Cypress Lake Vocal Department: News

The help tracks for The A Cappella Group audition material are now up in the music section. Scroll all the way to the bottom and open the folder title A Cappella Group Auditions. There is a track for each vocal part and a track that has all parts at an equal volume level.

Good luck everyone.

In an effort to reduce the SPAM that we are seeing in our guestbook, I have turned on the moderation option. If you post in the guestbook, it will now notify me and I will approve it. This will eliminate some of the rather inappropriate SPAM that has been showing up recently. Please make sure to put your name on all of your posts.

This year's musical is the Mel Brooks classic The Producers. We are looking for great singers, actors and dancers to pull off this massive undertaking. If you are interested in being a part of the Cypress Lake award winning musical team, here is what you need to do.

The auditions for the musical will take place during the second week of school. You will need to sign up for the day you would like to audition. The sign-up sheets are on the Black Box Info Board, just outside the side door. You will only need to audition on one day.

You need to prepare a song to sing at the audition. It should be from a musical and you must have a CD or iPod with an accompaniment track. You are also permitted to bring a live accompanist as well. The song should be no longer than one minute. Pick a song and a section of the song that will show off your voice.

If you would like to be considered for a leading role, you must also do a monologue during your audition. The monologue should be between 30 and 60 seconds long.

There will also be a dance portion to the audition. You will be taught a relatively short combination and then you will perform it in groups of three or four.

You should have appropriate clothes for the dance call. There will be time for you to change if you would like to wear a different outfit for the singing/monologue portion of the audition.

We hope that you will consider auditioning and being a part of The Producers. We won the innagural Lee County Musical Theatre Awards for best overall musical and we want to defend our title.

Today's post is for parents and students alike.

All members of the vocal department are required to attend one performance of another department at the Center each quarter. Performances and exhibits are available in theatre, dance, band, orchestra, and visual arts. In addition to attending the complete performance, students must then write a one page paper about the performance. The paper should be have synopsis of the event and half critique of the event.

This quarterly assignment is worth 10% of the chorus grade each quarter. The assignment serves two purposes - To promote awareness and appreciation of all of the departments at Cypress Lake Center for the Arts and to force students to write and think critically about events they have seen.

The complete list of performances will be printed in the new handbook. Please plan ahead and schedule the performance you would like to see each quarter in advance. You must see a different department's event each quarter.

There are always way too many students that choose not to do this project each quarter. I hope that all of you will make it a goal to complete these this year. If you have any questions, there are many more details in the handbook.

Today's feature will give you some guidelines as you get ready for this year's auditions for T.A.G.

The A Cappella Group is about to enter it's sixth year and has released two studio albums, appeared at Lincoln Center in New York City and have won numerous other awards. This is your opportunity to be a part of it all.

The auditions for The A Cappella Group will take place on Thursday, August 21 and Friday, August 22 in the choir room. You only need to attend one of the days. There will be two parts to the audition – solo singing and group singing. For the solo singing portion, you need to prepare a solo from a pop, rock, alternative style song that will show off your ability to sing lead. Please stay away from classical, musical theatre, folk songs, etc. Your solo should be no longer than 1 minute long and needs to be a cappella. For the group singing portion, you will perform an excerpt of a four part piece in groups of four with one person on a part. You can pick up the music for the group piece on the first day of school from Mr. Stroh.

In order to have a successful audition, you need to do the following in your audition.
1. Sing in tune!! This is the most important element. Your solo needs to start in one key and end in the same key without modulations taking place in the middle.
2. Be able to be secure on your part during the group singing. The majority of singing that you will do if you are in the group is part singing so you must be able to do it well and be independent while doing it.
3. Be expressive while singing. In order to perform this music successfully, you can’t stand like a robot and just sing. You need to use your face and entire body to be expressive and convey the meaning of the song.

I hope that you will consider being a part of The A Cappella Group and try-out during one of these two days. Pick a song that you sound great on and really make it your own. Make sure that you pick-up the music for the group singing portion on the first day of school, so you will have plenty of time to prepare. There were some great solo auditioners last year that did not sing well during the group portion. Take both parts of the audition seriously.

We would like to welcome all of our new members and are looking forward to getting to know all of you. As a new member to the vocal department, there are two requirements that you will need to purchase.

The first item is concert attire. For the ladies, we use a long black formal dress. All band, orchestra and choir ladies wear the same dress. We order these dresses through the school during early September so they arrive before the first concert. You will be measured and try on some sample sizes before they are ordered. The cost of the dress will be around $57.00. This is last year's cost. We have not received the new price list yet for this year's cost.

The second item that you will need is a choir folder. This is a high quality folder that has many features and is personalized with your name embossed on the front. With proper care, it will last the entire time you are at Cypress Lake. The cost for the folder is $25.00.

Both of these are one time expenses and both the dress and the folder can be used for your entire time in the vocal department.

