Aspiring young musicians will have the chance to join Santa Monica’s premiere youth music organization when Elemental Music holds auditions at the end of September. Elemental Music has served young musicians in the Santa Monica community for over 10 years. Beginning in 2004 with only 25 elementary students, the organization has expanded to serve over 800 elementary and middle school music students in over six different programs during its existence. This year, the organization launches a choral ensemble in addition to its string, band, and guitar programs.
The upcoming 2016-17 season is an exciting one for the organization as two new program directors join the team. Jessi Spike Gravelle, a veteran SMMUSD teacher who helped grow the district’s elementary choral program, will direct Elemental Choir in its inaugural season. This will be an exciting choral experience for elementary voice students and expands the organization to serve even more young musicians on the west side. Elemental Music is also thrilled to bring on Jessica King, string faculty at the Westside Waldorf School, to direct Academy Strings. Launched last year due to high demand for a middle school string ensemble, students in Academy Strings play more advanced repertoire and learn how to perform chamber orchestra pieces without a conductor.
Auditions for Elemental Choir and Academy Strings, as well as the Elemental Strings and Elemental Band groups for elementary students, will occur between 9/21 and 9/30. Students audition so they can be correctly placed at the right skill level within each program. Elemental Music also offers non-audition programs including Prelude, for beginning string students with no experience, and Elemental Guitar; interested students can enroll now.
Families can visit http://elementalmusic.org/auditions/ for more information about auditions or to sign up for a program. For additional information, email josephine@elementalmusic.org.
