Joining Choir
We hope your student decides to be a part of choir next year! A choir member's instrument is their voice, so they can begin singing at any grade level. One of the best ways to set a solid foundation for your growth as a singer and choir member is to begin as soon as possible. If you are new to Argyle or your student missed out on participating in sixth grade choir, please email Mrs. Taylor-Dixon and we will see if we can do anything for your student.
A little bit about the choir program:
6th Grade Choir
6th grade choir meets daily just like their other classes and takes place during the school day just like their other classes. Your students will be in same-gender classes (All girls will be in a girls’ choir class, boys will be in a boys’ choir class) and before and after school commitments are very minimal!
Our primary focus in 6th grade choir is getting your student started on the right foot. They will learn the anatomy and physiology of the voice and how all the parts work together to produce a beautiful tone. We will also begin to teach them how to read notes and rhythms to set them up for future success. Our goal at the end of your student's beginner choir year is for them to be able to look at any piece of sheet music and be able to figure out how to play it.
In addition to learning how to sing individually and as a group at a high level, we try to teach important life lessons through our choir program. The biggest lessons we want your students to take from choir are grit and a growth mindset. We are very up front with your students that they will make a LOT of mistakes their beginner year, but those mistakes are great learning opportunities and opportunities to get better. We hope they take those lessons into their other classes and into the rest of their lives.
Our choir students will also learn a lot about persistence and work ethic. Those two characteristics are incredibly important to being successful when life throws obstacles their way, and we all know how often that happens! There is no better place to learn about that than a choir class where your students WILL make frequent mistakes in a supportive setting and learn from them!
We hope your students choose to join our choir program! If you have any questions about joining choir in sixth grade, please email Mrs. Taylor-Dixon!
Choir: a great way to begin learning music
One of the best ways to set a solid foundation for your growth as a singer and choir member is to begin in 6th grade. We will always encourage students interested in choir to begin sooner rather than later, however, your student can join choir at any point in time! Once your students are in 7th and 8th grade, they will get additional elective slots (2 in 7th grade and 3 in 8th grade) and can add whichever electives they would like to! We have a lot of overlap with band, art, and theater (and of course, athletics!) We will work with your students and our other elective teachers to make sure your students can participate in everything!
Frequently Asked Questions:
My student is very busy! Can they also be in athletics, UIL academics, and other groups?
YES! We encourage our choir students to participate in athletics, UIL Academics and other school activities. Many of our choir students are very successful athletes, as well as ACADEMIC leaders of our school! There have always been choir students who are also top 10 students in the graduating class at the high school.
There are very few after-school commitments in beginner choir (Typically 4-5 per year). Even in Varsity Choir, our most advanced choir class, most of our students participate in athletics, UIL Academics, and many other activities.
We take a lot of pride in having well-rounded students in Argyle ISD and a large part of that is having students who are able to participate in everything. There is not a single activity or sport in the district that we have not shared students with, and that's a huge point of pride for us!
What do I have to know about music to join choir?
Nothing at all and no experience is needed! Everything you need to know about singing and how to read music will be taught in beginner choir. Any previous musical knowledge is a bonus, but not necessary for success!
How do I know what voice part I am?
We meet with every student one-on-one and take some time to get to know them, test their range and see what voice part would be the best fit for them. The hardest thing about singing is learning how all the parts of the voice work together to produce a beautiful sound. We are determined to help your student grow as a vocalist so they will be successful at and enjoy singing!
When do students join choir?
Like sports, one is welcome to join choir at any point in time, but one of the best ways to set a solid foundation for your growth and success as a singer and choir member is to begin as soon as possible, typically in 6th grade. We will always encourage students interested in choir to begin sooner rather than later, however, your student can join choir at any point in time! Beginner classes are offered in 7th grade, 8th grade, and non-varsity classes are offered at the high school. Promotion to the varsity level choirs is based on the student’s tone development, proficiency singing a piece of music at sight, and overall musicality.
Who will be in choir?
Your student’s friends and fellow classmates will join them in what will be some of the most exciting and fun times of their school experience. Many of our students are the school leaders and among the most successful students in Argyle ISD!
Just in the last 9 years, we have had students who play every single sport Argyle offers. We have had UIL Academic state champions as well as national merit scholars in our choir program. Your students will be among the best of the best students in the district and we hope the lessons they learn in choir will help get them to that level as well.
