New! From the Organizers of the Shawnee Peace & Praise Community Choir Association:
Heels on the Ground
an a cappella women’s chorus
An exclusive new chorus open to
women & Girls
16 & up
modern a cappella
Pop, Broadway, country, indie, jazz, & occasional Sacred & folk
High-energy, Performance-Driven
perform, compete, Record
Excellence, Focus…and Fun
Learn, grow, excel, and build friendships
Our Leadership
Founding Artistic DirectorDr. Ada Hunter
Ada Hunter, Ph.D. is a professional singer, educator, and scholar. She believes in creating the space where hope can thrive, generations can connect, and communities can come together.
She is the founding artistic director of the Shawnee Peace & Praise Community Choir Association, our parent organization.
Dr. Hunter runs a private voice studio in Shawnee—working mostly with teen singers—and teaches at Oklahoma City University.
Audition
To Apply:
Read the Chorus Expectations below first.
Fill out the application and submit it.
Prepare for your audition by either:
Arranging an appointment for an in-person audition, OR
Submit a video audition. (See instructions below.)
Applicants must also sign our chorus agreement.
Tuition For Fall semester is due September 1st
Interested singers are invited to audition
expectations
Cost
Tuition: $100 per semester, due September 1 & January 1. A small number of hardship scholarships available.
Attire: You must provide your own attire (black dress or skirt/slacks & blouse) and purchase a choir t-shirt and coordinating accessories.
Fundraising: All members are expected to participate in fundraising efforts. When we begin entering competitions, members will be asked to share associated costs that are not covered through fundraising.
Performances
Main Performances: There are three main performances for the 26/27 season: Christmas Concert, Valentine’s Day Performance, and June concert at the mabee-gerrer museum of art.
attendance: All main performances are mandatory. Singers must also attend the dress rehearsal for each.
Volunteers: All members should be prepared to help with things like putting up posters, inviting friends and family, contributing to decorating/refreshments, and serving as ushers.
Rehearsals
location/time: Tuesdays, 5:50-7:05pm @ United Presbyterian Church, 120 N Broadway in Shawnee (Downtown)
attendance: Regular attendance is required. All members must attend at least 80% of rehearsals. Dress rehearsals and the rehearsal immediately prior are mandatory.
Practice: Members are expected to practice outside of rehearsals. Music is presented in rehearsals, and then members must learn their part on their own using the practice recordings we provide. Rehearsals are then spent polishing and shaping the music. You should plan on spending a minimum of 45-minutes a week practicing, more when we near a performance.
etiquette: Respect all members and leadership, and treat everyone with kindness and consideration. Arrive on time. Dress modestly & have good hygiene. Bring water in a spill-proof container. Silence your phone and stay off mobile devices. Don’t leave early unless you’ve cleared it with the director. Do not correct your fellow singers. No politics! do not chat about politics or wear political clothing/accessories.
outside of rehearsals/performances
Chorus Connection: We use a software program called “chorus connection” to disseminate all choir information. It contains our practice recordings, our calendar, all files relevant to singers, announcements, etc. This is our primary means of communication outside of rehearsals, so it is required for every singer—and parents of those under 18. Upon acceptance, you will be sent a link to CC so that you can activate your account. This is mandatory—there are no alternatives to using this program. CC offers an app for phones and tablets specifically for practice purposes.
Contacting Us: In order to accommodate schedules and cut down on administrative work, we ask all members to contact their section leader with any questions or concerns (or regarding attendance), except in the case of financial matters, which should be addressed to the Treasurer. Do not contact the Artistic Director outside of rehearsal unless you have been instructed to do so.
Social Media: The way in which members relate online is as important as it is in person. If you are someone who airs grievances or frustrations about other people online instead of trying to work things out with them first, this is not the group for you. we ask members to share posts and generally bolster our online profiles, but any member who denigrates the chorus or its members will be required to leave.
Personal Conduct: We ask all members to be kind and courteous. It should go without saying that harassing or bullying other members—even outside of rehearsals—will result in expulsion.
AUDITIONS
Components of the audition:
Perform a song of your choice; it should be sung a cappella. It may be from any genre: pop, country, broadway, folk, religious/Hymns, art song, etc.—the choice is entirely yours, but you should select something that is suitable to a cappella singing. Choose something you like to sing and feel shows off your capabilities. If you are submitting a Video audition, you may perform the entire piece or a cut (if singing a hymn, sing only 2 verses). If you are auditioning in person, be prepared to keep your performance to under a 2 minutes (example: if singing a hymn, sing only one verse).
Vocalises. If you are auditioning in person, the Director will take you through a series of scales to assess your range. If you submit a video, please sing a simple 1-3-5-1-5-3-1 (Do-Mi-Sol-do-mi-sol-do) series, beginning at middle C, extending to as high as you can comfortably sing, then back down, ending at the lowest point at which you can comfortably sing. It does not help you to sing out of your range, so please be reasonable and only sing through your actual range.
Video Auditions: In addition to the above requirements, please state your name and age at the start of the video. You do not need to include any other information as we have all we need with your application. Upload your video to YouTube, and then submit the link to us by email. You may set this video to private/unsearchable so that no one else can view it. Email your link to shawneepraise@gmail.com with “audition video” in the subject line. Do not email us the video file itself. Do not send us a video without first submitting an application.
Audition videos will be viewed by the artistic director; they do not go before a committee, and they will not be shared outside of the organization. Live Auditions take place in front of the artistic director.
Application
Please fill out the application below. We will acknowledge it and arrange for an audition time—or set a deadline—within 48-72 hours. If you don’t see something within that timeframe, please check your spam/junk folder. Our initial email will come from shawneepraise@gmail.com.
