Skip area navigation

Preparatory Department Announces Choir Auditions

August 6, 2012

All interested students in grades 3-12 from Shawnee and the surrounding area are invited to audition for the following select groups of singers. For additional information or to audition by appointment on a different day, contact Conchita Hansford, OBU Preparatory Department director, at (405) 878-2319.

Auditioning students will be asked to sing "Happy Birthday" and are auditioned in order of arrival. Three choirs are available for various age groups. All girls, and boys with both changed and unchanged voices, are encouraged to audition. The tuition fee is $75 per semester or $150 for the year.

Beginning its 30th year and continuing its strong tradition, Shawnee Honor Choir is directed by Hansford. The choir, an auditioned group of third- through seventh-grade students from Shawnee and the surrounding area, is represented by 17 different schools from Midwest City to Seminole. The children study and perform a wide variety of music ranging from unison songs to the more challenged two- and three-part treble choir literature.

The Shawnee Honor Choir is dedicated to the philosophy that through the learning and performance of excellent choral literature, the lives of the choir members, as well as the lives of their families and community, will be enriched both artistically and musically. The playing of Orff instruments, hand chimes and rhythm instruments is also an enjoyable aspect of the choir experience. The choir performs annually in 12 area schools, presents four formal public concerts and frequently presents programs at community events. The choir, which meets on Tuesdays from 3:30-5:15 p.m., has performed six times for the Oklahoma Music Educators Association State Convention in Tulsa.

Concert Choir is designed to provide eighth- through 12th-grade students with singing experiences that increase individual musicianship and enhance personal growth and development. Dr. Casey Gerber, assistant professor of music at OBU and coordinator of music education, directs the group. The choir is dedicated to the philosophy that performance of quality choral literature can provide a source of great joy and enrichment for the individual and for the community. The group is represented by students from many area middle schools and high schools. Performance highlights have included the Organization of American Kodaly Educators National Conference in Virginia; the Oklahoma Music Educators Association State Convention in Tulsa; a tour to Arizona; and performances in Branson, Mo., and the American Choral Directors National Convention in Los Angeles, Calif. Along with two on-campus concerts each year, the choir performs for schools and businesses, as well as Sterling House, an assisted living facility in Shawnee. The choir rehearses on Tuesdays from 5-6:30 p.m.

Discovery Singers, for non-auditioned children ages 7 and up, is offered to help children develop their voices and prepare them for future choir success. The class meets on Tuesdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. and is taught by Gerber. No audition is needed for this choir, and a parent only needs to call Hansford to enroll.

Click here for more information about the OBU Preparatory Department.