Congratulations to all the singers who performed at the Braves game on Tuesday! I am very proud of them for representing our chorus and school. I had the chance to meet Terry McGuirk, the CEO & Chairman of The Braves, and he told me our performance was "the best he has heard in YEARS" and was very complimentary of us.
Here are some notes: 1) Congratulations to Viji, Grace, & Neeraj for being selected to attend the Governor's Honor Program as Voice Majors this summer! It is an amazing feat to have 1 student selected and we had 3! I'm not one to brag, but Fulton County is sending 4 students total for Vocal Music and 3 are ours :) Go JC Chorus!
2) Our Spring Show Dress Rehearsal is Wednesday, 4/20, from 3:30 - 6 pm. Dismissal is 1 hour earlier than anticipated.
3) The Spring Show is Friday, 4/22, at 7:00 pm. The concert will be moved from the Bus Canopy to the Auditorium and students will wear the following: -9-11th grade: regular concert black uniform with class color accents. -12th grade: college/future career clothing (for example: I would wear a James Madison University t-shirt and jeans, or if I was not committed to a school but wanted to go into medicine, I would wear scrubs).
We will have a DESSERT RECEPTION following the concert in the Auditorium Lobby. Please use this link to sign up to help: CLICK HERE
4) Our Seniors are putting on a recital on Monday, 4/25 at 7 pm in the Theatre Classroom. Please come support them!
5) Graduation is coming up on 5/18! Students in Camerata & Kor are invited to sing at the ceremony. Graduation is at the Gas South District (formerly, Infinite Energy Area: 6400 Sugarloaf Pkway). Students in Camerata are invited to sing at the Baccalaureate Ceremony on Sunday, 5/15. The ceremony is at Johns Creek Baptist Church at 3 pm.
6) Lastly: the JCHS Chorus Dept. is founding the "Jacqueline Britan Outstanding Gold Scholarship" to carry the legacy of our student, friend, and classmate, Jacqueline, who passed in November. Please consider donating to the scholarship and to preserving the memory of Jacqueline. More information to come at our Spring Concert.
See you next week!
3/23/22
Good afternoon!
Updates & Reminders: 1) Monday, March 28 = 3 Part Spring Chorus Social! -Coffee House at 6 pm ($3 if you are attending but not performing), -Make-Your-Own Boba Party immediately after (anyone can attend!), -Disney's "Tangled" at 7 pm
2) STAR SPANGLED BANNER @ ATLANTA BRAVES! Principal Shearer sent out this great opportunity in his weekly community email this morning, but here it is again: We were selected to sing the National Anthem for the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, April 12 at 7:20pm. We have tickets to every seat in sections 140 & 141 (3rd base line), meaning we need to sell 250 tickets to make a profit. Please help get the word out about this event! If you would like to attend, fill out the attached form and send in payment to reserve your tickets. Students should wear their red chorus t-shirt to the event. Unfortunately, no transportation is provided.
3) Our final concert of the year is Friday, April 22 at 7 pm in the bus canopy. We will have refreshments and fun, new music for you!
4) A change to our calendar: The Spring Show dress rehearsal set for April 21 is moved to one day earlier, April 20 from 3:30-7 pm. April 21 conflicts with the Greater Atlanta Area musical theatre award ceremony (Shulers). All students will be provided a white Spring Show shirt to tie-dye themselves at the rehearsal. Student should wear this shirt and jeans on Friday for the concert.
5) The class of 2022 is putting on a Senior Showcase on April 25! More info to come.
6) The Johns Creek HS Choral Boosters is officially a 501(c)3 organization! I am looking into starting a scholarship fund for graduating seniors and will send more information once the details are ironed out. If you are looking for an organization to donate to, I would love to have a healthy balance in the account for the new chorus teacher next school year.
Thank you for reading!
3/8/22 Good afternoon!
Updates & Reminders: 1) Our final concert of the year is Friday, April 22 at 7 pm in the bus canopy. We will have refreshments and fun, new music for you!
2) We were selected to sing for the reigning World Series Champions, Atlanta Braves, however, due to the MLB Lockout, the previously mentioned game on 4/12 is up in the air.
3) A change to our calendar: The Spring Show dress rehearsal set for April 21 is moved to one day earlier, April 20 from 3:30-7 pm. April 21 conflicts with the Greater Atlanta Area musical theatre award ceremony.
Acknowledgements: 1) Congratulations to Viji, Nathan, & Neeraj for their performance in the Schmidt Regional Solo Vocal Competition! They competed against high school students from all over the country including: Georgia, Florida, the Carolinas, Kansas, Colorado, and more. They made us proud and represented our school well. Nathan was recognized by the judges and won the "Broadway Bound" award!
Lastly, a personal note: The past few years have been an incredible journey with you. Directing the choirs and being a part of this community have been life changing We've gone above and beyond what we thought was possible in the classroom, on the stage, in our community, and on the state and regional level.
Now, it is time for my family and I to start a new journey. My spouse and I are heading to New York City where he has accepted a once-in-a-lifetime job, and where we will start another chapter in our lives after this school year concludes.
I would like to express gratitude to the faculty, staff, and families of Johns Creek High School; my music colleagues; Chris Shearer & Patrick Martin who gave me the opportunity to make a difference and supported us along the way; Bryan Daniels, Debbie Prost, and Young Kim for being the best performing arts department anyone could be part of; Vanessa Edwards for being a best friend and for teaching students to love music and chorus before they get to high school; and most of all, the students who made the chorus room the welcoming, love-filled room what it is. I'm not usually at a loss for words, but I cannot describe how much I will miss being with you everyday.
