Our success is built on you...

 

Any choir program is only as vibrant as the community that supports it.  There is a direct link between school music and the community into which it feeds.  Dr. Patrick Jones, a leading researcher in music education states, “Arts and culture not only attract creative workers but also have a positive impact on the community… The presence of arts and culture offerings in a neighborhood has a measurable impact on the strength of the community” (“Music Education and the Knowledge Economy: Developing Creativity, Strengthening Communities.” Arts Education Policy Review, Vol. 106, No. 4, March/April 2005).  Whether you are an alumnus of this particular choir, a parent of a current or former student, or even a nearby business or neighbor - the BHS choirs are your choirs.  You are an integral and critical piece of our success.

 

How the community can help us...

 

There are many ways that our community can support these growing musicians, but none more so than by simply…

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Attending our concerts!

 

Music is a vibrant and living art form based on a basic principle of an artist performing for an appreciative audience.  Without an audience, a major function of our music is lost.  There are no words to describe the exhilaration felt by a singer when he or she steps on stage and sees an entire room full of expectant audience members, nor for the joy of hearing applause rewarding them for a job well done.  By attending live performances, you are helping to maintain a time honored tradition so often lost in our modern digital age of studio-packaged products.

 

At BHS we produce four choral concerts a year plus a Broadway style musical.  Even if you only attended two a year, you would be greatly enhancing the educational experience of the current students.  Spread the word about our concerts by inviting others from your churches or social clubs.  Bring your whole family and make attending BHS concerts a family tradition.

 

Beyond attending our concerts here at the school, the BHS advanced choirs are always looking for opportunities to perform off-campus.  If you, personally or in your workplace, have an event that you believe could be enhanced by a live musical performance, please contact our director to begin the scheduling process.  Please keep in mind that these are high school students, many of whom yet cannot drive themselves, and we often need to hire a bus to take us to and from performances.  The expense to the choir for such a trip is at least $150.  Thank you for considering the BHS choirs for your musical needs.

 

Finally, you can always help support the choir program financially.  The BHS choirs are blessed with the equipment they currently need to run an exemplary choir, but there are ongoing costs of maintaining that equipment.  We also like to bring in expert clinicians and guest performers as much as possible and any donations made to the choir program help us continue to provide for extra opportunities these students might not normally be able to enjoy.

 

Thank you for being a supporter of the fine arts and of our choirs in particular.  We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event.  As we say at our concerts, “our audience makes the difference!”

 

How alumni can help us...

 

As an alumnus, you are well aware of both the challenges and rewards that come from whole-hearted participation in our choral program.  As you may recall, choir is not a class, but a family – and family doesn’t end just because you graduate.  If you were a member of choir then you are still a part of our choir legacy and as such you are always welcome back in our home.

 

It is always a treat to see alumni in our audience and we encourage you to come to as many of our concerts as your new schedules allow.  But we especially remind you to come to the Winter Concert and join us on stage for the BHS Winter Finale (you can download the music here if you want to practice before you come).  Also be sure to like our Facebook page so you can stay up-to-date on our performances and other exciting news.

 

You can further help ensure the continued success of our program by encouraging your younger brothers, sisters, cousins and friends to give choir a try.  You know from personal experience that once you have performed on stage with a choir it is hard not to fall in love with the experience.  Many people are scared to try something new – with your encouragement you could be giving them the gift of a lifetime of musical memories.

 

Last, and definitely not least, you can support our choirs here by continuing what you started.  When we started this musical journey together, we certainly didn’t expect you to go and major in music in college (though we’re certainly proud of those of you who did).  The music doesn’t stop after high school, in fact, after your time in choir, you are equipped to go into the world and find your own musical experience.  Join your church choir or the Inland Master Chorale; take choir classes or voice lessons at the community colleges; join a local theater group and help produce musicals; or even start your own band or barbershop quartet.  The opportunities are virtually endless, and if the perfect opportunity doesn’t exist: go and create one yourself.  We look forward to seeing what all you will accomplish in this very musical world.

We’ll see you at our concerts and if you tell us about your performances, we’ll be there to support you too!

 

Keep Singing & Supporting Music, No Matter What

 

There are many wonderful opportunities to continue pursuing vocal music after you graduate from the BHS Choral Program.  Many churches still have active choirs and worship teams that could use your talents.  Local bands frequently need singers with skills in harmonizing.  Community Colleges offer courses in both singing and choir as well as musical theater and opera productions.  Our local universities all have thriving music departments and may offer you scholarships if you sing in their choirs - even if you are not a music major.  There are so many possabilities that there should be no reason to ever stop singing.  This page can provide some information to start your journey into the wide world of music making beyond the high school classroom.

