2024 Choir Camp

• $375 tuition (registration by June 1, 2024)
• $425 tuition (registration after June 1,2024)
• Optional: On-campus housing & dining $375
• Optional: Vocal Lessons
  • 1 lesson $50
  • 2 lessons $75
• Optional: Day-camper meal options
  • Lunches & Dinners $120
• Information regarding our Payment, Cancellation and Refund Policy can be found HERE

All application materials are due June 1, 2024

Apply for all scholarships when registering online.

OSU Choir Camp offers full and partial need-based and tuition scholarships to help defray costs for students who demonstrate significant financial need. Scholarships are limited and will be awarded as funds are available based upon registration date.

Steven M. Zielke, Director of Choral Studies at Oregon State University, is the Patricia Valian Reser Professor of Music. He directs the OSU Chamber Choir, OSU Meistersingers, and teaches choral conducting. Zielke earned his doctoral and master's degrees in choral conducting from Florida State University where he studied with Andre Thomas and Rodney Eichenberger, and an undergraduate degree in music education from Friends University. In 2016, Zielke was honored by Oregon State University with the Beaver Champion Award, for outstanding contributions to the university.

Zielke is a frequent clinician and guest conductor choirs under his direction have appeared at state, regional, and national conferences, including an invited 2015 performance at the National Collegiate Choral Association and three performances at NW ACDA conferences.  In addition, Zielke is often invited to present workshops and lectures on choral music and music education, including a session on community singing at the 2017 National ACDA conference in Minneapolis.

Zielke is the current president of the Northwest Diversion of the American Choral Directors Association, a past-president of the Oregon chapter of the American Choral Directors Association and a past-president of the Oregon Music Educators Association. He is also the founder and music director of the Corvallis Repertory Singers, a semi-professional ensemble devoted to exemplary performances of the finest in choral literature. Additionally, he serves as the director of music at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Corvallis and is proud to be the Voice of the OSU Marching Band.

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Sandra Babb (She/Her/Hers) is an associate professor of choral music education at Oregon State University, where she directs OSU Bella Voce and University Chorale, and she teaches courses in choral methods, vocal pedagogy, and conducting. She received the BME, MME, and PhD in Music Education from Florida State University, where she studied with Judy Bowers, Roy Delp, Cliff Madsen, and André Thomas. Dr. Babb is a National Center for Voice and Speech certified vocologist. 

Known for her work in developing choral tone, while also championing women composers and composers of color, choirs under Sandra Babb’s direction have performed for the Oregon Music Educators Association and the Northwest NAfME conferences, in addition to Florida, New York, Southern Division, Northwestern Division, and National Conferences of the American Choral Directors Association.

Dr. Babb is an active conductor and clinician throughout the United States. She has presented at state, regional, and national conferences of the National Association for Music Education and the American Choral Directors Association. Currently serving as the Northwest ACDA Treble Choir Chair and the Oregon ACDA President-Elect, Sandra enjoys living in the Pacific Northwest, singing with the Corvallis Repertory Singers, building partnerships with area K-12 music teachers, and directing the OSU Summer Choir Camp for high school singers.

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While at USC, Larson studied voice with bass Frank Curtis, who was vocal coach of the Hamburg cast of Phantom of the Opera for eight seasons before returning to the U.S. to teach. Upon graduation, he made a comfortable living as a singer in the Los Angeles area, singing with professional choirs The Pacific Chorale, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Crystal Cathedral, and Los Angeles Opera Chorus. With the LA Opera, he also sung the roles of Arthur Jones in "Billy Budd" with baritone Rodney Gilfrey and a student in Puccini's "La Rondine" with soprano Carol Vaness. 

As a young artist with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City from 2000-03, Larson was fortunate to work with conductors Ward Holmquist, Lucinda Carver, and Karen Keltner, and performed the comprimario roles of Priest in "Die Zauberflöte," Luther and Buford in "Carlisle," Floyd's "Cold Sassy Tree," 2nd Jew in "Salome," and Borsa in "Rigoletto." He covered the role of Belmonte in "Die Entführung aus dem Serail", and filled in for the role of Will Tweedy in "Cold Sassy Tree" after the lead tenor became ill in mid-performance.

His opera apprenticeship included three years of tuition-free education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he completed his doctorate in 2007. Continuing studies with Frank Curtis at the university, Larson worked with well known opera directors Matthew Lata and Daniel Helfgot, singing the lead tenor roles in full productions of "La Traviata," Massenet's "Manon," "Cosi fan tutte," "La Rondine," Hindemith's "Hin und Zurück," and Scaramuccio in "Ariadne auf Naxos."