Thank you for making memories and music with me. You are and will always be a part of my life.
2/15/22 Good afternoon!
I apologize for my lack of updates since January 1. School has been a whirlwind with the musical, GMEA, District Honors Chorus, and All-State.
Updates & Reminders: 1) We have 2 performances coming up: -Pre-LGPE Concert: Tuesday, March 1 (please read #2 for an update) -LGPE Assessment: Thursday, March 3 (during school hours)
2) The JCHS Pre-LGPE Chorus Concert scheduled for March 1 has been adjusted to keep the crowds to a minimum. Singers in 2nd and 6th period should arrive at 5:45 pm and will perform at 6 pm and may go home following their performance. The singers in 1st and 3rd period should arrive at 6:45 pm and their performance will begin at 7 pm.
Audience members are welcome when the doors open approximately 5 minutes before each performance.
3) We were selected to sing for the reigning World Series Champions, Atlanta Braves, in April! We were chosen to sing at the April 12 game vs the Washington Nationals. More info to come.
4) Our musical, Bright Star, opens next week! This show is GREAT and features many many chorus students. Here is a link to purchase tickets if you would like to enjoy a night out: CLICK HERE
5) One change to our calendar: The Spring Show dress rehearsal set for April 21 is moved to one day earlier, April 20 from 3:30-7 pm. April 21 conflicts with the Greater Atlanta Area musical theatre award ceremony.
Acknowledgements: 1) All State Reading Chorus: Viji, Grace & Neeraj spent a wonderful 3 days in Athens last month working with Dr. Shannon Jeffreys from Georgia Southern University reading 38 different pieces of music with 97 other top-notch music readers from around the state. They put on a concert on the 3rd day and were given a piece of music on the stage and sang it beautifully at first sight.
2) Congrats and good luck to: Viji, Grace & Neeraj for their FINAL interview for the Governor's Honor Program in Vocal Music next weekend. JCHS has 24 finals for GHP, including 10 from music, and 3 from chorus.
3) The following students represented JCHS at Milton HS and sang with the best singers from Fulton & Atlanta Public Schools. Mixed Chorus, directed by Dr. Nathan Frank: Viji, Grace, Abby, Alex, Neeraj, & Alisha. Treble Chorus, directed by Mrs. Lori Christian: Olive, Heidi, Christine, Noa, Lydia, Shreya, Romina, & Lainey.
4) We are headed to Athens again this weekend with 10 students for All State Chorus! The chosen students are: -9th-10th Mixed Choir: Heidi, Lydia, & Garrett -9th-12th Treble Choir: Viji, Grace, Alisha -11th-12th Mixed Choir: Neeraj & Nathan -9th-12th Tenor-Bass Choir: Christian & Alex
Their concerts are in The Classic Center and are as follows:
Congratulations to the following students who passed the first round of All State Chorus auditions: VIji, Grace, Heidi, Nathan, Lydia, Christian, Alex, Garrett, Neeraj & Alisha! The second round of auditions are in January.
Good luck to the 19 singers who are singing at the Atlanta Hawks game tonight vs the Philadelphia 76'ers!
Upcoming Chorus Dates:
The JCHS Choir Program is traveling to DISNEY WORLD in April! The band, theatre, and chorus classes are invited to go on our first Spring Trip in 3 years. Registrations are due by MONDAY. You can sign up here: https://tri.ps/jchsfa22
Looking forward to putting on our Winter Concert on Monday, December 6 at 7pm ! We are combining with the Autrey Mill MS 8th Grade Chorus. Students should arrive no later than 5:00 pm dressed and ready to rehearse.
Members of Camerata & Kor are going on an elementary school tour to State Bridge Crossing, Dolvin, Medlock Bridge, & Wilson Creek on Friday, December 10. Information for this can be found on their Chorus Team page.
As always, please reach out if you need anything!
11/12/21
Good evening!
Quick message from me: -Here is the link for the Chorus, Band & Drama spring trip to Disney World: https://tri.ps/jchsfa22
-Thank you to the JCHS singers involved in the Tenor-Bass Chorus Day yesterday! We had 76 other chorus members from Autrey Mill MS, Northview HS, River Trail MS, Cambridge HS and Hopewell MS join us.
-Congratulations to Camerata for placing 2nd at the Southern Invitational on Tuesday morning! You can find our performance here: click here
-Good luck to all singers auditioning for All State Chorus tomorrow morning!
11/6/21
Hello Chorus Families!
I have 3 important announcements:
Break a Leg to members of Camerata! They are competing in a regional chorus competition Monday & Tuesday at Georgia Southern University. You can watch us here: Gretsch School of Music Youtube Channel. We go on stage at 10:15am on Tuesday, 11/9.
The JCHS Choir Program is traveling to DISNEY WORLD in April! The band, theatre, and chorus classes are invited to go on our first Spring Trip in 3 years. We are having an Interest Meeting on Thursday, November 11 at 7 pm.
We have been invited to sing the Star Spangled Banner at an Atlanta Hawks game on 12/3 vs the Philadelphia 76'ers. We need more singers and audience members! We're getting a good deal on tickets: $45 for 1 ticket (includes a $10 voucher for food/drink). All students, families, and friends are invited! The order form is attached to this message. Money & forms are due by Tuesday, 11/9.
As always, please reach out if you need anything!
10/29/21
Hello Chorus Families!
Recognitions, Reminders & Recent News:
Congratulations to Viji, Grace, Lydia & Neeraj on their All State Reading Chorus auditions last night!
Members of Camerata received permission slips for The Southern Invitational competition today. Please send those back in & wish us luck for when we travel down to Georgia Southern University.