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• Community Choirs

  There are several choirs and different vocal ensembles in our area.  You can visit their websites to learn more about their upcoming concerts and audition requirements.

   

  • Canto Bello Chorale - http://cantobellochorale.org/ - An auditioned community chorus based in San Bernardino.

  • Don Morris Singers - http://web.mac.com/dr.donmorris/DonMorrisSingers/Home.html - A semi-professional choir based in Riverside.

  • Inland Master Chorale – http://www.inlandmasterchorale.org/ - One of the finest auditioned community choruses in the region.  Based out of Redlands.

  • Inland Empire Chorus Sweet Adelines - http://www.inlandempirechorus.org/ - A women’s close harmony chorus based in Riverside.

  • Riverside Master Chorale - http://www.riversidemasterchorale.com/ - An open community chorus based at RCC.

  • Windsong Southland Chorale – http://www.csupomona.edu/~jbharms/Wsc/index.html - A premier touring choir based out of Ontario

  • Inland Empire Harmony Carousel - http://www.inlandempirechorus.com/about.htm - A men’s Barbershop style choir based out of Ontario.

   

• Theaters and Musicals

  There are also several theaters that include musicals as part of their repertoire.  Seeing live shows is a great way to stay supportive of live performance and many of these theaters do have open auditions.

   

  • Candlelight Pavilion - http://www.candlelightpavilion.com/home/ - A dinner theater in Claremont that has open auditions and produces many popular shows each year.

  • Center Stage Theater - http://www.centerstagefontana.com/ - A local theater opportunity in Fontana.  Go see their live shows or audition for their musicals.

  • Lewis Family Playhouse - http://www.lewisfamilyplayhouse.com/ - Theater productions at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center.

  • Lifehouse Theater Redlands - http://www.lifehousetheater.com/ - A Redlands theater that specializes in family oriented shows.

  • Mummers – www.fontanamummers.com - One of the oldest operating community theatres in the Inland providing opportunities for young and old alike to experience live musical theater productions.

  • Performance Riverside - http://www.performanceriverside.org/ - A fantastic theater program out of RCC.  Each year they produce a complete season of plays and musicals.

  • Redlands Bowl - http://www.redlandsbowl.org/ - An outdoor venue that hosts a successful summer season including one musical each year.

  • Redlands Footlighters - http://www.redlandsfootlighters.org/ - A small theater that very occasionally produces a musical.

  • Redlands Theater Festival - http://www.rtfseason.org/ - A summer repertory theater based out of Crafton Hills College with performances in an outdoor amphitheater.

  • Rialto Playhouse - http://www.rialtocommunityplayers.org/ - Community theater based in Rialto.

   

  These theaters do not have any open auditions, but represent the very finest in professional theater in our area.

  • California Theater - http://www.californiatheatre.net/ - A San Bernardino Theater that brings in professional touring companies.

  • Fox Performing Arts Center - http://www.foxriversidelive.com/ - A small theater in Riverside that brings in a variety of local and nationally touring concerts and musicals.

  • LA Theater Group - http://www.centertheatregroup.org/ - Several theaters (Ahmadsan, Taper, Douglas) in Los Angeles produce world class musical theater shows.

  • Segerstrom Center - http://www.scfta.org/home/default.aspx - An Orange County Theater that brings in professional touring companies.

• Community Colleges

  Many of our local community colleges have thriving music programs and choirs. 

  • Chaffey College - http://www.chaffey.edu/music/

  • Crafton Hills College - http://www.craftonhills.edu/Site/Fine_Arts/music.htm

  • Mount San Antonio College - http://www.mtsac.edu/instruction/arts/music/ - One of the most remarkable choir programs famous for their a capella rehearsals.

  • Riverside City College - http://www.rccchoir.com/RCC_Choir/ - RCC boasts a variety of choirs and a wonderful faculty.

  • San Bernardino Valley College - http://www.valleycollege.edu/Department/Academic/Music/index.php 

• Local Universities

  There are also several nearby universities with amazing music programs.  Even if you plan to major in something outside music, many of these schools will offer music scholarships if you sing in their choirs or act in their musicals.

