The Junior Providence Singers




The Frequently Asked Questions Who are we? We’re a different group every year. We don’t know the roster until we start rehearsals for the concert season, but we do know this: We are high school students drawn from Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts. There will be somewhere between 40 and 60 of us, chosen through audition. We really like to sing, and we’re pretty good at it. (Auditions are competitive, yes, but they’re not at all stressful. You’ll probably enjoy them whether you join the Junior Singers or not.) What do we do? We rehearse at the Carter Center Tuesdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the fall (October and November) and in the winter (January and February), preparing music that we perform in concert. We do high-quality choral music, from early Renaissance to stuff that’s not even written yet. In our 2009 season, we sang with the Providence Singers in the “Anniversaries” concerts March 28 and 29. And, um, yes it’s true: We have performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Who leads us? Michele Holt is our music director. She is the past president of the Rhode Island Music Educators Association and past national president of the American Choral Directors Association, and she conducts at the University of Connecticut–Storrs. The operations manager of the Providence Singers keeps track of everything and makes sure it all runs smoothly. Susan Carroll is our accompanist. She’s a really great pianist, organist at Beneficent Church, and a member of the Providence Singers. Members of The Providence Singers often serve as mentors. Many of the Singers are music educators, choral leaders and musicians, and several of them actually lead high school choruses in the area. A few Singers work with our SATB sections as coaches and even perform with us sometimes. What does it cost? Tuition for the 12-week program is $250, and it includes everything you’ll need, including music purchase or rental. The Providence Singers makes financial aid available. You can contact the office for information about scholarships. Do I need to be good at reading music? Sight-reading is not part of the audition. The JPS is more interested in what your voice sounds like — how high, how low — and your musical aptitude, like whether you can match a pitch. The audition lasts about 10 minutes. How do people sign up? For information about the program — audition and rehearsal schedules, fees and scholarships — call the office at (401) 751-5700 or send some e-mail. Ask anyone who’s done it: You’ll learn a lot, meet some great kids, and you won’t soon forget the experience of performing in a major choral arts venue. The Junior Providence Singers 667 Waterman Avenue East Providence RI 02914 How is all this possible? We have two great organizations behind us to provide artistic and organizational support: The Providence Singers and The Music School of the Rhode Island Philharmonic. It’s an amazing collaboration.