Photo courtesy Linda ParkerBy Linda Parker
Special to The PREVIEW
Auditions for the Pagosa Springs Girls Choir (PSGC) will be held Monday, May 22, in the Pagosa Springs Middle School choir room, located at 309 Lewis St., from 4 to 5 p.m.
The auditions are open to young ladies who will be in the fifth through eighth grades during the 2017-2018 school year, whether they are enrolled in public school, are home-schooled, or are enrolled in online educational programs.
When asked what the choir means to her, Ashlie Elliott, a third-year choir member, said, “It’s so much fun to perform. We work hard learning our music, and it’s great to have audiences enjoy our singing.”
PSGC Director Linda Parker stated, “I hope the girls in Pagosa will take advantage of this group and come audition this Monday. We look forward to and are excited about welcoming into the choir girls who love to sing and want to further their music education. Current choir members will be on hand to sing along with girls auditioning to make the process less threatening. We want this to be a fun experience for our new girls.”
Once selected, members are exposed to vocal training experience like none other offered in our community. Private vocal coaching is offered as part of their tuition charge, as well as the option of participating in the annual summer educational trip. Both opportunities are funded through our fundraising efforts and the generosity of the Pagosa Springs community.
In the summer of 2014, the choir traveled to Santa Fe, N.M., to learn about opera, improvisation, and the artwork and style of Georgia O’Keeffe. The following year, the choir traveled to the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas, area to see professional stage productions of “Annie” and “Cinderella,” to learn about professional musical theater and to visit a variety of museums to learn about the history and art of the region. Last July, the girls visited Vail, Colo., where they attended a performance of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and this summer will take them to Salt Lake City, Utah.
“These kinds of experiences open up the entire world to these girls and give them broader musical and artistic experiences than they can find in their hometown,” Parker said. “It is my hope that through all of their Choir experiences, whether they are local or distant, that the girls will see the opportunities and possibilities that are within their reach if they know such things exist.
Parker encourages all interested girls who meet the criteria mentioned above to take advantage of this unique opportunity to audition for the PSGC. Audition packets and additional information about the auditions can be obtained by calling Parker at 264-1434, emailing her at singpagosa@gmail.com or by visiting the PSGC website at www.singpagosa.org.
Audition forms and a $10 audition fee will be collected at the time of the audition. If a participant is selected to be in the choir, the audition fee will be applied to the required $200 annual tuition, Parker added. A scholarship application is also included in the audition packet, and no girl is ever turned away because of financial need.
Come join this exciting group. We’ll see you on Monday.
