for Ensembles SV2, 3, 4, and 5, with information for PreSV and SV1
Introduction
Sisters’ Voices is an engaging and fun choral experience for young singers. Here you’ll find expectations of singers and parents, some of which change over the course of a singer’s SV education depending on the singer’s age.
Welcome to the SV community!
Leandra
Staff
Leandra Strope, Artistic and Executive Director
Conductor of SV2, 3, 4, and 5
leandra@sistersvoices.org
919-619-3438 (text only)
Kristin Trangsrud
Collaborative Pianist, Accompanist, for SV3, 4, and 5
kristin@sistersvoices.org
Kate DeAlmeida
Teacher of PreSV and SV1 programs for 2025-26
kate@sistersvoices.org
Our Ensembles
PreSV – 3-5 year olds
Must be 3 years old by September 1
For singers who have not yet entered kindergarten, or who won’t turn 5 by 9/1
Musikgarten curriculum, taught by Kate DeAlmeida
Meets either Wednesdays, 4:00-5:00, or Saturdays, 9:00-10:00
SV1 – K-1 (5-7 year olds)
Must be 5 years old by September 1
Musikgarten/SV curriculum, taught by Kate DeAlmeida
Meets Tuesdays, 4:15-5:15
SV2 – 2nd-3rd grade
Meets Thursdays, 4:00-5:00
SV3 – 4th-5th grade (may include some 3rd graders)
Meets Mondays, 4:15-5:15,
AND ALSO Thursdays, 5:15-6:45
SV4 – 6th-8th grade
Meets Saturday afternoons/evenings
AND ALSO EITHER Tuesdays or Wednesdays, 5:30-6:45 (singer’s choice, and flexible within the year)
SV5 – 9th-12th grade
Meets Saturday afternoons/evenings
AND ALSO Thursdays, 7:00-8:45
How We Communicate
Each singer and parent has an account with Choir Genius which will allow you to pay receive communications, fill out forms, pay tuition, and let SV staff know when your child will miss rehearsal.
We send a weekly letter to SV families to keep you updated with current schedule and other important issues. We need parents/guardians to read these emails every week and to respond when needed.
We use texts for communication with individual parents, and to communicate with SV5 singers as a group.
Please keep your contact information updated in Choir Genius.
Summary: Expectations of Parents/Guardians
- Read group and individual emails from Sisters’ Voices conductors, teachers, and staff members, and respond when needed
- Understand all information in this document regarding Sisters’ Voices participation; please ask if you have any questions.
- Transport your child to rehearsal on time, knowing that “being on time” means that your singer is in the building at least five minutes before rehearsal is scheduled to begin; also pick your child up on time
- Keep Sisters’ Voices up to date with your contact information, pick up people, and other information
- Stay knowledgeable about the Sisters’ Voices performance schedule for your child’s ensemble and prioritize these events
- Communicate with your child’s conductor or teacher when your child will miss rehearsal
Attendance Expectations
Singing in an ensemble is like playing on a team – the group needs every member; every member is essential to the work of the group. That every participant lives into this reality is part of what makes the SV experience valuable and rewarding for the individuals involved.
When a singer misses a rehearsal (up to 3 hours of work in the oldest ensembles) and then returns, it can be daunting to realize how much the group has moved forward without her, especially for newer singers. We hope care will be taken not to miss two or more rehearsals in a row unless for illness.
Because our work is done as a group, it is not possible for a singer to do the work outside of the group. That is, a rehearsal cannot be made up, even with help from another singer or teacher. Again, this is part of what it means to be part of an ensemble, and part of what makes the experience valuable to the individual singer.
Attendance expectations for SV 2 (2nd and 3rd graders)
Parents, please make sure rehearsals and performances are on your calendars.
Fall Family Performance (families only please), Saturday, November 15, 11am
Winter Concert, Saturday, January 31, 4pm
Spring Concert, Saturday, May 17, 3pm
Regular attendance is essential to your child contributing, growing, and feeling part of the group.
No other regular activity should be on your child’s schedule for the time your child is expected at SV.
Please schedule doctor visits etc at other times.
Please let the instructor know when a rehearsal must be missed for illness, or family emergency, school event, or other need. Your open communication is welcome and helps the instructors help your child re-enter after being away.
