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From simple singing games to complex works of the masters, we educate. Quality repertoire. Comprehensive musicianship. Choral artistry. Fun. We are Milwaukee Children’s Choir.
Do you know a child who loves to sing? Contact us now. Download a web version of our 2010-2011 brochure.
Milwaukee Children's Choir is Southeastern Wisconsin's premiere children's choir. We provide children with exceptional choral music instruction and performance experiences they can get nowhere else in the area. Founded by Emily Holt Crocker in 1994, a new era began when Carol Storck became MCC's Artistic Director in 2009.
Under Ms. Storck’s leadership, we offer programs for children ages 4 through 18. All classes and rehearsals are educational, child centered, and age appropriate. We believe in educating the whole child, and work with the human voice to teach not only music but also important life skills such as poise, self-confidence, focus, problem solving, and teamwork. The experts agree that singing in a choir has a remarkably positive impact on children. Choir parents agree with the experts. Our choristers simply say how much "fun" it is to be a part of the choir!
Artistic Director Storck is an expert in the internationally renowned Kodály method of teaching. Members of her artistic team are talented music educators and performers known for their musicianship, their passion for quality music education, their leadership in the field of music, and the joy they get from music and teaching children. Several key concepts from Kodály methodology are integrated into MCC curriculum: singing as the basis for music education, folk music for beginning singers, use of solfege, performing highest quality music, developing the complete musician, and using sequenced curriculum. As staff prepare for rehearsals, careful attention is paid to each of these concepts.
MCC has rehearsal sites throughout the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Choristers sing in five divisions: Songbirds (non-performance based class for K4 and K5); Prelude Choir (beginning choir grades 1-3); Cantabile (training choir grades 4-8); Jubilate (advanced treble choir grades 7-9); and Milwaukee Youth Chorale (experienced mixed ensemble grades 10-12). Singers joining the choir in grades 4K-3 need not audition but are encouraged to preview our program. Auditions help singers (grades 4-12) and MCC directors get to know each other and are used to place singers in the appropriate choir.
MCC teaches through performance. We will present five performances during the 2010-2011 season, using some or all choir divisions at each concert. All events are themed with musical selections guaranteed not only to educate and inspire audiences but also to motivate and develop the young musicians in the choir. Repertoire is challenging, diverse, rich and rewarding. It is drawn from the classical masters, from more contemporary choral masters, and from diverse cultures and a wide variety of musical styles including classical, popular, folk, and patriotic music. During the 2010-2011 season we feature two very special guest artists: Peter and Mary Amidon will have hundreds of children folk dancing in April 2011, and in May composer Paul Caldwell will conduct the Milwaukee premiere of "Witness", which was written for MCC as part of the Chorus America Children's Choir Commission Consortium.
Milwaukee Children's Choir is a member of the United Performing Arts Fund. Our relationship with the area's finest performing arts organizations leads to once-in-a-lifetime performance opportunities for our singers. Recent examples include choristers providing the "lovely chorus of young voices" in Milwaukee Ballet's The Nutcracker (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel December 2009), and the opportunity to sing side by side with the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus in Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms, where our singers produced musical chords that "drifted through Uihlein Hall like glowing angels" (Third Coast Digest April 2010). During the 2010-2011 season MCC choirs will perform with Present Music, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Ballet, Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra and others. You may also see them at sporting and community events around town, or caroling in the community in December!
Reviews like those quoted immediately above help us maintain MCC's reputation as the finest children’s choir in the area. But it is the performers' experiences and the learning that comes with them that matter most to us. Whether our singers are first graders thrilled to perform with "the big kids" at an MCC concert featuring all choir levels—or third graders performing folk songs with hundreds of other children from guest school choirs at Roots & Wings—or high school seniors singing with the esteemed Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra—or eighth graders performing complex music written especially for them and Present Music (Thanksgiving Concert 2009)—or sixth graders in the pit with the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra and a crocodile puppet during Peter Pan (April 2010)—or fourth graders singing Simple Gifts with the MSO for 2000 local school children—MCC educates through performances that thrill both audiences and choristers.
Read more about upcoming performances or prior year performances.
MCC is dedicated to the community it serves. In addition to performing throughout the community, MCC's Harmony Program brings music instruction and performance experiences to roughly 200 children who live in the City of Milwaukee and attend Milwaukee schools. The children receive weekly music classes for several months each year, and join MCC and other choirs at a spring Roots & Wings Choir Festival.
Milwaukee Children's Choir represents the best Southeastern Wisconsin has to offer. Choir members represent 55 zip codes, 38 communities and seven counties. They represent grades K4-12 and more than 140 schools. More than 30% of the children served are non-Caucasian or of mixed race. And while participation in most MCC programming is tuition-based, we have a long-standing commitment to making our programs available to all. Tuition aid is available to qualified children, and no child has ever been turned away from membership because of money.
No doubt about it: We are Milwaukee's children's choir.
Do you know a child who loves to sing? Contact us today.
