SIC Choirs & Band Seeking New Members
After a year of virtual activities and concerts, the Southeastern Illinois College music department is excited to kick off the 2021-22 season with in-person musical events.
Music director and SIC Concert Choir director Cory Garmane, SIC Community Chorus director Tim Green, and the new SIC Community Band director Storm Santos are accepting new recruits to join this fall.
It is free to participate in the new Community Band, and Santos is planning several concerts for this season. All ages from high school and up are encouraged to participate, and musicians must provide their own instruments. Concert band music will be the main genre, so instrumentals needed are woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Rehearsals will be Thursdays 6-8 p.m. beginning Aug. 19. Private lessons are available for anyone who would like to brush up on their skills, however, musicians should have good knowledge of their instrument to join the band.
Garmane says, “I am thrilled that we are able to bring the SIC Community Band back for the 2021/2022 school year. We introduced the band back in fall of 2019 with a great response, but the spring of 2020 caused us to have to cancel it last year. The band offers another way for the people in our communities to join together and make great music. I am also pleased to have Storm Santos back as our band director. He has taken charge of recruiting for this program and is helping with private lessons as well. He is a tremendous asset to our department. I look forward to seeing what this year holds for the music department at SIC!”
Concert Choir is primarily for current SIC students, although students are not required to be music majors to participate – anyone interested is welcome, and there is no audition required. The class/ rehearsals are held on Thursdays, 3-5 p.m. starting Aug. 19. Private singing lessons are also available separately for those interested. Garmane says the Concert Choir will sing primarily concert music in a mix of styles and genres. Participants will have a number of performance opportunities including some special collaborative work with other choirs.
“This year, the SIC Concert Choir will be joining forces with the John A. Logan Concert Choir and the Rend Lake College Concert Choir for two concerts. Our first joint concert will be Halloween-themed and will take place in October, with the second taking place in April,” said Garmane.
“These collaborative concerts are a great way to work with our fellow community colleges and to expose our students to a vast array of musical opportunities. It’s a powerful experience when we’re able to put so many voices together! These concerts will be performed at each campus, so we will get to do a bit of traveling around southern Illinois. We are also hoping to return to SIUC this spring for the annual Community College Day which was canceled these past two years due to the pandemic.”
Green is calling for individuals with a desire to create terrific group vocal performances to join the Community Chorus. Chorus is open to singers of high school age and up. The Community Chorus performs one concert each fall and spring semester at SIC’s George T. Dennis Visual & Performing Arts Center (VPAC), as well as a performance at May commencement exercises (along with Concert Choir and the band) and occasional special performances as well.
The Community Chorus is comprised of volunteers from all over southern Illinois. Rehearsals begin Tuesday, Aug. 17, and continue every Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. in room F110 on the Harrisburg campus. The chorus will start by working on basic vocals. There is no cost to participate, and members can receive one college credit per semester, up to four credits.
Green, who lives in Golconda, has been directing the SIC Community Chorus for nearly 14 years and has been directing similar choirs for more than 33 years.
“We are looking for people who enjoy singing, from beginner to advanced, and love learning about music,” said Green. “The SIC Community Chorus is open to all SIC students and faculty or anyone high school age and up, and male voices are especially needed.”
To reserve your spot or ask questions, contact cory.garmane@sic.edu for Concert Choir and Community Band or tim.green@sic.edu for Community Chorus. To register, call 618-252-5400, ext. 4120.
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