Show Choir

[My2Cinderellas]

DD13 has started her first year of Show Choir - it's first offered in 8th grade and is a BIG DEAL in our town. Band - I'm a pro, Dance - after 10 years I've learned the ins and outs, Show Choir - I'm a total newbie.

I've got the basic info from the director but would welcome any info/advice/tips/tricks all you experienced show choir parents may have!

Here's a link to what the kids are aspiring to achieve - the top show choir at the high school won FAME regionals in Orlando last spring and took 3rd place at FAME nationals in Chicago. The show choir when I was in high school 30 years ago didn't look or sound anything like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvVCQqOtL0E

 

[StephMK]

DD13 has started her first year of Show Choir - it's first offered in 8th grade and is a BIG DEAL in our town. Band - I'm a pro, Dance - after 10 years I've learned the ins and outs, Show Choir - I'm a total newbie.

I've got the basic info from the director but would welcome any info/advice/tips/tricks all you experienced show choir parents may have!

Here's a link to what the kids are aspiring to achieve - the top show choir at the high school won FAME regionals in Orlando last spring and took 3rd place at FAME nationals in Chicago. The show choir when I was in high school 30 years ago didn't look or sound anything like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvVCQqOtL0E

Hi Neighbor! I'm in NE and DD19 was in show choir also, starting in 8th. She actually didn't make it 9th grade and was crushed. But she was so determined and studied & came back and made it the following year and thereafter. I was not an involved parent so my opinion and info may differ. She adored it!

Just like any activity, she should be prepared to be at all rehearsals. They work really hard and become like a big family in HS. There will be plenty of opportunities to spend money on the costumes, entrance fees, fundraisers, and food at competitions. DD's best friends in HS were all show choir kids.

I would go to one or two competitions a season and mainly it was her "thing". The HS competitions last ALLLL day. When they travel, it is a super early morning and really late return home. I was glad when DD was old enough to drive herself to the school for the bus pickups! Some parents go to every one and stay all day and night. I have younger kids and that was just not do-able for us. Plus DD was fine, having a blast with her friends all day, watching the other teams.

DD's coaches worked them hard but in all those years of before & after school rehearsals and long days at competitions, I never once heard her complain about it. Many fond memories of those years and I hope your DD (and you) enjoy the experience if she continues!

 

[luvsJack]

Be prepared to work as a parent and make sure your dd is prepared to work hard as a choir member.

This would have been dd's 4th year in show choir but sadly, due to circumstance s beyond anyone' control the show choir members choice to cut show choir for this year.

It is a tremendous amount of work on the part of the students. Our kids had practice a couple of times a week in addition to the 90 minutes of class time each day in choir/show choir. Fundraising for most programs is very important. Show choir is usually the most expensive activity at a school--well beyond cheer or other sports. And then of course there is the travel and competitions.

We did go to every competition and performance (and still do for concert choir) and will in the future. Its just important to us to be there. But, we are in the audience and dd is with her fellow choir members and they have a great time. We come and go, she stays all day with the choir.

The one thing we have truly loved about our program is our director. He puts "choir" first and then the show. For this reason, their vocals could not be beat last year. Every competition, they received all 10's in vocals. And now, they are a very accomplished choir and now have a women's choir, pop a cappella, women's a cappella and men's choir. So, they are very excited about this year even without the show choir. And work just as hard.


You asked about tips. Well, a lot depends on your program and your school.

But, if I was giving advise to someone coming in show choir at our school:

1. Be prepared for your child to be at every practice. They won't always be convenient. But they are all important. The least little change in choreography done at a practice missed can put a kid a little behind. The show is constantly being "cleaned up" and none of them like to feel like they don't know what is going on.

2. Find someone BEFORE costumes come in that can do any alterations if necessary. Its usually not a problem but the company that made ours last year ran way behind and got them to us late and the hems were not done well. Have someone in mind that can do any alterations last minute.

