- How do I join Cantus?
- I’m nervous about auditions. Will I make it into a choir?
- Can I go on tour?
- What will the tour be like?
- My family is going through tough financial times. Is there any help available?
- Can I play sports or participate in other activities and still sing in Cantus?
- What if I don’t know anyone in the choir? Is it hard to make friends?
- Why do I need to be part of my school music program?
- Why is it important to have vocal training in elementary and middle school? Why can’t I just wait until high school?
- Why do I need to practice at home? What if I can’t read music?
1. How do I join Cantus?
To join Cantus, all you need to do is audition ($10 audition fee); read The Cantus Handbook; sign The Cantus Contract, mail your contract to Cantus Youth Choirs 13601 W McMillan Rd, STE 102-314, Boise, ID 83713; and pay tuition.
Schedule an audition »
Read The Cantus Handbook »
Download and print The Cantus Contract »
Pay Tuition at The Cantus Store »
2. I’m nervous about auditions. Will I make it into a choir?
Don’t worry. Everyone who auditions will make it into a choir. The auditions are simply to help us get a better feel for your voice, musical experience and personality. We will then place you in an ensemble that will be best for your development.
Read more about auditions here »
3. Can I go on tour?
As long as you are willing to make the effort, yes. All singers in all choirs are invited to tour. If you participate in the fundraisers, you should be able to raise all of the money needed for the tour. You will also want to make sure that you meet the attendance and behavior requirements and successfully complete all assignments given by your choir director. However, no singer will be forced to go on tour. It is your choice.
4. What will the tour be like?
Amazing. You will get to travel with some of your best friends. You will sing in beautiful venues and hear outstanding choirs from across the country. Tour is a wonderful time for making music … we also have a bit of fun along the way, like theme parks and concerts.
5. My family is going through tough financial times. Is there any help available?
Part of the mission statement of Cantus Youth Choirs is to “enrich the lives of youth from all economic backgrounds.” We partner with individuals and businesses in the community to provide sponsorships and fundraisers. Costs are kept as low as possible. Payments can be broken up into ten affordable installments, and discounts are available for siblings. Full and partial tuition waivers are available for families that qualify. Please just let us know what your needs are and we will help you get the tools you need to make it affordable.
6. Can I play sports or participate in other activities and still sing in Cantus?
Definitely. We encourage you to be as well-rounded as possible. It just takes good planning and open communication between you, the choir director and your coaches or other activity directors.
Read more about attendance here »
7. What if I don’t know anyone in the choir? Is it hard to make friends?
The best way to have friends in the choir is to invite your friends to audition with you! You will share amazing musical and social experiences together, including performing for prestigious events throughout the community! Don’t worry, though. You will develop friendships within the choir that will last a lifetime. Rudy Trevino, a former student has said, “Choir under Mrs. McCauley’s direction wasn’t a group of kids singing, it was a family.”
8. Why do I need to be part of my school music program?
Singers in Cantus Youth Choirs want to improve the community around them. You will learn musical and personal skills in Cantus that will help you to be a better leader in your school music program, and vice versa. Additionally, Cantus Youth Choirs depends on support from the school music programs and wants to return that support. This is why we require you to participate in your school music program, whether it be through general music, choir, band, orchestra, musical theater, guitar, keyboarding, theory, etc.
An exception will be made if you homeschool, have unavoidable scheduling conflicts, or if your school curriculum does not offer music.
Again, we really want to support your school music program. If you ever have a conflict between a Cantus concert and your school concert, we expect you to perform in your school concert. (Special participation exceptions may be made with the school director’s permission.)
9. Why is it important to have vocal training in elementary and middle school? Why can’t I just wait until high school?
All singers, male and female, go through what experts call the “adolescent voice change.” The way that you choose to sing during this voice change can affect the way you sing for the rest of your life. The best method to protect, develop and expand your voice is to sing early, often and with close guidance by an expert. By the time you get to high school, you will have a background in the skills you need for a lifetime healthy singing.
10. Why do I need to practice at home? What if I can’t read music?
We expect the best of the singers in Cantus Youth Choirs. In order for the choirs to perform music that is challenging and engaging, we need every moment of limited rehearsal time to refine the music. We only have one night a week to rehearse, which means that singers need to learn and memorize the music at home. To help, all singers will use Smartmusic® — a fantastic, inexpensive software program that teaches and assesses music to beginning through advanced musicians.
Learn more about Smartmusic® here »