Break A Leg to: Viji, Grace, Christine, Alex, Christian, Neeraj & Alisha for their first round GHP Vocal interview and audition Monday!
Upcoming Chorus Dates:
Our Spring Musical is "Bright Star" by Steve Martin & Edie Brickell. Tryouts are November 1-3 with callbacks on November 5. All students must fill out this form by the time auditions begin: CLICK HERE
The members of Kor + the tenor/basses from 7 other North Fulton middle & high schools are combining on November 11 for the First Annual "Tenor-Bass Chorus Day!" Come enjoy a short concert at 6:30 in the JCHS Auditorium.
The JCHS Choir Program is traveling to DISNEY WORLD in April! The band, theatre, and chorus classes are invited to go on our first Spring Trip in 3 years. We are having an Interest Meeting on Thursday, November 11 at 7 pm.
All State Chorus auditions are Saturday, November 13 at Union Grove HS.
Our Winter Concert has been changed to Monday, December 6 at 7pm ! We are combining with the Autrey Mill MS 8th Grade Chorus.
As always, please reach out if you need anything!
10/1/21
Hello Chorus Families!
Concert time is here already. I'm so proud with each choir's musical and personal growth! I'm excited to see everyone together again next week.
Recognitions, Reminders & Recent News:
Thank you to Rachael, Charlie, and Emily who volunteered at our September Highway Cleanup! We picked up two trash bags weighing over 25 pounds, a tire, and a 15lb weight off of Old Alabama Road!
Thank you to the 7 students who performed at our September Coffee House! Our next one will be Monday, October 25 at 6:30 pm. Everyone is welcome!
Thank you to Kat for putting together the Chorus Family "Bigs & Littles" program. All new chorus members are paired with veteran member mentors.
Kor (6th period Tenor-Bass Chorus) was visited by the Director of Choral & Vocal Activities from Young Harris College this week.
Chorus Spiritwear is LIVE on the OSP site! We have stickers, t-shirts, long sleeve tees, sweatshirts, hoodies, sweaters and jackets!
Our Spring Musical is "Bright Star", by Steve Martin & Edie Brickell. Tryouts are November 1-3 with callbacks on November 5.
We are very proud to say 40% of the Chorus Program is auditioning for All State Chorus! Each of those students will receive a private vocal lesson with a local professional to help them prepare. This audition is Saturday, November 13 at Union Grove HS. Individual times are tba.
Concert Details:
We had our first Uniform Check today in class. The students look GREAT! The uniform is black from shoulders to toes. All students (minus 6th period "Kor") were given an accessory if they brought their uniforms to school today. Please make sure to take good care of these until the concert is over.
Rehearsal: Monday, 10/4 from 3:30-5:30 pm in the bus canopy. Please pick up students no later than 5:30.
Concert: Tuesday, 10/5 at 7 pm in the bus canopy. Students must arrive by 6 pm, doors open at 6:30 pm. The bus canopy is an outdoor space in the rear of the school. Please park in the back of the school by the bus lot.
Chairs for audience members will be limited to lunch tables and picnic tables. Please consider bringing your own folding chairs, camping chairs, beach chairs, etc.
FCS Guidelines for Performances state:
Audience members will be expected to comply with any mitigation strategy in place at the school.
Social distancing is always encouraged at performances.
Masks are optional for outdoor events for all attendees.
As always, please reach out if you need anything!
9/15/21
Hello Chorus Families!
I hope you've had a wonderful start of your school year. It's been a whirlwind here in the building with lots of music making and fun events already! Thank you to everyone who came out to the Chorus Social and our first coffee houses too!
Reminders & Recognitions:
Thank you to everyone who has filled out the Chorus Questionnaire. We are at 97%!
A separate email will be sent to families who have not yet paid or contacted me regarding the Chorus Fee this afternoon.
Chorus Spiritwear will be on the OSP site soon! We have t-shirts, long sleeve tees, sweatshirts, hoodies, sweaters and jackets!
We have 4 students signed up to audition for All State Reading Chorus and 26 signed up to audition for All State Chorus! Permission slips and info will be sent home for the students who have signed up.
Chorus Officers have been elected! Congratulations to the following students:
Cantare representatives: Charlie & Olive
Cantus representatives: Amrit & Noa
Camerata representatives: Grace & Marie
Kor representatives: Alex & Christina
Social Media Manager: Abby & Neeraj
Chorus Vice President: Alisha
Chorus President: Nathan
Dates:
Our monthly Coffee House is on Monday, September 27 at 6:30 pm. This is an open mic night where students can sing, play, and perform in any way they want! Friends & family are invited. Admission is $3 for non-performing guests. Sign ups are in the chorus room & you must audition before the coffee house to perform.
We have our tri-monthly Highway Cleanup on Tuesday, September 28 from 4:30-6 pm. Information can be found here.
Our first concert is coming up! Our dress rehearsal is Monday, October 4 from 3:30-5 pm, and our concert is Tuesday, October 5 at 7 pm. Please make sure all uniforms are ready.
As always, please reach out if you need anything!
8/20/21
Hello! Happy 2nd week of school!
If we have not met, my name is DJ Godinez and I am your child's Choir Director at Johns Creek HS. You'll receive emails like this in the beginning of the month and halfway through the month celebrating our accomplishments, updating you on our progress in class, and reminding you of upcoming events.
Notes & Reminders:
All families should go to the chorus website here for important information on the year
On the website, click "INFO"
Click "Handbook"
Then open and fill out the "2021-2022 Questionnaire"
Please click on the "Payments on OSP" link after and submit payment
Dates:
Our first Chorus Social is next Friday, August 27, from 7-8:30 pm. We are having a picnic in the Courtyard in the school. All students are invited for a night of food and games!
