Music Preparatory Department Announces Choir Auditions

OBU's Music Preparatory Department will conduct choir auditions for students in grades 3-12, Aug. 14, 15 and 18, from 3-5 p.m. in OBU's Raley Chapel, Room 141. Three choirs are available for various age groups.

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 more information or to audition by appointment on a different day, contact Conchita Hansford, OBU Music Preparatory Department director, at (405) 585-4323 or email conchita.hansford@okbu.edu.

Auditioning students will be asked to sing "Happy Birthday" and are auditioned in order of arrival. 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 32nd year and continuing its strong tradition, Shawnee Honor Choir is directed by Conchita Hansford. The choir is an auditioned group of third through seventh graders , representing 19 different schools from Midwest City to Seminole, and meets Tuesday afternoons from 3:30-5:15 p.m. Choir members study and perform a wide variety of music ranging from unison songs to more challenging two- and three-part treble choral literature. The Shawnee Honor Choir is dedicated to the philosophy that through learning and performance of excellent choral literature, the lives of choir members as well as their families and community will be enriched both artistically and musically. Members also learn to play Orff instruments, hand chimes and rhythm instruments. The choir performs annually in 12 area schools, presents two formal public concerts and frequently presents programs at community events, and has performed six times for the Oklahoma Music Educators Association State Convention in Tulsa.

Concert Choir is designed to provide eighth through twelfth grade students with singing experiences that increase individual musicianship and enhance personal growth and development. 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 choir includes students from many area upper middle 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, Missouri, as well as the American Choral Directors National Convention in Los Angeles. Along with two on-campus concerts each year, the choir performs for schools and businesses. The choir rehearses Tuesday afternoons from 5-6:30 p.m. and is conducted by Dr. Kathy Scherler, OBU's vocal music education coordinator.

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 is taught by Ashley Pierce and meets on Tuesdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Interested parents may contact Conchita Hansford at (405) 585-4323 or at conchita.hansford@okbu.edu to enroll.