SCVA Newsletter (on-line version) - September 2009

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Message from the President - Sheri Nelson
Those of you who know me would not be surprised to find that I create “To Do” lists.   My list to complete before school started included:  select literature, order music, revise handbook, create performance/rehearsal calendar, arrange for dress/tux order, renew SCVA membership and it goes on from there.   Did your list include RENEW SCVA MEMBERSHIP?  If not, please add that to your annual list.  Mark Freedkin has improved our on-line membership application so your addresses and phone numbers don’t have to be typed in unless they have changed since last year.  Don’t forget to follow up the submission of your application with payment of your dues. 

Another item on your “To Do” list should be to invite a colleague to become a member.  You may have a teacher in your district who is a brand new first year teacher or an experienced teacher who has never participated in the organization.  Invite them to join SCVA and attend the Fall In-Service with you.  It is a great time to learn some new instructional techniques, find new literature, and network with colleagues.

SCVA is celebrating its 70th year!  The organization was established in 1939 to advance vocal music at all grade levels in the schools of southern California.  SCVA is dedicated to continue offering festivals, honor choirs, and workshops to choral director and their students.  All of these events are coordinated by busy, dedicated directors who volunteer their time so that all of us, and our students, can participate in these enriching musical events.  Please take a moment during the year to say “Thank you” to board members, both past and present.  SCVA is celebrating 70 years due a faithful membership and the leadership of hundreds of past board members.  THANK YOU!

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2009 High School Honor Choirs Are Here! Already? Tammi Alderman, VP - High School Honor Choirs

Off and Running...

We’ve reached the final days of our summer, and most of us are probably in the first week of classes while others are likely in the last stages of preparing for the first day.  Insane as it may be, plans for the 2009 SCVA High School Honor Choirs have been in the works since January!  Honestly, it takes months to set up all of the details in order to foster a phenomenal experience for the singers.  Thus, the following specifics are already certain:

Please read the two pages to follow for details regarding most of the items listed below.

Three conductors have been confirmed and I am very excited about the music they plan to make with our students.  Mixed Choir - Dr. Joshua Habermann (University of Miami); Women’s Choir – Lori Marie Rios (College of the Canyons); Men’s Choir - Harold Clousing (Azusa Pacific University).

1.      Santa Monica HS will again host the Honor Choirs weekend, and the dates will be November 20-21.

2.      Auditions will occur the last Saturday in September (26th) and the first Saturday of October (3rd) as they have for quite some time.

3.      Audition applications will be accepted ONLINE ONLY, and the deadline will, as always, occur two weeks prior to the first weekend of auditions (Friday, September 11).

4.      Audition sites are listed on the next page - please check them carefully.

5.      The First Rehearsal (October 24) will be at Point Loma University in San Diego.  Please make your transportation arrangements early.

6.      A review of the scoring system took place during this year’s All-State Honor Choir weekend and it was decided that the scoring system will remain as it has for the past two years.  No further reviews or discussions on honor choirs scoring have been planned.

7.      The addition of a Men’s All-State Honor Choir was approved by the CA ACDA board at it’s July meeting.  This will afford more opportunity for our young men to participate in honor choir at the state level.  Please encourage your men to take part in this exciting new addition to the CA honor choir family.

8.      All 2009 Honor Choirs members will be able to download mp3 files of their parts online.  The parts will be available individually and with piano and full-choir accompaniment.  Any student who cannot download files will still be able to request a rehearsal CD.

I am looking forward to working as the new VP of Honor Choirs on the SCVA Board.  Again, all application materials will be online only (no paper).  Online applications have made the audition process much more streamlined and efficient for those of us on the administrative side of things.  Please check the SCVA website regularly for updates to audition information.

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SCVA High School Honor Choir - Tammi Alderman, Vice President, High School Honor Choir

Please Read Carefully
All deadlines are firm and WILL NOT be extended and the guidelines CANNOT be altered.  Keeping strict deadlines allows your students and our staff the greatest amount of time to prepare for the Honor Choir rehearsals and performance.