Our monthly Coffee House is on Monday, August 30 at 6:30 pm. This is an open mic night where students can sing, play, and perform in any way they want! Friends & family are invited. Admission is $3 for non-performing guests. Sign ups are in the chorus room.
We have our tri-monthly Highway Cleanup on Saturday, September 4 from 8:30-11 am. Information can be found here.
Camerata (our 3rd period choir) has been selected to perform in the Georgia Southern University "Southern Invitational" Choir Competition this Fall! We are one of 8 groups from around the state to be given this honor. Dates are 11/7-11/9. If you have a student in this group, we need chaperones to help drive and supervise the students over these few days.
As always, please reach out if you need anything!
5/21/2021
Hello! Happy last full day of school.
Thank you for making this year successful. All things considered, I think we did a lot of impressive things: -Recorded and performed on a virtual cabaret style concert in the fall -Had 9 students perform with world-renowned conductor and composer, Eric Whitacre at District Honor Choir -Put on a stellar (audience-less) Winter Concert concert -Staged the musical, The Theory of Relativity, in March -Participated in GMEA District 5 Solo & Ensemble (4 out of 5 groups received the rating of "A!) -Performed a fantastic Spring Concert with an audience!!!
But most of all, my favorite thing we did was create a sense of belonging, trust, and comfortability with one another.
Last Notes of the School Year: -Our first HIGHWAY CLEAN UP is Saturday, June 5 from 8:30-11 am! I'm attaching an informational document with everything you'll need to know. I hope to see you there!
-Our 3rd Pd Choir has been selected to perform in the Georgia Southern University "Southern Invitational" Choir Competition this Fall! We are one of 8 groups from around the state to be given this honor. Dates are 11/8 & 11/9.
-Shout out to the following singers for performing at the Baccalaureate Ceremony on 5/16: Viji B, Grace C, Abby F, Abby G, Kat G, Ella C, Jessica F, Emma J, Tiffany O, Ethan P, Marie P (also sang a lovely solo!!), Romina S, Alisha T, Samy V, Deirdre W, & Lainey W
-Graduation is on Tuesday 5/25 and we'll be singing together for the last time this school year. If you child is singing, I have tagged them with a slew of information on Teams.
Thank you for making this year better than anyone thought it could be. Congratulations to our seniors!
As always, please reach out if you need anything this summer! Sending all my love and appreciation,
DJ Godinez, Choral Director Johns Creek High School 5575 State Bridge Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30022
One more "bravo" to the all the musicians involved in our Spring Show! I am still so pleased with the show and I'm still receiving compliments about how well the performance was received. One more "thank you" to the Collins & Puckett families for helping set up the performing space!
On to the last few details of the school year:
1. We started our final assignments in choir this week. These will be the last grades of the school year, so let's please finish strong! 2. End-of-Year Awards: The following students are recognized for Choir Awards: -Most Outstanding Member of 1st Pd Choir: Katie Burkett -Most Outstanding Members of 2nd Pd Choir: Noa Dor & Abby Fraleigh -Most Outstanding Members of 3rd Pd Choir: Grace Chen & Harshini Kelam -Most Outstanding Member of 6th Pd Choir: Bill Hughes
-Award for Service to the Choir Program: Christian Lee -Musicianship Award: Ella Collins, Abby Gan, & Emma Jackson -Choir Family Award: Nathan Cohen -Director's Award: Deirdre Weissman
3. All members of 2nd & 3rd Pd Choir are invited to sing at the Senior Baccalaureate Ceremony! The service is on Sunday, May 16 from 6-7pm at Mt. Pisgah. Singers should arrive at 5:15 pm in "business casual" attire. *This is an optional performance* 4. Graduation is Tuesday, May 25 at Ameris Bank Amphitheater. Due to COVID-19 Guidelines, only 10 spots for singers are available. Each of the 10 students have already been asked to sing.
5. Our first Highway Clean-Up Day is Saturday, June 5 from 8-11 am! More details to follow.
Thank you! Take care everyone,
DJ Godinez, Choral Director Johns Creek High School 5575 State Bridge Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30022
Hi All! It's concert time! Some quick reminders for you:
Students: -Arrive at 6 pm in their show shirts, jeans, and closed toed shoes at the bus canopy and meet me in the cafeteria. -From 6-6:30, we are going to warm up and walk through the logistical details one more time. -Between 6:30-7 students and audience members can "mingle" and enjoy the Kona Ice truck -Concert begins at 7.
Audience: -You can arrive as early as 6 pm to the bus canopy (Back of the school. Do not enter from the front, please park around back) -Everyone attending the concert must have a face covering. -Households can sit together, otherwise parties should sit distanced. -There will be hardback individual blue chairs and cafeteria table seating available for you, but if you prefer to sit in your own camping/folding chair/or the like, feel free to bring that in! (I find the hard chairs can get pretty uncomfortable) -The hardback blue chairs will be in stacks near the 2 doors. Please find a spot where you are most comfortable. -Enjoy the Kona Ice truck! It's on the house :)
We are accepting all forms of hooting & hollering. It's been a while since we've had a live audience and we'll take all the cheers we can.
Thank you so much and I look forward to seeing you! If you are unable to make it, the concert will be live streamed and uploaded to @johnscreekchoir on instagram and later uploaded to our youtube channel.
