About Grace Notes
Grace Notes is an auditioned community choir sponsored by The Church of the Good Shepherd in Durham, NC. We sing a variety of music, including sacred songs, folk songs, show tunes, spirituals, hymn arrangements, and poem settings. It's geared for treble singers age 10-14. Grace Notes is modeled after a choir that was one of the most precious experiences of my childhood – a choir which shaped my lifelong love of music.
One goal that I have for this choir is to develop a love of music and singing in these kids. Obviously, I have an especial passion for music, but I know that even for kids who won't necessarily "go into" music, it can be a long-lasting and important part of their lives. The experience of becoming part of a team of singers all working together to make beautiful music is a formative one. I love the community that we have formed in this choir, and I love the way the kids feel about the music. I also think that this enjoyment of music is encouraged by having more knowledge of the music, so I focus a lot on the kids understanding why we would crescendo here, stress that note, breath here, etc. We also do music dictations and ear training to give them an even more in-depth understanding. My other goal is to help kids learn to worship God through singing and through striving for excellence. Though normally fewer than half of our music selections each semester are sacred music, I feel strongly that God is glorified through music in general, and I love that we can give glory to him by doing our best to make beautiful music for him. We also have the opportunity to lead a congregation in worship once or twice a year, which I think is a special experience in these developmental years.
One goal that I have for this choir is to develop a love of music and singing in these kids. Obviously, I have an especial passion for music, but I know that even for kids who won't necessarily "go into" music, it can be a long-lasting and important part of their lives. The experience of becoming part of a team of singers all working together to make beautiful music is a formative one. I love the community that we have formed in this choir, and I love the way the kids feel about the music. I also think that this enjoyment of music is encouraged by having more knowledge of the music, so I focus a lot on the kids understanding why we would crescendo here, stress that note, breath here, etc. We also do music dictations and ear training to give them an even more in-depth understanding. My other goal is to help kids learn to worship God through singing and through striving for excellence. Though normally fewer than half of our music selections each semester are sacred music, I feel strongly that God is glorified through music in general, and I love that we can give glory to him by doing our best to make beautiful music for him. We also have the opportunity to lead a congregation in worship once or twice a year, which I think is a special experience in these developmental years.
Learning MusicMusical learning is a key piece of this choir and one that sets it apart from many other children's choirs. Children in Grace Notes will learn about singing two and three-part harmony. They will also learn more about music theory and do various ear-training exercises. They will learn how to use do-re-mi to identify notes (like in The Sound of Music), do simple dictations (I sing a simple melody or clap a simple rhythm, and they write it down), and things like that. I will be helping the kids learn how to do these things (I do not expect previous ability to take down dictations!), and some of the younger ones probably won't be able to do it perfectly right away, which is fine - we have a pretty big age range.
Rehearsing and PerformingOur choir rehearsals are on Monday afternoons from 4:15 to 5:30 at The Church of the Good Shepherd in Durham. We typically have a fall concert in December and a spring concert in May. We also sing a couple of times a year at Church of the Good Shepherd, and we may consider singing other places (nursing homes, churches, etc.).
CostThe choir is free!
|
"Great music, an inspiring director, and wonderful friendship opportunities made being in Alexa's choir a highlight of my youth. I still catch myself singing the songs I learned in that choir...and it's been over 10 years." “I looked forward to singing each song you picked and I couldn't wait for our concerts. I am loving [my current] Gospel Choir and as I was standing there singing, all I could think about was letting you know how thankful I was and still am for you. If I had never been given the opportunity that you gave me, I would not be doing something that is the highlight of my week at 19 years old.” |