Regional Honor Choir
After more than 600 students from all over Southern California audition, 260 will be selected to sing in one of three groups: Women’s, Men’s or Mixed Honor Choir.  They will receive a packet of music, meet for one rehearsal (October 24) before the Honor Choir weekend, and then (with music memorized) come together on Friday and Saturday, November 20 & 21 for two days of intense rehearsal and a Saturday evening concert with some of the most distinguished conductors in our field. 

All-State Honor Choir
Students interested in being considered for the California All-State Honor Choir need only mark the appropriate box on their SCVA application.  There is no additional audition or fee. They may be asked at their auditions to reconfirm their interest in All-State. The All-State Honor Choir will be March 18-20 in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Please Note:
Check your availability for all dates BEFORE auditioning.  Being accepted into a choir and then not participating will exempt your school from participation in the Honor Choirs for one year (In fact, some schools are already exempt from participating this year).  Please see: Honor Choir Guidelines and Policies.

All students auditioning for Regional and State Honor Choirs must be members in good standing with their school choral program and their conductors must be paid members of SCVA.  Teachers may pay their dues online or by contacting Lisa Lopez at llopezscvamem@hotmail.com.

All students in Southern California must use the on-line application form on the SCVA website.  DO NOT use the ACDA application from the California ACDA website!

Regional Honor Choir Conductors
We are proud to announce this year’s conductors for the Regional Honor Choirs: Dr. Joshua Habermann from the University of Miami will conduct the Mixed Choir; Lori Marie Rios from the College of the Canyons will conduct the Women’s Choir; and Harold Clousing from Azusa Pacific University

will lead the Men’s Choir.

Important Dates:
On-Line Application Registration Deadline:
            Friday, September 11, 2009
Audition Dates:
            Saturday, September 26, 2009 (various locations)
            Saturday, October 3, 2009 (various locations)
First Rehearsal:
            Saturday, October 24, 2009   9:30am – 4:00pm
            Point Loma University in San Diego
Honor Choir Weekend:
            Friday & Saturday, November 20 & 21
            Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica
Concert:  November 21   7:30pm
California All-State Honor Choir:
            March 18-20, 2010, San Francisco Bay Area, CA

$$$    Pay with PAYPAL!!!   $$$
SCVA has been using PayPal for the past five years with great success.  It’s the convenient way to pay audition fees, SCVA dues, Honor Choir fees, Festival fees, etc.  And coupled with the required ON- LINE REGISTRATION, it’s even easier!  You may use any major credit card for a $0.50 processing fee.  REMEMBER: All monies must be paid by PayPal, a school check, a booster check or money order.  NO PERSONAL CHECKS from directors, students or parents will be accepted.

For questions about SCVA Honor Choir, to volunteer, or to act as an adjudicator, contact Tammi Alderman at talderman@falconchoir.org or John Hendricks at jhendricks@buckleyla.org

REMINDERS About Auditions
Remember that the scoring amounts changed two years ago: the performance is only worth 40pts and the theory portion increased to 60pts.  In addition, the theory portion includes more emphasis on tonal memory and the chromatic scale.  For complete information, see the SCVA website.

Solo: all auditionees will prepare and sing a solo from the “Twenty-four Italian Songs and Arias" (G. Schirmer) or equivalent art song book.  The solo MUST be memorized, sung in Italian and accompanied by tape, CD or an accompanist supplied by the auditionee.  Adjudicators will be listening for tone quality, diction, pronunciation, musical sensitivity and appropriate vocal range.
Range: all auditionees will demonstrate their vocal range through a short series of warm-up exercises.
Tonal Memory: all auditionees will demonstrate tonal memory skills by singing back a 4-5 note passage played by one of the adjudicators.  You may sing back on any neutral syllable.
Scales/Triads: all auditionees will prepare and sing a major and minor triad, a major scale and a chromatic scale on any neutral syllable.
Sight-Reading: all auditionees will demonstrate rhythmic and melodic sight-reading skills by singing a single, unaccompanied melodic line on any neutral syllable.
NOTE: Students must provide their own accompanist or an accompanying CD or tape IN THE PROPER KEY!

