CHS’s Patron of the Arts program
Thank you for interest in supporting the CHS Chorus and Fine Arts Program by becoming a Patron of the Arts! The following is a list of the different levels of sponsorship & perks:
Patron of Music: $100.00 donation gift
Bronze level: $200.00 donation gift
Silver level: $500.00 donation gift
Gold level: ≥ $1000.00 donation gift
Patrons of Music:
Can purchase presale tickets to the Spring Choral performance and will be seated before the general public at the Spring Choral Performance.
Bronze Patrons:
Can purchase presale tickets to both the Christmas and Spring Choral performance plus the Valentine’s Café Amour- Songs of Love performance & Spring Musical, Newsies. Bronze Patrons will be seated prior to the general public for all of these performances. Bronze Patrons can submit a business or personal add to have digitally displayed during the spring musical. Ads will be continuously running on the big screen in the lobby during the Newsies musical.
Silver and Gold Patrons:
Can purchase presale tickets to both the Christmas Spring Choral performance plus the Valentine’s Café Amour- Songs of Love performance and the Spring Musical, Newsies. Silver & Gold Patrons will be seated prior to the general public for all of these performances. Also, they get a full page add in the spring musical playbill.
Early seating: Doors will open for early Patron seating 10 minutes prior to general seating.
Patron Ticket Presale: You will be notified via email about when to buy your presale tickets at CHS. We strongly recommend buying your tickets early so as to avoid sell - outs and long lines. On the night of performances, you will proceed directly to the Patron door to gain early entrance to performances.
Patrons and / or businesses will have their names listed as donors in each performance program of the chorus as well as in the playbill of the spring musical.
Where is Patron donation money going & updates on previously raised Patron donations?
This fall Mr. Choate was able to purchase all new musical stands, microphones, a mixer, cords, and a portable sound system to take on the road for community performances. Previously that equipment had to be rented for productions and concerts.
PIANO update: cost $10,000-$20,000
Mr. Choate has been saving from our Patron’s funds and plans to purchase a new piano this spring! The classroom piano was purchased as a rebuilt piano and has lost its ability to hold tuning over the years. It is old and in great need of replacement. The piano technician has said it is no longer cost effective to attempt to tune it. A piano for the size of our auditorium has to be large enough to fill the space with its sound, otherwise it is not audible to audiences / performing ensembles.
CHORAL RISERS: Estimated at approximately $14,000
Mr. Choate has been saving from our Patron’s funds and plans to purchase new risers this spring! Our choral risers are breaking down after nearly 20 plus years of use. A replacement set is needed soon to avoid accidents.
Continued needs we are hoping to meet with our Patron program:
- UNIFORMS for underprivileged students- $90 per student
Students on fee waivers are not required to purchase uniforms. However, we ensure that each child is dressed like all of those participating. Thus, we are responsible for providing uniforms for each student. With our program growing each year, this is becoming more and more of a burden.
- Other Misc Costs- $$$$
The CHS Choral Program constantly faces challenges with student needs regarding participation in honors events and All Mid – State All State Choir. We provide these students with monetary contributions from our school account, which causes the program to bear the total financial burden for these students who could otherwise not participate. Furthermore, we encounter extreme costs with busing performing groups to represent our school and community, paying for accompanists and guest musicians, and renting performing spaces and event venues.
- CHORAL MUSIC LIBRARY EQUIPMENT: $5,000
Providing classroom materials such as choral music, octavos, and collections for nearly 500 students per year means collecting tons of copies of musical works. Thus, we are in desperate need of storage cabinets, choral filing system materials, and other necessary items to assist with organization, storage, and general maintenance of massive choral music library.
- GRAND DRAPE, LEGS, AND TEASER CURTAINS- Approximately $25,000
Over the past 20 years, the weight of our old grand drape along with weathering, humidity and heat from lighting instruments caused it to dry rot. The curtain legs have also deteriorated to the point of being unsafe and can no longer be used. These curtains have to be custom made to the dimensions of our stage and are very costly. We need these for our theatrical and stage productions.
- PROJECTOR, BACKDROP, LIGHTING AND SOUND INSTRUMENTS: $25,000
Lighting and wireless microphones that are currently used are out of date and the models are obsolete and need to be replaced. Additionally, each bulb that has to be purchased when a fixture needs a replacement is in excess of $40.00 each. This is an extreme financial burden on our program and is something we face often.
The program you are supporting: The following is a brief highlight of our Choral and Fine Arts programs:
CHS Chorus: CHS Chorus is an elective class taught and musically directed by Michael Choate. CHS has five separate choirs consisting of over 600 students ranging from freshman through senior grades. Each of the choirs meets daily to rehearse, following a curriculum based upon the National and State Standards for Music Education. Additionally, an IB Music program promotes the highest caliber of musicianship and musical studies, steering some of the most talented students at CHS toward collegiate musical studies. CHS Choral Music Education is the most widely pursued curricular among students campus-wide. CHS Choral students consistently rank first in Tennessee for numbers of students in the Mid and All State Choirs. Likewise, CHS consistently has talented students audition and selected to attend the Governor’s School for Music. The choral program participates in several musical events in the community and annually hosts local Veteran’s Day performances, Christmas performances and spring performances. Choral members also perform with the TTU Music Department annually in the Candlelight Concert. CHS Choirs have been honored to sing concerts in venues such as the Grand Ole Opry, and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. Likewise, choirs have performed national anthems for the UT Vols, Lady Vols, Memphis Grizzlies, and the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA. The CHS Chorus was featured in a PBS documentary entitled Celebrate America. CHS choirs have consistently received superior ratings in local, regional, and national contests and festivals and have won Grand Championship Awards in contests in Chicago, New York, Texas, and Florida.
CHS Fine Arts Program: This program produces a yearly spring musical at CHS. Michael Choate is the musical and artistic director for the productions, and he teams with Kim Frick- Welker as Director to produce outstanding and award winning musicals. The annual musical requires months of planning, set building, costume designing, and countless rehearsals. Past musicals have had casts of 100-130 students. While having a cast this size is challenging, it gives so many students the wonderful opportunity to perform and grow in their confidence of singing, dancing and acting. Student talent is honed and the kids will tell you that their lives are forever enriched by the experience of being a part of something so great and beautiful. Past performances have included Mary Poppins, West Side Story, Les Miserables, and Phantom of the Opera, and Singin’ in the Rain to name a few. This year’s musical will be Newsies. The quality of the musicals is outstanding. A live orchestra accompanies the performers; flying systems have been utilized in Mary Poppins, and Phantom of the Opera.
The school budget is limited regarding supporting a chorus and fine arts department of this magnitude. Yet, our local high school is putting forth award-winning musicals and is one of the top chorus programs in the state. Your support ensures the success and continuation of these important enriching programs. We are so grateful for your willingness to financially support this worthy endeavor.