Elementary Choir
Membership Requirement
For a student to participate in KMEA honor groups the sponsoring teacher must be an active member of the Kansas Music Educators Association.

Elementary Choir

2023-24

Clinician
Sarah Houston

Important Dates
Sep. 11 - Business Meeting @ Lawrence HS
Oct. 12 - Nomination Deadline - $10 participation fee per selected student
Dec. 2 - Clinic & Concert @ Topeka HS

Schedule
7:30 AM - Check-in
8:00 - Rehearsal begins
11:15 - Public Concert

Nominations
  • Nomination deadline is October 12, 2023.
  • Nominations are entered in the KMEA Members site. Students are nominated by their teacher, who must be a member of KMEA. There is no audition.
  • Students with unchanged voices in grades 3-6 are eligible to participate.
  • Each school may nominate 8 students and 4 alternates. A maximum of 160 may participate in this event due to stage size.
  • Students must be divided equally between Part I and Part II.
    • If you bring 4 students, 2 should be singing Part I and 2 should be singing Part II
    • If you submit an odd number of students, please select more students to sing Part I.
  • Students should match pitch and represent your best singers
  • Students should be able to manage their behavior for the duration of an intense rehearsal/performance.
Participation Fee
Participation fee is $10.00 per student and must be paid in full immediately after completing the entry. Checks and money orders are accepted, but NO PURCHASE ORDERS. Send payment, invoice, and a print-out of your nomination list to the chairperson. Make all checks out to: Northeast KMEA.

Send to:
Matthew Shea
Kansas City-Frank Rushton Elem.
2605 W. 43rd Ave
Kansas City, KS 66103

Repertoire List

Joshua!
Kirby Shaw
Two Part
3291994

Sally Gardens
Benjamin Britten
Unison
1292804

Bohmbela
Arr. Will Skaff
Two Part
10971340

Ciranda da Lua
Daisy Fragoso
Two Part
10565280

There Has to Be a Song
Andrea Ramsey
SA
10186971

Video Resources
Bhombela - View
Visual with a Choir Performing with sticks - subject to the director's discretion - View
Sally Gardens - View
Joshua! - View
There Has to Be a Song - View
Ciranda da Lua - View - Pronunciation Guide

Here are notes to aide in the teaching of the selected choral pieces.

Bhombela

Begin piece at M. 53. All students sing Part 1 melody in unison. Sing until M. 64, then there will be a 16 beat body percussion interlude. Repeat M. 53-64 in 2-part canon to the end.

Pronunciation Guide

Bhombela we'timela (Bohm-bay-lah west-ee-may-lay)
  • Emphasis on bay and may
Umama wenzani? (oo-mah-mah wen-zah-nee)
  • Emphasis on 1st mah and zah
Evusa abantwana (ay-voo-sah bahn-twah-nah)
  • Emphasis on voo and twah
  • Sah and bahn elide together
Ciranda da Lua

Pronunciation Guide: See pronunciation guide in octavo

M. 10-18- Slow and expressive. Almost haunting
M.19- 35 Upbeat and percussive
M.36-43 Playful, dance-like
Below is a timeline for teachers:

Teacher's Job Prior to the nomination deadline:
  • Select students
  • Divide your student equally between Part I and Part II
  • Nominate Students online
  • Send a check including $10.00 per student to the Elementary Choir chair
Teacher's Job between nomination and the festival:
  • Order a copy of each song for yourself and each student attending.
  • Copied/Xeroxed music is prohibited by copyright law. Therefore, any student who attends a NEKMEA event with photocopied music will not be permitted to participate.
  • You must purchase 1 copy of each song for each student you nominate.
  • Provide your students with the link to practice tracks and or make a Practice CD for each of them. Simply download the music from the website.
  • Hold rehearsals with your students to teach them the music and insure accurate understanding of each piece
  • Music is to be memorized prior to the festival
  • Arrange transportation to and from event for students
  • Arrange to have at least 1 supervisor in addition to yourself in the rehearsal room at all times with your students. This will allow you to attend meetings and break-out-session.
Student duties Day of:
  • Bring your music and a pencil
  • Bring a disposable water bottle
  • Check in and get your name tag from your teacher
  • Come ready to learn and work hard with a Positive and Willing Attitude
  • Use the restroom prior to the start of rehearsal
There is nowhere to store personal belonging of the students—coats, purses and etc. They need to be left with parents at drop-off or on the bus. If this is not possible, it will be the responsibility of your parent supervisor and yourself to corral, store and keep these items secure.

Festival Day Attire
Students are to wear black on bottom and white, gray, or black on top. Dresses are fine for ladies, and suits/tuxes/vests are fine for the guys (ties are optional).

Teacher duties Day of:
  • Arrive at 7:30 to check-in your students and find rehearsal/concert rooms
  • Greet your students and help them find where they should sit (shorter students in front and taller towards the back)
  • Please encourage them to sit by someone they may not know
  • Supervise your students during rehearsal
  • Help with snack/restroom break
  • Help with line-up and placement on risers (they will leave all music in the room at this time)
  • Double check the rehearsal room for your student belongings

KMEA Membership Requirement

The NEKMEA board voted to require membership in NAfME-KMEA in order to register students for NEKMEA honor groups. This is in line with the KMEA policy requiring membership in order to register students for KMEA All-State ensembles.

  1. Join NAfME. Indicate Kansas in your membership profile.
  2. Set up an account in the KMEA Members website. This creates a connection between your NAfME profile and KMEA's registration systems.
  3. After creating an account in the KMEA Members site, select your district affiliation so you may participate in elections.
  4. When registering students for NE district or All-State ensembles, your NAfME ID will be part of the registration.
  5. Do not wait until the deadline day to start this process!
 
Chairperson
Peter Gipson
Lawrence-Sunflower Elem.
2521 Inverness Dr
Lawrence, KS 66047
w: 785-832-5870
Important Dates - Elem. Choir