3. Does your program have someone to do hair and make up? One school in this area does but the rest do not. If not, know how the director wants the hair done. Practice doing your daughter's hair or have her practice it. DD and her bff always fixed each other's hair. It's important that they all look the same. It gets hard when they want curls and your child's hair doesn't curl or they want it straight and your child was blessed with curls. You want it to stay in place through the show. LOTS of bobby pins and LOTS of hair spray.

Make up should be heavy but not abnormal. All the choirs here do RED lips and a smokey eye in natural colors--but they want it to show up under the lights so not dark but heavy.

4. Your director will probably require it, but make sure your dd drinks lots of water the day of any performance. And our director says no soft drinks--make sure she follows it.

5. If your child has allergies or has sinus/throat issues, gets hoarse or a sore throat from over use--warm water with lemon and honey helps. DD has allergies and this has helped her a lot.

6. Our director included walking/running/jogging as part of their first few practices and then expected them to keep it up. This was new to dd last year but it made a huge difference in their ability to sing and dance on stage without getting winded.

7. HAVE FUN. Its a lot of fun. If you enjoy the competitions--by all means go. Unless your school has a big staff, the director would probably love the help. Just don't hover and let your child have fun with her choir mates. The really get to be a close group over time. Our kids would sit, eat and travel around the venue together as one big group; they just enjoyed being together and its made for some really great friendships.

 

[scbelleatheart]

DD13 has started her first year of Show Choir - it's first offered in 8th grade and is a BIG DEAL in our town. Band - I'm a pro, Dance - after 10 years I've learned the ins and outs, Show Choir - I'm a total newbie.

I've got the basic info from the director but would welcome any info/advice/tips/tricks all you experienced show choir parents may have!

Here's a link to what the kids are aspiring to achieve - the top show choir at the high school won FAME regionals in Orlando last spring and took 3rd place at FAME nationals in Chicago. The show choir when I was in high school 30 years ago didn't look or sound anything like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvVCQqOtL0E

Wow! That video was hard to watch (as in painfully awful to enjoy). Last show choir DD was in was in college so things may have changed in the last few years.
I found show choir a blessing after band and cheerleading! No advice but good luck! it was fun all through HS and college for my DD.

 

[dismom22]

I just want to say that show choir, though ours was cut after my freshman year (offered in 7th), was the most amazing thing I have ever participated in. I'm not an athletic person but I can sing very well and I'm a fairly good dancer.
Show choir was MY thing...choir, chorus, musicals, dinner theater, performing...those were my things.

It was a lot of work, a lot of money and a ton of fun. I still miss it dearly as it's been almost 13 years since my last show choir competition. I continued to sing and dance throughout high school even though we no longer had show choir. My mom went to every competition that I remember, while my dad stayed home with my younger brother. It was nice having her there.

Sorry, I know none of that was necessarily helpful but I just wanted to express how important it was to me. I couldn't imagine my life without music! I honestly believe that children who are involved with music have such an advantage and an enriched life!! Enjoy your daughter and the shows!

 

[minkydog]

Strap on your boots and hold on to your hats! Your life is about to be taken over by SHOW CHOIR~!

Seriously, start taking your vitamins cuz you will be committing most of your weekends and free time to this activity. My DD20 was in show choir for 3 years and it just about took over everything. Not that I minded too much. My sisters and I were in marching band in HS and I remember how our family revolved around band for all those years, so I wasn't blind-sided by the commitment.

One thing that I'm really glad we did: we took a big family vacation the summer before 9th grade because I knew DD would throw herself into something musical(although I had hoped it would be band ). From 9th thru 12th grades, DD was super involved in theater and show choir. Every weekend it was practice or set rigging or painting or costuming.

I don't regret any of it, but it did take a lot of time. When a kid signs up for something like this, they area committing themselves and their family for the duration of the year. We couldn't go out of town unless they cancelled something. DH& I just considered ourselves part of the Show Choir support system.

High school is just a season in their lives. I knew that after 4 years, we would all move in different directions so I really didn't mind the time commitment. Well, most of the time I felt that way. There were "crunch weeks" that I could have lived without.