DJ Godinez, Choral Director Johns Creek High School 5575 State Bridge Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30022
Important dates: April 12-14: Virtual URL days April 15: Spring Show Dress Rehearsal, 3:45-7pm. Students must attend this rehearsal in order to sing in the concert. April 16: Spring Show, students arrive at 6pm, concert begins at 7pm
Concert logistics: -YES - PLEASE ATTEND! We want an audience for our last concert of the year! The performance will be outdoors in a covered space. *Please plan on following the GHSA guidelines: spectators/audience members MUST sit distanced (unless they are from the same household) AND be masked.*
-Uniform: Students will wear Spring Show t-shirt, jeans (any color), and closed toe shoes. I will give them the t-shirt as they arrive to the Dress Rehearsal.
-Parking: Please park in the back of the school and enter through the bus canopy for the concert.
-Treats! Kona Ice will be parked at the school from 6:30-8:30 just for us! All audience members get a free 12 oz Kona Ice when they show the concert program! If you would like a different size, special cup (color changing or larger), or you don't show a concert program, then you'll have to pay for it.
Reminders & Updates: 1) End of Year Choir Banquet: The event set for Friday, April 30 has been canceled. As of today, in-person award ceremonies on or off campus are not permitted. Awards will be given out at the concert.
2) Solo & Ensemble: is over and now we wait for the judges scores. All in-person students participated in a small ensemble song, and all virtual students submitted a solo to be adjudicated. Please find the 5 ensemble performances HERE. This playlist does not include the solos for privacy reasons, but if you are interested in what your child's solo sounded like, please reach out!
3) Chorus Class Dues are PAST DUE. If you have not submitted this payment, you will receive a separate email from me this afternoon. Most families have logged onto OSP for these already, but some have not. We have Chorus Dues instead of putting on fundraisers throughout the year. Dues cover: folders, music, accompanists and outside musicians, spring concert shirts, registration for LGPE/Solo & Ensemble, upkeep of instruments and equipment, etc . You can find OSP here.
4) ClassWork & Late Work: We have 18 graded assignments (4 summative and 14 formative)! I do not check for late submissions of work - the student has the responsibility of notifying me that they have completed something after it was due.
5) Chorus Recruitment Video: is live here! Thank you very much to the Christian, Neeraj, Lia & Evee for their contributions to the final product, and the students who were interviewed. Share this with anyone who may be interested in joining the program now or in the future!
As always, I am here for you! Contact me if you need anything.
DJ Godinez, Choral Director Johns Creek High School 5575 State Bridge Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30022
Although it is only March 12, the finish line is coming quickly! Just off the top of my head, here are some dates to note:
March 15: no school March 18-21: Musical, The Theory of Relativity. Please come support the performing arts programs by purchasing a ticket: HERE. There are 17 choir students in the cast and 2 in the tech crew, and I am proud of each one! March 25-26: URL school days (students attend class from home) March 30: ACT day April 5-9: Spring Break April 12-16: URL school days (students attend class from home) April 15: Spring Show Dress Rehearsal, 3:45-7pm April 16: Spring Show, students arrive at 6pm, concert begins at 7pm
By my count, that is 11 in-person class periods and 7 URL class periods until our final performance of the year!
Reminders & Updates: 1) Solo & Ensemble: is over and now we wait for the judges scores. All in-person students participated in a small ensemble song, and all virtual students submitted a solo to be adjudicated. Please find the 5 ensemble performances HERE. This playlist does not include the solos for privacy reasons, but if you are interested in what your child's solo sounded like, please reach out!
2) Spring Show: all choir students are invited to perform in our concert on April 16. In order to attend, you must attend the dress rehearsal on April 16 from 3:45-7pm. We are inviting families and community members to attend this performance, as it will be outside under the bus canopy in the back of the school. Performers and audience members are expected to wear masks and adhere to distancing guidelines. All performers will be given a Spring Show shirt to wear for the performance.
3) Chorus Class Dues are PAST DUE. If you have not submitted this payment, you will receive a separate email from me this afternoon. Most families have logged onto OSP for these already, but some have not. We have Chorus Dues instead of putting on fundraisers throughout the year. Dues cover: folders, music, accompanists and outside musicians, spring concert shirts, registration for LGPE/Solo & Ensemble, upkeep of instruments and equipment, etc . You can find OSP here.
4) Class Work & Late Work: We have 15 graded assignments (3 summative and 12 formative)! Students have 1 assignment on SightReadingFactory.com each week in addition to other classwork. Please don't get behind on these! I do not check for late submissions of work - the student has the responsibility of notifying me that they have completed something after it was due.
5) Chorus Recruitment Video: is live here! Thank you very much to the Christian, Neeraj, Lia & Evee for their contributions to the final product, and the students who were interviewed. Share this with anyone who may be interested in joining the program now or in the future!
6) End of Year Choir Banquet: The event set for Friday, April 30 may be canceled. As of today, in-person award ceremonies are deemed unessential. I will keep you informed of any changes in plans.
As always, I am here for you! Contact me if you need anything.
DJ Godinez, Choral Director Johns Creek High School 5575 State Bridge Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30022
Dear Choir Families, here is our Mid-February News:
We are coming up on the 6 week mark of the grading period. I am sending a separate email out to those who have multiple missing assignments. If you go into the grade book and see an assignment marked "i" and/or it has the score of ".1" then it is missing. Remember, the same 80% completion/engagement threshold applies this semester. Students who do not complete at least 80% of summative assignments will not receive a numeric grade for the course and instead, will receive an “Incomplete” as their final course grade.
We have our first 2 summative grades the first week of March.
