Goshen College Music Center

CSA Children’s Choirs and Showcase Concert featured on FOX 28 newscast

dustingm — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:04:02 +0000

Local television station FOX 28 was in attendance at the Sunday, May 5 CSA Showcase Concert and produced a brief local news story on the concert and our children’s choirs’ performance.

Click to view the video story online. (via Fox28.com)

Final CSA student recitals of 2012-13 to be held May 11

dustingm — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:38:56 +0000

Music students enrolled in Community School of the Arts (CSA) private lessons will perform in final solo recitals of the school year, Sunday, May 11. Recitals will be held in Rieth Recital Hall at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The public is warmly invited! See below for a photo gallery from earlier CSA student recitals of this year.

CSA Choirs Accepting New Members for 2013-2014

dustingm — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:01:41 +0000

The Community School of the Arts Choirs are now scheduling auditions for new members in the 2013-2014 ensembles for children in grades 3-12 who love to sing.

Auditions for new members in Rejoice (grades 3-5) and Shout for Joy (grades 6-8) will be held on Monday, May 13 and Tuesday, May 14 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. in the Goshen College Music Center. New students may reserve an audition time by calling the Music Center Main Office at (574) 535-7361. Auditions are 15 minutes and do not require prior singing or choral experience. No preparation is necessary for the auditions.

Both children’s choirs rehearse Thursday evenings from 7:00 – 8:15 p.m. in the Goshen College Music Center, beginning August 22, 2013. There are two performances: one in November and one in May, both in Sauder Concert Hall.

Auditions for the NEW High School Honors Choir (grades 9-12) will hold early auditions on Sunday, May 19 from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m., Monday, May 20 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., and Thursday, May 23 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Members of the High School Honors Choir are expected to be involved in their high school choral or music program, or home schooled.

Singers in the choirs will be registered through the Community School of the Arts. Tuition is $75/term plus registration fee. Need-based scholarships are available; please inquire at the Music Center Main Office or by calling (574) 535-7566. Online registration is available after auditions are complete.

Goshen College announces 2013-2014 Performing Arts Series lineup

dustingm — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:45:48 +0000

The 2013-2014 Goshen College Performing Arts Series lineup will feature eight outstanding concerts with performers that range from jazz to folk to classical.

Classes will be held in Elkhart beginning in June, and Goshen beginning in July. Financial aid is available for those with need.

dustingm — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:37:55 +0000

Series tickets are available now by calling (574) 535-7566. Reserve your seats with a $20 deposit! Individual tickets available August 5, 2013.

dustingm — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:25:43 +0000

Music Together® and Step By Step

dustingm — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:23:46 +0000

This article was featured in the September/October 2012 edition of The Gospel Evangel, a newsletter of the Mennonite Church’s Indiana-Michigan Conference.

by Debra Kauffman, Community School of the Arts Director

The preschool children of Step by Step Childcare Ministry in south Elkhart eagerly look forward to their Friday Music Together® classes. Elkhart resident Tracey Weirich, the GC Music Together teacher for the classes, is excited as well. Tracey says, “It is an honor and a privilege to teach these children who are so enthusiastic about music.”

An active ministry for more than a decade, Step by Step had its beginnings in Robert and Maria Crockett’s pastoral work at the House of Power. Currently, it is housed in the community rooms of Elkhart’s Washington Gardens public housing development and serves upwards of 60 neighbor- hood children each week. The Crocketts continue as program directors, working closely with a transition team that is helping continue the outreach to young children and their families.

When Maria Crockett wondered aloud about pro- viding music for these children, Kathryn Aschliman of the transition team approached me about the possibility. I was thrilled to hear of their interest, as I believe the right kind of music experience early in a child’s life can have a profound effect on that child’s development and disposition. Our church experience also tells us that singing touches our souls and strengthens our communities.

Music Together is research-based and uses playful song and movement to help children learn to sing in tune, keep a steady beat and gain confidence in music. Teachers in the program are well-trained facilitators who carefully plan activities that en- courage life skills such as group interaction and self-regulation, and help children develop positive creative and expressive outlets. Along with the edu- cational aspects of the experience, there is plenty of fun and laughter in the classes for all, including the adult teachers, parents and other volunteers who attend classes with the children.

At the end of the first week’s class with the oldest children, ages 4 and 5, the children sat quietly without moving after the final “Goodbye Song.” They weren’t ready for the time to end so Tracey led them in another song to help them transition to their next activity. As they gathered around their table in another part of the room, they spontaneously began to sing a folk song they had learned only a few minutes earlier in class. Tracey and I both note that the children are hungry for what we have to offer through Music Together, and it has been rewarding to see their response.

Maria is also pleased about the opportunity for music that has unfolded for Step by Step children. She hopes to see them continue their interest in music as they enter school and beyond. The classes are now planned weekly through December, and she is hopeful they can continue longer. Funding for Step by Step’s participation in the program this fall has been arranged by the transition team with partners College Mennonite Church and the Goshen College Music Center.

For more information about the Music Center’s Music Together® program for young children, please visit the Music Together® main page.

Your donation to the Music Center helps develop the Arts in Elkhart County!

dustingm — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 22:00:50 +0000

Individual tickets for 2012-13 Performing Arts Series concerts now availble

dustingm — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 19:59:24 +0000

Tickets for individual Performing Arts Series concerts are now available for sale online or through the Goshen College Welcome Center.

The 2012-13 Performing Arts Series features a varied lineup of concerts throughout the year, including concerts by folksinger Emmylou Harris, professional chorus Seraphic Fire, bluegrass greats the Del McCoury Band, and Broadway star Lea Salonga. Tickets for all of these concerts — and more — are available for purchase online by visiting www.goshen.edu/tickets/. Patrons may also order tickets by calling the Goshen College Welcome Center at (574) 535-7566. Limited seating available — patrons are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets in advance.

CSA Welcomes Kristin Kauffman as New Rejoice Choir Director

dustingm — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 14:13:14 +0000

The Goshen College Community School of the Arts is pleased to announce the appointment of Kristin Kauffman as the new director of the Rejoice children’s choir, a community chorus for area boys and girls in grades three through five.

A soprano, Kauffman has taught private voice to students in the Penn-Harris-Madison and Concord school districts, as well as at Bethany Christian Schools. In August, she will also begin teaching voice lessons to students in the Goshen Community Schools. She was vocal music teacher at Central Noble High School and Central Noble Middle School in Albion, IN from 2000-2004 where she directed 6 Choirs, provided private voice instruction, and taught courses in music theory and musical theater. Kauffman also serves as a guest song leader for area retreats and conferences, a flute and vocal soloist, and as an adjudicator with the Indiana State School Music Association. She remains active in music at her home congregation of Belmont Mennonite Church, where she directs the Belmont Children’s Choir and serves as congregational song leader. Kauffman is a 1998 graduate of Goshen College with a degree in K-12 music education.
CSA offers two community choirs: Rejoice, for students in grades 3-5, and Shout for Joy, directed by Sandy Hill, for students in grades 6-8. All area youth in grades 3-8 may audition for the choirs regardless of singing experience or past participation. Auditions for new members will be held on Monday, August 20 from 4-5:30 p.m. and Tuesday, August 21 from 6-7:30 p.m. Please call the Music Center office at 574-535-7361 to schedule an audition time.

Both choirs rehearse Thursday evenings from 7-8:15 p.m. in the Goshen College Music Center. Concerts take place in the Music Center’s Sauder Concert Hall and elsewhere in the Goshen area. Tuition is $130 for the year with registration through the Community School of the Arts required. Financial aid is available. Visit www.gcmusiccenter.org for more information.