EMC Choir Camp

The Choir Camp is open to students completing the 5th through 12th grades. This camp is designed to meet the needs of those students who are interested in singing choral music, providing an instructional and educational experience for both beginners and more advanced students in a collaborative, supportive and interactive environment. Students will perform a wide variety of choral compositions by significant composers from early classics to notable contemporary works.

Vocal Placement

While Choir Camp singers do not audition, they do have a vocal placement on registration day. Singers will be checked for vocal range, timbre, and sight-reading skills. No one should worry about the vocal placement. It is designed to make sure singers are placed on the choral part that is best for their vocal production. 

Campers may choose from several workshops and clinics. Topics may include the following:

• Jazz Appreciation

• Music Theory

• Music Technology

• How to Practice

• Performance skills

• a complete list can be found in the application

Choir Camp Faculty Howard Eckdahl is Director of Choral Activities at Eastern Illinois University, having joined the faculty in 2023. Since then, the choral program has taken on ambitious repertoire, including Caroline Shaw’s To the Hands, Brahms’ Schicksalsied and Händel’s The Messiah while special attention and programming space has been dedicated to composers from under-represented communities. He brings to EIU substantial collegiate and university teaching experience, having served on the faculties of Augustana College, Western Michigan University, and the University of Notre Dame.