SURVEY   |   WORLD CHOIR & ORCHESTRA

Announcing!
Santa Cruz Community World Choir & Orchestra!
A RockArbor Music Production

Sign up NOW for your chance to participate
in one or more of these exciting
multi-generational Santa Cruz, CA performance opportunities!

• Santa Cruz Community World Choir and Orchestra
• Gospel Choir
• Pop & Jazz Vocal Ensemble
• Early Music & Baroque Consort
• Rockin' Soul Band
• Production & Technical Teams
• Marketing & Promotional Teams

Program Overview

Under the direction of educator, producer, and composer Stephen L. Bigger*, (B.A. Mus, MENC, MTACSC, ACDA, CAAE, MEIA, ASCAP) participants will enhance their skill in a variety of Performing Arts disciplines, enjoy the social interaction of other musicians, and be a part of activities that offer inspiration, encouragement, and entertainment to our community!

These ensembles are being formed to supplement the decline of music education in our public schools and provide opportunities for training for the variety of musical and technical skills necessary to participate in 21st Century Arts & Entertainment Industries.

Are you a parent looking for a way to get involved more with your gifted child? Here is the perfect activity for any musical family! While it is rare to find opportunities for parents and children to perform in the same group, this is only one of the benefits offered by RockArbor Music Ensembles. In the light of continuing arts budget cuts in our schools, this is a wonderful alternative to public educational music programs, yet it is so different (perhaps better) in many ways!

Participation in any one of these ensembles will provide real-world performance experience for anyone considering a future in music and entertainment. Besides musical opportunities, there are a host of technical, production, and management positions which are necessary for producing excellent modern performances!

Opportunities

1. The Santa Cruz Community World Choir is a multi-generational, multi-cultural vocal group joining the voices of High School, College, and Adult singers in one fun and energetic mass choir. The choir will perform a wide variety of both classic and modern repertoire from all over the world. Singers will be trained in proper voice technique, learn how to sing in a variety of languages, and enhance their sight-reading, singing by ear, and other musical skills. Our initial repertoire will be focused on the Winter Holiday theme. Challenging and enjoyable selections from John Rutter, Morten Lauridsen, Handel, and other common practice composers will be mixed with music from other cultures to provide bright, warm, and happy concerts designed to be “audience friendly”. This choir will most definitely be a part of an ongoing recording process, both as featured performances as well as “support roles” for a variety of recording artists.
2. The Santa Cruz World Orchestra is also a multi-generational ensemble, featuring instruments from around the globe! Santa Cruz is a hot-bed for World style musicians yet there are few opportunities to participate in larger format ensembles. This group will provide special selections as well as accompany the vocal groups for the performances and recordings.
3. Performance Ensembles: Smaller, style-based performance ensembles will be forming based on skill and participant interest. Participation in one of the 2 main ensembles (choir/orchestra) is a prerequisite for joining the smaller ensembles.
4. Technical Teams. A limited number of openings for Promotional & Technical Teams are available. Qualified applicants will be placed in area of interest by informal interview.
5. Classes and private lessons are available with qualified professionals and teachers in the Santa Cruz area through RockArbor Institute of Music (R.I.M.). Areas of study include voice, piano, guitar, drums/percussion, wind instruments, strings, music theory, composition, video and audio production. Applicants may qualify for “internet-based” lessons via online high-speed video connections with highly skilled teachers located in other nearby towns such as Monterey, San Jose, San Francisco, and even key entertainment centers like Nashville, LA, or New York.

HOW TO JOIN!

Auditions and Interviews ongoing NOW!
For scheduling or more information email: slbigger@rockarbormusic.com

Rehearsals
September 14 to December 15, 2010

• There will be several weekly rehearsal time choices.
  
• Rehearsals (TBA) will take place in a convenient and easily accessible location in middle Santa Cruz area (somewhere along Hwy 1 between the “fish hook” and State Park exit)
• Affordable “semester” (4 month) tuition
• Scholarships may be available to qualified applicants.
• Family Discounts available.
• Childcare available!

Performances
December 2010 Performances at several Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Jose locations TBA

For video and audio examples of previous ensembles and productions by RockArbor:

• Choir & Orchestra
  
• Orchestra
  
• More examples

Stephen L. Bigger*, (B.A. Mus, National Association for Music Education and CA MEA, Music Teachers’ Association of California Santa Cruz Branch, American Choral Directors’ Association, California Alliance for Arts Education, Music & entertainment Industry Educators Assoc., American Composers Forum, American Society for Composers, Authors, & Publishers) is a highly skilled, versatile music professional who has been active full time in music performance and production since 1981 when he formed RockArbor Music to answer the increasing demand for his services. Stephen has written hundreds of pieces ranging from choir anthems and instrumental orchestrations to pop, rock, folk, and gospel songs. He has produced professional recordings for many artists and songwriters. As a staff producer in Nashville, TN Stephen produced over 300 songs per year for 7 years! His work is distributed all over the world in a variety of educational curriculums and entertainment markets. For a more complete list of Stephen’s qualifications, music recordings, and project list, go to history page.