Acceptance Notice and Fees
Those accepted for the Mixed, Men’s or Women’s Honor Choir will be notified by their directors on October 12th.  A $65.00 fee will be collected at the first rehearsal on October 24th.  The fee provides for music, accompanists, directors and facilities.  ONLY PayPal verification, a school check, booster check or money order will be accepted.  NO PERSONAL CHECKS WILL BE ACCEPTED from students, parents or teachers!!

Honor Choir Guidelines and Policies
A student must be enrolled in his/her school’s choral program in order to be eligible for participation in Honor Choir.  If a student drops out of the school program, he/she will be dropped from Honor Choir as well.  No sanctions will be imposed on the school in this case.

However, when a student drops out of an SCVA Honor Choir, the student’s school may not be allowed to participate in Honor Choir the following school year.  Given our time constraints, when a student drops out of Honor Choir it is impossible for us to fill their vacancy.  Therefore, when a student drops out, another deserving student misses out on this wonderful opportunity.

Students who must, out of extreme necessity, drop out of Honor Choir after being accepted are required to provide a signed, written note from their parents and from their school choral director stating the reasons for the drop out.  The note MUST be sent immediately to the Honor Choir coordinator by mail or hand-delivered by the student, parent or director as soon as possible.

Acceptable reasons for dropping Honor Choir:
Death in the family just before the concert
Serious medical problem
Other matters of an equally serious nature

Unacceptable reasons for dropping Honor Choir:
Schedule conflicts of any kind.
Student deciding he/she would rather not participate, doesn’t like the music, or doesn’t want to work with a particular conductor.

If a student drops for any reason, a panel of members from the SCVA Board will consider the reason given and decide whether it is an unacceptable or acceptable reason.  THIS HAS ALREADY OCCURRED FOR A FEW SCHOOLS THIS YEAR!

Choral directors are responsible for remaining informed about their students’ continued participation in the Honor Choir. 

Required On-Line Audition Application Process
No More Paper Applications Will Be Accepted!
  We have completely streamlined and simplified the audition application process.  Mark Freedkin has prepared a simple on-line entry form on the SCVA Website that your students can use to submit their audition application electronically.  Those who used it last year loved it!  The on-line form is available by clicking on the Honor Choir Auditions link on the Home Page of our website at http://www.scvachoral.org 

Each student who wishes to audition for Honor Choir will enter all of his/her information (including name, address, phone number, voice part, age, etc.) and his/her first & second choice audition sites into the on-line form.  The student must also enter his/her director's e-mail address.  In addition, students can indicate if their audition should be considered for the All-State Honor Choir.  After clicking on the "Submit Application" button, the student can optionally use Pay Pal to pay the $5.00 audition fee using any major credit card (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, Am Ex).

An automated e-mail message will be sent to the director for each student who applies.  The e-mail message will include a link to a special web-page that allows the director to see a list all of his/her students who have applied, and allows a selection of "Approve" or "Reject" for each student.  The first time the director approves or rejects a student’s application for the current Honor Choir cycle, an additional form allows the director to indicate, review, and/or change contact and school information.  The director’s information is then stored for each new applicant (Information from directors whose students participated last year was previously stored).

The on-line audition application process was designed to reduce the amount of logistics and paperwork for everyone involved.  Directors need to have an e-mail address (please use only one!) and a computer system with Internet access.  This process has eliminated a tremendous amount of paperwork and manual data entry by the Honor Choir coordinators.   It has also drastically improved the accuracy of our information, making the entire Honor Choir experience more positive for everyone.

On-Line Honor Choir Audition Application

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CALL FOR ADJUDICATORS! - Tammi Alderman, Vice President, SCVA Honor Choirs
Dear Colleagues: below is the list of Regional Honor Choir audition sites that I am trying to fill with adjudicators.  I hope that you will check out the list of possibilities below and want to help out.  Please contact John Hendricks at jhendricks@buckleyla.org or Tammi Alderman at talderman@falconchoir.org and let us know what date and location works best for you to adjudicate.  I really appreciate all you do for your kids and what you have done in the past for kids in all of Southern California.

