BMS Choir Newsletter

What a roller coaster ride!

This has been a crazy year for many of us with its many twists and turns. The ups and downs have been a challenge but through it all, we are still here and making it work. We are making music in the choir room. We are being mindful of all the COVID requirements and meeting them to ensure student safety while we create, move, and perform in class. We want to take a moment to thank all the students, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and parental guardians who have taken the time and made sacrifices to make this face to face and online educating work.

During this holiday time, we encourage you to find the good and celebrate it. Find the simple things in life that you are grateful for and share them with someone else. We need it now more than ever. I know that I am grateful for all of you and the things you do with your children. It does make a difference and I see every day. Thank you!

This past week we asked students in the choir classroom to take the time to write thank-you notes to the students and staff at BMS. This is an initiative that has been undertaken by all the music ensembles here at BMS. We are very grateful as a music staff for the new building and the music wing. All the rehearsal spaces are awesome and we anxiously await for the performing arts center to be finished. Below are some pictures of the rooms and the PAC. Please enjoy.

Your child should have recently brought home a letter. This letter is just explaining some expectations and guidelines for the choir classroom. Below is a link to the form. Please complete this form by Friday, November 20th.

The biggest thing we want to be very clear with is that we will be singing with masks on during the class period. The boosters have purchased plastic mask spacer for all the choir students. Each student will be issued two masks free of charge. These spacers make it easier to breathe when performing. We ask that students use the mask spacers on their face to face days. Mask and spacers are not needed for online days of instruction. We ask students to sanitize the mask after each use and alternate the use of them during the week.

Please contact Mrs. Wank or Mr. Albright if you have any questions.

Click Here for the form.

Click Here For The Most Up-To-Date For Safety & Guidelines For Performing

The Aerosol study just released its preliminary results from the 3rd part of the study. We are following these guidelines for performance safety. We are very excited about the study and be given the opportunity to perform during the school day.

Click the links for the Weekly Assignments for 11/23- 11/24

6th Grade

7th Grade

8th Grade

There have been several changes to the BMS Choir Department. I am excited about these changes for the future of the program. I would like to welcome Mrs. Wank and Mr. Little to the choir team. You can read their bios below. Not only are they teaching choir they are also teaching band and orchestra. I am looking forward to working with both these great music educators this year.

Mr. Adam Albright is in his 18th year of teaching and directs 6th, 7th and 8th-grade choirs at Brunswick Middle School. Mr. Albright is also the Director of the Brunswick Middle School Drama Club and 8th-grade football coach.

Email: aalbright@bcsoh.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brunswicksouthchoirs
Twitter: @BMS_Choirs

Michelle Wank is a music teacher in Brunswick City Schools and has degrees in Music Education from Baldwin Wallace University (B.M.E) and The University of Michigan (M.M. Ed.). Most recently she has taught middle school choir and band in Brunswick, but in her 14 years there she has also taught high school and elementary band, K-5 general music, and beginning orchestra. Previous teaching assignments include North Royalton and Elyria City Schools. In August of 2019, Michelle was hired to fill a one-year position as Associate Professor of Music Education at Baldwin Wallace University where she was responsible for teaching courses in Choral Music Methods, General Music Methods, Vocal Technique, and Culturally Responsive Teaching. Michelle is a member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).

Email: mwank@bcsoh.org

SCOTT LITTLE holds a Bachelor’s in Music Education from Kent State University. His studies have included oboe with Danna Sundet, composition with Dr. Frank Wiley and Dr. Adam Roberts, and voice with Dr. Jay White. Though primarily an oboist, Mr. Little is also an active composer. His creative projects include a chamber opera, as well as full orchestral and choral works. Mr. Little was the 2019 winner of the Winifred Collins Scholarship for Music Education as part of the Tuesday Musical Association Competition, and he is a recipient of a Bascom Little Fund Grant.

In his free time, Mr. Little enjoys listening to podcasts, having long conversations with friends, and pushing the limits of how much peanut butter one person can consume. He is very excited to begin teaching music in Brunswick this year!

Email: slittle@bcsoh.org