Reminders & Updates:
1) Chorus Class Dues are PAST DUE. If you have not submitted this payment, you will receive a separate email from me this afternoon. Some families have logged onto OSP for these already, but many have not. We have Chorus Dues instead of putting on fundraisers throughout the year. Dues cover: folders, music, accompanists and outside musicians, spring concert shirts, registration for LGPE/Solo & Ensemble, upkeep of instruments and equipment, etc . You can find OSP here.
2) All State Chorus & All State Reading Chorus have both been CANCELED this school year. However, there may be an opportunity for a regional Reading Chorus in the spring. Details are being formed now.
3) Class Work & Late Work: We have 10 graded assignments! Students will have 1 assignment on SightReadingFactory.com each week in addition to other classwork. Please don't get behind on these! I do not check for late submissions of work - the student has the responsibility of notifying me that they have completed something after it was due.
4) Chorus Recruitment Video: is live here! Thank you very much to the Christian, Neeraj, Lia & Evee for their contributions to the final product, and the students who were interviewed. Share this with anyone who may be interested in joining the program now or in the future!
5) Solo & Ensemble: We are working through our songs each day in class. I am so impressed at the progress we've made so far and I'm excited for our performances to be adjudicated. Performances need to be submitted to the judges by March 5.
As always, I am here for you! Contact me if you need anything.
DJ Godinez, Choral Director Johns Creek High School 5575 State Bridge Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30022
Dear Choir Families, Another month down! During the month of January, all singers sang multiple solos through FlipGrid and I couldn't be prouder of them for their performances. We've been diving deeper into finding the meanings of songs and singing as a storyteller. Our goal for February is to work on our Solo & Ensemble songs and start learning Spring Show music. Solo & Ensemble is a similar performance opportunity as Large Group Performance Evaluation (LGPE), but instead of singing with a full choir, we are performing and getting adjudicated in small groups and solos. While students have the option to attend a live performance of their piece, we will be submitting a pre-recorded performance to the judges: deadline March 5.
Reminders & Updates:
1) Chorus Class Duesare PAST DUE.Some families have logged onto OSP for these already, but many have not. We have Chorus Dues instead of putting on fundraisers throughout the year. Dues cover: folders, music, accompanists and outside musicians, spring concert shirts, registration for LGPE/Solo & Ensemble, upkeep of instruments and equipment, etc.You can find OSP here.
2)All State Chorus & All State Reading Chorus have both been CANCELED this school year. However, there may be an opportunity for a regional Reading Chorus in the spring. Details are being formed now.
3)Break a leg: Alayna, Nathan, and Marie for their performance of "The VaudeVillains" in the JCHS Theatre Department's One Act Play Competition on Saturday, 2/6!
4) Course Recommendations will be posted today in Teams. They will be listed by student number. Please keep in mind these recommendations are fluid and can change until next school year.
5) ClassWork & Late Work: We already have 8 graded assignments! Students will have 1 assignment on SightReadingFactory.com each week in addition to other classwork. Please don't get behind on these! I do not check for late submissions of work - the student has the responsibility of notifying me that they have completed something after it was due.
6) Chorus Recruitment Video: is live here! Thank you very much to the Christian, Neeraj, Lia & Evee for their contributions to the final product, and the students who were interviewed. Share this with anyone who may be interested in joining the program now or in the future!
As always, I am here for you! Contact me if you need anything.
DJ Godinez, Choral Director Johns Creek High School 5575 State Bridge Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30022
Welcome back! I hope your home has been filled with music and singing.
The singers have put in fantastic work the last two weeks by learning, researching, and performing two solos! I was deeply moved by their performances last week of "Deep River", an African American Spiritual, and I look forward to watching their performances of a solo from a Broadway musical this week! All students will be learning an English madrigal with a Shakespeare text next week.
Reminders & Updates: 1) All State Chorus & All State Reading Chorus have both been CANCELED this school year.
2) LGPE & Solo and Ensemble: JCHS Choir will not be participating in LGPE this year. Instead, the opportunity for Solo and Ensemble is available. Details will be forwarded the first week of February.
3) Congratulations to Alayna, Nathan, and Marie for their performance of "The VaudeVillains" in the JCHS Theatre Department's One Act Play! Good luck to the whole cast at the One Act competition!!
4) Course Recommendations for next school year are due soon. There is nothing for you to do on your side, but I will be basing my recommendations off of this year's participation, grades, and ability. Please contact me if you would like to know your child's recommendation.
5) Class Work & Late Work: We already have 4 graded assignments! Students will have 1 assignment on SightReadingFactory.com each week in addition to other classwork. Please don't get behind on these! I do not check for late submissions of work - the student has the responsibility of notifying me that they have completed something after it was due.
6) Chorus Spirit Wear is in! In addition to our short-sleeve shirts and hoodies, we now have long-sleeve t-shirts, sweatshirts, 1/4 zip sweaters, and jackets. Rep the choir by ordering an item (or two!) today. You can see our items on OSP here.
As always, I am here for you! Contact me if you need anything.
DJ Godinez, Choral Director Johns Creek High School 5575 State Bridge Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30022
Here is the recording from our Winter Concert: https://youtu.be/bitPzub7Ti8 We missed our warm audience yesterday when we performed! Please share with anyone you think will enjoy it.
I am so, very impressed with the performance, especially considering everything! The singers impressed me with their musicianship and attention to detail. There were so many things they put into their performance without me having to tell them, and I can only imagine what the performance would have been if we were able to rehearse and practice for the past few months. Please congratulate your child on a job well done.
This will probably be my last message before Winter Break, so please stay safe! Enjoy the holidays! Contact me if you need anything.