Saturday, September 26th  9am-1pm            Saturday, October 3rd  12pm-4pm
Arlington HS, Riverside                                    Cal State Fullerton, Fullerton
Canyon HS, Canyon Country                           Crescenta Valley HS, La Crescenta
Irvine HS, Irvine                                               Los Alamitos HS, Los Alamitos
Mark Keppel HS, Alhambra                             Oakwood School, North Hollywood
Mira Costa HS, Manhattan Beach                    Poway HS, Poway
Nordhoff HS, Ojai                                            Rancho Cucamonga HS, Rancho Cucamonga
Redlands HS, Redlands                                                           

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SCVA Show Choir Spectacular 2009 - Patty Breitag, VP, Show Choir
The Southern California Vocal Association is proud to sponsor many performing opportunities for our students. The show choir competition is one of those opportunities. Many of us prepare our show choirs for adjudication always hoping that our groups will be considered the best on that day. This year we sponsored 15 show choirs featuring four middle schools and nine high schools. Each division was adjudicated and each school was awarded trophies and plaques for outstanding performances. Thank you to Diamond Bar High School advanced women’s show choir, “Solitaire”, for hosting this event at Rosemead High School. The results are as follows:

Middle School Division
1st place: Oak Grove Middle School from Jamul
2nd place: South Pointe Middle School from Diamond Bar
3rd place: Slauson Middle School from Azusa
4th place: Luther Burbank Middle School from Burbank

High School Novice Women
1st place: Saugus High School from Saugus
2nd place: Gladstone High School from Covina
3rd place: Eisenhower from Rialto
High School Novice Mixed
1st place: Eisenhower High School from Rialto
2nd place: Cypress High School from Cypress

High School Intermediate Women
1st place: Eastlake High School from Chula Vista
2nd place: Jurupa Valley High School from Mira Loma
High School Intermediate Mixed
1st place: Mark Keppel High School from Alhambra
2nd place: Vista High School from Vista
3rd place: Eastlake High School from Chula Vista

High School Advanced Women
1st place: Arcadia High School from Arcadia

Congratulations to the winners of  Musicianship plaques: South Pointe Middle School, Saugus High School, Eisenhower High School, Eastlake High School and Mark Keppel High School and Showmanship plaques: Oak Grove Middle School, Saugus High School, Eisenhower High School, Eastlake High School and Mark Keppel High School.

Congratulations to the choral directors of these groups for spending countless hours finding and sometimes arranging music, rehearsing their choirs, hiring a choreographer, finding suitable accompaniment tracks and/or hiring musicians to accompany their groups. It is no small feat to design a show with a variety of musical styles to sing and dance, one a cappella song, and sometimes 1 or 2 costume changes, set up and strike the stage with risers or show choir boxes and keep the total time to just 20 minutes! This is just one facet of a choral program for many directors. Why do we do it? The answer is simple. Our students deserve dedicated teachers who give them as many singing opportunities as are available. Our students deserve our best efforts as we teach our students the value of music and the joy of performing. The one thing that will reward us is the student who returns after graduation and says: “Choir and show choir was one of the most memorable times of my life.” 

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What Helps the Most? BE A FESTIVAL HOST!!
Jennifer Stanley, VP-High School Festivals and Maria Fritts, VP-Junior High & Middle School Festivals

“I think the SCVA festivals are some of the most effective that we attend.”
                                                            – Craig Gruenberg, Granada Hills CHS Choral Director

TOP 10 REASONS TO HOST AN SCVA CHORAL FESTIVAL:
10. It’s easy to register as a festival host ONLINE at SCVACHORAL.ORG
9. You get free festival registration for one of your choirs at each festival you host.
8. You get excellent networking opportunities with other directors and adjudicators.
7. Your students have the familiarity of performing in their regular venue (home court advantage!)
6. SCVA enrolls choirs in your festival and gives you contact information for each director.
5. SCVA provides all forms and plaques needed to run the festival.
4. SCVA schedules certified adjudicators for your festival.
3. You don’t have to get a bus to go to festival.
2. You can set the date on your calendar NOW!
1. You provide an opportunity for many students to see other choirs and hear quality repertoire.