After finishing his doctoral coursework in 2003, Larson briefly lived in Chicago, and was a soloist and chorister with Grant Park Symphony Chorus under conductor Carlos Kalmar. He also performed the role of Prince Charming in Massenet's Cendrillon with Milwaukee Opera Threatre. Also during that time, he spent two seasons as a young artist with the Des Moines Metro Opera, performing various opera scenes and the role of Nathaniel in "Les Contes d'Hoffmann" on the mainstage. In 2006, Larson completed a young artist program with Pensacola Opera, where he sang mainstage roles Remendado in "Carmen" and Normanno in "Lucia di Lammermoor."

Since relocating back to his native Oregon in 2006, Larson has continued to perform locally, singing various roles with concert opera companies in the Northwest including Romeo in Bellini's "I Capuletti ei Montecchi" with Willamette Concert Opera, the title role in "La Clemenza di Tito" with Puget Sound Concert Opera, Don Ottavio in "Don Giovanni" with Eugene Opera Artist Mentor Program, and Mercury and Ruiz in Eugene Opera's mainstage productions of "Orpheus in the Underworld" and "Il Trovatore." In the summer of 2008, Larson sang Ruggero in "La Rondine" for the Kansas City Puccini Festival under the baton of Andy Anderson, artistic director of Mobile Opera.

Having lived and worked in nearly every region of the country, Nicholas has come to appreciate the Northwest in a way he never did while growing up. He lives a quiet, happy life with his lovely wife Cye, his son Jack, and his two wonderful stepchildren Aidan and Oona.

• Thirty-minute, private lesson with Dr. Nicholas Larson, director of vocal studies.
• Additional fee of $50 for one lesson or $75 for two lessons during week of camp.
• Option can be selected during online registration and is limited to first 20 participants.

• Vocal Jazz is right for you if you love funky harmonies and syncopated rhythms! As a member of the Vocal Jazz ensemble, you will learn interesting repertoire that highlights the Vocal Jazz genre.
• Madrigals are secular choral works from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. The Madrigals ensemble is right for you if you're interested in learning about repertoire and performance practices from different eras of music history.
• Barbershop (SSAA & TTBB) (SSAA/TTBB) music is known for its tight and vibrant harmonies, as well as its iconic repertoire, generally coming from the mid-20th century. Join the Barbershop ensemble if you're interested in learning about this exciting and classic style of singing!
• A cappella (SSAA & SATB) ensemble will introduce you to the world of contemporary pop a cappella music. You will prepare and perform a piece of a cappella music at the gala concert, and throughout the week you will learn about a cappella basics, including audition tips, vocal tone, and stage presence. 

• Beginning Musicianship elective is designed for individuals who have little to no music reading experience and will cover the basics of music literacy, music notation, and sight reading.
• Group Piano elective is where you will learn the basics of how to understand a piano keyboard, musical notation specific to the piano, along with learning a few simple songs to play. No piano experience necessary.
• Class Voice elective is an option open designed to introduce students to solo performance in a group setting. Students should select this option if they are interested in working on vocal pieces for solo competitions and auditions such as state solo and ensemble or program auditions. Students interested in this option may bring a classical or musical theater solo piece they have worked on.
• Conducting elective is perfect for you if you want to know the basics of conducting a musical ensemble. The course instructor will guide you through the beginning steps of developing a unique and artistic conducting gesture, including patterns, body language, and expressive movements.
• Intermediate/Advanced Musicianship elective is designed for individuals who have a little more experience with music reading and notation. We will look at more advanced subject matter, such as intervals, chord functions, and basic harmonic structure.
• Songwriting elective will help you develop or refine skills necessary to write your own music. In this course you will learn about musical form, style, and basic chord structure which will help you be able to compose in a variety of genres.

• Beginning Ukulele ensemble is designed for students who have always wanted to learn how to play the uke but have had no prior experience. We will provide the instruments, teach you the basics, and get you playing and singing on day 1!
• Advanced Ukulele ensemble will teach students who already play the ukulele how to better understand their instrument along with learning a more difficult repertoire than the beginning ensemble. Instruments will be provided if needed.
• Handbell ensemble will provide you an opportunity to work collaboratively with other ensemble members to create beautiful and resonant melodies and harmonies along with learning more about how the handbell works.
• Drum Circle ensemble lets students experience a unique percussion instrument, while learning about the instrument's culture, sound, and possibilities. Improvisation will be featured throughout the week.
• Guitar ensemble is an option for students who bring their own guitar. Guitars will not be provided. This ensemble is designed to have students with previous guitar knowledge and introduce them to guitar ensemble music.
• Pitched Percussion ensemble is a comprehensive and exciting introduction to Boomwhackers and barred instruments. We will be using Boomwhackers (pitched plastic tubes), xylophones, and metallophones to create a multi-dimensional musical experience.

