Education

COLUMBUS INDIANA CHILDREN’S CHOIR

The Columbus Indiana Children’s Choir is a cooperative effort between the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic and the Indianapolis Children’s Choir.

Melissa Garcia CICC  Director/Concert Choir , Preparatory Choir & Descant Choir/Neighborhood Academy Choir

Jill Friedersdorf Concert Choir Accompanist

Deborah Eikenbary, CICC Administrator

Nicholas Kohne Baritone Coach & Technical Advisor

Kaila Lifferth CICC Early Childhood Music Teacher

The Columbus Indiana Children’s Choir (CICC) serves children in grades one through nine with two regional choirs.

Singers audition and are placed by ability in either Concert (Grades 4-8) or Descant (Grades 4-8) choir. Preparatory Choir (Grades 1-3) requires no audition. Melissa Garcia directs these programs with rehearsals taking place in Columbus, Indiana. CICC is a cooperative effort of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir and the Columbus Philharmonic Orchestra.

“Choir is one of those things that really helped me open to other people and try new things. My peers were so encouraging.
They did such a good job of making you feel confident. I think choir is just a great community of people.
Choir is super important to me. I’m very thankful I have these people in my life.”

Erica Song

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Concert & Decant Choir (Grades 4-8)

The Columbus Indiana Children’s Choir (CICC) is an auditioned group of 160 children from grades 4 through 8 in Bartholomew County and surrounding counties.

The program has two auditioned choirs, the Concert Choir for more advanced singers and the Descant Choir for beginning members. Each choir rehearses once a week and performs locally three or four times each semester. Advanced singers are offered tour opportunities – past tours have included: Carnegie Hall (New York City), Washington DC, Western National Parks Tour, Ireland, Canada, and central Europe.

Scheduling your audition is as easy as completing the form at the link below or call 317-940-9640.  Someone from our office will be in contact with open times available for an audition.

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Preparatory Choir (Grades 1-3)

The CICC Preparatory Choir is a non-auditioned choir for singers in grades 1-3. They meet once a week starting mid-October through mid-March with a winter break after the performance in December.

Prep Choir focuses on singing, movement and musical games that enriched, teaches and enhances basic music concepts and music reading skills. All classes will use both choral and general music concepts, games and activities based on the Kodaly Music Education Method via the Indianapolis Preparatory Curriculum textbook.

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Fall: Early Childhood Program

Bugs, Bees & Autumn Leaves (Ages 4-5)

The goal of the Early Childhood Program is to enable all participants to reach their full potential in singing, vocabulary, and movement skills, with an emphasis on developing sensitivity to the expressive qualities in music. Each class is designed to be playful and enjoyable to children, while providing a carefully planned curriculum that includes developmentally appropriate activities. Children are not taught formally about the specifics of music, but rather they play with music through a series of eight well-rounded activities based on the First Steps in Music curriculum.

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Winter: Early Childhood Program

Snow Hugs: Icicles, Snowflakes, Snuggles and Hugs (Ages 4-5)

The goal of the Early Childhood Program is to enable all participants to reach their full potential in singing, vocabulary, and movement skills, with an emphasis on developing sensitivity to the expressive qualities in music. Each class is designed to be playful and enjoyable to children, while providing a carefully planned curriculum that includes developmentally appropriate activities. Children are not taught formally about the specifics of music, but rather they play with music through a series of eight well-rounded activities based on the First Steps in Music curriculum.

“It’s just so important that they have a sense of continuity. We strive as an organization to create a safe space, an honorable space, a space of learning. We try to teach high standards of ethics towards others, and how to be good citizens and leaders.”

Ruth Dwyer, CICC Legend