Attendance expectations for SV3, 4, 5 (4th grade and up)
Once you have committed to singing with an ensemble, attendance at all meetings, rehearsals, and major performances is mandatory.
Parents and singers, please make sure rehearsals and performances are on your calendars. Regular attendance is essential to your singer’s growth and to feeling part of the group.
Please schedule doctor visits etc at other times.
No other regular activity should be on your schedule for the time you are expected at SV. Singers are expected to be at rehearsal 5-15 minutes early so that rehearsal can begin on time, and to remain through the entire rehearsal.
When musicals, sports tournaments, and other one-time or short-term events will collide with the SV schedule, please communicate these collisions to Leandra as soon as possible. For SV4 and SV5: You will be responsible for practicing on your own or with a friend to make sure you are not behind with knowing music when you return. Still, these other activities should not affect more than one week of SV rehearsals, and never should affect SV performances.
Please let Leandra know when a rehearsal must be missed for illness, family emergency, school event, or other need.
Your open communication regarding any upcoming absence is welcome, helps Leandra plan rehearsal, and helps her help you re-enter after being away.
Singers in SV3 and 4 are allowed up to four (two per rehearsal day) planned absences from rehearsal per semester.
Singers in SV5 may miss up to two Thursday rehearsals per semester, and up to one Saturday rehearsal per month. When a singer misses rehearsal, she is expected to practice on her own to master the repertoire and skills covered in the rehearsal(s) she missed.
We will work with singers who have more absences because of unexpected illness or family emergencies and who communicate these things with us.
Running of Rehearsals
We like to begin and end rehearsals at the scheduled time. Our rehearsal/class time is our creative working time together, and we rely on all participants and their supporting adults to respect and to help preserve that time.
Therefore, we ask singers to arrive 5-15 minutes before class/rehearsal begins in order to use the bathroom, get water, gather supplies, have conversations with friends, and be ready when our scheduled time arrives.
For SV2, singers gather with their parents on the playground before rehearsal and are called in to our room 5-10 minutes before rehearsal begins. All singers use the bathroom, take off shoes, and proceed to the rehearsal space for the start of rehearsal.
Singers in older ensembles are welcome to come into the building as much as 15 minutes early and to use this time to prepare for rehearsal.
Our Space
We meet for classes and rehearsals in Room 15 in Binkley Church’s Education Wing. The Binkley Preschool uses the room in the mornings, and we use it in the afternoons, evenings, and on Saturdays.
Parents are welcome to come in and see our space when they pick up or drop off their singer.
Dropping Singers off for Rehearsal
For SV2, please accompany your singer to the playground (if you arrive early) or to the door at the end of the Education Wing near the large playground.
For SV3, 4, and 5, please drive through and drop your singer off where you can see the door and watch your child get let in. This door remains locked at all times; you or your child may need to knock to get let in. Please do not drive away until you are sure your child has made contact with a SV person.
Picking Singers up after Rehearsal
Adults picking up SV2 singers, please park your car and walk to the door to meet your child. We will come out after finishing rehearsal and getting our shoes on, and singers will remain with their teacher until they see you.
Adults picking up SV3, 4, and 5 singers, and all singers in classes, please drive up to the door and wait for your singer to come to you. Once she is in the car, please drive away so that other cars can make their way to the front of the line. For safety reasons we will not release children to go around the building to meet cars at the back of the line.
Food and Gum in Rehearsal
Singers need to enjoy their snacks before arriving at rehearsal if possible. An older singer who arrives 15 minutes early for class or rehearsal may enjoy a snack she brings along (it’s helpful not to be hungry during rehearsal), and all food should be put away by 5 minutes before rehearsal begins.
There must be no gum chewing, or other things in a singer’s mouth, during rehearsal. Breathing deeply and quickly is essential to good singing, and anything in the mouth is a serious choking hazard.
What to Bring and What to Wear for Rehearsals
We sing a LOT and we move around a lot during rehearsals.
Singers should come to every rehearsal with a full water bottle (we don’t have access to a water fountain on our end of the building).
Singers should wear clothing that’s suitable for movement. Movement may include stretching, body percussion (clapping, stomping, jumping, bumping elbows to ankles, etc), sitting and sometimes lying on the floor, … Great singing is a full-body physical workout!
