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Guidelines

Performance Guidelines

Here are a few tips to ensure your performances are engaging and enjoyable for you and our audience!

Folders

  • All singers should perform with a solid-black, non-reflective folder (this can be a simple 3-ring binder) that holds all your choral octavos securely and in concert order.
  • When taking the stage, please secure your black folder in your left hand, keeping it closed and at your side until the conductor takes the podium and signals for you to raise your music.
  • When actively singing, it’s important to hold your folder in a comfortable position in front of your body, at mid-chest level, allowing you to easily see both your music and the conductor.

Acknowledging the Conductor / Guest Performers and Audience

  • At Encore Creativity, we believe our conductors and guest performers are hugely important to the community we build in both rehearsals and performances. With that in mind, it’s completely acceptable to subtly acknowledge them at the end of a performance by clapping along with the audience in attendance.
  • Before and during the performance, however, it’s best to remain completely focused on the conductor (not talking with other nearby singers, limiting unnecessary movement, and never signaling/waving to audience members from the stage).
Safe Rehearsal Guidelines

As of July 2024, Encore singers are not required but are encouraged to stay up-to-date on vaccinations and boosters for COVID-19. For full information on our COVID-19 recommendations, please see the Encore Creativity COVID Task Force statement from April 25, 2024.

Inclement Weather Policy

Encore follows the decision of the local school district to which a program belongs for weather-related closings. This means:

  • If a city or county school district closes due to weather, in-person rehearsals in that district will not be held.
  • If a rehearsal venue chooses to close independent of the school district, that ensemble will not meet in person.
  • If a school district announces an early closure, rehearsals that begin prior to the early dismissal time will still meet. Rehearsals meeting after that time will not be held.
  • If a local school district has a delayed opening, programs that meet after the adjusted start time will meet as scheduled.
  • We encourage you to stay home if you feel personally uncomfortable with driving to
    rehearsal.

Encore offers online rehearsals each week, and any in-person singers are welcome to join an online rehearsal when they feel it is most convenient for them.

Videography

Click here to view our videography policy.

Registration Waiver

Click here to view a copy of our registration waiver.

Full FAQ

Must I be an experienced singer to join an Encore program? Do you require auditions?

Definitely not! No auditions are necessary for an Encore program and singers of all skill levels are welcome. Encore ensembles are comprised of people who have sung with organized groups for many years, as well as people who have never sung with a group before. Some didn't even know they could sing!

Must I be able to read music to join an Encore program?
No, but the more you sing, the more you will learn about reading notes. Encore provides rehearsal tracks in CD form or available on our website for download, which are very helpful for practicing by ear.
What kinds of music do you perform?

For our chorales, our fall season is typically focused on holiday music as our concerts are performed in December. We select some songs that touch on December holidays, but trend toward more seasonal secular music overall. In the spring, the sky’s the limit! We sing Broadway, oratorio, spirituals, and even a little opera. We always include a surprise or two to keep our singers – and our audiences – excited and surprised by the repertoire.

Encore ROCKS ensembles sing choral arrangements of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll hits of the 50s – 80s, with a sprinkling of modern-day hits. Our repertoire is meant to take you on a journey from the classics to the contemporary, and everything in-between.

Sentimental Journey Singers sing familiar songs in a warm group setting, like Sleigh Ride in the winter and Let it Shine for the spring, and, of course, the signature song Sentimental Journey.

Are rehearsal and performance venues accessible for older adults?
Yes! We select our locations with accessibility at the forefront. Additionally, all singers may be seated or standing for every rehearsal or performance.
What is your inclement weather policy?

Encore follows the decision of the local school district to which a program belongs for weather-related closings. This means:

  • If a city or county school district closes due to weather, in-person rehearsals in that district will not be held.
  • If a rehearsal venue chooses to close independent of the school district, that ensemble will not meet in person.
  • If a school district announces an early closure, rehearsals that begin prior to the early dismissal time will still meet. Rehearsals meeting after that time will not be held.
  • If a local school district has a delayed opening, programs that meet after the adjusted start time will meet as scheduled.
  • We encourage you to stay home if you feel personally uncomfortable with driving to
    rehearsal.

Encore offers online rehearsals each week, and any in-person singers are welcome to join an online rehearsal when they feel it is most convenient for them.

May I attend rehearsals at ensembles other than my own?

Yes! We want you to experience every one of our talented conductors and to build relationships with singers throughout our Encore Creativity community. So, if you’re registered to sing with a chorale, you can visit and rehearse with any other chorale – just show up, check in with the Chorale or ROCKS Coordinator, and sing! Similarly, if you’re registered as a ROCKer, you can visit and rehearse with any other ROCKS ensemble. All you’ll need to do is provide proof of your COVID-19 vaccination and first booster to sing with a new ensemble – think of your COVID documents as your passport to our expansive Encore programming.

I’m not sure if Encore is for me. May I try out singing before I register?

Yes! Anyone may attend the first rehearsal in the season to try out singing with an Encore ensemble without committing to our program. Experience the joy of singing with us – we know you’ll love it! After the first week of rehearsal, we require all singers to be registered with us.

Do your programs have a release form or waiver?

Read our waiver here - this form will be a part of our sign-up process.

What are your guidelines for COVID?

As of July 2024, Encore singers are not required but are encouraged to stay up-to-date on vaccinations and boosters for COVID-19. For full information on our COVID-19 recommendations, please see the Encore Creativity COVID Task Force statement from April 25, 2024.

What is your general refund policy?

We will honor individual requests for a full refund until 11:59 PM on the date of your registered program's second rehearsal. After this point, no refunds will be issued. If circumstances warrant a shut-down of in-person rehearsals, Encore has added online rehearsals to cover any sessions missed. Participants can continue the sessions online, until in-person rehearsals are restored. Since an alternative form of study is available, no refunds for the shut-down of in-person rehearsals will be issued.

What is your refund policy if I must leave the chorale mid-season?

Encore's refund policy is based on the specific state date of rehearsals. We will honor individual requests for a full refund until 11:59 PM on the date of your registered ensemble's second rehearsal.

If special circumstances warrant that a singer must withdraw from a program, a credit may be issued for a future rehearsal season.

Is financial assistance available?
Yes! We welcome everyone and can make tuition assistance available to those in need. Contact our office for more information.
I can’t make an in-person rehearsal/I prefer rehearsing online. Do you have online options?
Yes! Encore offers afternoon and evening rehearsals online for our Chorale, ROCKS, and Arts for Life programs. Any singer registered with an in-person ensemble is welcome to join the online rehearsals for their ensemble type as well. All online rehearsals are recorded if you’d like to make up what you’ve missed or just get a bit of extra practice!

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