Submit your festival host registration at SCVACHORAL.ORG - deadline is November 1, 2009.

If you are interested in hosting an ELEMENTARY FESTIVAL, or if you have questions about elementary festivals, please email Maria. Please contact us if you have any questions!

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Fall In-Service -- Mark Henson, Past President
Save the date!  Friday, October 23 is our annual Fall In-Service.   Plan to be inspired and motivated! The location will again be Placentia Presbyterian Church, and the day will feature a repertoire reading session, guest choirs, adjudicator certification for those who may wish to become SCVA adjudicators, interest sessions, and more. 

My colleagues who teach subjects other than music are often surprised by the fact that we choral directors are so connected to one another.  We are so lucky that we have opportunities such as festivals, conventions, honor groups, reading sessions, etc. to keep us informed, up to date, inspired, and challenged.  Don’t miss this opportunity to network with long time friends, meet new colleagues, and to welcome those who are new to our profession. 

Many school districts recognize our Fall In-Service for Professional Development hours.  Remember, too, that festivals and other events should also be included in your Professional Growth portfolio.  Don’t waste another day being in-serviced on “How to Interpret Data” when we are already experts in this area:  Our singers demonstrate their progress and understanding every day!  We don’t even have to wait a whole year for “data” to tell us what we should have been doing all along!

Visit the SCVA website now to register by clicking on either “events” or “e-payments.”  Final confirmation, schedule, directions, etc. will be sent to registrants via email.  Please share this information with a friend so you can introduce your colleagues to our organization - the only one dedicated to supporting choral music education in Southern California for over 60 years!  I look forward to seeing you on October 23!

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Vocal Solo Competition - Colleen Kennedy, VP - Vocal Solo Competition
On Sunday, May 3, 2009, the finalists in the Vocal Solo Competition were given their final placement at the Jr. High/Middle School Honor Choir concert. SCVA congratulates these fine, young singers (and their teachers!) on their achievement.

Middle School:Kathleen Moriarty                     7th Grade         Sacred Heart School
High School, 6th place: Brandon Levin              12th Grade       Harvard-Westlake School
High School, 5th place: Savvy Pletcher              11th Grade       Los Robles Children's Choir
High School, 4th place: Kat Arenella                 11th Grade       Harvard-Westlake School
High School, 3rd place: Alex Rosen                   11th Grade       La Caņada High School
High School, 2nd place: Melody Stolpp            11th Grade       Foothill High School
High School, 1st place: Alana Grossman           11th Grade       Newbury Park High School

I would like to express again my heartfelt gratitude for the work that the site hosts, adjudicators and teachers all put into making the event successful.

I cannot stress strongly enough the value to your students, and to your choirs, of participation in the SCVA Vocal Solo Competition. It’s so much more than a competition. The process of preparing and performing a solo for adjudication, in and of itself, provides singers with a tremendous opportunity for growth as musicians. Add to that watching and listening to their peers and receiving guidance by leaders in the field, and you’ve got one powerful experience. The educational master-class aspect of the competition is emphasized throughout the process, so that everyone, novices to veterans, can benefit from participation. Some choral directors have found the solo competition experience so valuable that they require members of their ensembles to participate.

Once again, I’m soliciting for volunteers to host the preliminary rounds in January. This is a perfect entry-level event for anyone who is interested in becoming more involved in SCVA. All you need is a room with decent acoustics, a tuned piano, and seating for maybe 40 - 50 people. The average choir room is just fine. It doesn’t require much time on your part, outside of competition day. Everything you need will be sent to you in a packet. The only prep work is filling in the names of singers on their certificates. On competition day, you simply collect the paperwork in a postage-paid envelope and drop it in the nearest mailbox. It really is that easy.

Below are the application and competition dates for this year. I’ve done my best to avoid conflicts with CMEA, CA ACDA, ACDA, college auditions and testing dates. (Spotlight Awards dates were not yet available as of this writing.) The final round is later than usual this year in order to avoid these conflicts. Please contact me at colleenbkennedy AT gmail DOT com with your questions.