This is a brand new event for the vocal department. It takes the place of choir camp and is going to be a great way to kick off the new school year with a bang.

The Choir Bash will take place on Friday, August 22 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Pelican Preserve Clubhouse. Pelican Preserve is on Gladious Drive near the library. It is a mandatory event for all vocal department members.

Events will include the Choir Olympics, karaoke, Guitar Hero and Rockband on the big screens, we may even bring back the bubble wrap dance floor. The focus is on team building and getting to know your fellow vocal department members.

Food and drinks will also be included. Pelican Preserve is giving us a great deal on the food and the room, so we are only charging $8.00 per person. Please bring your $8.00 during the first week of school to help cover the cost.

We are also in need of some chaperones to help with the event. If interested, please email Mr. Stroh through the contact page on this site.

Please make sure your schedule is clear, because this event is MANDATORY!

The proposed Colorado trip has been approved by the school board and we are now good to go. The trip will take place April 23-27 and include a performance with the Heritage Festivals, a day of skiing, a train ride to Pike's Peak, shopping, breathtaking views and lots of fun. Many more details about the trip will be available in a few weeks and we will have an informational meeting in early September.

Start digging out those gloves and mittens now.

All officers are reminded that there is an officer's meeting on Monday and Tuesday of next week to get the choir board done and help set up the choir room.

The summer is fading waaaaaay too fast and the first day of school will be here before you know it. As we approach that day, keep checking back here often as there will be many new stories designed to get you ready for the first day of school.

Don't forget to mark your calenders for Friday, August 22. That is the Friday of the first week of school. This is the date of Choir Bash '08. This is a mandatory event for all members of Vocal Department. Many more details will be coming soon, but mark your calendars because you all must attend.

We have finally decided on a musical and have an official announcement for all of you. Without further ado - this year's musical at Cypress Lake Center for the Arts will be:



THE PRODUCERS

For the second consecutive year, Cypress Lake Center for the Arts has earned the honor of being an "A" school as designated by the Florida Department of Education. The grades in Florida are a combination of FCAT scores of students in all grades as well as other factors. This year, Cypress Lake has the distinction of being the only school in the south zone to receive a grade of "A." Congrats to all of you who helped Cypress earn this honor and let's make it three in a row next year.

Alice Cooper said it best - School's Out for Summer!!!!

I hope everyone has a great and safe summer. I will see you all in August.

In the meantime, keep checking the site, there is a new look coming soon. Also, check the photo section soon for a lot of updates and fun pictures.

It is now official, the class of 2008 have graduated and are moving on in the world. We wish them luck and don't forget to come back and visit often. Congrats to the Vocal Department Class of 2008

Danielle Barnes
Jessica Bays
Ryan Balliet
Hannah Brenenstuhl
Alexis Clark
Jennifer Flores
Brittany Gibson
Tabitha Hobbs-Rossback
Blake Shelton
Angela Stevenson
Jasper Walters
Cheyanne Watt

The Vocal Department officers for the 2008-2009 school year are

Breanna Kelley - President
Amanda Goff - Vice President
Kerry Elkins - Secretary
Taylor Nave - Treasurer
Olivia Rodriguez - Historian
Kendra Dozier - Historian

Congratulations to all of the new officers and here's to a great 2008-2009 year.

The annual choir banquet will be held tonight, Friday, May 23 at 6:30 in the Center Art Gallery. Tickets are free for vocal department members and $6 for all others. We hope you will join us for great food and fond memories tonight.

The Cypress Lake Center for the Arts performance of All Shook Up was honored as the best musical at the inaugural High School Musical Awards tonight at the Barbara B Mann Performing Arts hall. This capped a fun-filled evening of high school theatre.

About 700 people were in attendance at the first ever event and host Robert Van Winkle, NBC-2 weatherman, made it a very memorable evening with his own excitement for the event.

The evening started with performances and behind the scenes footage from all participating school's shows. Then came the awards themselves.

Cypress Lake ended up with three awards on the evening. The cast was honored for Best Ensemble, an award dedicated to all of the chorus members. Parker Slaybaugh won the Best Actor category, which also came with a $2,500 scholarship to Edison Community College. The final award of the evening was for Best Musical, which came with a cash award of $2,500 to be used in next year's musical and Cypress Lake was announced as the big winner.

There was much cheering as the entire cast and crew went up onstage to accept the award. Congrats to all of those involved in our amazing production of All Shook Up and we are definately looking forward to next year.

Cypress Lake Center for the Arts will be participating in the first annual Fort Myers High School Musical Awards. The program will begin this evening at Barbara B Mann Performing Arts Hall at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are general admission and cost $5.00.

Cypress Lake will be competing with North Fort Myers High School, Fort Myers High School and Estero High School for the title of best musical for 2007-2008. The overall award comes with a cash prize of $5,000 to be used for next year's musical.

