Sing Around Nebraska

Sing Around Nebraska (SAN) is a powerful choral opportunity for upper-elementary students, which fosters the love of singing!

SAN has a 2-year rotation. In February of even numbered years (2010, 2012 etc.), there is a Festival Choir and is customarily offered in 12 sites around Nebraska. The music teacher in each school may select 2-10 students in grades 4-6 to participate in the Festival. If there is more than one music teacher in a given school, each teacher may select singers.

In the fall of even numbered years, SAN is an Honor Choir for 5th & 6th grades students. Auditions for this choir are currently made via tape/CD, but we are looking into the direction of mp3’s for the 2012 Honor Choir year. The deadline for auditions to be sent to the Children’s Chair is mid-September. Each teacher is able to send in one audition per 15 students. If the teacher has 30 students in Grade 5 and another 45 students in Grade 6, the teacher would be able to send in five auditions (75 total students, divided by 15). The end of September or early October announces the audition results for the SAN Honor Choir. For this choir, the teacher submitting the auditions must be a member of the Nebraska Choral Directors Association. The 150 students from around Nebraska selected for the Honor Choir assemble in late October or early November in Lincoln @ UNL for a Friday evening and all day Saturday rehearsals with a guest clinician. The experience culminates with a concert in the Lied Center on Saturday evening.

Information regarding these special choirs is sent near the beginning of the school year. If you do not receive the information in the mail, contact Kandi Stelling, NCDA Children’s Choir Chair.

The Sing Around Nebraska choirs offer a number of benefits:

  • SAN provides students with an exciting and quality choral experience with other students from their festival area.
  • SAN provides an opportunity for honor music students who are ready for more challenging music to work with a renowned clinician.
  • SAN provides music teachers an opportunity to observe and learn from the clinician working with the students and an opportunity to collaborate with other music teachers.
  • SAN provides the opportunity for students to sing quality children’s choral repertoire, and helps school districts build a music library of such music.