What fun things will we do in choir?
The best reward is learning to sing and make music! Your students will experience many parties, trips, concerts, contests & performances throughout the year! In the past, middle school choir trips have included:
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Medieval Times
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Hibachi
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Main Event
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Six Flags
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Epic Waters
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Rollerskating
High school choir trips have included Nashville and Disney World/Universal Studios.
My student has Asthma / Braces/Dyslexia/a physical disability or another underlying medical condition. Can they be in choir?
Absolutely! We've had many students with asthma, and many of our students get braces in middle school. Singing can actually be beneficial for students with Asthma as it helps strengthen the lungs!
We'll make it work for any student who wants to be a part of our organization! If you can think of a medical condition, chances are, we've helped a student work around it in the past, and if we haven't, we look forward to helping your student through it!
How much will this cost me?
We will NEVER let money be an obstacle for joining our choir program. If you are in need of financial assistance, payment plans are always available and you can always contact the choir directors confidentially and we will do everything we can to help you out!
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That being said, our typical SGC choir fees are:
- $40 for a choir fee to cover contest entries, miscellaneous things purchased throughout the year for your students, and a choir binder that includes pencils, highlighter, pencil pouch, dividers, page protectors and repertoire. We also order a few other things in bulk for all students to have and to save you some money.
- $25 T-shirt required for all students
Choir fees for Advanced Choir students only at AMS (7th/8th grade):
-$70 which covers their choir formal uniform (Custom tailored to fit them) contest entries, miscellaneous things purchased throughout the year for your students, and a choir binder that includes pencils, highlighter, pencil pouch, dividers, page protectors and repertoire. We also order a few other things in bulk for all students to have and to save you some money.
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Choir fees for High School Choir students only at AMS (7th/8th grade):
-$100 which covers their choir formal uniform (Custom tailored to fit them) contest entries, miscellaneous things purchased throughout the year for your students, and a choir binder that includes pencils, highlighter, pencil pouch, dividers, page protectors and repertoire. Includes Booster Club membership for parent/guardians. We also order a few other things in bulk for all students to have and to save you some money.
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$25 T-shirt required for all students
If you are ever in need of financial assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out. We will not let money be an obstacle for your students to be in choir.
I have a question that isn't listed on here!
Email Mrs. Taylor-Dixon with ANY other 6th-8th grade specific questions you may have and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!
Benefits of Musical Instruction
Choir is much more than a class to learn how to sing. It is the development of a family of friends that lasts a lifetime and establishes some profound influences. These influences will determine much of your child’s success in all aspects of education, not just music. There has been a lot of research about the benefits of music, some of which are listed below!
From the Harvard Graduate School: People who play an instrument regularly have higher executive function skills than non-musicians. Read for more on the case for musical training in schools.
A research team reports that early music training dramatically enhances children's abstract reasoning skills. These findings indicate that music uniquely enhances higher brain functions required for mathematics, chess, science and engineering.
Neurological Research, Feb 28, 1997; Frances Rauscher, Ph.D., Gordon Shaw, Ph.D, University of California, Irvine
A two-year Swiss study involving 1,200 children in 50 schools showed that students involved in the music program were better at languages, learned to read more easily, showed an improved social climate, showed more enjoyment in school, and had a lower level of stress than non-music students.
Der Musikalische Mensch, Weber, E.W., Spychiger, M. & Patry, J.L.
The College Entrance Examination Board found that students involved in public school music programs scored 107 points higher on the SAT's than students with no participation.
Profiles of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board
U.S. Department of Education data on more than 25,000 secondary school students found that students who report consistent high levels of involvement in instrumental music over the middle and high school years show "significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12."
U.S. Department of Education NELLS88 Database
A study at MIT concluded in December 2020 and published in the Journal of Neuroscience found:
"Musicians' brains were vastly more structurally and functionally connected than non-musicians, especially in areas of the brain responsible for speech and sound (especially the auditory cortices of both hemispheres). ... The musical group also showed stronger connections from the auditory cortices to other brain areas in the frontal, parietal, and temporal cortex known to be involved in the control of higher cognitive functions like memory, working memory, and executive functions.