Theatre Festival

Eligibility

All students 7-12th grade may participate as soloists or in ensembles, receiving a Final Determination or comments only.

Registration

The director must complete the online registration.
The submission fee for each event is $25.
Payments can be made by credit card or check.
Invoice and payment must be postmarked by November 30. Purchase orders are accepted.

Event Registration

Nomination Form

Weekly Notes 10/22/2020

Friday, October 30, 2020 10:37 AM | Hannah Miller (Administrator)

Apply for the Carolyn F. Leep Scholarship by November 15.

The Carolyn F. Leep Scholarship was established in 1988 in honor of Carolyn‘s service to the Michigan School Vocal Music Association.

Scholarships are awarded to MSVMA members and must be used by the end of the next calendar year. Applicants must have at least three years teaching experience in Michigan and be able to return to MSVMA activities after using the scholarship. Scholarship funding may be used to pursue an advanced degree or a non-degree choral music institute or workshop. Potential areas of study include choral conducting, composition, with emphasis on choral/vocal music, vocal music education and church music with vocal/choral emphasis.

Applications will be reviewed by the Carolyn F. Leep Scholarship Committee which is chaired by the past president. Applicants may be asked to participate in a conference call interview arranged at a mutually agreeable time.

To apply, visit www.msvma.org and click on Professional Development, then Leep Scholarship and then Leep Scholarship Application.

Honors Choir Reminders

You must register and pay to receive the link to upload your video.
The upload link will be sent to the email address on the registration form.
Video submission links are emailed to paid registrants every Friday.
Make sure your video submissions follow the guidelines below!
The deadline to register and submit your video is November 1.

For information on how to view your event registrations or invoices, click here.

There is still time to register for Virtual Honors Choirs!

Eligibility

Students 6-12th grade may participate.
There is no audition to participate.

Registration

The director or individual students may complete the registration application.
Music will be emailed to participants upon registration. No music purchases are necessary.
After registration and payment are completed, students will be emailed a link to submit their videos.
The participation fee is $40. Payment can be made at the time of registration, or an invoice can be created and paid before the submission deadline.

Deadline to register and submit your video is November 1 at 11:59 p.m.

Register Now!

Virtual Solo & Ensemble Festival

Eligibility

All students 6-12th grade may participate as soloists or in ensembles, receiving a Final Determination or comments only.

Registration

The director must complete the online registration.
The submission fee for each event is $25.
Payments can be made by credit card or check. Please mail all checks to:

MSVMA
P.O. Box 1131
Big Rapids, MI 49307

Invoice and payment must be postmarked by November 30. Purchase orders are accepted.

Event Registration

Virtual Musical Theatre Festival

Eligibility

All students 7-12th grade may participate as soloists or in ensembles, receiving a Final Determination or comments only.

Registration

The director must complete the online registration.
The submission fee for each event is $25.
Payments can be made by credit card or check.
Invoice and payment must be postmarked by November 30. Purchase orders are accepted.

Event Registration

Nominate your MSVMA 2021 candidates!

Teacher of the Year
President-Elect
Secretary
Treasurer
Director of Adjudication
Director of Honors Choir

The deadline to submit your nominations is October 31.

Nomination Form

Weekly Notes 10/15/2020

Friday, October 30, 2020 10:35 AM | Hannah Miller (Administrator)

The Michigan Department of Health & Human Services has recently released their updated guidance for Bands, Choirs, and Orchestras at Educational Institutions. This is a great comprehensive document endorsing many of the guidelines from this summer's research studies that can easily be shared with administrators as we continue to navigate the school year.

View PDF

Reminders for Virtual Honors Choir

You must register and pay to receive the link to upload your video.
The upload link will be sent to the email address on the registration form.
Video submission links are emailed to paid registrants every Friday.
Make sure your video submissions follow the guidelines below!

For information on how to view your event registrations or invoices, click here.

Executive Director Erik Jacobson shows you how to create your Honors Choir Video

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN PDF FORMAT

Eligibility

Students 6-12th grade may participate.
There is no audition to participate.

Registration

The director or individual students may complete the registration application.
Music will be emailed to participants upon registration. (No music purchases are necessary.)
The participation fee is $40. Payment can be made at the time of registration, or an invoice can be created and paid before the submission deadline.

Deadline to register is November 1 at 11:59 p.m.

Register Now!

2021 Summer Conference

The Summer Conference Committee is accepting session submissions for the July 28 and 29, 2021 event at the Blue Water Convention Center. Please provide the details of your proposed session via Google form using the button below by November 1. The Summer Conference team will contact you by November 15 regarding your session submission.