Fall, Winter, Spring, and Other Breaks
We stick closely to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School System’s schedule for breaks.
We are off for a full week, Monday through Saturday, at Thanksgiving.
We are off for the two weeks of Winter Break.
We are off for National Holidays that the school breaks for: Labor Day, MLK Day, Memorial Day.
We observe Spring Break with the CHCCS system.
We do not always break for teacher workdays; please refer to our calendar in Choir Genius.
Inclement Weather
Please look for communications from SV leadership when a storm is coming or when schools are closed.
When Carrboro and Chapel Hill Schools are closed for weather, we usually go with their decision. This might NOT happen if
- The schools are closed because a storm is expected, but the storm never materializes
- The danger that a storm poses is clearly finished by the time the afternoon rolls around
- Schools are in session but a storm develops late in the day
Music and Other Supplies for Classes and Rehearsals
Each singer will be provided with materials they need to participate fully in their SV program. This includes a folder or binder, labeled with the singer’s name, with sheet music, a pencil, staff paper, information and work pages. It may also include shared material like sight singing books and tuning forks.
This material is borrowed from SV and, like a library book, must be treated gently and preserved for use by future singers.
Singers in 4th grade and older are encouraged to take their music home to practice, and must bring it back for the next rehearsal; it is essential to the singer’s full participation in rehearsal.
Performances
Primary Performances
Performances are an important part of our ensemble experiences. Indeed, much of our work in rehearsals is driven by our upcoming performances. Therefore performances are required for all members of SV1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 ensembles.
We schedule three performances each year: fall (families only), winter, and spring. These are announced at the start of the year and can be found on the calendar on our website at any time by logging in to your parent account.
Singers are expected to arrive at the performance venue in time to warm up together 90 minutes before the start of any of these major performances. This pre-concert time is essential.
We typically open the house to the audience 20-30 minutes before a concert begins. Parents and other guests are invited to come into the performance space at this time.
These major performances are currently free and open to the public. No ticket is needed for entry.
Other Performances
We often schedule additional performances around town and just out of town (Raleigh, Hillsborough, Pittsboro). For younger ensembles, these performances are encouraged but optional. There may be extra performances for older ensembles that are required.
Dress for Performances
For All Singers, for All Performances
Hair: long hair (must be pulled back and secured out of the face with a black simple barrette, headband, or hair tie. Please no bows. The important thing is that the audience is able to see the singer’s eyes and face – this is a primary way that singers communicate with their audience.
Jewelry: simple rings, earrings, and bracelets are fine. Necklaces and watches should be left at home. SV5 please wear your SV pendant for all SV performances.
For our Winter and Spring concerts and some extra performances, dress is formal.
For Elementary Ensembles (SV1, 2, 3)
Shirt: white, long sleeved (3/4 sleeves are okay) blouse or shirt. It should feel dressy, elegant. It must be comfortable. It may have buttons, ruffles, lace, as long as everything on it is white and there is no visible logo. Please aim for white white, rather than off white. A simple cotton long-sleeved t-shirt is great, as long as the singer feels dressed up.
Pants/skirt: Long, to the shoes, black. Corderoy, velvet, denim, and others are all fine as long as they are solid black, introduce no other color or logos, and feel dressy to the singer. If the singer chooses a skirt, it must be a maxi skirt, to the shoes. No leggings, no sweatpants. Some loose-fitting yoga pants work well.
Shoes: black, flat, close-toed dress shoes. They must fit, be comfortable, and the singer must be able to run in them. No heels. The sole must be thin and flexible. Please, no boots. No athletic shoes, no white soles, no logos. Jazz shoes or simple Mary Janes are a great choice.
Socks: black or none.
For SV4
Shirt: black, long sleeved (3/4 sleeves are okay) blouse or shirt. It should feel dressy, elegant. It must be comfortable. It may have buttons, ruffles, lace, as long as everything on it is black. A simple cotton long-sleeved t-shirt is great, as long as the singer feels dressed up.
Pants/skirt: Long, to the shoes, black. Corduroy, velvet, denim, and others are all fine as long as they are solid black, introduce no other color or logos, and feel dressy to the singer. If the singer chooses a skirt, it must be a maxi skirt, to the shoes. No leggings, no sweatpants. Some loose-fitting yoga pants work well.
