Music is an essential part of every child’s education and is a rewarding experience that will enrich your child’s life for years to come. The Smithfield Choir Department is comprised of six different choirs: 6th Grade Boys, 6th Grade Girls, 7th Grade Boys, 8th Grade Boys, 7/8th Grade Concert Treble Choir, and 7/8th Grade Varsity Treble Choir. There are approximately 370 students involved in our choral family. Smithfield Choir is an exciting opportunity for you, as a parent, to enroll your child in a class where they will have the chance to be creative, give them a sense of belonging, gain self-confidence and learn a skill that might otherwise never be discovered. Proper fundamentals and learning to read music is stressed in the Smithfield Middle School Choir Department. Students will learn healthy vocal technique for a variety of musical styles from classical to pop. Students will also be taught to read and write music in unison, two and three parts. Being in choir will instill a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence in your child because they will learn to make meaningful music. It takes a lot of discipline to be in choir. Students must be willing to work hard in class and occasional before/after school rehearsals. Most SMS Choir students choose to continue with choir at Birdville High School, and they receive an excellent foundation at SMS. Students have a lot of fun when they join the SMS choirs. Your child will face a tough transition is middle school. Choir is the perfect place to give them a sense of community, family, and teamwork. We have many social events throughout the year, which promote your child’s social growth. Some of the events that your child will be invited to participate in include: Mountasia, Choir lock-in, Laser Quest, NRH2O and Six Flags as well as holiday performances and time at area malls. We also participate in community service activities like singing in area nursing homes, which raises the spirits of others in our community. Upon joining the SMS Choir program, your child will experience a unique variety of musical, academic, and social events. Even if your child has never sung before, or doesn’t think he or she can, here are several reasons why choir would be the perfect elective choice: IT’S FUN! It’s the perfect way not to be lost in the larger crowds at the middle school. Choir gives students a place to call home and an immediate group of friends. Finding “their place” in the middle school environment will be challenging for your child. Choir provides an immediate place where your child can feel at home. Approximately 370 students currently call the SMS choir department their own. IT’S OUTSTANDING! The Smithfield Choir department is recognized as one of the finest choral music programs in the state of Texas. In 2006 and 2009 we were selected as one of the top Middle School Choirs in Texas (TMEA Honor Choir) and we had the privilege of singing in San Antonio before all Texas Music Educators. The SMS choir has established a tradition of excellence in competitions such as UIL Concert and Sight Reading Contest, Birdville I.S.D. Solo Contest, Hurricane Harbor Choral Contest, and All-Region Choir auditions. We consistently receive the highest possible Sweepstakes Awards at annual U.I.L. competitions. We are the only choir department that has been selected “Best in Class” at the Hurricane Harbor Music Festival for the past eight years and have also been selected as “Grand Champion” twice. We consistently place more students in All-Region Choir than any other choir department in BISD. We had 32 SMS choir students selected to the All-Region choir in this year alone. While being in choir is fun, it is not “just for fun”. A very serious approach to music reading and writing unison music is accomplished. In 7th and 8th grade, music reading is expanded to include two and three part music. Proper, healthy singing technique is always stressed, as the students perform in four concerts per year. IT’S INEXPENSIVE! In these tough economic times, We realize that cost may be a factor in your child’s elective choice. The choir students will have uniforms, which are rented from the choir office for a nominal fee and the purchase of a choir t-shirt. IT’S DEVELOPMENTAL! Your child will develop skills which sharpen your child’s ability to comprehend abstractions. By learning to read music, your child will be exposed to math skills that they might find difficult in a math class, but will be made much easier to understand through music. Music theory is based on fractions, addition, division and problem solving. History is taught by learning about the back grounds of composers, the style of the music and the cultural significance that it provides. Foreign languages are explored (usually Latin, Spanish, German, and Italian.) | 
