Believe it or not, it's time to start thinking about choir placement auditions for the 25-26 school year. With over 400 students to hear, it takes a few months for the directors to evaluate each student and place them in the appropriately leveled ensemble for the coming year. Our counseling department also requests that all placements be submitted to them by Spring Break. This process will begin in January, and students can find all of the details in the 25-26 audition resource folder. Students will receive hard copies of the audition packet and if they have any questions, they can reach out to their individual director. We are looking forward to hearing all of the students and having them all in the program again next year.

Student Audition Resource Folder 25-26

Upload Link for Supplemental Audition Videos

OVATION is offering an exciting opportunity for all current 9th, 10th, & 11th graders to earn scholarship money for music education and enrichment opportunities. Students can apply for the chance to earn financial assistance with things like voice lessons, music camps, sight-reading tutoring, etc. In addition to the financial scholarship money, a small number of students will be chosen to sing a solo on the Choral Showcase. We encourage all students who are continuing in choir next year to take this opportunity. Details about this program can be found at the link below.

Scholarship Packet

Scholarship Application Form

https://www.ccs.k12.in.us/foundation/scholarships/application-process

Every year many of our students participate in an amazing opportunity to hone their singing and dancing skills, while making new and wonderful friends. Show Choir Camps of America is a fabulous music enrichment opportunity that is available within a short drive. You can find the information at www.showchoircamps.com . All three of the Carmel Choir directors have all been participating in Show Choir Camps of America for many years, and we have taken hundreds of students. All of the students that we have taken have had an incredible time and grown tremendously as young performers. The clinicians who will work with the students throughout the week are extremely accomplished. Some have performed on Broadway or at Disney, others are well-known choreographers and vocal directors from across the country. Getting to learn from these people is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it’s less than a four hour drive from Carmel. Our head choreographer for Accents and Ambassadors, Dwight Jordan, is one of the founders of the camp.

There are two camps, one in Illinois June 15-21, and another in Ohio July 6-12. Most of our students and staff will be attending the Ohio camp, but they can choose either one. Parents typically drive students to Heidelberg University on the first Sunday morning of camp. Registration begins at 12 pm and all students must be checked in by 4pm. Students will be assigned to a dorm room on campus. They will have one roommate and will be on a floor supervised by a counselor. Students can choose their roommate ahead of time if they have a friend also attending camp, or they will be assigned a random roommate and get to make a new friend.

That first night (Sunday), there will be a guest show choir that will perform for the camp, followed by a meet-and-greet activity for the kids to get to know their counselors and clinicians. Monday morning, students are assigned to a performance group, and they begin rehearsals. These groups are not leveled by ability. In fact, they are a deliberate mix of students from all levels of singing and dancing background so no prior experience is required. Their days are made up of rehearsal with their group perfecting three choreographed songs and one ballad. There are also many workshops available to students throughout the week. Some are vocal, some are related to dance, some are on audition techniques, songwriting, tricks and lifts...you name it. Students can choose one to attend each day, whatever they are interested in. They eat their meals in the campus cafeteria and there's a great selection of food at each meal. Evenings consist of guest performance groups, including show choirs, Broadway performers, college acappella groups, talent shows, etc. Every night is something new and fabulous. They also have dances and social events with the kids. There is a vocal jazz group that the kids can try out for as well as the dance ensemble and talent show I mentioned before.

On Saturday, the final day, each group is assigned a rehearsal time in the morning. Then after lunch (the last meal served in the cafeteria) the concert begins. The concert starts around 1:30pm and usually ends around 3:30pm. Parents, friends and family are encouraged to attend this final concert before taking students home after camp.

Registration opens for the camp in early February and will fill up quickly. As stated above, we cannot recommend this camp highly enough. If you anticipate sending your child to camp next summer, and would like to surprise them with the news, you can use one of the certificate templates above to make it an exciting holiday gift this year!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of the CHS Choir Directors.

As we update the website and put together some new recruiting materials, we are looking for some parents and students (current and alumni) to submit testimonials about the Carmel Choir Program telling us about your positive experience in the program and what you gained from being a part of it. This can be as short as one sentence or a paragraph. It can also be a video if you would prefer. If you are interested in submitting a testimonial, please use the form linked below. Please pass this along to any alumni that you are still in contact with.

Testimonial Submission Form

We cannot recommend highly enough that students who are serious about advancing in the program, and being the best musician they can possibly be, take private lessons. Here is a list of recommended instructors and resources that students can access if they are interested.

List of Recommended Private Instructors

24-25 Choir Google Calendar

Instructions to subscribe to the 24-25 Carmel Choirs Google Calendar found in the Choir Handbook

January 17-20 - Applied Music New York City Trip

January 21-24 - Paul Gulsvig clinician

January 23 - Undergrad Scholarship Auditions for Choral Showcase (after school)

January 24 - Half Notes

February 15 - Ambassadors & Accents competing at Chesterton High School

February 20 - Dance Audition for 25-26 choirs (after school)

February 22 - Ambassadors, Accents, & New Edition competing at Franklin Central High School

February 27 - Choral Showcase Concert (rehearsal after school)

March 1 - Ambassadors & Accents competing at Lafayette Jefferson High School

March 5 - Blue & Gold/Rhapsody All-Day Mini-Tour and Field Trip

March 3 - Evening of Show Choir (Staff & student preview)

