Information
Registration is now open for our 2022-2023 ensembles. If you have any questions regarding ensembles, please contact Leandra Strope at leandra@sistersvoices.org. If you have any questions regarding tuition or how to register, please contact Jenny Walters at jenny@sistersvoices.org.
Kindergarteners and First Graders
SV-One is a quarterly commitment. A singer will sign up for a six-week session; there will be two sessions each semester. Priority for registration will go to singers who are already singing — for example, a singer who participates in the first session may continue all year. This will allow singers to easily stop mid-year if that’s the best decision for them, and it will give us a way to easily fill those slots. SV-One singers will meet Tuesdays from 4:15 pm – 5:15 pm. A second time, Mondays from 4:15 pm – 5:15 pm, will be reserved for SV-One in case there is a need to split the ensemble. In the event of a split, your singer will be assigned one of those two days based on numbers.
The dates of the first session (Session A) are as follows:
- September 13, September 20, September 27, October 4, October 11, and October 18
Registration will open for the second session (Session B) in late September/early October. The tentative dates for the remaining sessions are:
- Session B: October 25, November 1, November 8, November 15, November 29, December 6
- Session C: January 24, January 31, February 7, February 14, February 21, February 28
- Session D: March 7, March 14, March 21, April 11, April 18, April 25
Second and Third Graders
SV-Two can be either a full year commitment or a semester-long commitment. For the fall semester, singers rehearse once a week from September through mid-January. The spring semester will take place from mid-January through May. Each semester will culminate in a concert. Registration for the spring semester will open in November. Priority will be given to those who sang during the fall semester.
Rehearsals will occur from 4:15 pm – 5:15 pm on Thursdays. A second time, Wednesdays from 4:15 pm – 5:15 pm, will be reserved for SV-Two in case there is a need to split the ensemble. In the event of a split, your singer will be assigned one of those two days based on numbers.
While no experience or audition is required, here are skills and qualities of some Sisters’ Voices – Two singers. Singers who don’t yet have these skills will learn them. This ensemble will practice the first steps of music reading, learn many songs and games, and participate in at least three performances through the year (as covid clears).
- love of singing
- desire to sing with a group
- willingness to take direction
- ability to match pitch
- ability to sing along accurately with another person singing a known melody
- ability to consistently sing a melody recognizably without accompaniment, though pitch and intonation may be inconsistent
- ability to use head voice
- openness to new kinds of music, new forms of expression, and new experiences
Fourth and Fifth Graders
SV-Three is a full year commitment and singers participate in two rehearsals a week from September through May. All SV-Three singers will attend rehearsals on Saturday afternoons from 2:00 pm until 3:30 pm. Your singer will then be assigned to either Mondays or Tuesdays from 5:30 pm until 6:30 pm based on skill level and experience.
While no experience or audition is required, below are skills and qualities of many Sisters’ Voices – Three singers. Singers who don’t yet have these skills will learn them. This ensemble will practice reading music, learn many pieces of music in both English and other languages, and participate in at least three performances through the year (as covid clears). A full-year commitment is expected. Please contact the director, Leandra Strope, if you are wondering whether SV-Three is a good fit for you. leandra@sistersvoices.org
- demonstrated consistent rehearsal presence and participation
- openness to new kinds of music, new forms of expression, and new experiences
- ability to consistently sing a simple melody with accurate intonation and strength/sturdiness (not necessarily loudness)
- ability to hold one’s own part in a canon: e.g. “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”; “We Merry Minstrels”; “Rise Up O Flame”, etc.
- demonstrated independence around rehearsal behaviors, including sitting/standing with proper physical alignment, and mental and physical focus, when rehearsing
- consistent use of healthy and flexible vocal production throughout the singer’s range
- demonstrated earnestness, enthusiasm, and positive outlook about our work together, participation always, consistently supportive attitude toward other singers in words, singing, and actions.
Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Graders
SV-Four is a full year commitment and singers participate in two rehearsals a week from September through May. All SV-Four singers will attend rehearsals on Saturday afternoons from 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm. Your singer will then be assigned to either Wednesdays or Thursdays from 5:30 pm until 7:00 pm based on skill level and experience.
While no experience or audition is required, here are skills and qualities of most Sisters’ Voices – Four singers. Singers who don’t yet have these skills will learn them. This ensemble will practice reading music, learn many pieces of music in both English and other languages, and participate in at least four performances through the year (as covid clears). A full-year commitment is expected. Please contact the director, Leandra Strope, if you are wondering whether SV-Four is a good fit for you. leandra@sistersvoices.org
- consistent rehearsal presence and participation
- openness to new kinds of music, new forms of expression, and new experiences
- ability to consistently sing a simple melody with accurate intonation and strength/sturdiness (not necessarily loudness)
- ability to hold one’s own part in a canon: e.g. “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”; “We Merry Minstrels”; “Rise Up O Flame”, etc.
- demonstrated independence around rehearsal behaviors, including sitting/standing with proper physical alignment, and mental and physical focus, when rehearsing
- consistent use of healthy and flexible vocal production throughout the singer’s range
- demonstrated earnestness, enthusiasm, and positive outlook about our work together, participation always, consistently supportive attitude toward other singers in words, singing, and actions.
Tuition
Below you will find a chart based on ensemble and income level. The “Who Qualifies” section is to serve as a guideline only. We realize that there are different factors that each family faces. We ask that you approach this thoughtfully and be as generous as you can.
All families in SV-Two, SV-Three, and SV-Four will pay a non-refundable deposit equal to the first and last month’s tuition upon signing up. Families (excluding those signing up for the SV-Two fall semester only) may then choose to pay the remaining balance in full or to schedule monthly payments. If you choose pay in full, the remaining balance will be automatically drafted from your card on October 1st. If you choose to schedule monthly payments, your card will automatically be drafted on the first of the month from October through March. SV-Two families who are signing up for the fall semester only will have the remaining balance automatically drafted from their card on October 1st.
Families in SV-One will pay for each session in full. For the first session, full refunds will be issued until July 13, 2022. A refund of 50% will be issued from July 14, 2022 until August 13, 2022. Starting August 14, 2022, no refunds will be issued.
A full scholarship option is also available. Please contact Jenny Walters at jenny@sistersvoices.org to request a full scholarship.
- Sisters’ Voices is growing up. We are taking on more staff and needing to pay our staff sufficiently. We have learned that Sisters’ Voices will not survive the long haul without paying staff members appropriately for the services they provide. We hope you will join us in our commitment to paying our staff well.
- We are committed to being an accessible program for all children and families who want to join us. We recognize that the full cost of our program is out of reach for many families, and we are providing a sliding scale so that more families can easily join us. At the same time, because Sisters’ Voices will invest the full cost in each child, we ask families to take on as much of that amount as is feasible. The “Full Cost” is our best estimate of what it actually will cost, per singer, to run our programs this year, and the amounts listed in the full cost column are based on $15 per hour per singer. This is in line with our understanding of what our services cost, and it is in line with other organizations we have researched who teach skills to children.
- SV-Three (4th and 5th graders) and SV-Four (6th graders and up) will meet twice each week. We recognize that as singers get older and gain skills, they need more time both to hone those skills and to build community.