Shoes: black, flat, close-toed dress shoes. They must fit, be comfortable, and the singer must be able to run in them. No heels. The sole must be thin and flexible. Please, no boots. No athletic shoes, no white soles, no logos. Jazz shoes or simple Mary Janes are a great choice.
Socks: black or none.
For SV5
We will make some changes to our wardrobe for 25-26. More information will be posted here in the summer.
For Festival Performances, All Ensembles
Singers wear their Sisters’ Voices t-shirts, jeans (or other pants), and athletic or other casual clothes.
Travel
SV4 and SV5 singers travel some toward the end of the year. The cost of this travel is not included in tuition, and families are asked to cover their singers’ costs.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is a group of adults, mostly moms of singers, who gather to take responsibility for the workings of the Sisters’ Voices organization. They support the staff and make sure the organization is legally and financially on the right track. If you are interested in serving on this Board, please contact the Chair of the Board.
This year’s Board of Directors
Kristin Trangsrud, Chair
Sarah Fotheringham, Secretary
Jennifer Shen, Treasurer
Kate DeAlmeida
Jacqueline Kessman
Alexandra Figueroa
Kelly Peak
Leandra Strope, ex officio
Costs
Below are costs for the 2025-26 season.
Our season runs from September (just after Labor Day) through May. SV5 will travel in late June, requiring rehearsals after our May concert and up until travel.
Returning singers: Please log in to your Choir Genius account, and go to the Store (NOT to the Registration space). In the Store you’ll find your singer’s deposit and monthly payments. The deposit will be charged to your credit card immediately; you’ll sign up now for monthly payments, and they’ll be charged to your card months beginning in September.
New singers, SV1 and SV2: When you register, you will pay a deposit. Then we will send you an invoice through which you can pay the rest of the semester or year, or through which you can set up automatic payments (full year commitment only).
New singers, SV3, 4, 5: Please sign up on our website for a Placement Lesson with Leandra; there is no cost of this lesson/audition.
Deposits, equal to the first and last month of tuition, are not refundable.
Monthly tuition, by ensemble (multiply by 9 for year’s tuition):
- SV1 $70/mo or $315/sem (semester or full season commitment)
- SV2 $80/mo or $360/sem (semester or full season commitment)
- SV3 $145/mo (full season commitment)
- SV4 $250/mo (full season commitment)
- SV5 $320/mo (full season commitment)
Scholarships
We offer 25% and 50% scholarships to families based on income and other situations. These scholarships are identified by parents when you register and pay. If you need more of a scholarship, please reach out to Leandra (leandra@sistersvoices.org), and she will work with you.
If you sign up for a scholarship, we ask that you know and respect that the scholarship means that other people’s donations are covering your child’s tuition (it does not mean that your child’s tuition is lowered). We develop tuition based on the costs of running the organization, paying our staff, and our best estimate of the number of singers we will have. People donate to our scholarship fund because they believe in the work we’re doing, and they want to see girls and young women grow up with the community that we’re cultivating. We ask that you pay what you can and then ask for what you need; we do not want the cost to be prohibitive for any singer who wants to join us.
Leadership Program for SV4 and SV5
description coming soon …
Camp
The last full week of the summer we offer camp for new and returning singers going into SV2 and SV3. This is a week of summer fun, where we get to know each other, sing a lot and work on skills that will be important to the coming year. We dig into solfege (do, re, me …), musical notation, the International Phonetic Alphabet. We play games. We do crafts and play instruments. We hear and tell stories. We get to know each other and get the year kicked off well.
Beads, Beads, Beads, and a Pendant
As a singer grows through our program, they build a string of beads that represents their individual growth and contributions to the SV community. Each time they complete a semester, move to the next ensemble, participate in a performance, attend camp, etc, they receive a bead to add to their string.
Once a singer completes their second full consecutive year in SV and completes 8th grade or higher, they receive a pendant which they will wear when performing with SV5. This pendant is the bird from our icon, a picture that has multiple meanings: a bird in a nest (we sing about birds a lot), SV for Sisters’ Voices, a treble clef, and a spiral which is a symbol showing that we are on a journey getting to know ourselves and each other deeply.
