UPDATED: June 2023
CCM COVID & ILLNESS POLICY:
Masking at CCM will now be optional, with the following important caveats, as the health and safety of our entire community remains of paramount importance. Those attending CCM unmasked must be 100% well, free of any symptoms of Cold, Flu, Covid-19 ** or other respiratory or gastro-intestinal illness.
1. **We expect any student who has symptoms of Covid-19 to test at home and if that test is positive, to let CCM know and then stay home from CCM for 5 days. After the five days, as long as the student is free of fever for 24 hours, they may return, but must remain masked for an additional 5 days.
2. **Any student who comes from a household with a positive test within may attend CCM but must remain masked until the infected family member is past day 10.
3. Any student who is too ill to attend school for any reason, should also remain home from CCM. This includes fever, severe cough, vomiting, diarrhea, severe sore throat, or very “drippy” cold. They may return when severe symptoms have resolved, and the student is back at school, but we ask that until they are 100% well, the student mask.
4. Any student who is slightly under the weather, but still attended school, may attend CCM, but is asked to mask until they feel 100% well.
5. It is always optional to remain masked, as per each student’s and family’s comfort level.
6. To be safe, please keep a clean KN95 mask in the CCM bag.
Plans are subject to change pending CDC and state health guidelines.
The primary mission of our Conservatory program is to provide a solid music education that brings children to fluent music literacy. Our pedagogic approach develops in students the ability to listen with understanding, to perform with artistry, and to read, write, improvise and compose music. It is the quality of musicianship training that drives the quality of the performances.
Auditions are about 20 minutes long and are held with either our Artistic Director or one of our wonderful teachers. The process is fun and playful, not intimidating, and is designed not only to assess developmental readiness for our program, but to choose an appropriate class placement for the student. In addition to a series of vocal and rhythmic activities, children are usually asked to sing a song that they like. This can be anything, such as a nursery rhyme, folk song, song learned at school or place of worship, or a song from a musical. Parents are welcome and encouraged to sit in on the audition, as it provides a peek into our program.
Be assured that CCM faculty will give your child the utmost respect and consideration. Please note, there is a $25.00 audition fee.
Learn what to expect and watch a brief demo in Experience CCM > Audition Demo.
BEGINNER 1–3 / TREBLE CHOIR
Wednesdays
Class: 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Rehearsal: 8:15 – 9:00 am
Saturdays
Class: 9:00 – 10:00 am
INTERMEDIATE 1–3 / LYRIC CHOIR
Wednesdays
Rehearsal: 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Class: 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Saturdays
Rehearsal: 9:00 – 10:00 am
Class: 10:00 – 11:00 am
SOLFA 1–4/ CONCERT CHOIR
Wednesdays
Rehearsal: 6:30 – 7:30 pm
Class: 7:30 – 8:30 pm
Saturdays
Rehearsal: 10:15 – 11:45 am
Class: 11:45 am – 12:45 pm
These are the class/rehearsal times for our current season. Times are subject to change.
The short answer is: We place a strong emphasis in music education—not just performance.
Research shows that efficient and effective learning occurs with increased frequency of teaching. Your child will learn and apply many advanced concepts with peers similarly prepared to embrace increasingly challenging material in class and on stage. The result is a coherent music education and practice that unlocks the ability to intellectually and artistically engage a musical piece, no matter the genre.
Compare this approach to simply singing in a chorus, learning the music from recordings or relying on stronger singers to lead their section, rehearsing once a week, and learning concepts without context and framing because a specific piece demands it. At CCM, each child studies and learns the language of music, striving to achieve independent music literacy.
Audiation. Hearing music inside your head
Sight singing. Singing music by reading music symbols from the page without someone playing it for you on the piano
Dictation. Hearing music and writing it down on music staff paper
Vocal training. How to shape vowels and consonants, how to produce a good sound, how to sing in tune, how to care for the voice
Theory. Includes solfa hand signs, scales, functional solfège (do re mi), key signatures, intervals, melody, harmony, functional rhythm, modes
History. Major composers, classical and folk styles from the Middle Ages to current
Interpretation. Phrasing, expression, improvising, harmonizing, conducting, arranging and composing
First, our high-level performance program requires dependable participation from all members. This is true of a professional ensemble. If two choristers in the same section (Soprano I, etc.) don’t attend a rehearsal, the entire group will be out of balance and the rehearsal (and the rest of the ensemble) suffers.
Second, the educational program at CCM is so effective that classes move at a fast pace. This is the same reason that we generally cannot accept new students’ mid-year or beginner students over the age of 10: there’s just no way to catch up. We strive to avoid placing a child in a situation where they are likely to ‘fail’. Indeed, a major component of the Kodály approach is to ensure that every child, in every class, feels successful in their work. Every time a student misses a class, they miss a vital component of their education and run the risk of falling too far behind.
Third, in the midst of this world of disposable cell phones, sound bites, and instant gratification, we believe in valuing commitment, teamwork, dependability and responsibility. We are training tomorrow’s leaders.
Unlike the upper choirs, the Treble Choir only perform in the Holiday and Spring Annual Concerts and typically another community engagement.