DJ Godinez, Choral Director Johns Creek High School 5575 State Bridge Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30022
11 more school days until break! But who is counting?? :) Before we get into all the details let's celebrate with our District Honor's Choir video: click here to watch! It features students from Fulton Schools and Atlanta Public Schools. Tiffany, Christine, Grace, Alisha, Neeraj, Abby F, and Abby G represented JCHS well! I'm proud of all of them, and would like to shout-out Abby G for being featured as the soprano soloist!
Now on to the details:
* Since we had virtual days on Monday (11/30) and Tuesday (12/1), our schedule has been bumped back. Our Winter Concert date was originally planned for Tuesday, December 8th. but is now THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10 . *
Please read this section carefully:
Due to auditorium and audience regulations, we are not allowing an audience. The choir students will perform for each other. The performance will be recorded and shared.
We will warm up at 3:45 pm and perform starting at 3:40 pm. The concert should be finished by 4:30 pm. ALL students are invited to participate in this performance.
There will be 1 after school rehearsal per choir for the in-person and face-to-face students to rehearse together with our accompanist.. Students who do not attend the after school rehearsal will not be permitted to perform in the concert.
Our after school practice with our accompanist is WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9 between 3:45 pm and 5:30 pm. Each class is free to leave after they have practiced on stage. The order we are rehearsing is 1st Pd, 2nd Pd, 3rd Pd, and 6th Pd last.
Students who are unable to participate in the performance will have the opportunity to earn points through an alternate assignment.
**Our annual "Secret Santa" week of gift giving finishes tomorrow (Friday, 12/4). Please make sure your gifts have been sent out and picked up!**
Reminders & Updates: 1) Congratulations to Grace, Nathan, and Marie for all making it to the 2nd Round of GHP Vocal! We are all proud of you and rooting for your next interview & audition.
2) JCHS Musical Auditions about finished! Singing and acting callbacks were yesterday and all dance auditions should be uploaded into FlipGrid by the end of this week.
3) Instagram is currently being run by choir students every Monday, Wednesday, & Friday on @JCHS_Chorus.
4) Late Work: I do not check for late submissions of work - the student has the responsibility of notifying me that they have completed something after it was due. With that said, please respect my time; do not expect me to grade a late assignment as soon as you turn it in. Please make sure to read Mr. Shearer's emails about Finals Week coming up.
5) Chorus Spirit Wear is in! In addition to our short-sleeve shirts and hoodies, we now have long-sleeve t-shirts, sweatshirts, 1/4 zip sweaters, and jackets. Rep the choir by ordering an item (or two!) today. You can see our items on OSP here. 6) Sight Reading Factory: while most families have paid for their year-long subscription, a few have not. You can make this payment through OSP. You can locate that here.
7) All State Chorus has been pushed back to May 21-22, 2021 and both auditions will take place in the Spring semester. I will forward information as I receive it.
8) All State Reading Chorus has been pushed back to April 15-17, 2021. It will take place at The Classic Center in Athens. Auditions will take place in the Spring semester.
As always, I am here for you! Contact me if you need anything.
DJ Godinez, Choral Director Johns Creek High School 5575 State Bridge Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30022
Lots of important dates and information here: First, I want to thank you for all the emails rooting us on and cheering for the recent performance we put on. Your kind words go a long way and they are appreciated!! If you have not watched yet, our Fall Showcase can be seen on our youtube channel: HERE.
I am excited to announce our Winter Concert date is Tuesday, December 8th. Please read this section carefully:
Due to auditorium and audience regulations, we are not allowing an audience. The choir students will perform for each other. The performance will be recorded and shared.
We will warm up at 3:30 pm and perform starting at 3:40 pm. The concert should be finished by 4:10 pm. ALL students are invited to participate in this performance.
There will be 1 after school rehearsal per choir for the in-person and face-to-face students to rehearse together with our accompanist. These will be after Thanksgiving. Students who do not attend the after school rehearsal will not be permitted to perform in the concert.
I will send an update of the required uniform in a message soon.
JCHS Musical Auditions are open! Students interested in our musical should go to www.JohnsCreekChorus.com/musical for information. The audition deadline is Sunday, November 15.
CreekSong a cappella auditions are also due by Sunday, November 15. Students should submit their information here and their audition here.
Two fun things are happening: 1) Fridays are now "Theme Days!" Last Friday was "Flannel Friday" and this Friday is "Twin Day" with the Drama department. Students should dress together with someone in chorus or in drama! 2) Choir students are now running the Instagram account every Monday, Wednesday, & Friday on @JCHS_Chorus.
Reminders: 1) Late Work: I do not check for late submissions of work - the student has the responsibility of notifying me that they have completed something after it was due. With that said, please respect my time; do not expect me to grade a late assignment as soon as you turn it in. 2) Chorus Spirit Wear is in! In addition to our short-sleeve shirts and hoodies, we now have long-sleeve t-shirts, sweatshirts, 1/4 zip sweaters, and jackets. Rep the choir by ordering an item (or two!) today. You can see our items on OSP here. 3) Sight Reading Factory: while most families have paid for their year-long subscription, a few have not. You can make this payment through OSP. You can locate that here. 4) All State Chorus has been pushed back to May 21-22, 2021 and both auditions will take place in the Spring semester. I will forward information as I receive it. 5) All State Reading Chorus has been pushed back to April 15-17, 2021. It will take place at The Classic Center in Athens. Auditions will take place in the Spring semester. As always, I am here for you! Contact me if you need anything.