Dates to remember:
  - Saturday, December 5, 2009: Online application and payment deadline
  - Saturday, January 16, 2010: Preliminary round
  - Saturday, April 10, 2010: Final round
  - Final performances at the Jr. High/Middle School Honor Choir concert (date TBA)

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In Memoriam
On Saturday, June 20th, Erin Terreri lost her four and half year battle with a rare form of breast cancer.  In addition to being a dedicated choir director and English teacher at Pacifica High School, she also gave back and served as the SCVA Vice President of Show Choir, 1999-2001.   Erin was a loving wife to John and mother to Emma (age 5) and Morgan (age 3).  Her husband John has established a fund to sponsor scholarships at Pacifica High School.  Contributions can be made payable to Erin Terreri Memorial Scholarship Fund and mailed to Pacifica High School, c/o Erin Terreri Fund, 6851 Lampson Ave., Garden Grove, CA 92845.

Staci Della-Rocco passed away on August 10, 2009 after battling Stage IV Breast Cancer for seven years.  Staci was the Vocal Music Teacher at Patriot High School in the Jurupa Valley School District.  Staci also served on the SCVA board in the 1980’s for several terms, including two years as SCVA Vice President of Festivals.  She leaves behind partner, Sharon McDoungh; mother, Deanna Della-Rocco; a host of family, friends, and students.  Her family requests donations are made in her honor to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

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News from the CMEA Choral Representative - Christopher Peterson, CSU Fullerton
I am pleased to announce that the California Association for Music Education will once again sponsor an honor choir for middle-level choral musicians: The 2010 CMEA All-State Middle School Honor Choir. The honor choir will be held in conjunction with CMEA’s Professional Development Conference (“Music: One Goal, One Voice!”) in Sacramento, California on March 11–13, 2010. Last year’s honor choir was a great success, and we believe that these kinds of offerings help to strengthen middle-level music programs all over the state. We hope you will encourage your students to submit a recorded audition for the choir this year. More information regarding student eligibility, audition requirements,and singer expectations can be found at the CMEA website: http://www.calmusiced.com/honorgrps.htm

Our Co-chairpersons for the choir are Marc R. McAlexander and Stephanie Grogg. Immediate questions can be directed to Mr. McAlexander by email at: marcmcalexander@cusd.com. Be well, and may this be your best teaching year to date!

Middle School Honor Choir Timeline
October 23, 2009:        Postmarked deadline for audition materials to be sent to the Honor Choir Chairperson, Marc McAlexander.
November 13, 2009:    Notification via mail and or e-mail.
December 18, 2009:     Postmarked deadline for paperwork and fees to be returned to CMEA.
January 15, 2010:         Music packets, practice CD’s and related materials mailed to singer’s school.
March 11-13, 2010:     All-State Middle School Honor Choir Rehearsals at the Professional Development Conference in Sacramento.
March 13, 2010:          Performance at the Sacramento Convention Center, 4 pm.

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Young Women’s and Young Men’s Harmony Festivals - Mark Freedkin, VP - Barbershop Harmony Festivals
We are pleased to invite you to this year’s Barbershop Harmony Festivals for Young Women and Young Men.  Both events will be held at the Robert B. Moore Theater on the campus of Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa.  The 5th annual “Diva Day” Young Women in Harmony Festival, sponsored by the Harborlites Chorus, will be held on Saturday, February 6, and the 10th annual “Young Men’s Harmony Festival” will be held on Saturday, February 20, sponsored by the Masters of Harmony. Both of these events will provide a unique musical opportunity for your singers and will provide a positive boost to your choral music program.

Each event will consist of morning and afternoon clinics and rehearsals, followed by a public performance in the evening with the respective adult choruses.  There will also be a clinic for music educators who would like to participate in a hands-on demonstration of how the barbershop style is taught and how it can be used to attract more young men and women into your program.

The early application fee is only $20 per singer for applications that are submitted by November 13. After November 13, the application is fee $25 per singer.  The sponsoring choruses will cover the remaining costs for all sheet music, practice CDs, rehearsal facilities, guest clinicians and performance costumes. Each singer will receive a commemorative t-shirt. We will also provide lunch and dinner for the singers, choral directors and any adult chaperones accompanying the singers.

