GPFAA Vocal Music Guild

Celebrating its 10th year, GPFAA Vocal Music is home to 130 middle and high school students (numbers vary yearly) who receive a "double" choir class daily. Students are highly trained for their age and learn sight-reading and various genres and styles of choral literature, including classical, opera, musical theatre, contemporary, and pop. The program's purpose is to develop and enhance vocal abilities and skills for students pursuing music and choral art as a vocation and avocation. Vocal Music is under the direction of Mr. Joel Duarte and Ms. Alexis Galindo.

GPFAA Vocal Music has a total of nine performing ensembles and, in a short time, has earned many national and regional awards, including:

• 2023 ACDA Invitational (HS Tenor-Bass)
• 2022 Mark of Excellence National Winner (HS Tenor-Bass)
• 2022 Mark of Excellence Commended Winner (HS GPFAA Singers)
• 2022 Mark of Excellence Commended Winner (MS Tenor-Bass)
• 2022 Finalist American Choral Prize (HS GPFAA Singers)
• 2022 SWACDA Honor Choirs (Individual HS Students)
• 2021 GRAMMY Museum Signature School Enterprise Award (High School)
• 2021 2nd Place American Choral Prize (HS GPFAA Singers)
• 2021 2nd Place American Choral Prize (HS Treble Singers)
• 2020 SWACDA Invitational (HS GPFAA Singers)
• 2020 Mark of Excellence National Winner (HS GPFAA Singers)
• 2019 Mark of Excellence National Winner (HS GPFAA Singers)
• 2019 National ACDA Conference Invitational (HS Treble Singers)
• 2018 Festival Di Voce Best In Class Mixed Choir (HS GPFAA Singers)
• 2018 Festival Di Voce Overall Grand Champion (HS GPFAA Singers)

GPFAA Vocal Music also has a rich tradition of earning prestigious state-level awards:

• 2023 TMEA Conference Invitational (MS Tenor/Bass)
• 2019 TMEA Conference Invitational (HS GPFAA Singers)
• UIL Concert and Sight-Reading Evaluation (MS and HS Consistent Sweepstakes Awards)
• HS UIL State Solo and Ensemble (Outstanding Performers)
• TMEA All-State Choirs (Individual HS Students Place Annually)
• All-District Choirs (Large Group of Individual HS Students Place Annually) 
• TCDA All-State Choirs (Individual MS Students Place Annually) 
• All-Region Choirs  (Large Group of Individual MS Students Place Annually) 

GPFAA (Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy) is a Blue-Ribbon 6th through 12th-grade public school, is located in Grand Prairie, TX, in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. It was established in 2013 to meet the needs of students that wish to study fine arts. The school comprises seven fine arts strands (dance, jazz band, mariachi, orchestra, theatre, visual arts, and vocal music), emphasizing advanced academics. Admission to the school is through audition. 

According to US News and World Report Best School Rankings, GPFAA is #6 in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, #15 in Texas, and #120 Nationally. Rankings are based upon performance on state-required tests, graduation rates, and how well the school prepares students for college.

OUR NEEDS

All donations go directly to the Vocal Music Guild's general operating fund, which pays for Vocal Strand programming, supplies, and items not covered through the regular school budget.

Major Yearly Purchases Include:

1. Music
2. Uniforms and uniform dry-cleaning costs
3. Guest teacher/clinician fees
4. Photographer, videographer, and choreographer fees
5. Vocal equipment (keyboards, microphones, amplifiers, soundboards/sound systems, traveling sound systems, chair carts, music shelves, acoustical doors, soundproof equipment)
6. Venue rentals - Christmas Concert and Spring Show
7. Fall Festival and Coffee House event costs
8. High School Fall Retreat
9. Middle School end-of-year field trip
10. All-State Choir gear
11. Middle School All-Region (3x Repeat) gear
12. Regional/National choir festival and competition expenses
13. Teacher appreciation luncheon (school-wide)
14. 501(c)(3) business operations and office supplies
15. Maintenance for baby grand piano
16. Trophy plaques and banners
17. Graduating Senior Scholarship Fund for Vocal strand students pursuing collegiate-level music degrees
18. TFME (Texas Future Music Educators) Chapter Expenses
19. Entry Fees for contests and festivals
     

In addition to the purchases above, our long-term goals include: 

1. Provide weekly private voice lesson scholarships (need-based).

2. Build Guild funding to have 12 months of cash in reserve at all times.