Personalizing Room 197

I defiantly think that turning of the lights in the classes later in the day is a great idea because it creates a peaceful atmosphere that lets you escape from the rest of the world when you sing. For the classes in the morning though, I think it is not such a great idea because it is so early in the morning and people are not as awake. It would probably make people more tired and groggy rather that awake and ready to sing. In room 197 I love the feel when I come in the morning and see the large and colorful mural that is painted on the wall. An idea that I think would make room 197 an even happier place than it already is, is to maybe change the arrangement of the room once in a while if it is not a huge hassle. An idea is that every term, we could be facing a different way than before. We could even do this together with both concert choral and mixed chorus so we could bond with each other and our mentors. This would allow us to maybe feel more comfortable in one part of the room if you were not before, such as if you were far from the front or on an angle. Another idea to make room 197 even is that there could be more decorations and murals that are painted on the wall from the major works concerts as well as other chorus events and concerts. I think a fun theme would be Broadway. If there were to be murals from other events, it could be a mural of fall and spring because each year we have both a spring and fall concert. These murals although could be smaller so they could fill different spaces. Another idea is to have a different paper mural that is hung up in the same spot each year, but is changed each year. This would provide variety in the room for years to come. The murals could be put in the empty wall spaces so there is something different going on in all parts of the room. This would make the room busy, but when you walk into one of the already uplifting rooms in the school, the colors and pictures will make it so people are ready to sing and begin there day on an upbeat and cheerful beat.

I agree with Sarah 100%. I believe that the chorus room provides a peaceful and calm atmosphere compared to the other classrooms. Turning the lights off could further enhance this feeling, but we would also run the risk of having students falling asleep in the morning classes. However, this could potentially be a good idea for the afternoon classes as it could help remove the stress from a morning filled with tests and quizzes. It is always a joy to see the colorful Beatles' mural on the wall and I would like to see more paintings on the walls in the future, if possible. I believe they add to the atmosphere making it enjoyable and bright. However, too many paintings might be distracting. As for the all-around setup of the room, I like having the piano in the center because it is easier to focus on the music and the composing. Last year, the piano was on the alto side of the room and luckily, so was I. I believe it may have been more difficult for people to focus having the teacher on the other side of the room. Changing the setup of the room is also a very good idea. If it is not to much of a hassle, I believe that it would add excitement to mix up the order of the chairs or even the students. Last year before each concert, my teacher would have us sit in a sporano-alto-soprano format to see how well we could sing and support our voice part even if we were all separated. As for the atmosphere, I love coming into room 197 in the morning and listening to the variety of music that is always playing. I believe it is a perfect way to start the day.