Please download and print the appropriate application forms from the SCVA website. Complete and return the applications and forms, along with payment by cash, check or money order payable to Harborlites (for Diva Day) or Masters of Harmony (for the Young Men’s Festival).  Each event will be limited to a maximum of 250 participants, so be sure to submit your applications early.  Note that these festivals are separate events, and you must send the appropriate forms and payments to the proper recipient.

Young Women’s Festival Only:
In order to accommodate more schools, we are limiting the number of singers per school to twelve (12). Ideally we suggest 1-2 tenors, 3-4 leads, 2-3 baritones and 3-4 basses. This will allow you to perform the music as a group and use this group to help your other students learn the joy of singing four-part harmony, barbershop style. Send applications for all students you wish to participate, indicating those students beyond the initial 12 that you wish to put on the Waiting List. We will try to accommodate as many as we can.

Young Men’s Festival Only
There is no limit to the number of singers from your school who wish to participate, but please submit your applications early to ensure that all of your singers can be accommodated.

We look forward to receiving your applications. Please contact us if you have any questions about our festivals.

            Diva Day (Young Women’s Festival)                Young Men’s Harmony Festival
            Karen Ridout                                                    Mark Freedkin
            Harborlites Chorus                                           Masters of Harmony
            Home: (714) 847-0787                                    Home: (949) 559-9621
            Cell: (714) 319-2325                                       Cell: (714) 357-1187
            Email: kridout@socal.rr.com                             Email: mfreedkin@yahoo.com

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Website Update  - Mark Freedkin, SCVA Webmaster

Over the past few years, we have greatly expanded the ability to register or apply for SCVA activities and events using on-line forms through our website.  This has helped us to significantly improve accuracy and response times, as well as reducing postage expenses.

You can also use the PayPal interface on our website to pay for membership renewals, festival registrations and other SCVA fees using a major credit card (such as MasterCard, Visa, Discover or American Express) as an alternative to sending school checks, booster checks, cashier checks or money orders.  PayPal, which is owned and operated by e-Bay, is easy to use and ensures a timely and secure payment for those items.  And you don't need to have your own personal PayPal account in order to use this interface.

For many of the on-line application forms, you can make the PayPal payment immediately after you submit the application form, and most of the information will be filled-in automatically.  Otherwise, you can select the "e-Payments" item from the navigation menu of the SCVA website.  You will then see a list of items that you can purchase.  Fill-in the required information for the item you wish to purchase (such as "School Name" and "Choir Name"), and then click on the "Add to Cart" button for that item.  If you wish to purchase additional items in the same transaction, you can return to the e-Payments page to select those additional items and add them to your cart.  When you have made all of your selections and are ready to make your payment, you can click on the "Proceed to Checkout" button.  Then select the link next to the line that reads "Don't have a PayPal account?"  Then enter your name, email address, credit card account number and expiration date.  If you continue, your credit card will be billed and you will be returned to the SCVA website.  You will also receive a separate confirmation e-mail message, which you should print out and keep as proof of purchase.  When you receive your monthly credit card statement, the transaction will appear as: "PAYPAL*SCVACHORAL".  A modest processing fee is added to each purchase to cover our costs for using this on-line service.  Your private credit card account information is always protected and never divulged to anyone within the SCVA organization.

If you already have your own personal PayPal account, please always use the "e-Payments" page to select the items you wish to purchase and login to your account from the Checkout page, rather than creating your own independent e-check transfers. This will help us maintain accurate records of electronic payments that have been made.

How to Save Money When Using PayPal
When using PayPal to pay the application or participation fees for multiple students, you can minimize the processing fees by adding the desired item to your Shopping Cart only one time, and then specify a quantity for that one item.  You should not add the same item to your Shopping Cart multiple times (once for each student), since that will result in a larger processing fee added to you total transaction.

If you have any comments, questions or problems with any of the pages on our website, please contact Mark Freedkin at mfreedkin@yahoo.com

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Other Important Information
On-Line SCVA Membership Application (not required for Honor Choir audition or participation)
On-Line Festival Host Application