Fine Arts - A gem in Alvarado's crown (Posted 1/26/2010 12:38 pm)
By Christopher Amos
A group of boys shuffled into a building the Alvarado Junior High band and choir share. After cheerful hellos, choir director Johanna Ray issued instructions.

“Chin up, neck high, shoulders back, deep breaths, knees relaxed,” she said as the boys quickly complied.

The group warmed up before vocalizing scales. Some boys made notes with sign language as they sang.

“Ho ho ho ho ha ha ha ha ha,” they vocalized in staccato unison before singing scales with Ray playing an electric piano. In time, they started the day’s lesson.

“Over there are some of the awards we have won,” Ray said later motioning to a wall of Interscholastic Urban League plaques. “We do a good job with what we have. This room isn’t designed for choir, but we’re glad to have what we have.”

The Alvarado Independent School District choir program consistently wins awards, and the high school regularly has individuals and ensembles earn positions on region and state choirs.

Such success is the result of experience of both the directors and the students and of a cooperative system through the district.

Some students try out for choir for the first time in high school while others have had training in the district choir program for years, high school director Edward Smith said.

“We have a diverse program in the district and we have wonderful instructors throughout the program,” Smith said.

Superintendent Dr. Chester Jurosca agrees the fine arts program as a whole is special.

“There are a good many jewels in the Alvarado’s crown, but perhaps the shiniest one is our fine arts program,” Jurosca said.  “Across the board, our students compete with the finest programs in the state in the areas of vocal and instrumental music, theater and visual arts.”

Alvarado ISD does not have financial advantage over other school districts, the superintendent explained.

“Most of the other schools have a very affluent clientèle that can provide private instruction and coaching in these areas for their students,” he continued.  “Most of our students do not have these kinds of resources, but with efforts from a super dedicated staff working with our very talented and determined students, we turn out champions, blue ribbon winner and first division performers.”

Assistant director Fran Leddy directs some programs at the high school, assists Smith with varsity choir and directs the intermediate school choir. Ray directs the junior high choirs. Marcy Smith, wife of the high school director, is in charge of the program at Lillian Elementary while Beth Smith does double-duty with Alvarado Elementary North and Alvarado Elementary South.

Smith relates an interesting story of his road to being the high school director. When he was attending  high school in Baton Rouge, choir was one of the last things on his mind.

“In order to make my schedule work, I needed to take one more class,” he recalled. “That one more class turned out to be choir and I have been in love with choral singing ever since.”

Smith went on to received a Bachelor of Music from Texas Wesleyan University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1979. He also attended Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University and received a Master of Divinity from Brite Divinity School at TCU.