AUDITION

Rise Up Children’s Choir seeks talented young singers ages 6 through 18 for our 2024-2025 season. Placement for all Rise Up ensembles is by audition only as choirs are taught by levels, and children are placed by musical skill and performance ability into the choir that our music staff deems fit for each individual child.

AUDITION SUBMISSION DEADLINE

April 30, 2024, at 11:59 PM. Late submissions will not be considered.

Live callbacks for Lumina and Amplify will be held on Saturday, May 11, 2024. Live callbacks for Ignite and the Children’s Choir will be held on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Time and location will be given to those children who qualify.

Children must be 6 years old by September 1, 2024, to audition for Ignite and the Children's Choir. All children ages 6 and 7 must spend at least one season in Ignite before they are eligible for the Children's Choir.

Candidates for Lumina and Amplify must be 13 by September 1, 2024, in order to qualify for admission.

INSTRUCTIONS

Register your child through our audition portal on this website. Click the "Registration" tab in the upper right-hand corner, and then "Click Here to Register." Enter your family information, and then click "Add Student" and enter your child's information. Once this is complete, click "Enroll" and place them in the class called "2024 - 2025 New Student Registration." There is no fee to register or audition.
Record two videos of your child.
- The first, singing a 16 to 32 bar cut of any pop or musical theater song with accompaniment to an instrumental track or with live piano accompaniment.
- The second, singing scales from the bottom of the child's range to the top.
  - A video with instructions for the scales video can be found at the two links below. Choose the scales video that best suits you. We only need ONE scales video.
  - Treble voices for all girls and boys whose voices have not yet changed. https://youtu.be/KK8bxDLhzX8
  - Changed voices for boys whose voices have changed. https://youtu.be/G9yrl0kmyjk
Upload your videos to YouTube or Google Drive. Videos submitted via YouTube must be set to UNLISTED. Those set to "private" cannot be viewed and will not be considered.
Complete the audition form at the link below and include the links to your audition videos.

TIPS FOR VIDEO SUBMISSIONS

Choose an age-appropriate pop or musical theatre song that highlights your range, tone, and your ability to hold pitch and rhythm.
You can use your phone, tablet, computer or a handheld camera to film your audition.
Record your video HORIZONTALLY, not vertically. Be sure you are in the center of the frame and film from the thighs or hips up.
Use a tripod or stand to position your camera.
Do not use the zoom function during your audition.
Perform against a plain background with good lighting.
Be sure the room is quiet with no background noise (television, water or appliances running, cooking, etc.)
Don’t wear anything that distracts from your performance. Make sure your hair is out of your face.
If you are using pre-recorded music, have someone else start and stop your music so you are not running back and forth. Do not use ear buds to play your accompaniment track.
If there is an accompanist, do not include them in the frame.
Your song must be memorized.
Do not use a microphone. Do not edit or manipulate your recording with vocal tuning or processing. Your recording must be 100% live.
Slate your name, age, and the name of the song you are singing at the top of the recording.
Before submitting your audition, watch and listen to it all the way through to make sure there are no skips, glitches, or pauses, and that there is both video and audio.
Make sure to test the link by sending it to someone to assure that it works and can be viewed.

Audition Form

DETAILS

COMMITMENT

Placement in a Rise Up ensemble is a season-long commitment beginning September 2024 through June 2025. Membership is not month-to-month, and students who are cast are expected to remain for the entirety of the season.

Independent learning is key for students in Children's Choir, Lumina and Amplify as they are expected to learn much of their music at home on their own so that rehearsals are efficient and productive. The rehearsal process for these ensembles can be likened to that of a theatrical production where cast members are required to memorize their lines and music on their own so the director can work with the entire ensemble in rehearsal.

All members are required to attend a mandatory orientation and season kick-off camp. The Ignite and Children's Choir kick-off camps will be held on Saturday, August 24. The Lumina and Amplify kick-off camp date will be determined at a later date.

ENSEMBLES

Ignite is an educational ensemble for intermediate-level singers ages 6 to 12 where children are introduced to the fundamentals of choral singing (musical and rhythmic acuity, following a conductor's gestures) while developing strong vocal technique, learning to read music, and solfege in a fun and engaging environment. Students attend weekly 50-minute in-person rehearsals from September through June.

Children’s Choir is an advanced choral performance group for youth ages 8 to 18. As the flagship ensemble of the Rise Up organization, the Children’s Choir requires students to have excellent musicianship and performance skills, as well as strong self-discipline and motivation. Children attend weekly 80-minute in-person rehearsals from September through June.

Lumina is a small, advanced pop/rock ensemble for young women ages 13 to 18. Students attend weekly 90-minute in-person rehearsals on Mondays from September through June, and an extended 120-minute rehearsal the first Monday of each month. In addition to participating in the art of live performance, members learn skills to prepare them for professional work in the commercial music media industry including songwriting, studio recording, and production.

Amplify is a small, award-winning advanced a cappella ensemble for mixed voices ages 13 to 18. Students attend weekly 90-minute in-person rehearsals from September through June, and an extended 120-minute rehearsal the first Monday of each month. Membership in Amplify is demanding and requires a full season-long commitment as the ensemble competes January through March 2025. Mandatory extra rehearsals and travel are required during these months. (This experience can be likened to participation on a seasonal competitive sports team.)

TUITION AND FEES

Tuition is due on the first of each month from September through June. A $5 "sibling discount" is offered per child for members in the same immediate family.

Ignite: $80 per month
Children’s Choir: $95 per month
Lumina: $190 per month
Amplify: $190 per month
Tuition for members who choose to participate in both the Children’s Choir and Lumina or Amplify is $215 per month. Students cannot be cast in both Lumina and Amplify due to rehearsal conflicts.

$35 per family fee is due upon registration.

$75 Kick-Off Camp fee is due upon registration.

$150 “Wardrobe and Production Fee” per child and per ensemble is due for Children’s Choir, Lumina and Amplify on August 15, 2024. A $125 "Wardrobe and Production" fee is due per child for Ignite on August 15, 2024.

All fees are non-refundable once paid.

Financial aid for tuition is available for those who qualify. Application materials are available upon acceptance to the program.

CHILDREN'S CHOIR 2025 INTERNATIONAL TOUR

The Children's Choir is touring to Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic in June, 2025. Participation in the tour is optional, but all members of the Children's Choir are invited to go on tour, as well as additional family members. The tour cost is $3,975 + $200 registration fee per person double occupancy. Registration for the tour is due on September 5, 2024, and a pay schedule will be provided upon registration.

AMPLIFY 2025 A CAPELLA TOUR

Amplify competes in an international a cappella competition which requires travel in the months of January through March 2025. Participation in the competitions is required. The total cost of travel is assessed once we know the location of the quarter-final and semi-final rounds in November 2024, but suggest students set aside $2000 for travel.