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Join Us
Seize
the moment...act now on your or your child's interest in
singing! We
suggest that you:
1. Read our Frequently
Asked Questions page.
2. Check the Rehearsal Location and
Audition/Interview Schedules below and arrange
an audition; or
3. Call
or e-mail
us for an audition appointment, download the Application Form, fill it in and bring it to the audition; or
4. Enter your child into one of our Singing
Festivals; or
5. Bring your child to any of our performances.
To express interest in joining contact our founder-artistic director, Steve Stevens. When you contact us, please be prepared to leave
your daytime and evening phone numbers and your child's name
and school grade level. Also, when inquiring about an audition appointment, please be sure to mention which of our locations is closest to you. You will be contacted as soon as possible.
Rehearsal Locations
and Audition/ Interview Schedules
Auditions/Interviews are by arranged
appointment. Each school year they begin in mid-August and early September (new members
start in September), November and early December (new members
start in January), March at the end of our Sing! Sing!! Sing!!!
festival (new members start in April) and finally in late May
through mid-June (new members start in September). Columbia
Choirs does not rehearse during the summer, but appointments
for audition may be arranged in mid-August and early September
new
members starting in the choir the week after school resumes
in September.
Click on the links below for more
detail and directions to the rehearsal locations:
Redmond
South
King
The Audition Process
For the
children: We
have chosen to make this choir a select group. Your child doesn't
need to demonstrate perfection to be selected. The choir
is select only on the basis of ability to concentrate and
to carry a tune with a pleasant, undamaged, unchanged singing
voice. Most children can carry a tune . Your child does not
need to have music experience nor a wonderful, trained singing
voice to be accepted into the beginning levels of the choir.
(although those abilities will be highly prized and rewarded!)
Specific appointments are scheduled for the child and parents
to interview for joining the choir. Following the interview
there is a very brief orientation session with a 4 minute
video and a question and answer session designed to give
an overview of the choir and what to expect from membership.
Our staff knows how to make the interview a quick, friendly
experience. The interview is held in a group setting with only
the group of children being interviewed in the room. Parents
are welcome also. Here's what happens in the interview...
1. The
child will have the brief audition described to him/her
and then practice the interview first so he/she understands
the process and has a chance to get some of the "butterflies" out. The interview includes: singing a
song, matching pitches and echo clapping. The song is a choice
between "My Country 'tis of Thee" or "Happy Birthday".
NOTE: If your child would like to sing another song (alone)
instead that is just fine. We will applaud after each pair
sings because we appreciate people who like to sing!
2. The interview is conducted in pairs whenever
possible and it takes approximately 5 minutes. We're
simply checking for the ability to carry a tune, match
pitches and echo clap. Every effort will be made to encourage
and support your child's efforts.
For the Youth
Choir (Vocal Ensemble) and Con
Brio Women's choirs,
the audition process is described in their individual
pages.
Advanced Placement for Those with a Music Background
Children who have experience
in music (taking private piano lessons for more than one
year; or play a band or orchestra instrument and know the
basics of reading music) may, at the sole discretion of our
conductor, receive accelerated advancement in the choir.
Please be sure to mention any music training and experience
your child may have. NOTE: Knowing how to
read music with the fingers is an advantage to the child
in knowing the basics of music, however, it does not always
transfer directly to the ability to read music using the
voice. We use a system called "solfege" made popular
by Hungarian music educator, Zoltan
Kodály, to teach our singers
how to read music. Your young musician will need to learn and
be proficient in this "language" of syllables (do, re, mi,
fa, sol, la, ti, do) before progressing beyond the beginning
levels of the choir.
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