2027 | MMEA Conference – All-State Children’s Choir
89th annual mmea in-service workshop/conference
January 26 – january 30, 2027 * Tan-tar-a conference center
MMEA All-State Children’s Choir
Event Time Line
2026-2027 School Year
August 15 – Audition Window Opens
September 30 – Audition Window Closes
November 1 – Results posted at mmea.net
January 26 – Performance at 89th MMEA In-Service Workshop/Conference.
Children’s Choir Information
→ Parent Information Letter (PDF)
| Guidelines & Process |
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- The All-State Children’s Choir is open to all 4th and 5th grade students in Missouri.
- Auditionees will submit an audio recording of “Ah, Poor Bird” sung without accompaniment and in the key of their choice.
- Audition recordings must be uploaded by the audition deadline, which is 11:59:59 PM CST on September 30. Uploads will be closed at midnight on the night of the deadline date. Teachers/Parents will be able to preview audition recordings after uploading but before submitting.
- It will be helpful if the audition audio format is mp3. If there is a problem uploading other audio formats, contact Web Director Rob Nichols at website@mmea.net.
- File names must not contain apostrophes, or other special characters. Use only letters, numbers, or dashes/underscores. Judges will not be able to see file names.
- A $10 non-refundable audition fee for each student must be paid via credit card at the time of the audition registration.
- Late entries will not be accepted! The upload process will be disabled at the time of the deadline. Judging begins the morning of October 1.
Teachers will…
- Record and upload their student auditions
- Be able to preview student auditions before submitting
Judges will…
- Listen and score the auditions using the established rubric
- Identify disqualifying factors found in the recordings
Judges will not…
- Know who they are listening to
- Have access to identifying information for each entry
The All-State Children’s Choir Chair will…
- Verify completion of judging
- Be responsible for taking questions regarding policy of the All-State Children’s Choir
- Confer with the MMEA President to confirm the final membership roster.
- Manage audition and participation fees
The MMEA Web Director will…
- Monitor data processes during registration and judging
- Be responsible for primary tech support
- Post the final roster when it is to be released
| Audition Information |
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- Auditionees will submit an audio recording of “Ah, Poor Bird” sung without accompaniment and in the key of their choice.
- No talking is allowed on any part of the recording.
- Do NOT announce the name of the student, teacher or school on the audition recording.
- Do NOT speak to the student at the end of the recording.
- Do NOT provide vocal support for the student. This includes, but is not limited to, singing with them or humming along.
- The students must record this song with NO accompaniment or other instrumental support.
- Attention should be given to:
- Detailed pitch and rhythm accuracy
- Phrasing
- Singing with a confident and pleasant vocal tone
AUDITION MUSIC
(Click to Download)
SCORING RUBRIC
| CATEGORY | LOW VALUE | HIGH VALUE | ||
| 1 |
PITCH |
1 | 8 | |
| 2 | TONE | 1 | 8 | |
| 3 | RHYTHM | 1 | 8 | |
| 4 | EXPRESSION | 1 | 8 | |
| 5 | MUSICALITY | 1 | 8 | |
| TOTALS | 5 | 40 | ||
ENSEMBLE SELECTION PROCESS
- The Missouri All-State Children’s Choir is a representative All-State Ensemble. Members will be selected from the 11 districts of the Missouri Music Educators Association in the following manner:
- As denoted in the audition material, there are two parts, high and low. After the auditions have been scored by an independent panel, scores will be sorted by district and then by part. In each district, the top five scoring auditions on each part, plus ties, will be selected as members of the Missouri All-State Children’s Choir.
- Be sure to follow the audition process completely and meet the audition deadline to ensure that your student(s) recordings are heard and evaluated.
*Auditions will be disqualified for:
- Singing with accompaniment or other instrumental support.
- The presence of any talking on the recording.
| Audition Form |
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- Access the audition form through the link below.
- An account must be created to enter application/s.
- Multiple entries may be submitted though one account.
(i.e. One teacher account may submit multiple students from their class through their account.)
- Multiple entries may be submitted though one account.
MMEA DISTRICT INFORMATION
The All-State Children’s Choir audition information requests the MMEA District Assignment for the student’s school. Please see the information below to confirm MMEA District Assignments:
auditon fee
- There will be a $10 non-refundable audition fee per student.
- Each individual application fee may be paid by credit card within the student application profile.
NOTE: Unfortunately, we cannot accept one comprehensive payment for multiple applications within a single account.
*Those selected for the choir will incur a student participation fee.
AUDITION FORM
Results will be posted on November 1.
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MMEA Children’s Choir Audition Form
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| Ensemble Fees |
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Audition Fee
- There will be a $10 non-refundable audition fee per student.
- Each individual application fee may be paid by credit card within the student application profile.
Member Fee
- There will be a $60 Member Fee for each student selected to the All-State Children’s Choir.
- The Member Fee Payment Form will be available once the 2027 Children’s Choir Roster has been posted. (November 1)
| Ensemble Roster |
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2027 Mmea all-state children’s choir
The 2027 MMEA All-State Children’s Choir Membership Roster will be available November 1.
| 2027 Choir Clinician |
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Sandy Knudson is the Administrative Director of Oklahoma Youth Sing! (formerly Norman Children’s Chorus) and has successfully taught K-5 classroom music for 30 years. She holds a M.M.E. and Kodály certification from The University of Oklahoma. Since 1990, Sandy has served on the faculty of The University of Oklahoma Kodály certification program where she teaches solfege, conducting, and choir. She holds National Board certification in Early and Middle Childhood Music. Well-known as a clinician, master teacher and guest conductor, Sandy has presented workshops at numerous state and national conferences. She has been guest conductor for honor choirs in Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas and has served as conductor of Circle the State with Song festivals throughout Oklahoma. In 2015, she conducted the OAKE National Children’s Choir.
Sandy has earned an Artist-Teacher Diploma under the mentorship of Doreen Rao in the Choral Music Experience Institute. Recognized by OkMEA as an Exemplary Teacher in 2010, Sandy was inducted into the OkMEA Hall of Fame in 2013. In the spring of 2014, Sandy was awarded the Pam Golden Honor Award by the Oklahoma Kodály Educators chapter for contribution to Kodály music education and the children and teachers of Oklahoma. In 2018, Sandy was awarded Outstanding Educator by OAKE.
Sandy is active as a dance caller in Oklahoma and loves to foster community through dance.
| 2027 Repertoire |
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J’entend le moulin arranged by Ruth E Dwyer and Martin L. Ellis |
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Ombra Mai Fù ScG.F. Handel, arranged by Adam and Matt Podd |
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Aiken Drum Scottish Folk Song, arranged by Blake Richter |
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Laudate Dominum Words and Music by Andy Beck Accompaniment inspired by JS Bach’s Cello Suite #1 |
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Spinning Song from Kashmir Text adaped by David Gardner Arranged by Neil Ginsberg |
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Be the Change Text inspired by Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. Adapted text and music by Laura Farnell with This Little Light of Mine |
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| Practice Tracks |
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Practice Tracks will be available upon the announcement of the 2027 All-State Children’s Choir Roster.
| Weather Contingency Policy |
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MMEA will not refund fees or registrations paid to MMEA for participation in the annual In-Service Workshop due to non-attendance of a registrant caused by an Act of God. An Act of God is deemed to include inclement weather, fire, emergency facility incapacity, or any other event resulting in limited or cancelled participation by the attendee.
Exceptions to this policy, although not normally granted, may be approved by a majority vote of the MMEA Executive Board.