If you have Pre-K/K singers in your family we encourage you to feed their ears and voices with a steady diet of these excellent artists who write songs for children. Encourage them to sing along and they'll be ready for our Discovery Choir in no time!
Laurie Berkner, The Kiboomers, Cocomelon and Toddler Tunes.
Don't forget classics like Raffi and Sesame Street.
Go old school with Ella Jenkins, Pete Seeger, and Tom Paxton.
Discovery Choir
Grades 1-3
Audition by video:
Singing auditions for this age group are optional. We encourage children with singing experience, particularly 3rd graders, to submit an audition video following the instructions for the Learning Choir (Grades 4-6).
​
Children of this age will be taught the singing skills necessary to participate, but we do need to screen for reading ability and speech development issues.
​
Please print out this text and have your child practice reading the poem out loud.
Record:
-
Please make a video or audio recording of your child reading the poem out loud.
-
Have your child say their name before they start reading.
It will take some practice - take your time!
​
Please use WhatsApp ( a free downloadable app) to send us your video. Our WhatsApp number is our office phone number: 856-553-3110 (it will show as AfterSchool Music and/or Lauren Musick Canna).
Please do not email us your videos as they will likely be too big to send.
Learning Choir
Grades 4-6
Audition by video submission
If your child currently works with a voice teacher, feel free to submit a video recording of a song they have worked on with their teacher.
Otherwise
Prepare:
-
Please print out this copy of Edelweiss.
-
Please listen with your child to one of these wonderful videos - The Vancouver Children's Choir, Cynthia Erivo, or 10-year old Lokan singing this classic song from The Sound of Music.
-
Use the piano recording below as the backing track for your singer.
If they have trouble following it after some practice, they may sing it acapella.
Record:
-
Please make a video or audio recording of your child singing along to this backing track above.
-
Have your child say their name before they start singing.
It will take some practice - take your time!
​
Please use WhatsApp ( a free downloadable app) to send us your video. Our WhatsApp number is our office phone number: 856-553-3110 (it will show as AfterSchool Music and/or Lauren Musick Canna). Please do not email us your videos as they will likely be too big a file to send.
Advancing Ensemble
Grades 7-9
Audition by video submission
Most singers of this age have either voice lesson experience, camp experience, choir experience, or love to sing along to pop or musical theater songs. We encourage their diversity!
​
Please have your young singer make a video recording of a song that makes them really happy to sing.
​
If they are truly stuck for a song, they can feel free to follow the instructions for the Learning Choir. Please focus on excellent diction, your best singing tone, intelligent breathing choices, and focused, clear, well-shaped vowels.
​
They should start the video with their name - then sing along to a backing or karaoke track - but then: Please tell us a few things about yourself! We especially want to know your musical experience - camps, shows, piano lessons, do you read music? We want to get to know you! Also - if you take voice lessons - please tell us your teacher's name so that we can be in touch with them.
​
​
Please use WhatsApp ( a free downloadable app) to send us your video. Our WhatsApp number is our office phone number: 856-553-3110 (it will show as AfterSchool Music and/or Lauren Musick Canna).
Please do not email us your videos as they will likely be too big a file to send.
Professional Ensemble
Grades 10-12
Audition
All auditions for the Professional Ensemble are held in person. Please text the following to 856-553-3110. Our staff will be in touch to schedule an audition.
​
Text:
Hi My name is X. I'm in X grade in X school (or homeschool) and I'd like to audition for the YSSJ Pro Ensemble.