DJ Godinez, Choral Director Johns Creek High School 5575 State Bridge Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30022
Dear Choir Families, Happy Fall! I hope you have heard from your students about the wonderful things we have been doing these past two weeks. I am excited to send you the link for our concert performance tonight. Please plan to watch our concert and share! The students have worked diligently on their songs and I've spent time every evening recording and editing their audio and visual files. At 7pm, the JCHS Choral Department Fall Showcase will show on our youtube channel:HERE. The video will be uploaded to our Instagram pagehereafterward. I am spending most of today planning for our next performance and inputting grades for recently completed assignments. Our Winter Concert date is currently TBD. Fine details have not been laid out, but they will be sent to you as soon as they are official. News & Reminders: 1) Late Work: I do not check for late submissions of work - the student has the responsibility of notifying me that they have completed something after it was due. With that said, please respect my time; do not expect me to grade a late assignment as soon as you turn it in. 2) Chorus Spirit Wear is in! In addition to our short-sleeve shirts and hoodies, we now have long-sleeve t-shirts, sweatshirts, 1/4 zip sweaters, and jackets.Rep the choir by ordering an item (or two!) today. You can see our items on OSP here. 3) Sight Reading Factory: while most families have paid for their year-long subscription, a few have not. You can make this payment through OSP. You can locate that here. 4) All State Chorus has been pushed back to May 21-22, 2021 and both auditions will take place in the Spring semester. I will forward information as I receive it. 5) All State Reading Chorus has been pushed back to April 15-17, 2021. It will take place at The Classic Center in Athens. Auditions will take place in the Spring semester. As always, I am here for you! Contact me if you need anything.
DJ Godinez, Choral Director Johns Creek High School 5575 State Bridge Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30022
As we ease into Phase V of reopening schools I am both nervous and excited to keep moving forward. Last week was my favorite week of school so far! The students that attended in-person were able to sing with their classmates and sing sweet harmonies for the first time in a while. We have been taking multiple precautions including singing outside and maintaining at least 6 feet between us while we do so. I'm excited to see what happens in the coming weeks! I am making the necessary changes in my planning and class structure to include the virtual students the best I can.
Please find an updated calendar on the chorus website: www.JohnsCreekChorus.com Remember that dates and information is constantly changing. I will keep the website updated to the best of my abilities.
Many students have numerous grades of "i" in the gradebook. Please keep current with grades on Infinite Campus. I do not check for late submissions of work - the student has the responsibility of notifying me that they have completed something after it was due. With that said, please respect my time; do not expect me to grade a late assignment as soon as you turn it in.
News & Reminders: 1) The Fall Concert will be completely virtual this year. The concert will be prerecorded and will be shown on our Instagram and youtube accounts on Friday, October 30. Students have been placed into various performing acts based on a survey they filled out. Students can record their performances at JCHS or in their own space. The theme isSPOOKY SEASON. 2) Chorus Spirit Wear is in! In addition to our short-sleeve shirts and hoodies, we now have long-sleeve t-shirts, sweatshirts, 1/4 zip sweaters, and jackets.Rep the choir by ordering an item (or two!) today. You can see our items on OSP here. 3) Sight Reading Factory: while most families have paid for their year-long subscription, a few have not. You can make this payment through OSP. You can locate that here. 4) All State Chorus has been pushed back to May 21-22, 2021 and both auditions will take place in the Spring semester. I will forward information as I receive it. 5) All State Reading Chorus has been pushed back to April 15-17, 2021. It will take place at The Classic Center in Athens. Auditions will take place in the Spring semester.
As always, I am here for you! Contact me if you need anything. DJ Godinez, Choral Director Johns Creek High School 5575 State Bridge Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30022
I hope you have had a chance to hear your child singing and creating music this week. If not - please ask them about their performances and our daily warm-ups and sight-reading.
Each choir has started with reviewing (and/or relearning) the foundations of music and we will be diving deeper next week. Please check grades on Infinite Campus often. I have put in at least 6 grades for each class and with all classes picking up the pace next week, it will be easy for students to fall behind.
Just a reminder: all students and their parent/guardian should have these things completed: 1) Review the Choir Handbook and submit a response for the Choir Questionnaire. These are both located in Microsoft Teams under the FILES tab & ASSIGNMENTS tab.
2) Pay for the Sight Reading Factory year-long subscription through OSP. You can locate that here. Note: All students in 3rd period and 11th-12th grade students in 6th period should have an A440 tuning fork as soon as you are able. Please contact me if you cannot obtain one.
Thank you for sharing your children with me and their other teachers. The best part of teaching is them. As always, I am here for you! Contact me if you need anything.
Musically, DJ Godinez, Choral Director Johns Creek High School 5575 State Bridge Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30022
Thank you for a fantastic start of the 2020-2021 school year. I have enjoyed meeting everyone so far, and I hope to communicate with even more of you soon.
So far, we have spent most of our time getting to know each other and learning how to navigate Microsoft Teams. Although I have been ready to jump right in, I am leaning more toward "slow & steady wins the race" for the first bit of school.
My philosophy for our Universal Remote Learning period is to engage students by allowing them to freely create music and by creating a welcoming community. To most of us, the best part of choir is the "togetherness" of it all. I am trying each day to build unity in each class until we can safely return face-to-face learning.
Each choir has started singing warm-ups and doing physical warm-ups during our class periods. I hope your home has been filled with the sound of their voice; if not, I hope you encourage an environment where your child feels safe and supported in their music making.
All students and their parent/guardian should have reviewed the Choir Handbook and submitted a response for the Choir Questionnaire. These are both located in Microsoft Teams under the FILES tab & ASSIGNMENTS tab.
I look forward to the rest of this school year and the great things we'll accomplish. As always, please email me if you need anything.
Musically, DJ Godinez, Choral Director Johns Creek High School 5575 State Bridge Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30022