FAQs

• Read our Weekly Update, sent to current families every Wednesday
• Check our calendar, updated every Wednesday

• Volunteer! Our volunteer signup is in every Weekly Update.
• Join our Board! We are a fun group of folks who are passionate about the value of music education. Come be a part of ECC’s continued success and growth!
  • Contact our Board for more info!

We rehearse at 3050 California Ave SW (St John the Baptist Espiscopal Church). Singers will sign in and enter the building at the main doors. These are off the small parking lot on the California Ave side of the building.

Enter via the main driveway for West Seattle High School and you’ll see the church on your right. Parking is available in the West Seattle High School parking lot

Before Rehearsal: The sign-in table opens 15 minutes before rehearsal begins. Singers will sign in and enter the church at this time. Singers in grades K-2 must be signed in by an adult each week.

After Rehearsal: Please arrive on time to pick up your singer. Staff members will escort singers out of the building and wait with them until they are picked up. Singers in grades K-2 must be met at the door and signed out by an adult.

• All singers should bring a water bottle.
• Debut Prep (kindergarten) singers should bring their music folder (we will provide this.)
• Singers in grades 1-12 should bring a sharpened pencil and a 3-ring binder (1/2″ or 1″ is ideal).

No. Our singers focus and learn best without the distraction of additional adults in the classroom. We have at least three ECC staff members at every rehearsal so have plenty of support for our singers.

Every rehearsal is a bit different, but in general they look like this:

• Singers always begin with vocal warm ups and gentle stretches
• They work on learning rhythm and rhythmic concepts through games and activities
• They work on solfege skills – this varies significantly by age and throughout the year. Skills are build sequentially with our youngest singers working on just a few solfege syllables (do, re, mi) through call-and-repeat games, while our older singers will sight read, learn solfege tendencies, and sing in a variety of keys.
• They play some musical games and activities, designed to build skills and friendships
• They work on their repertoire. Building on what they did during home practice that week, they might fine-tune pronunciation, harmonies, rhythm, dynamics, breath, and choreography. Older singers will work in sectionals and focus on listening to one another, and blending their voices

Reach out to our Artistic Director, Clara Dorst

Email us at info@endolynechoir.org

Yay! Please contact our Fundraising Chair, Bonny Giardina

Contact our Board of Directors or our Board President, Kathleen Lonergan

Our standard performance uniform is:

• ECC polo shirt (we provide)
• Black slacks/skirt
• Black tights/socks
• Black shoes (no sneakers or sandals)

We don’t ever want cost to be a barrier to singing with us. Financial assistance is always available for any uniform components. Please email us as soon as possible with your specific request and sizes.

No. We want every singer to wear whatever they prefer. Skirts and pants are options for all singers.

• Understated jewelry is fine. Smart watches are not allowed at performances.
• Long hair should be pulled back in a ponytail or braid (to minimize fidgeting).
• Slacks should be school uniform style. Please no jeans or leggings.
• Skirts can be straight or pleated and can be knee, midi, or maxi length.
• Shoes/boots can be any style as long as they’re entirely black.

Please take good care of your shirt! Wash in cold water and hang to dry. Please remove your shirt before eating or doing anything that could stain it.

Singers will return their shirts at the end of the season (in June), or earlier if they leave ECC mid-season. If you lose your shirt or don’t return it, we will invoice you the $30 replacement fee.

• Clara Dorst is our Artistic Director. She leads the artistic side of our organization and oversees all of our programming, including repertoire and curricula. Clara works closely with our Board to support our mission, vision, and strategic plan. She directs all of our ensembles.
• Bryan Fiehler is our Staff Instructor. He supports Clara in teaching and directing all of our ensembles.
• Kathleen Payne Smith is our Choir Manager. She manages the administrative duties of our organization, including attendance, volunteers, and uniforms. She is also an instructional assistant, helping and substituting with all choir levels.
• Julianna Grabowski is our collaborative pianist. She works with Ovation and Advanced Ensemble at rehearsals each week, and will work with our younger singers at dress rehearsals and performances.

We have two Student Assistants who support our staff. We’ll announce this year’s Assistants in early September.

• Board members steward ECC financially and strategically. They are responsible for hiring and supporting staff, managing the budget, hosting performances and events, and ensuring ECC’s activities and programming are aligned with its mission and vision.
• Please visit our Board page to learn more about individual members.
• We would love for you to join our Board! We are especially looking for folks with an interest in marketing, fundraising, and community building. No experience necessary – this is a fun way to be a part of a team and either use skills you already have or develop new ones. Email Kathleen for more info

Choir is a musical ensemble just like a band or orchestra. And just like a musician playing an instrument, choral singers need to be well-practiced on their music when they come to rehearsal. This allows them to focus on ensemble skills, such as harmonies, dynamics, rhythm, breath, blending their voices, and choreography.

Home practice is key to building choral musicianship and technique. It provides an opportunity for singers to continuing developing the skills they worked on at rehearsal.

Singers who come to rehearsal unprepared, and who consequently sing the wrong words, rhythm, or notes, are unable to blend with their neighbors, and don’t know the choreography, are distracting to others and take up rehearsal time that should be spent on group work.. Singers who don’t practice can impact the entire ensemble’s sound and singers’ ability to work together.

Expectations will vary throughout the session depending upon what singers are working on and how close they are to a performance. Home practice will be assigned each week and will reflect what was worked on at rehearsal. General guidelines are as follows:

• Debut Prep and Debut – as assigned, usually around 1 hour per week spread over 3-4 practice sessions. Singers will use provided videos to warm up, and then sing along with provided audio tracks.
• Encore – as assigned, usually about 90 minutes per week spread over 3-4 practice sessions. Singers will use sheet music and audio tracks to work on specific sections of their repertoire, focusing on skill building and memorization.
• Ovation and Advanced Ensemble – as assigned, usually about 2.5 hours per week spread over 3-4 practice sessions. Singers will use sheet music and audio tracks to work on specific sections of their repertoire, focusing on skill building and memorization.

• Appreciate and respect the necessity of home practice for choral singers. Your personal commitment to your singer’s musicianship and growth can help you best support them with their home practice.
• Check their home practice assignments each week so you know what’s expected of them
• Schedule practice time into their weekly routine, and give reminders as needed.
• For younger singers, play their music and sing along! Use time in the car, during chores, etc – practicing together can be engaging and fun (and siblings can join in too! )

• Download this printable illustration of the solfege hand signs.
• Use this video to learn the solfege scale and this one to learn/review the placement of your hand signs
• Use these videos to practice the solfege tendency drill:
  • Tendency Drill part 1
  • Tendency Drill part 2
• Here are some warmup videos to use when practicing at home:
  • Warm up with Clara #1
  • Warm up with Bryan – coming soon
  • Warm up with Clara #2 – coming soon