The sixth annual UWM Festival of Men's Voices (a festival choir for male singers) will take place on Saturday, February 20, 2010 at the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts, 2419 E. Kenwood Blvd. on the UWM campus. The festival is open to high school men and changed-voice, eighth-grade baritones. Any male singer with a strong ability to hold his part in an harmonic texture is also welcome to attend, regardless of age. You DO NOT need to have a men's chorus to attend.

This year we will feature a Counterpoint, a special guest quartet from the Milwaukee area, and the Men's Glee Club, UWM's 50-voice men's chorus.

The festival has continued to be a tremendous success with hundreds of male singers enjoying a day of singing together each year. Participants share a positive, educational, and enjoyable experience while singing in a large group with men of all ages. Past attendees have had fun, were inspired to continue singing, and brought their enthusiasm back to their school choirs.

Teachers and choir directors are invited to send one singer or many. Also, if you have a male ensemble from your school and would like to perform, there may be time to sing in front of the large group.

I look forward to an exciting festival with you and your students. I hope that you will take advantage of this opportunity, for yourself, your best students, and your program -- I know it will be a rewarding one.

Please see complete information below and do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions.

Dr. José Rivera
(850) 443-6593
rivera9@uwm.edu

Choose from the following below:
Schedule
Eligibility
Nominate Your Students
Fee
Teacher Attendance
Music
Lunch
Location
Map & Directions
Parking

Schedule - top

8:30 am
Check in, seating, and social time at Zelazo Center

8:45-9:10 am
Group warm-up

9:10-10:00 am
Rehearsal and learning of group songs

10:00-10:10 am
BREAK

10:10-10:20 am
MINI PERFORMANCE by the quartet/guest quartets

10:20-10:50 am
Sectional time with guest quartet members as section leaders

10:55-11:25 am
Rehearsal and learning of group songs

11:25-11:30 am
Group tag learning: Sing it at lunch!

11:30 am-12:30 pm
LUNCH at the UWM Union Food Court and local eateries

12:30-1:15 pm
Tag singing and rehearsal of group songs.

1:15-1:25 pm
BREAK

1:25-1:45 pm
MINI PERFORMANCE by guest quartets/ensembles

1:45-2:45 pm
Tag singing, craft session and rehearsal as needed

2:45-3:00 pm
BREAK (Solo Auditions)

3:00-3:15 pm
Final run-through of group songs with all singers on stage

3:15 pm
House Opens

3:30 pm
Free public informal CONCERT featuring Counterpoint, the UWM Men's Glee Club, combined with the Festival of Men's Voices Chorus

4:30 pm
Depart for home

Eligibility - top
This festival is open to changed-voice 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th graders.

Nominate Your Students - top
Deadline for nominations is Friday, February 12, 2010. You will receive E-MAIL notification of accepted nominees by Monday, February 15, 2010.

Teachers may nominate a single student or as many men as they have singing in their choral program. Personnel for the Men's Festival Choir will be limited to approximately 200 members.

To nominate students please send me an email at rivera9@uwm.edu with "Festival of Men's Voices" in the subject line. For each student you are nominating provide name, voice part, and current grade in school. Please include you contact information, and school information (name of school, telephone, and address). Let me know if you have an ensemble that might like to perform for the group.

Fee - top
The participation fee is $5.00 per student and includes all required music. Student fees will be collected on site. If your school is paying for this event, please contact me to arrange for payment. Students who are paying for themselves need to bring $5.00 to the festival. Checks should be made payable to UWM Peck School of the Arts.

Teacher Attendance - top
We welcome all teachers! Teachers attend at no charge.

Music - top
Sheet music is included in the fee and will be provided on site. There will be two pieces that the men will learn that day. You do not need to prepare anything with them in advance. Music will be picked up the day of the festival. Music selected will be appropriate for high school male singers and can be sung in a concert at your school later in the year.

Lunch - top
Students should only bring enough money for a fast-food lunch and some snacks at the UWM Student Union, or they may bring a bag lunch.

Location - top
Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts
2419 East Kenwood Blvd., Milwaukee, WI 53211

Map and Directions - top
Click here for map and directions to campus.

Parking - top
You are encouraged to use metered street parking or the underground parking garage at the UWM Union, across the street from the Zelazo Center.