March 6 - Evening of Show Choir (public performance)

March 15 - Amb., Acc., NE., & All. competing at Brownsburg High School

March 20-23 - Ambassadors & Accents at Show Choir Nationals in Nashville, TN

April 2 - Ear Candy

April 23 - Spring Choir Concert

April 26 - ISSMA Division Contest (CP, ALL, NE, RHAP)

April 25-27 - Select Sound trip to Chicago

May 2 - ISSMA State Qualifier Greyhound Sound

May 3 - ISSMA State Qualifier Ambassadors

May 4 - Choir Awards Ceremony

May 9 - ISSMA State Finals Greyhound Sound (if they qualify)

May 10 - ISSMA State Finals Ambassadors (if they qualify)

May 15-17 - Spring Musical

Contact your OVATION Chairperson by finding their contact information at this link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZCo07BhtyP0_uDZs26CQSv-WMw6ggGye/view?usp=sharing

RaiseRight is an AMAZING way to earn funds towards paying off choir fees and trips. 100% of the profit earned by you goes towards your child's account. Multiple people can earn for one student so even out of town friends and family can sign up to support your child. We HIGHLY recommend this great program. All of the details can be found in this google folder at the link below. Leanne Dimon is the parent in charge of this program and she can answer any questions you may have.

RaiseRight families, please know that due to the high cost of shipping physical gift cards we only process these orders twice per year. We will have an opportunity in the fall to purchase physical cards. In the meantime, please purchase e-gift cards only.

Raise Right Information

Contact Leanne Dimon with any questions about this program.

317-503-1234

Please click on the Parent Resource Google Drive to locate important information including the 24-25 choir calendar, the 24-25 choir handbook, and choir fee information. You can also find the start of the year meeting video and slideshow in this folder.

24-25 Parent Resource Google Drive

Support Carmel Choirs

Become an ANGEL Sponsor

Link your Kroger Card to OVATION

Become a corporate sponsor or advertise in our programs

https://carmelchoirs.org/support/programs_sponsorships/

All students need to complete the forms linked below

1. Student Data Form 24-25

2. Permission Slip/Health Form 24-25

3. Choir Expectations Agreement24-25 (EXP, CP, RHAP, BG, ALL, GS, SS)

4. Parent Volunteer Form 24-25

5. Payment Selection Forms:

Allegro Payment Selection Form

Blue & Gold Company Payment Selection Form

Counterpoints Payment Selection Form

Expressions Payment Selection Form

Greyhound Sound Payment Selection Form

*Greyhound Sound (as 2nd ensemble) Payment Selection Form

New Edition Payment Selection Form

Rhapsody Payment Selection Form

Select Sound Payment Selection Form

*Select Sound (as 2nd ensemble) Payment Selection Form

Students need to join the Remind Group for whatever choir they are in this year.

Text the appropriate code below to 81010

Accents - @24acc25

Allegro - @24all25

Ambassadors - @24amb25

Blue & Gold Company - @24bg25

Counterpoints - @24cp25

Expressions - @24exp25

Greyhound Sound - @24ghs25

New Edition - @24ne25

Rhapsody - @24rha25

Select Sound - @24ss25

24-25 Choir Calendar

24-25 Choir Handbook

Optional Form for Parents to Complete:

Angel Sponsor Form

Carmel Choirs Social Media

CHS Choir Facebook Page

CHS Choir Instagram

CHS Choir YouTube Page

Blue & Gold 24-25 Parent Facebook Page

Select Sound 24-25 Parent Facebook Page

Expressions 24-25 Parent Facebook Page

Accents 24-25 Parent Facebook Page

Text the appropriate code below to 81010

Accents - @24acc25

Allegro - @24all25

Ambassadors - @24amb25

Blue & Gold Company - @24bg25

Counterpoints - @24cp25

Expressions - @24exp25

Greyhound Sound - @24ghs25

New Edition - @24ne25

Rhapsody - @24rha25

Select Sound - @24ss25

Students Wearing Suits Must Provide the Following:

Black Compression Shorts

Black Slip-On Dress Shoes

V-Neck White Undershirts

Tall Black Dress Socks

Black Dress Belt

Students Wearing Dresses Must Provide the Following:

Strapless Long-Torso Strapless Bra

High Waist Black Dance Brief

Flesh-Tone Sheet To Waist Pantyhose

Tan Ankle-Strap Character Shoes

Students must have all items prior to the Fall Concert Rehearsal on September 25

See Directors if assistance is needed to obtain items

Carmel Choirs Instagram

Carmel Choirs YouTube Page

Carmel Choirs Facebook Page

Accents Parent Facebook Page

Ambassadors Parent Facebook Page

Blue & Gold Parent Facebook Page

Expressions Parent Facebook Page

Select Sound Parent Facebook Group

New Edition Parent Facebook Group

Mrs. Kathrine Kouns (Accents, Select Sound, Blue & Gold Company, Expressions)

Mr. Kyle Barker (Ambassadors, Allegro, Greyhound Sound, Counterpoints)

Mrs. Anna DeBard (New Edition, Rhapsody, Applied Music)

Email: carmelchoirs@gmail.com
Website: www.carmelchoirs.org
Location: 520 East Main Street, Carmel, IN, USA
Phone: (317) 846-7721
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmelchoirs
Twitter: @carmelchoirs