Rock Voices is a no-audition adult choir that sings ONLY rock music. Our mission is “healing ourselves and others through song”.
Studies show that the sound and sensation of singing in a room with other people works a special kind of magic on us all, including improved mood, focus, deep breathing, social support, cognitive stimulation, and more. Read on to learn how to be part of this amazing experience!
Can anyone join Rock Voices?
Yes! Anyone 18+ can join. (There are some exceptions; click here to learn more.)
You don’t have to read music and you don’t have to audition to join (but if you want a solo, we hold auditions for those once the session is underway). Just look for a choir near you by going to our enrollment site and once you’ve found a location, follow the instructions for enrolling and paying. You can also wait to pay until you’ve attended three rehearsals: we want you to experience this and make sure it’s right for you!
The first three weeks of every 12-week session are “Open House”
Not sure yet? That’s fine – attend any one (or all) of our first three rehearsals with no obligation. See for yourself what it’s like to be in a room with others who love the same music you do, singing the songs we all heard on the radio from when we were young. We want you to experience this and make sure it’s right for you!
How does it work?
We have choirs all over the New York/New England area, as well as in New York City (and we even have one in Portland, Oregon!) All choirs sing the same selection of music in a given session. Select a choir located near you and enroll at the start of the session. You may attend any one (or all) of the first three rehearsals with no obligation. If it’s not for you, you may withdraw without charge. However, we are confident that you’ll have so much fun you’ll want to keep coming!
You’ll be singing in a room with a group of like-minded people, led by a professional musician/choir director. You can sing your part along with everyone else or if you’re shy or anxious about your voice, you can just listen at first or sing quietly. We want you to be able to ease your way into the experience without fear of being singled out or made to feel uncomfortable about your voice. For those who would like to stand out, the director will hold solo auditions halfway through the session.
Still not sure? That’s okay. Just use our online system to enroll, and come see it for yourself at any one (or all) of our first three rehearsals. But even if you’re not sure you’ll stay, DO ENROLL before you show up so we know how much sheet music to prepare. It’s also important to enroll so that you receive any emails your director sends out prior to the first night of rehearsals.
What does it cost to sing with Rock Voices?
Tuition for an in-person season is $275, and a virtual membership is $125. We want to make sure this amazing, fun, and rewarding experience is available to everyone, so we offer a variety of payment plans: you can pay all at once, or in monthly or even weekly installments. As long as you finish paying for the session by your choir’s concert date, that’s fine with us. NOTE: we do require that you make a small initial payment toward your tuition if you want to take home a binder of the sheet music. If you are not sure about joining yet, you can always borrow a book for the duration of that rehearsal and then turn it in at the end of the night. You can do this at any one or all of our first three rehearsals, at which point you will need to decide one way or the other. If at the end of the third rehearsal you decide this isn’t for you, simply return your binder and let us know. If you made an initial payment to take home your music book, we’ll refund that payment when we receive the book.
Financial aid is available for those who can demonstrate need. We want the Rock Voices experience to be accessible to all who need it in their lives. A link to the application form can be found at the bottom of any page of our website.
How many sessions per year are there?
-
- Spring Session – typically late January through April
- Summer Session – typically May through July
- Fall Session – typically September through early January (with a winter holiday break)
Do I have to sing in person?
No. We offer a virtual option that costs less than half of our regular tuition for those who, for health or personal reasons, are not yet comfortable singing in person, or don’t live near one of our locations. Just go to our online enrollment site, choose the group with “VIRTUAL” in the name and we’ll provide you with a link each week to a virtual rehearsal. As a virtual member, you attend rehearsals from the comfort of your home. You can hear the director and the vocal blend of the choir, but they cannot hear you. We provide our members with downloadable “part recordings” for each voice part, so you do not need to know how to read music to sing with Rock Voices. You sing along for twelve weeks or so, and as a virtual member you may have the option to join one of our in-person choirs at their concert.
Note: this virtual option does not end with a finished virtual choir video production; it is only for learning the songs that the in-person group is currently singing. If, at the end of the session, you are hoping to participate in the final concert of a group near you, you have the option to do that (pending approval from the group’s director). You are also welcome to attend virtual rehearsals without participating in a final performance. Some of our virtual members are geographically too far away, or can’t be in-person due to health issues, or just like to stay connected and enjoy the weekly ritual of the online rehearsal. All of this is fine as long as you understand that there is no end-product or end-of-season virtual choir video.
What about COVID?
We have specific protocols for rehearsals during covid; you can review those here.
