The Early Music Ensemble (EME) specializes in the unique,
surprising, and extravagant music of the medieval, Renaissance,
and Baroque periods of Western music. Participants will explore
the repertoire of these centuries through performance with an
emphasis on questions of style, historical practice, notation,
intuition, and expression. EME offers ensembles for both
vocalists and instrumentalists as well as collaborative
performance opportunities.
EME Vocal Ensemble
The EME Vocal Ensemble is open to students, faculty/staff, and
community members wishing to sing early music in an ensemble
setting. Interested singers MUST complete a Choral Placement Hearing to
participate.
EME Instrumental Chamber Ensembles
The EME Instrumental Chamber Ensembles are open to
instrumentalists of all backgrounds who wish to explore
performance on historical instruments. Students will be placed
into small chamber ensembles based on instrumentation,
background, and musical goals. No prior experience with
historical instruments is necessary! Please check this page again
in December for information about joining for Winter 2022.
Choral placements for Spring 2023 will be held March 20-21
and April 3-4.
Choral Placements are very short (10 minutes or
less) and are as painless as possible. Think of
it as a miniature voice lesson with an
opportunity to connect
with me one-on-one. The goal of
the Choral Placement is to determine which choir(s)
might be the best fit for you.
There is a UC Davis choir for everyone!
Your Choral Placement will include:
Vocal warmup and range exploration
Short musicianship exercises (matching
pitches and/or sight reading)
1–2 minutes of something you love to sing. This
could be a pop song, an aria, Happy Birthday, or
anything that feels comfortable in your
voice. Plan to sing unaccompanied (by
yourself without piano, guitar, etc.).
Brief chat about your musical goals, why you
love singing, and which choir(s) might be the best fit for
you.
Please plan to arrive to Room 130 (Erik’s office) a few minutes
before your scheduled time to fill out a brief questionnaire. I’m
looking forward to meeting you!
A note about reading music
There are many equally valid ways to learn
music. For your Choral Placement, I am curious about
how you personally learn music right now.
That might be by reading music, that might be by ear, that might
be by some system unique to
you. The short musicianship exercises are
not tests, they’re just small parts of
helping me understand you as a singer.
Frequently Asked Questions – UC Davis Choirs Edition
When will I be able to register for
choir?
You will receive the CRN for your choir(s) either during or
shortly after your placement. Once you have the CRN, you will
be able to register for the course. You must complete a choral
placement to receive a CRN.
Can I sing in more than one choir?
YES!!!!!!!
You will receive the CRN for your choir(s) either during or
shortly after your placement. Once you have the CRN, you will
be able to register for the course. You must complete a choral
placement to receive a CRN.
Do I have to read music to sing in a choir at UC
Davis?
Not necessarily!!! There are many equally valid ways to
learn music.
Do I have to be a music major to sing in
choir?
NO!!!!!!! Anyone from any major can
participate in UC Davis choirs.
Do I have to have previous singing experience to
join?
NO!!!!!!! Previous singing experience is helpful, but not
required.
Can I bring a friend who wants to sing too?
YES!!!!!!!! Please have them sign up for their
own Choral Placement to make sure that I have time to meet
with both of you.
I was in a UC Davis choir
last year, do I have to do another Choral
Placement Hearing?
Yes! It’s important for me to connect with you, hear how
your voice has developed, and check in with you about your
goals.
I really, really love singing Renaissance and
Baroque music. Is there a place for me here?
YES!!!!!!! All UC Davis choirs perform a wide variety of
repertoire, but the Early Music Ensemble
specializes in Western music that was composed before 1750.