  • Cal Baptist University - http://www.calbaptist.edu/academics/school-of-music/ - A private, Christian university with a recognized choral program and a high quality music education program.

  • Chapman University - http://www.chapman.edu/music/ - A fine music school in Orange, California.

  • CSU Long Beach - http://www.csulb.edu/depts/music/

  • CSU San Bernardino - http://music.csusb.edu/ - Many BHS alumni have thrived at CSUSB in a variety of music programs including, opera, choral performance, voice lessons, and music education.

  • U. of Redlands - http://www.redlands.edu/academics/school-of-music.aspx - A liberal arts school, with a tight-knit music community, that produces several performances every year.

  • UC Riverside - http://www.music.ucr.edu/ - UCR boasts a variety of ensembles that students may join.

  • UC Los Angeles - http://www.music.ucla.edu/

  • USC - http://www.usc.edu/schools/music/ - The Thornton school of music is internationally recognized for its music programs from undergrad through doctorate.

• Great Music Schools

  This is a partial list of some of America’s most prominent music schools.

  • Berklee - http://www.berklee.edu/ - This Boston, MA school is famous for its emphasis on contemporary and popular music.

  • Boston University - http://www.bu.edu/cfa/music/ - The oldest music school in the country.

  • Eastman School at Rochester - http://www.esm.rochester.edu/ - Recently named “the hottest music school in America” by Newsweek.  Eastman is in Rochester, NY.

  • Florida State - http://www.music.fsu.edu/ -Florida State has a long history of research in the field of music education.

  • Julliard - http://www.juilliard.edu/ - America’s premiere arts school. In New York, NY.

  • Manhattan School of Music - http://www.msmnyc.edu/ - A comprehensive conservatory in New York, NY.

  • New England Conservatory –  http://necmusic.edu/ - This Boston based conservatory was a pioneer in music education and is still one of the most respected music schools.

  • Oberlin – http://new.oberlin.edu/conservatory/ - A school that blends a conservatory approach with the benefits of a college in Oberlin, Ohio.

  • San Francisco Conservatory of Music - http://www.sfcm.edu/ - One of the finest conservatories on the West coast.

  • St. Olaf - http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/music/ - St. Olaf has a world famous choral program in Northfield, Minnesota.  

  • Wheaton - http://www.wheaton.edu/Conservatory/ - A Christian university outside Chicago, Illinois with a very competitive conservatory program.

• Famous Schools with Notable Music Programs

  Many of the world’s best known universities also have amazing music programs.

   

  • Brigham Young - http://music.byu.edu/ - Provo, Utah.

  • Brown - http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Music/ - Providence, Rhode Island.

  • Cambridge - http://www.mus.cam.ac.uk/musicatcambridge/ - London, England.

  • Dartmouth - http://www.dartmouth.edu/~music/ - Hanover, New Hampshire.

  • Duke - http://music.duke.edu/ - Durham, North Carolina.

  • Georgetown - http://performingarts.georgetown.edu/music/ - Washington D.C.

  • Harvard - http://www.music.fas.harvard.edu/ - Cambridge, Massachusetts.

  • John Hopkins University, Peabody School - http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/ - Baltimore, Maryland.

  • Michigan State - http://www.music.msu.edu/ - East Lansing, Michigan.

  • MIT - http://web.mit.edu/music/ - Cambridge, Massachusetts.

  • Northwestern - http://www.music.northwestern.edu/ - Evanston, Illinois.

  • Notre Dame - http://music.nd.edu/ - Notre Dame, Indiana.

  • Oxford - http://www.music.ox.ac.uk/ - London, England.

  • Princeton - http://www.princeton.edu/music/ - Princeton, New Jersey.

  • Stanford - http://music.stanford.edu/ - Stanford, California.

  • U Penn - http://www.sas.upenn.edu/music/ - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

  • UC Berkeley - http://music.berkeley.edu/ - Berkeley, California.

  • University of Chicago - http://music.uchicago.edu/ - Chicago, Illinois.

  • University of Northern Colorado - http://www.unco.edu/arts/music/ - Greeley, Colorado.

  • Vanderbilt - http://blair.vanderbilt.edu/ - Nashville, Tennessee.

  • Yale - http://music.yale.edu/ - New Haven, Connecticut.

 

A good place to start your research about a wide variety of colleges and universities is the “Us News and World Report” college ranking website.  It has a fairly comprehensive database of many schools and fairly unbiased information about each.   http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges