about woodhaven choirs
Vision Statement
Woodhaven Choirs will make music through many singing styles, healthy vocal techniques, an understanding of music literacy, and a sense of community through ensemble performing. We will work together to bring music off of the page and deliver a story to our audience through cooperative and supportive learning.
I believe that music classes are for everyone. We all sing- even if we say we don’t, or that we can’t; we all sing. Whether in the car, in the shower, while cleaning our house, everyone sings, and everyone can sing well in choir. My classroom is a partnership in learning where I am a leader who is open to new ideas on how to teach my students. I believe their experiences outside of class are every bit as important as their experiences inside my class. Through opportunities to perform, compose, arrange, and create, students will develop their understanding of both technical and expressional aspects of music making in a positive, respectful learning environment.
-Ms. Rize, Director of Choirs
2022-2023 Choirs
Concert Choir (1st Hour PHMS): This ensemble is for 8th and 9th sopranos and altos, and 10th-12th grade unauditioned baritones who want to sing. They will sing three part music. This group will explore basic ear-training techniques, intonation, tone production and vocal techniques through many different genres. Performing is a required aspect of this course.
PREREQUISITE: OPEN ENROLLMENT
Treble Troubles (2nd Hour PHMS): This ensemble is made up of 8th and 9th grade sopranos and altos. We not only continue to further our ear-training, intonation and vocal techniques but also add the element of dance. They will sing two and three part music without the assistance of a director during their performance. Performing is a required aspect of this course.
PREREQUISITE: AUDITION ONLY
Bella Voce (Beautiful Voice, 4th Hour WHS): This choir is for 10th-12th grade intermediate to advanced sopranos and altos by audition only. Prior vocal experience is required. The students will continue to perfect their skills with ear training, tone production, intonation and vocal techniques through various genres. They will sing three and four part music of all styles and languages such as; English, Latin, French, German. Emphasis is placed on vocal styles, good literature, and lots of music for special out of school performances. Performing is a required aspect of this course.
PREREQUISITE: AUDITION ONLY
Warrior Chorus (5th Hour WHS): This ensemble is for 10th-12th grade sopranos and altos who want to sing. They will sing two and three part music. This group will explore basic ear-training techniques, intonation, tone production and vocal techniques through many different genres. Performing is a required aspect of this course.
PREREQUISITE: OPEN ENROLLMENT
Chamber Ensemble (6th Hour WHS): This choir is for 10th-12th grade intermediate vocalists of all voice types by audition only. Four and five part singing in English and in different languages will be the focus. Ear training, intonation, tone production, and vocal techniques through all types of choir genres will be explored. This group will perform as needed for the community. Performing is a required aspect of this course.
PREREQUISITE: AUDITION ONLY
Woodhaven Choirs will make music through many singing styles, healthy vocal techniques, an understanding of music literacy, and a sense of community through ensemble performing. We will work together to bring music off of the page and deliver a story to our audience through cooperative and supportive learning.
I believe that music classes are for everyone. We all sing- even if we say we don’t, or that we can’t; we all sing. Whether in the car, in the shower, while cleaning our house, everyone sings, and everyone can sing well in choir. My classroom is a partnership in learning where I am a leader who is open to new ideas on how to teach my students. I believe their experiences outside of class are every bit as important as their experiences inside my class. Through opportunities to perform, compose, arrange, and create, students will develop their understanding of both technical and expressional aspects of music making in a positive, respectful learning environment.
-Ms. Rize, Director of Choirs
2022-2023 Choirs
Concert Choir (1st Hour PHMS): This ensemble is for 8th and 9th sopranos and altos, and 10th-12th grade unauditioned baritones who want to sing. They will sing three part music. This group will explore basic ear-training techniques, intonation, tone production and vocal techniques through many different genres. Performing is a required aspect of this course.
PREREQUISITE: OPEN ENROLLMENT
Treble Troubles (2nd Hour PHMS): This ensemble is made up of 8th and 9th grade sopranos and altos. We not only continue to further our ear-training, intonation and vocal techniques but also add the element of dance. They will sing two and three part music without the assistance of a director during their performance. Performing is a required aspect of this course.
PREREQUISITE: AUDITION ONLY
Bella Voce (Beautiful Voice, 4th Hour WHS): This choir is for 10th-12th grade intermediate to advanced sopranos and altos by audition only. Prior vocal experience is required. The students will continue to perfect their skills with ear training, tone production, intonation and vocal techniques through various genres. They will sing three and four part music of all styles and languages such as; English, Latin, French, German. Emphasis is placed on vocal styles, good literature, and lots of music for special out of school performances. Performing is a required aspect of this course.
PREREQUISITE: AUDITION ONLY
Warrior Chorus (5th Hour WHS): This ensemble is for 10th-12th grade sopranos and altos who want to sing. They will sing two and three part music. This group will explore basic ear-training techniques, intonation, tone production and vocal techniques through many different genres. Performing is a required aspect of this course.
PREREQUISITE: OPEN ENROLLMENT
Chamber Ensemble (6th Hour WHS): This choir is for 10th-12th grade intermediate vocalists of all voice types by audition only. Four and five part singing in English and in different languages will be the focus. Ear training, intonation, tone production, and vocal techniques through all types of choir genres will be explored. This group will perform as needed for the community. Performing is a required aspect of this course.
PREREQUISITE: AUDITION ONLY
Four Practices
In the choir classroom, we will strive for the following four life practices:
- Mutual Respect
- I will treat others with respect at all times and can expect to be treated with respect by others, at all times.
- Attentive Listening
- When another is speaking, I listen. Listening means: not talking, not interrupting, not ignoring, and looking at as well as listening to the other. We listen with our whole selves, not just our ears.
- Kindness
- Kindness is how we treat ourselves, others, and our environment, every day,. No Put-Downs.
- Best Effort
- In all activities and at each moment I will do my best. This applies to my work in class, my preparation for class outside of school, and my interactions with others. By doing my best at all times I can live without regret.
Varsity Letters
Choir students who are in at least tenth grade, have spent one year in Varsity Chorus or Bella Voce, and are in good standing in their ensemble are eligible to earn their Varsity Letter at the end of that school year. Special exceptions are made for ninth grade students who have spent two years in an auditioned ensemble. Varsity letters are presented to students at the end of the year banquet in May.
Curriculum Outline
Standard 1: Apply skills and knowledge to perform in the arts.
- Students will perform in 3-4 concerts per school year, both secular and spiritual works.
- Students will be able to sing with technical accuracy and expression, alone or in parts, with or without accompaniment.
- Students will be able to perform pieces in foreign languages.
- Students will be able to perform sight reading exercises accurately at varying degrees of difficulty.
- Students will be able to draw on prior musical knowledge to be successful in the goals mentioned above.
- Students will be given the opportunities to improvise on melodies.
- Students will be given the opportunity to write or arrange songs for various instruments.
- Students will be able to describe music using musically technical terms.
- Students will be able to give examples of music of different genres.
- Students will be able to evaluate a performance using analytical aural skills and musically technical terms.
- Students will be able to describe how a piece of music makes them feel, what they think the piece emotes, or what their interpretation of a text is in musical or non-musical terms.
About the director
Ms. Rize (she/her) has a bachelor's degree in Vocal Music Education from Wayne State University and a masters in Teaching Artistry through Music: Vocal Education from Bowling Green State University. She has an adorable doggo named Margot, a cranky cat named Ruth, and loves board games, reading, binge watching tv shows, bullet journaling, hanging out with G-Hyme and the witches, and performing with the Downriver Actors Guild in her spare time. The 2022-2023 school year is her ninth year of teaching.