There will be performances from each of the four musicals and awards for best actor, best actress, best supporting actor, etc.

We hope to see you there to cheer on our Panthers and the cast of All Shook Up.

The Spring Concert is Wednesday, May 7 in the Cypress Lake Auditorium. The concert starts at 7:00 p.m. and the admission charge is $5.00 per person.

Hear the Concert Choir, Intermezzo, Cypress Chorale and The A Cappella Group for the final time this year.

On Wednesday, April 23 the choirs from Cypress Lake sang at the Florida Vocal Association State MPA in Avon Park. Cypress Chorale earned superior ratings from all judge's. Their superior rating continues the tradition of superior ratings at FVA State dating back to 2002.

Intermezzo also performed and received superior ratings from two of the judge's and an excellent rating from the other for an overall rating of Superior. This marks the first that Intermezzo has achieved a superior rating at State MPA

Congratulations to both choirs and look for the recordings in the music section soon.

Long Overdue, the much anticipated and award winning second album from The A Cappella Group is finally here and ready for you to purchase. The CD is $15.00 and available from Mr. Stroh or you can order it on our site.

If you do not live near Cypress Lake and would like to get your copy of Long Overdue as soon as we get, buy it now. We will send it out as soon as we receive the shipment from the manufacturer. The CD is selling for $15.00. Get yours today.

Long Overdue is the long awaited second album from the acclaimed The A Cappella Group.

It's coming soon . . . as a matter of fact, the estimated ship date is April 18th.

The track list is:
1. Karmastition
2. Hands
3. Mexican Wine
4. Breathe
5. Be Careful What You Eat
6. Bless The Broken Road
7. Brown Eyed Girl
8. There She Goes
9. Taco Bell Canon
10. Joy To The World
11. Hidden Bonus Track that you will not want to miss. You have to wait for it.

Dear Parents,

I am writing to inform you of the plans for the Florida Vocal Association State Performance Assessment. The choirs qualified for this event with their superior ratings at the District MPA in February.

This year, FVA State will be held at South Florida Community College in Avon Park. All of our events will take place on Wednesday, April 23. We will be leaving Wednesday morning at approx. 7:00 a.m. and returning Thursday night. A small group will be returning to Fort Myers after our performances Wednesday. The tentative itinerary is on the back of this letter.

Unfortunately, the school district does not provide funding for us to travel to this event. Therefore, we must pay for the cost of the trip from vocal department money. The cost of the trip will be approx. $11,500. The cost of the trip per student will be $100 if they participated in the cheesecake sale or $125 if they did not participate. This fee is due Tuesday, April 8. Make checks payable to Cypress Lake High School.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me.

Tentative Itinerary
Wednesday, April 23
7:00 am Meet in front of the Center for bus loading and bag checks. All luggage will be searched.
7:30 am Depart for Avon Park
9:30 am Arrive at South Florida Community College
Performance to be announced. Could be AM or PM
12:00 pm Lunch on campus
4:30 pm Depart Avon Park for Orlando
6:00 pm Arrive at Hotel in Orlando for check-in
6:45 p.m. Depart for Downtown Disney. Dinner on own in Downtown Disney. All students will get tickets to DisneyQuest
11:00 p.m. Depart from Downtown Disney to return to hotel.
11:20 p.m. Arrive back at hotel
11:40 p.m. All Students must be in rooms for the night. Room checks done and doors secured for the evening.

Thursday, April 24
7:30 am Breakfast, continental breakfast included at hotel.
9:00 am Check-out and load buses
9:15 am Depart for Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure
9:30 am Arrive at Universal for the Day. Tickets will be good for both parks. You may go back and forth
6:30 pm Meet at assigned area and go to bus
7:00 pm Depart for Fort Myers
10:00 pm Arrive at Cypress Lake Center for the Arts

We are looking for a few good chaperones. We are going to be performing at the Florida Vocal Association State Music Performance Assessment on Wednesday, April 23. The event is in Avon Park. After the performance, we be traveling to Orlando for the evening and spening Thursday in Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. We need 8 to 10 chaperones to attend to make this trip happen. Final details of the trip will be posted when I have secured the chaperones and made the final travel arrangements.

In order to chaperone on the trip you must agree to be with the group the entire duration of the trip. Chaperones must ride the buses with the group. Chaperones must also assist with the bed checks and securing the students in the hotel room on Wednesday night. This will entail staying up past the time and making sure the students are in rooms for the night.

The cost for the chaperones will be nominal compared to the students. The only cost will be the share of the hotel room.

If you are interested in chaperoning for the trip, please e-mail through this site and let me know. It will be a very rewarding experience for you and the students. I hope each of you will consider helping your students to have this opportunity.

Again, e-mail me through the "Contact" page to let me know that you are interested in chaperoning.

I look forward to hearing from you.