Tuesday – Thursday

• 7:00 am - Breakfast
• 8:30 am - Mixed Choir Rehearsal
• 9:45 am - Musicianship Elective
• 10:30 am - Finale Rehearsal - Trebles; Tenor & Bass Choir
• 11:15 am - Finale Rehearsal - Tenors & Basses; Treble Choir
• 12 noon - Lunch
• 1:30 pm - Mixed Choir Rehearsal/Sectionals
• 3:10 pm - Instrumental Elective
• 3:55 pm - Small Ensemble Rehearsal
• 5:30 pm - Dinner
• 6:30 pm - Evening Activities
• 8:30 pm - Room Checks and Lights Out (resident students)

Check Out:

• Residential - Friday after the concert (5:30-6:30 pm)
• Non-Residential - Friday after the concert

Concert

Friday, August 16, 2024, 4:00 PM in the PRAx

Detrick Hall, Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts

470 SW 15th St, Corvallis, OR 97331
 

Students choosing the overnight option will have the opportunity to have a true campus-life experience while staying in an OSU residence hall. Resident assistants are assigned to each residence hall to ensure the safety and well being of SVPDA Academy students and to facilitate evening activities during the camp. SVPDA Academy participants will be conveniently housed near the rehearsal and performance spaces, campus dining facilities, and recreational opportunities.

A safe and secure environment is made possible through each member of the Oregon State University community's involvement in crime prevention and sensible behavior.In order to have a safe and successful Oregon State University experience, each person must take responsibility to recognize one's own vulnerability to crime and reduce risks through preventive action and cooperation with Oregon State Police and the Department of Public Safety.

Meal plans are available to all students.  If you are staying overnight, a meal plan is included in your residential package. If you are not staying as a resident and would like to purchase a meal plan for the week, select the option on your registration form. There is a variety of options for those with food restrictions, allergies, and preferences.  Please feel free to take a look at the menus and contact the dining center directly with any food related questions at 541-737-4771.

Accommodations for disabilities may be made by calling 541-737-5007, preferably at least one month in advance.

Personal Items

• Comfortable Clothing and Shoes.
• Casual clothes: Sports clothes/shoes, Sneakers, Rain jacket or umbrella, Hat, and Sweater or sweatshirt
• Concert attire:  Camp T-shirt (provided) and Jeans
• Alarm clock/Cell phone
• Refillable water bottle
• Sunscreen
• Personal hygiene items, including shampoo and conditioner, body wash etc.

Music Items

• Vocal Solo you want to work on while at camp
• Anything you might need to appropriately participate in the Talent Show (guitar, ukulele, background music, props, costumes, etc.)

Room Essentials to Bring

• Basic toiletries (Toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc.)
• Bring your own linens for the dorms. (Twin-XL sheets & blankets and/or sleeping bag, towels/washcloths, etc.)
• We recommend bringing flip flops for the shower!
• The dorm rooms do not have air conditioning, you may bring a fan.

Electronics

If you decide to bring personal electronic devices (such as cell phones, laptop computers, iPods, cameras, etc), please understand the following:

• There is no place to secure them when not in use and when you are not in your room.
• The rooms do not have safes and there is no lockable location for them to be kept.
• These items are your responsibility. The camps are not responsible for damage, theft, or loss of any personal item.
• Your camp schedule is quite full, you will not have a lot of down time to use electronic devices.
• You MAY have a cell phone and use recording apps for rehearsal purposes (Cell phone sectionals!!) , but you MAY NOT use your cell phone during the camp day to text or make casual phone calls.  Of course, students may use their phones in cases of emergencies.

You will be sharing a small room with another person and constantly moving between buildings and rooms. It’s easy to leave something behind, for something to go missing, or for you to go to your next class without it.

Food

You are permitted to bring snack items with you for your room, but we ask you to follow these guidelines:

• Your roommate may have allergies to which you are unaware. Please bring only food items that are individually sealed & packaged, and consider bringing nut-free items.
• There are no refrigerators. Anything you bring will need to be kept at room temperature.
• Consider refillable water bottles rather then a case of water

Medications

All prescription medications carried or used by the student must be in their original, labeled containers. Staff are not responsible for administering medication to students. If you need to request an accommodation to this policy, please contact [email protected]