For up-to-date information and details, please visit the full Circle the State with Song website.
Since 1990, IMEA has sponsored an elementary and a middle school honor choir. Selected students who are participating in Circle the State with Song Area Festivals will have the opportunity to audition for these All-State Honor Choirs. These choirs are select groups of approximately 150 singers chosen by teacher recommendation and audition. Our goal is to choose singers from each of the 12 area CSWS Festivals to fill balanced parts. Both groups will perform at the IMEA State Conference.
When:
IMEA Professional Development Conference, January 16-18, 2025
Where:
Embassy Theater
125 W Jefferson Blvd
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Fees/ Scholarships
The 2025 fee for this choral experience will be $195 for students in both the Elementary Choir and Middle School Choir. This fee includes four meals, All-State music, online rehearsal recordings, and an overnight stay at the Hilton Hotel (Elementary Choir) and the Marriott Hotel (Middle School Choir) in downtown Fort Wayne. A limited number of partial scholarships are available. Please make sure that any student whose teacher submits a Scholarship Form on their behalf understands that they are responsible for the balance of the cost, and that the full fee is to be sent pending approval of scholarship. If the scholarship is approved, a reimbursement will be provided from the IMEA office.
Honor Choir Selection
Final selection will be made by the CSWS Committee in early November. Students and teachers will be notified of the decision no later than mid-November. Rehearsal recordings for honor choir will be available on the website for each participating singer along with the honor choir repertoire. Please read carefully, follow the instructions, and meet the deadlines as stated in the audition process. Failure to do so will disqualify the audition.
It is our pleasure to offer your students this quality opportunity to learn and grow musically. Thank you for your continued interest in and support of IMEA and its programs.
If you have any questions regarding information or procedures, please contact the CSWS State Chair Lindsay Bollhoefer, or your CSWS Area Coordinator.
Teacher Requirements
All directors who submit auditions must be members of NAfME/IMEA for an audition to be considered. Students of non-member teachers who submit auditions for consideration will be rejected. Remember: A student may be enrolled by a private studio or community choir director only if the student’s school does not participate in the Circle the State with Song festivals. The name of the school where the student is enrolled must be identified during the registration process.
Teachers may submit no more than eight auditions per level, per school. Please be selective. The registration must be filled out and auditions uploaded online by October 9, 2024.
Teachers are asked to confirm that the auditioning student(s) will be available on January 16-17, 2025, before submitting the application and audition. Teachers are also asked to submit students who understand that rooming changes will not be made after their registration in complete. Please note: All registrations will be completed by the teacher in order to be accepted to alleviate confusion regarding rooming, payment, and submission of Medical and Fee Tally Forms.
Teachers will need to teach and monitor the progress of honor choir singers from their school. Once selected, teachers will be responsible to complete the registration process online. The link to registration will be provided in the information letter the teacher will receive.
Note that absolutely no rooming assignments can be changed after applications have been received.
2025 Elementary Honor Choir Clinicians:
Elementary Honor Choir Clinician: Greg Gilpin; Accompanist: TBD
Greg Gilpin is a celebrated ASCAP award-winning choral composer and arranger and a highly respected choral conductor. He is known throughout the United States leading performances at New York City’s iconic Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center as well as Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. His international appearances include the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, Royal Festival Hall in London, England and Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland.
In additional to composing and conducting, Mr. Gilpin has worked as a singer for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra as well as background singer for Grammy award-winner, Sandi Patty and other highly acclaimed artists. He has worked extensively in the recording industry as a singer, pianist, arranger and producer with projects from Disney to commercial jingles.
In 2021, Mr. Gilpin wrote the score for the award-winning short film, “Rosie’s Rescue” and was awarded “Best Score” for this same movie. He also teamed up with renowned opera singer, Angela Brown, and created the world premiere of the thrilling arrangement of “What Child is This?”, debuted by Ms. Brown and the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir.
Mr. Gilpin is a proud member of ACDA, NAfME, SAG-AFTRA, and is a Life Loyal Member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and continues is position as Editor and Director of Educational Choral Publications for Shawnee Press.
Middle School Honor Choir Clinician: Roger David; Accompanist: TBD
Roger David Jr. is a Michigan State University graduate student pursuing a DMA in Choral Conducting and recipient of a University Distinguished Fellowship. He serves as Assistant Conductor for The Singing Spartans (formerly MSU Glee Club) and Campus Choir, and assists with the undergraduate Choral Pedagogy course. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, he is proud to be a product of the Anchorage School District and an alum of the University of Alaska Anchorage where he received a Bachelor of Music, Music Education Emphasis and a Master of Arts in Teaching. After teaching middle school choir in ASD, he completed a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting at Wichita State University. While in Kansas, Roger served as a clinician and adjudicator for middle and high schools. Roger's interests include culturally informed rehearsal and performance practice, conductor leadership styles, coaching football, and eating Korean BBQ with friends.
Photography provided by: Bateman Photography