Session ideas include but are not limited to Choral Literature, Conducting, Vocal/Choral Pedagogy, Rehearsal Techniques, Warm-ups, Music Literacy/Sight Reading, Choral Program Growth/Recruitment and LGBTQ+/Inclusion. Questions regarding breakout sessions should be sent to Amy Blevins at amyblevins@msvma.org.

Submission Form

Weekly Notes 10/8/2020

Friday, October 30, 2020 10:34 AM | Hannah Miller (Administrator)

There is still time to register for Virtual Honors Choirs!

Want to know how to create your video for Honors Choir?
Executive Director Erik Jacobson shows you how in the video below!

Eligibility

Students 6-12th grade may participate.
There is no audition to participate.

Registration

The director or individual students may complete the registration application.
Music will be emailed to participants upon registration. No music purchases are necessary.
After registration and payment are completed, students will be emailed a link to submit their videos.
The participation fee is $40. Payment can be made at the time of registration, or an invoice can be created and paid before the submission deadline.

Deadline to register is November 1 at 11:59 p.m.

Register Now!

View all of the conducting videos at http://www.msvma.org/virtualhonorschoirs!

Virtual Solo & Ensemble Festival

Eligibility

All students 6-12th grade may participate as soloists or in ensembles, receiving a Final Determination or comments only.

Registration

The director must complete the online registration.
The submission fee for each event is $25.
Payments can be made by credit card or check. Please mail all checks to:

MSVMA
P.O. Box 1131
Big Rapids, MI 49307

Invoice and payment must be postmarked by November 30. Purchase orders are accepted.

Event Registration

Virtual Musical Theatre Festival

Eligibility

All students 7-12th grade may participate as soloists or in ensembles, receiving a Final Determination or comments only.

Registration

The director must complete the online registration.
The submission fee for each event is $25.
Payments can be made by credit card or check.
Invoice and payment must be postmarked by November 30. Purchase orders are accepted.

Event Registration

Nominate your MSVMA 2021 candidates!

President-Elect
Secretary
Treasurer
Director of Adjudication
Director of Honors Choir

Nomination Form

It's time to renew your membership for the 2020-21 school year! There is no deadline to register this year, but an active membership is required to participate in events. If you have questions about joining or renewing your membership, check out our FAQs.

Weekly Notes 10/1/2020

Friday, October 30, 2020 10:34 AM | Hannah Miller (Administrator)

Virtual Solo & Ensemble Festival

Eligibility

All students 6-12th grade may participate as soloists or in ensembles, receiving a Final Determination or comments only.

Registration

The director must complete the online registration.
The submission fee for each event is $25.
Payments can be made by credit card or check. Please mail all checks to:

MSVMA
P.O. Box 1131
Big Rapids, MI 49307

Invoice and payment must be postmarked by November 30. Purchase orders are accepted.

Event Registration

Virtual Musical Theatre Festival

Eligibility

All students 7-12th grade may participate as soloists or in ensembles, receiving a Final Determination or comments only.

Registration

The director must complete the online registration.
The submission fee for each event is $25.
Payments can be made by credit card or check.
Invoice and payment must be postmarked by November 30. Purchase orders are accepted.

Event Registration

Nominate your MSVMA 2021 candidates!

President-Elect
Secretary
Treasurer
Director of Adjudication
Director of Honors Choir

Nomination Form

It's time to renew your membership for the 2020-21 school year! There is no deadline to register this year, but an active membership is required to participate in events. If you have questions about joining or renewing your membership, check out our FAQs.

ACDA Fall Conference - World of Song

These are topsy-turvy times, to be sure. It seems all the circumstances around our choral music-making are turned on end. It’s easy to get discouraged – but this is when we need each other’s support, more than ever. Join us online for a free Fall Conference October 23-24 – with uplifting performances, inspiring headliners who will bring the world of music to us in Michigan, and discussions around how our art can be central in bridging the cultural gaps that still divide our nation and our world. You’ll have opportunities for the kind of one-on-one and small group conversations with choral leaders in our state and beyond that can refresh our thoughts and spirits, bringing new energy and ideas to our work – something we need more than ever now! Come join us!

If you are not a member but would like to become one, ACDA Michigan is giving away 20 complimentary one-year memberships this year as part of the National Sing Up Membership Campaign.

Please contact Amy Walling for details, amy.walling21@gmail.com.

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