The vocal mechanisms of children—especially under the age of nine—are physically fragile and need to be protected. We teach our younger choristers how to sing correctly and how to take care of their voices. They learn how to listen, how to audiate (hear the music in their heads without actually singing it), and many other vital musical skills that they will incorporate and build on once they start performing more and extending their musical studies. When they are ready, they will perform with musical understanding and healthy voices!
CCM self-produces two annual performances each year in which all choirs perform.
The Annual Winter Concert is held in early December to mark the end of the first semester. The second semester culminates in the Annual Spring Concert at the end of April or early in May. Part of the Spring Concert is devoted to honoring graduates—those students who have completed the program.
Our annual concerts are held at various Performing Arts Centers and Churches in the area.
Concert choir and invited members of Lyric choir have the opportunity to go on tour in the summer. The students and their families commit to extra rehearsals early in the summer break—extra time with friends, too—and a wonderful Send Off Concert before travel.
Tour after tour, our students learn far more than the repertoire they perform. They collaborate with other choirs, artists, and organizations. They expand their experience as musicians, as individuals, as human beings.
CCM typically tours every other year, but during COVID, touring was suspended. We look forward to the return of this treasured tradition very soon.
Learn more about the benefits of touring under Experience CCM > Touring.
VENUES AND FESTIVALS INCLUDE
Alice Tully Hall, NYC
American Kodály Institute, Loyola University Maryland
Blair House, Washington D.C.
Carnegie Hall, NYC
Charlestown Chapel, Catonsville
Cultural and Conference Center of Kecskemét, Hungary
Disney World, Florida
The Engineers Club, Baltimore
Gordon Center for Performing Arts, Owings Mills
International Kodály Seminar, Kecskemét, Hungary
Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Baltimore
The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Washington D.C.
Kodály Art Festival, Kecskemét, Hungary
Kraushaar Auditorium, Goucher College
Montréal Choral Festival, Canada
National Basilica, Washington D.C.
Niagara Falls, Canada
Pacific International Choral Festival (picfest), Oregon
Pacific Rim Children’s Chorus Festival, Hawaii
Rhapsody Festival, Europe Tour to Vienna, Salzburg, and Prague
Shriver Hall Concert Series
Vassar College, NY
The White House
COLLABORATORS INCLUDE
Annapolis Opera Company
Bach in Baltimore
Baltimore Choral Arts Society
Baltimore Chamber Orchestra
Baltimore Concert Opera
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Concert Artists of Baltimore
Handel Choir of Baltimore
Opera : Vivente
Ethan Bortnick
Bob Chilcott
David Foster
Stephen Hatfield
Henry Leck
John Lithgow
Bobby McFerrin
Bongani Magatyana
Fernando Malvar-Ruiz
Joshua Pedde
André Rieu
Gabriela Thész
many local professional artists and performance students from local universities
WHERE STUDENTS RESIDE
30% reside in Baltimore City
50% reside in Baltimore County
20% come from the surrounding counties of Harford, Howard, Anne Arundel, Carroll, Prince George, and Montgomery
TYPES OF SCHOOLS OUR STUDENTS ATTEND
40% attend a public school
40% attend a private school
20% homeschool
DISCOUNT: EARLY BIRD
DISCOUNT: SIBLING DISCOUNT
Save $100 for each sibling enrolled at any level of the Conservatory program or save $30.00 for a sibling enrolled in Crickets.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
It is the policy of the Children’s Chorus of Maryland that no qualified child is excluded for financial reasons, and every effort is made to supply financial assistance where appropriate.
ONLINE REGISTRATION
Following a successful audition, information for registration and tuition payment will be sent to you by email. Class sizes are limited and are filled on a first come, first served basis. Register quickly after a child’s acceptance.
AUDITION FEE
There is a non-refundable fee of $25 for each Conservatory program audition.
TUITION PAYMENT OPTIONS
Pay the tuition in full or in installments. Payment plans may be divided into a maximum of 10 installments beginning no later than June 1st and ending no later than March of the following year. A processing fee is applied. Your installment plan must be approved by CCM.
ADDITIONAL EXPENSES
If your child outgrows their uniform, contact us about uniform exchanges. Availability is not guaranteed.
At approximately $30 per hour, CCM actually costs less than most private lessons. Children work with and build long-lasting friendships with other musically inclined peers with otherwise varying interests from various socio-economic backgrounds. All of our educators are Kodály trained, and they all hold master’s degrees in music education.
CCM students enjoy the experience so much, they remain in the program for years, and derive the many benefits of a comprehensive music education. Moreover, they learn that work can be invigorating, fulfilling, and fun, even as it can be challenging and rigorous.
Yes!
Subscribe to our occasional email newsletter. You’ll stay on top of when registration periods for Crickets, Summer Camp, and any other events begin. We’ll also tell you when auditions start for the next season. You’ll get additional information about CCM events, performances, and general announcements. We’d love to earn your support during our fundraising campaigns, too.
Subscribe to receive our newsletter at the bottom of this page.
