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Children's Choir
MEMBERSHIP
Four choirs are open to students in grades two through nine. Treble Choir, a beginning choir for second, third and fourth graders, is a non-audition group. Auditions for the other choirs -- Advanced, Chamber and Concert -- are held in the spring and fall. The audition involves singing the first verse of "America the Beautiful" and performing simple vocal exercises. Student placement in one of the four choirs depends on both chronological age and musical and vocal readiness.
Choir members perform in three to four concerts during the season. Advanced, Chamber and Concert choir members also participate in a spring tour of area elementary schools.
Tuition for the choir season, which runs from mid-September to early May, ranges from $249 to $299. Some financial assistance is available. More information concerning auditions, enrollment and financial aid is available from NMC's Extended Educational Services.
REHEARSALS
Rehearsals are held in the Fine Arts Building on NMC's main campus (#12 on main campus map). All four choirs rehearse on Thursday evening. There are occasional Saturday rehearsals immediately preceding a concert for the Treble Choir. The Advanced, Chamber, and Concert Choirs rehearse more frequently and have a number of Saturday and Tuesday evening rehearsals in addition to the regularly scheduled Thursday rehearsals.
Rehearsals focus on appropriate singing skills, music reading skills, interpretive skills and musical literacy. Rehearsals are carefully structured to make maximum use of the allocated time. Students are always encouraged to sing beautifully, artistically, expressively.
Children's Choir Faculty
Barbara Puchala holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Central Michigan University in both Piano Performance and Music Education. She has taught Elementary Music for the Traverse City Area Public Schools for 30 years. She also received her certification fro the elementary classroom and has done post graduate study in Kodaly and Orff methodologies. She has served as a director of the Traverse City Area Public Schools Elementary Honors Choir and co-founder and co-director of the Northwestern Michigan Children's Choir. She holds memberships in the Organization of Kodaly Educators, the American Choral Directors Association, and the Music Educators National Conference.
Mark Puchala holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree in Choral Music from Central Michigan University and a Master of Music in Voice from the University of Michigan. In addition to being cofounder and CO-director of NMCC, he is the chair of the Music Department, Director of Choirs, and an instructor of Applied Voice and Music Appreciation for Northwestern Michigan College. Prior to his current position at NMC, he taught junior and senior high vocal music for Traverse City Area Public Schools. His Junior High, Senior High, and Collegiate Choirs have all performed at major music conferences in the state of Michigan. In addition to his work with the college and the NMCC, he has performed with numerous choral organizations throughout the state as a tenor soloist. Mark is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, the Music Educators National Conference, the Michigan School Vocal Music Association and Chorus America
Mary Parrish holds a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Central Michigan University and has completed additional studies in both Kodaly and Orff pedagogy. She has taught elementary music in the Traverse City Area Public Schools since 1965. She has taught private piano, worked extensively as a church accompanist, taught in summer music camps and has been the Assistant Director of the Traverse City Elementary Honors Choir. She is one of the Associate Directors of the Treble Choir in the NMCC program. She holds memberships in the Music Educators National Conference, the American Choral Directors Association, and the Organization of American Kodaly Educators and Chorus America
David Parrish has a Bachelor and Masters Degree in Music Education and a Masters of Arts in Humanities from Central Michigan University. He has worked in the Traverse City Area Public Schools since 1965 as the former Director of Choral Activities for junior and senior high school, K-12 Music Coordinator, and as Program Coordinator and Instructor of Humanities at Central High School. He is one of the Associate Directors of the Treble Choir in the NMCC program. He holds memberships in the American Choral Directors Association, and Chorus America.
Stephanie Schall-Brazee holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from Central Michigan University with a major in Piano and Choral Music. She has also earned a Masters of Music Education Degree with an emphasis on early childhood music from the Hartt School of Music and Dance. She teaches elementary music in the Traverse City Area Public Schools. In addition to her elementary teaching, she is the director of a select women's ensemble at West Senior High and is Associate Director of the Advanced Choir in the NMCC program. She is a member of the American Choral Directors Association, the Music Educators National Conference, and the Organization of American Kodaly Educators and Chorus America.