Choir Programs
Overview
MBMS Choir Program
The award winning MBMS Choirs are fun electives for kids who like to sing. The choir courses are designed to help singers develop strong healthy singing/vocal technique, while mastering musicianship and literacy skills.
In choir, students make lasting friendships and perform great music in a variety of styles from classical to pop. There are concerts given on a regular basis. Students of all levels are welcome and encouraged to join! MBMS Choir is a place to share talent & enjoy being part of a group that likes to sing.
All singers are welcome and encouraged to let their voices shine! MBMS choirs build well-rounded performers and strong musicians. Singing in choir prepares our members to audition and perform anywhere they like. Many of our members audition and are selected to participate in local and national honor choirs, musical theater shows, and/or continue singing in the internationally acclaimed Mira Costa Choirs.
In MBMS Choir Your Child Will Find:
- An instant group of FRIENDS!
- Ways to IMPROVE YOUR SINGING!
- MAD SKILLS FOR READING MUSIC!
- A chance to SING SONGS IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES!
- A place to BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE!
- The chance to BECOME A WELL-ROUNDED SINGER, ACTOR, PERFORMER AND PERSON!
- The chance to go on FUN FIELD TRIPS!
- A pathway to high school and college, ARTS CREDITS!
- A place to PERFORM!
- Somewhere to SHINE!
- A ton of FUN!
- A place to call HOME!
Traditionally, MBMS offered 4 choir classes:
- Neptune Choir (Freshman Boys)
- Mermaid Choir (Freshman Girls)
- Seaside Choir (combined 7th & 8th Grade)
- Ocean Wave Chorale (advanced 7th & 8th Grade)
- Madrigal Choir (advanced after-school program)
This year, there are two levels of choir classes plus the after-school program:
- Sand & Sea Singers (combined 6th Grade)
- Ocean Wave Chorale (combined 7th & 8th Grade)
- Madrigal Choir (advanced after-school program)
CHOIR Levels
Sand & Sea Singers
All incoming 6th Grade students currently enrolled in 5th grade choir automatically qualify and need not audition for the Sand & Sea Singers.
The curriculum of the Sand & Sea Singers class is a continuation of the curriculum that was taught in the elementary school choir program and the Elementary Honor Chour. The Sand & Sea Singers is designed to meet the educational needs of students who took part in choir in elementary school, making the Sand & Sea Singers the next natural step for student learning.
Ocean Wave Chorale
The Ocean Wave Chorale harnesses the skills and experience of performing music daily from the year before. This gives the choir a wider variety of music to sing from classic early 17th century hymns to popular contemporary tunes.
A small percentage of incoming 6th Grade students may be eligible for this higher level choir. These are usually students who have done extensive practice and/or have had private tutoring outside of the elementary school program.
Madrigal Choir
The Madrigal Choir is an advanced auditioned choir of 7/8th grade singers who wish to perform more.
Other Information
Concerts, Recitals & Competitions
There are two MBMS concerts per academic year - the Winter Concert in December and the Spring Concert in May. These concerts are held in the MBMS Gym. Additionally, there is an All District Choir Concert held in February. Each of the choirs perform in all these concerts and participation is mandatory.
MBMS Choirs participate in the annual Southern California School Vocal Association (SCVA) Festivals, which usually take place in the Spring.
Choir Director
Kate Crellin
Kate Crellin (she/her) is an award-winning educator, composer/arranger, and vocalist. Kate holds a Master in Choral Conducting from Queens’ College, Cambridge in England. She also earned double Bachelor’s Degree in Choral Music and Law, History & Culture from the University of Southern California.
As an educator, Kate has taught pre-K through 12th-grade music in both public and private schools across Los Angeles. She is currently a Choir Director for Mira Costa High School, Manhattan Beach Middle School and National Children’s. Chorus.
As a vocalist, she has performed across the world, singing with the Rolling Stones, David Crosby, Eric Whitacre, Pentatonix, and touring across eight countries. She is active in the contemporary a cappella scene as a freelance arranger, performer, and staff member of A Cappella Academy. Kate is a published composer with pieces under Heritage Press and Alfred Press, and was recently recognized as an “Editor’s Choice” by JW Pepper. To learn more about Kate, visit her website. www.katecrellin.com
Choir Accompanist
Gordon Glor
Gordon has been accompanying choirs since he was in seventh grade at Holland (NY) Middle School, when his choir director asked him to be the accompanist for the seventh and eighth grade choir.
Gordon holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music, where he majored in composition and minored in piano performance. After graduate studies at UC San Diego, Gordon served as staff accompanist at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, where he also taught piano classes and music theory.
In 2007 Gordon joined the Angel City Chorale, a 180-voice community chorus led by artistic director Sue Fink, based in West L.A. He sings baritone with the Chorale, and serves as Principal Accompanist for the group. Gordon also enjoys serving as Principal Accompanist of the Angel City Youth Chorale (ACYC), which formed in 2018 in association with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Venice and Burbank.
Since 2008 Gordon has been proud to be the accompanist at Manhattan Beach Middle School, and in 2020 he became the accompanist at Mira Costa High School. He looks forward to many happy experiences continuing to make music together with the supremely talented singers of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District community!
OTHER CHOIR PROGRAMS
Elementary Choir
Mira Costa Choirs
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