UPDATED: June 2023
CCM COVID & ILLNESS POLICY:
Masking at CCM will now be optional, with the following important caveats, as the health and safety of our entire community remains of paramount importance. Those attending CCM unmasked must be 100% well, free of any symptoms of Cold, Flu, Covid-19 ** or other respiratory or gastro-intestinal illness.
1. **We expect any student who has symptoms of Covid-19 to test at home and if that test is positive, to let CCM know and then stay home from CCM for 5 days. After the five days, as long as the student is free of fever for 24 hours, they may return, but must remain masked for an additional 5 days.
2. **Any student who comes from a household with a positive test within may attend CCM but must remain masked until the infected family member is past day 10.
3. Any student who is too ill to attend school for any reason, should also remain home from CCM. This includes fever, severe cough, vomiting, diarrhea, severe sore throat, or very “drippy” cold. They may return when severe symptoms have resolved, and the student is back at school, but we ask that until they are 100% well, the student mask.
4. Any student who is slightly under the weather, but still attended school, may attend CCM, but is asked to mask until they feel 100% well.
5. It is always optional to remain masked, as per each student’s and family’s comfort level.
6. To be safe, please keep a clean KN95 mask in the CCM bag.
Plans are subject to change pending CDC and state health guidelines.
Crickets classes are comparable to MusikGarten®, Music Together® and KinderMusik® classes, and often take up where those classes leave off. Each small class is led by a highly qualified music educator with certified training in the Kodály concept, and several years of experience in teaching very young children. Crickets classes share the foundational play-based approach used in our core Conservatory program.
Classes are small and often fill up quickly. If you are interested in having your child attend a class that is full, we encourage you to fill out the waiting list form provided on the same page. Submissions will be time-stamped to determine the order of acceptance. Waiting lists help us gauge public interest as we plan the availability of future classes or camps.
A waiting list is specific to a class, workshop, or camp, and are non-transferable to other classes. Applicants are notified by email as a spot becomes available up to the first day of class. Spots are secured once payment for the class fee is made.
Children 4–6 years old may take Crickets multiple times. A highly trained and experienced teacher tailors each class according to individual development and to group dynamics. The gentle, playful approach of Crickets encourages self-expression and self-awareness through movement and sound. Parents report that taking Crickets a second, or third time, reinforces concepts and behaviors encouraged in class.
Audition for acceptance in our core program, the Conservatory. The Conservatory is a comprehensive music education and choral performance program taught by highly trained teachers through play-based activities. There are 10 levels of musicianship training.
Learn more about the Conservatory.
We do not share private information with any lists, organizations, or other entities. All information is kept confidential. You may request that we delete your information at the end of the program.
Complies with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a federal law that protects children under the age of 13.
Read our Privacy Policy.
Yes!
Subscribe to our occasional email newsletter. You’ll stay on top of when registration periods for Crickets, Summer Camp, and any other events begin. We’ll also tell you when auditions start for the next season. You’ll get additional information about CCM events, performances, and general announcements. We’d love to earn your support during our fundraising campaigns, too.
Subscribe to receive our newsletter at the bottom of this page.
UPDATED: June 2023
CCM COVID & ILLNESS POLICY:
Masking at CCM will now be optional, with the following important caveats, as the health and safety of our entire community remains of paramount importance. Those attending CCM unmasked must be 100% well, free of any symptoms of Cold, Flu, Covid-19 ** or other respiratory or gastro-intestinal illness.
1. **We expect any student who has symptoms of Covid-19 to test at home and if that test is positive, to let CCM know and then stay home from CCM for 5 days. After the five days, as long as the student is free of fever for 24 hours, they may return, but must remain masked for an additional 5 days.
2. **Any student who comes from a household with a positive test within may attend CCM but must remain masked until the infected family member is past day 10.
3. Any student who is too ill to attend school for any reason, should also remain home from CCM. This includes fever, severe cough, vomiting, diarrhea, severe sore throat, or very “drippy” cold. They may return when severe symptoms have resolved, and the student is back at school, but we ask that until they are 100% well, the student mask.
4. Any student who is slightly under the weather, but still attended school, may attend CCM, but is asked to mask until they feel 100% well.
5. It is always optional to remain masked, as per each student’s and family’s comfort level.
6. To be safe, please keep a clean KN95 mask in the CCM bag.
Plans are subject to change pending CDC and state health guidelines.
Our 2024 Summer Camps will be held at Children’s Chorus of Maryland. We are located in Towson.
Campers should bring a water bottle labeled with their name. Further information will be provided by email before the first day of camp.
We do not share private information with any lists, organizations, or other entities. All information is kept confidential. You may request that we delete your information at the end of the program.
Complies with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a federal law that protects children under the age of 13.
Read our Privacy Policy.
Yes!
Subscribe to our occasional email newsletter. You’ll stay on top of when registration periods for Crickets, Summer Camp, and any other events begin. We’ll also tell you when auditions start for the next season. You’ll get additional information about CCM events, performances, and general announcements. We’d love to earn your support during our fundraising campaigns, too.
Subscribe to receive our newsletter at the bottom of this page.
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Or reach us by phone at (410) 494-1480
