GPFAA Vocal Music Guild

Celebrating its 12th year, GPFAA Vocal Music is home to 110 Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy 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 has earned many awards and distinctions.

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL AWARDS

• 2024 Mark of Excellence National Winner (HS Treble)
• 2024 SWACDA Invitational Denver, CO (HS Treble) & SWACDA Honor Choirs (17 HS Students)
• 2023 Mark of Excellence National Winner (HS Tenor-Bass) & Commended Winners (HS Treble & MS Tenor-Bass)
• 2023 ACDA Invitational Cincinnati, OH (HS Tenor-Bass) & SWACDA Honor Choirs (10 HS Students)
• 2023 1st Place American Choral Prize (HS Mixed) Choral Performance & 3rd Place (HS Mixed) Virtual Performance
• 2022 SWACDA Honor Choirs Little Rock, AR (13 HS Students)
• 2022 Mark of Excellence Winner (HS Tenor-Bass) & Commended Winners (HS Mixed & MS Tenor-Bass)
• 2022 2nd Place American Choral Prize (HS Mixed) Choral Performance
• 2022 3rd Place American Choral Prize (HS Mixed) Virtual Performance
• 2021 GRAMMY Museum Signature School Enterprise Award (HS Program)
• 2021 2nd Place American Choral Prize (HS Mixed) Choral Performance
• 2020 SWACDA Invitational Little Rock, AR (HS Mixed)
• 2020 & 2019 Mark of Excellence Winner (HS Mixed)
• 2019 ACDA Invitational Kansas City, MO (HS Treble)
• 2018 On Stage Contest Nashville, TN Directors Choice Award & Gold 1st (HS Program)
• 2017 International Invitational Choral Competition Verona, Italy (HS Mixed) Silver Award

STATE AWARDS (TEXAS)

• 2023 TMEA Invitational San Antonio, TX (MS Tenor-Bass)
• 2019 TMEA Invitational San Antonio, TX (HS Mixed)
• 2018 Festival Di Voce Best In Class (HS Mixed & Overall Grand Champion (HS Mixed)
• UIL State Solo & Ensemble (Outstanding Performers & HS Earns 1's & 2's)
• TMEA All-State Choirs (HS Annually)
• TCDA All-State Choirs (MS Multiple Years) 

REGIONAL AND LOCAL AWARDS (OTHER)

• 2022 FOREIGNER Concert Fort Worth (12 HS Students Opened)
• NATS DFW/Tri-State Awards (MS & HS Multiple Years)
• TMEA All-Region Choirs (MS & HS Annually) 
• UIL Regional Concert & Sight-Reading (Sweepstakes Annually)
• UIL Regional Solo & Ensemble (MS & HS Earn 1's & 2's)

OUR SCHOOL

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

According to US News and World Report Best School Rankings, GPFAA is #11 in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, #30 in Texas, and #185 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 benefit GPFAA Vocal Music Guild's general operating fund, which pays for programming, supplies, and items not covered through the 24-25 school and district budget. 

Yearly Purchases & Expenditures:

1. Music
2. Uniforms & uniform dry-cleaning
3. Guest teacher/clinician fees
4. Photographer, videographer, & choreographer fees
5. Vocal equipment (keyboards, microphones, amplifiers, soundboards/sound systems, traveling sound systems, chair carts, music shelves, acoustic doors, soundproof equipment)
6. Concert rentals - Christmas Concert & Spring Show
7. Fall Festival & Coffee House events
8. HS Fall Retreat, Field Trips, & Festivals
9. MS Field Trips & Festivals
10. HS All-State Choir Gear
11. MS All-Region Awards
12. Regional/National Honor Choir expenses
13. Teacher Appreciation (July & May school-wide)
14. 501(c)(3) business operations & office supplies
15. Used baby grand piano (purchased by Guild in 2022) & other piano maintenance/tuning
16. Choir Room trophies, plaques, banners
17. Graduating Senior Scholarships for Vocal strand students. 4 scholarships totaling $3,000 are planned for 2025. ($5,500 & 7 scholarships awarded since 2023). 
18. TFME (Texas Future Music Educators) HS Chapter & TMEA expenses
19. National contest entry fees 
20. Storage Supplies
21. MANY Misc Expenses - budget is different - singing schedule changes every year

In addition to the above, our long-term (future) goals include: 

1.  Establish private vocal lesson scholarship program and assist with honor choir or competition entry fees (both need-based) for individual MS and HS students.

2. Build Guild funding to have six months of cash reserve at all times - program longevity.