Choir Connection 2008

The CWTA Choir Connection is an outstanding opportunity for teen and children's choir singers and their directors to work with internationally respected choir directors. The five-day program, running concurrently with CWTA, is offered to choir directors and youth who want a summer opportunity to grow and learn together and for the children of families attending the conference.

AspaasChristopher Aspaas
Teen Choir Director

The teen choir (rising grades 7–12) will sing under the direction of Christopher Aspaas, associate professor of choral and vocal music at St. Olaf College. He combines tremendous enthusiasm and energy for music with a solid pedagogical background, assuring a complete musical learning experience for both singers and directors.

 

Shepley

Elizabeth Shepley
Youth Choir Director

The director of the youth choir (rising grades 4–6, unchanged) will be Elizabeth Shepley, artistic director of the Northfield Youth Choirs, Northfield, Minn. She has a distinguished career as a children's choir director, with special skills in interpreting the pedagogy of Carl Orff into a church children's choir program. She was a children's choir director at the House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, Minn. (See faculty listing for more information.)


Program Features
Two rehearsal sessions Tuesday through Thursday and one on Monday and Friday.

Christian education classes divided by ages led by St. Olaf College pastoral intern Andy Nelson focusing on understanding worship and liturgy and how youth can be worship leaders.

Supplementary musical activities and SING ON! movement
classes (see sidebar) led by teachers and assisted by St. Olaf College students and Northfield High School students.

Recreational activities supervised by teachers and assistants

The housing option on campus includes Monday through Thursday nights (non air-conditioned residence hall, bring a fan) and all meals from Monday lunch through Friday breakfast. A non-residential option is also available. Rooms are doubles and singles, typically in a "pod" with four to five rooms around a central lounge. Bathrooms and showers are separate from the rooms, so bring flip flops and bath robes. Bed linen, pillows and one towel are provided. Bring all toiletries.

The music packet is for the participants to take home with them at no additional charge.

Each singer will receive a T-shirt with the colorful Choir Connection logo.

Participants registering as a choral group must include no fewer than one adult chaperone per six singers. Chaperones may register for the CWTA conference, but it is not required.

Registration will be Monday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Buntrock Commons (running concurrent with adult registration for CWTA), followed by a kick-off meeting with singers, parents and chaperones at 12:45 p.m. in the Boe Memorial Chapel lower level classrooms. Monday activities conclude at 6:30 p.m.

From Tuesday through Thursday, the program begins at 9:30 a.m., after the morning worship service. On Tuesday, singers will share dinner with the Choir Connection leaders and their chaperones, then enjoy a campus scavenger hunt. The program concludes at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. On Thursday morning the Teen Choir is a leader in the worship service. On Thursday evening, the Teen and Youth Choirs are leaders in the worship service.

The Youth and Teen Choirs are not worship leaders on Friday morning. The program begins at 8 a.m. and concludes at 12 p.m. following the closing worship service.

Families and/or chaperones are responsible for the supervision of participants at all other times than listed above, including breakfast and morning worship.

For additional program information contact Linda Hagan Kvanbeck at kvanbeck@stolaf.edu or 507-786-8254.

For additional housing and registration information,
contact Conferences and Events at 1-800-726-6523 or summer@stolaf.edu.