Hello from Texas!

Hi everyone,

Hope you are surviving the blizzard in Milwaukee today. I'm certainly glad to be missing it!

The weather has been beautiful here in Fort Worth and I've seen lots of family and friends. I believe we have had more Mexican food in the last week than we had in the last year! We'll have to move on to Bar-B-Q!

I miss you all, but Mrs. Shuler says you are doing great. We're planning to Skype on Monday night, so I hope you will all be there, assuming the weather clears up.

The picture here is from the Fort Worth rodeo. We also toured the stock show which is like the State Fair, with livestock exhibitions, equipment exhibits, western wear and the like.

I'll be back on Feb. 23, looking forward to hearing great progress from the Vocal Arts Academy!

Emily Crocker

Dear Singers & Parents,

Well, by now you parents have probably heard that I'm going to miss the next five rehearsals, returning on February 23. We are extremely fortunate to have Ellen Shuler, choir director for the Bel Canto Boychoir and University School of Milwaukee (and mom of Philip & Ethan!) as our guest conductor. I know you singers will be super nice and learn a lot over the next 5 weeks. Ellen will share her contact information at rehearsal.

I'm in Texas, working on a big textbook project and other remote work for Hal Leonard. I'll also enjoy connecting with family and friends, checking in on my mom (age 89) and enjoying the warmer weather. So far, so good and it will be in the sixties today.

Ellen and I will stay connected if we should have any "weather" events and I will send out any cancellations through Remind.com and on the VAA Facebook page.

If you need to contact me, you can do so by cell phone/text, email or Facebook private message. I'll plan to send out the blog each week as well.

You will be working on music that we will sing at our March 8 concert with the Bel Canto Boychoir.

Stay warm! Go Pack!

Emily Crocker

Dear singers,

Well, it was no Ice Bowl, but the Packers have prevailed! (Yes, I actually remember the Ice Bowl!)

We'll see you tomorrow night for regular rehearsal. If you pay your tuition in two installments, please bring your payment to rehearsal.

Also, if you have solos you would like to sing this spring, please bring your music. Any type of song will be considered for our March 8th concert.

Here is our schedule leading up to our March 8 concert:

Regular rehearsals - Jan. 12, 19, 26
Regular rehearsals - Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23
Extra rehearsal - March 2
Concert - March 8, Pius High School

Stay warm! See you Monday night!

Emily Crocker

VAA & MCC Virtual Choir Reunion!

MCC & VAA Virtual Choir Reunion

Instructions for creating and submitting your videos

Hello everyone,

I'm very excited by the response received from many of you. Here is what is happening. In January I plan to post two songs for you to record yourself and upload and in February two more. (Click on the links to get the music and audio tracks.)

The process is simple. You can download your music and then download at least one of the tracks:

• “with vocals” - this has a demo choir singing the song.
• “Part 1,” etc. - that part is boosted to help you review or learn your part.
• “Track” - instrumental only

January

When I Close My Eyes Music & Audio

Can You Hear Music & Audio

February

The Path to the Moon

For the Beauty of the Earth

After you have practiced and feel like you are ready, play the track through one device, like a computer and listen with headphones. Sing into another device, like a video camera or smartphone. Try to choose a place that is quiet and has a good acoustic. You can submit more than one recording and you can record more than one part if you want to, like soprano and alto, etc. Save your file at the best quality you can and label like this:

WhenICloseMyEyes_MyNameSoprano

Then submit here:

Upload finished videos here

Since I've never really done this before, I'm sure some things won't work. So, just let me know if you have problems at emily(a)vocalarts.us or send me a private Facebook message. And if any of you are techno wizards and have some advice for me, I'm all ears.

I can't wait to see your faces & hear the results. Spread the word!

Happy new year!

Emily Crocker

Congrats Vocal Arts!

Congratulations to all singers on your performance at the Lessons & Carols last night. You sounded great and looked good too! Thank you and also your parents for being part of this event.

December 15 - Monday night we will be experimenting with our Virtual Choir. You can bring your recording device, whether that be smartphone, iPad, etc. I will have my laptop and volunteers can listen to the track on the laptop and record into their digital device.

Here are two songs to start with:

Can You Hear mp3

Adiemus mp3

After Christmas we will add "When I Close My Eyes" and "For the Beauty of the Earth." I will also get you information on submitting your videos.

If anyone does not have a smartphone or other recording device, we'll try to make the option available during choir.

CHRISTMAS FEAST
At 8:00 pm, we'll stop rehearsing and have our Christmas feast. Please bring snacks to share (not too much - last year we had a ton of leftovers! And no nuts, please.) I'll bring drinks, plates, and napkins.

We will be on Winter Break until January 5th.

Have a great rest of your weekend!

Emily Crocker

VAA pre-concert update

Just a few reminders about our concert Lessons and Carols tomorrow night.

Friday, Dec. 12

Location: St. John the Evangelist Cathedral

812 N. Jackson St.
Milwaukee, WI
See map here


Call time: 5:30 pm
Concert time: 7:00 pm
We will practice in the Cathedral from 5:30 until 6:20. They will open the house at 6:30.
Dress: Black top and bottom with a colorful accent (tie, sweater, scarf, etc.)
Tickets: The tickets are $10 and may be purchased online at http://www.piuspac.org/
Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door for $8, but this concert is expected to sell out. There is street parking only.
They estimate the concert to be over at approximately 9:30 pm.
Since we are not performing our own concert this December, I hope you will all enjoy this lovely musical tribute to the season.

Here is a brief overview:

1. We move to our position on the SL aisle during "Once in Royal David's City." Other choirs except one leave. We move to SL steps.
2. Opening prayer
3. We sing "Sing We Now of Christmas."
4. We remain during another song, then exit SL through chapel and into atrium.
5. We are in the atrium for Lessons 1-6.
6. We enter to SL steps and stand there while Pius Percussion Ensemble plays, then we sing "O Come Little Children."
7. VAA exits to atrium and remains there for Lessons 7-9.
8. On the audience singing "The First Noel" VAA enters to SL aisle and sings "Peace, Peace" with combined choirs.

One other thing, we will be in the atrium for a long time and there will be no chairs, so bring a coat you can sit on. Otherwise you will be sitting on the bare floor.

See you Friday night!

Emily Crocker

Hi all,

Excellent rehearsal last week! And we had very good attendance! Let's keep it up this week as we have our last rehearsal before our Lessons and Carols concert.

Here is the schedule:
Monday, Dec. 8, 7:00-8:30 PM - regular rehearsal at Pius High School
Also attending tomorrow night, we will have singers from the VAA Apprentice Choir and the Pius Academy Children's Choir. They will be joining us on two songs and the group numbers. Please help them feel welcome!

Friday, Dec. 12
Call time: 5:30 pm
Concert time: 7:00 pm
We will practice in the Cathedral from 5:30 until 6:20. They will open the house at 6:30.
Dress: Black top and bottom with a colorful accent (tie, sweater, scarf, etc.)
Tickets: The tickets are $10 and may be purchased online at http://www.piuspac.org/
Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door for $8, but this concert is expected to sell out. There is street parking only.
They estimate the concert to be over at approximately 9:30 pm.
Since we are not performing our own concert this December, I hope you will all enjoy this lovely musical tribute to the season.

Monday, Dec. 15, 7:00-8:30 - last regular rehearsal of 2014! Please plan to be there! We will sing through our spring music, plus have a demonstration of how to submit your "virtual choir" recordings.

See you tomorrow!

Emily Crocker