Vocal Music
Welcome to the Eagan High School Choral Department!
- About Us
- Directors
- Curricular Choirs
- Co-Curricular Choirs
- Calendar
- Booster Club
- Resources
- Choir Tour
About Us
The choirs at Eagan High School offer opportunities for students in grades 9-12 to study and perform in a choral setting. The music performed spans all styles from the 15th to the 21st centuries. The choirs perform throughout the year inside and outside the school. Home concerts include the Fall, Holiday, Showcase, and Spring Concerts. Festival performances for certain ensembles are also scheduled.
Additional experiences for choir students to participate in include:
- ISD196 Solo and Ensemble Festival
- EHS Masterclass
- EHS Musical Theater Masterclass
- 9th & 10th grade state honor choir
- Minnesota Music Educators’ All-State Choruses
- Statewide festival/honor choirs
In-school tuition-based private voice lessons
OUR PHILOSOPHY
We believe every child can learn and extend that belief to the certainty that every child is musically expressive and deserves the opportunity to explore that capability. To that end, our program offers opportunities for the less experienced music learner as well as the highly skilled, gifted musician. We will all learn and perform together to create beautiful choral music regardless of gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, and economic status.
Throughout the year, we will address the individual singer by developing vocal skills, increasing knowledge of his/her own voice, developing music literacy, and providing opportunities for solo performances. In addition, we will address “ensemble” by developing group cohesiveness, building choral skills and fostering pride in participation.
Why is it so important for your child to be in choir?
Choral music can:
- Provide a unique way of thinking.
- Act as a link between the past and the present.
- Lift the self-esteem of participants.
- Bring joy to both singer and audience.
- Provide a means of expressing thoughts, values and emotions through singing that otherwise may be difficult to express through words.
Choir Pictures
Directors
Amy Jo Cherner
Amy Jo Cherner has been teaching since 2007, and is in her 5th year at Eagan High School.
Previously she taught at Apple Valley High School, Valley Middle School, and South View Middle School in Edina Public Schools. At Eagan, Amy Jo directs three curricular treble choirs, three co-curricular ensembles, and co-directs their Musical.
She holds a B.M. from Drake University and a Master’s Degree in Music Education with a Choral Conducting emphasis from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. She is an active member of MMEA and ACDA, where she held the post of registrar during 2011, has presented at ACDA-MN’s summer dialogue, served on the MN Sings committee, and served as a section lead (2018) and section coach (2017 Minnesota All-State SSAA Choirs. In 2015, her non-auditioned 9th grade women’s choir from South View were chosen to perform at the North Central American Choral Directors Convention in Sioux Falls, SD, and in 2013, her choir performed at Minnesota Music Educators Associations Mid-Winter Clinic.
She and her husband Dave reside in Eagan and their proudest accomplishments are their three children, sons Eli (11 years old) and Avi (9 years old), and daughter Ayla Rose (4 years old).
Jim Cox
Jim Cox received his Bachelors in K-12 Music Education from Luther College and a Master’s Degree in Arts in Education from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Beginning in 2001, Jim’s teaching experience has included 5th grade-12th grade mixed choirs, soprano/alto choirs, tenor/bass choirs, show choirs, jazz choirs, a cappella groups, madrigal ensembles, AP Music Theory and music history, piano, guitar, and composition in the Zumbrota-Mazeppa, Bloomington, Lakeville, and Eagan (ISD196) School Districts.
Jim began teaching at Eagan High School in 2011 where he now directs three curricular choirs, three co-curricular choirs, and teaches voice lessons. In addition to ensembles, Jim is vocal director of the Eagan Summer Community Theatre musical and co-director and vocal director of the school musical extravaganza, ENCORE!.
Jim is a frequent judge and adjudicator at choir, show choir, vocal jazz, and solo competitions throughout the Midwest. He has been a section coach for all-state and honor choirs and presenter at conferences for ACDA-MN and MMEA and is currently a co-chair for the ACDA-MN 9-10th grade TBB Honor Choir. Throughout his career, Jim’s choirs have been selected to perform at a variety of festivals and have been fortunate to premiere new works by American composers. Jim is also the choir director for the Hosanna Church Christmas Production. In his free-time, Jim loves spending time with his wife Megan, who is a middle school choir director, and four daughters: Ashlyn (17), Aubrie (14), Sabrina (12), and Kadence (12). Jim also has two adorable pups… a 10-pound Shih-Poo named Stella and a 43-pound Golden Doodle named Millie Rose.
Adam Giebner
Adam Giebner is a member of the vocal music department at Eagan High School in Eagan, Minnesota. There he conducts Sonos, coteaches Aurora , Chamber Choir, and bNats. Adam is also the Director of the Celebration Choir at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, Minnesota. In 2020, Adam graduated summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) with a degree in K-12 Vocal Music Education.
Adam is an active member of the American Choral Director’s Association, currently serving as the Northeast District Chair for ACDA-MN, a member of the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) and Membership committees, and previously served as State Student
Adam has had the joy of working on over thirty musicals and operas as a music director, conductor, and pianist and an additional two dozen as a performer on stage. He has also enjoyed preparing choruses for orchestras such as the Duluth Ballet and the Itasca Symphony Orchestra. Heavily involved in Northeastern Minnesota, Adam served as section leader for a variety of ensembles including the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra Chorus, UMD’s University Singers, the Arrowhead Chorale, and spent his senior year conducting UMD’s opera program. Adam has also held positions as the Choir Director at Grand Rapids High School, Director of Camerata for the Lake Superior Youth Chorus, Artistic Director of the Itasca Choral Society, and Director of Music at Zion Lutheran Church.
Adam currently resides in Eagan with his wife and fellow music educator Rachel, their soon to be born son, and their cat, Lepi.
Curricular Choirs
There are six curricular choirs that meet during the school day at Eagan High School.
- Cavaliers – Non-auditioned 9-12th Grade Tenor/Bass voices (Conducted by Mr. Cox)
- Choraliers – Non-auditioned 9-12th Grade Soprano/Alto voices (Conducted by Mrs. Cherner)
- Aurora – Non-auditioned 10-12th Grade Soprano/Alto voices (Conducted by Mrs. Cherner)
- Sonos - Non-auditioned 10-12th Grade Tenor/Bass voices (Conducted by Ms. Samsal)
- Bel Canto – Auditioned 10-12th Grade Soprano/Alto voices (Conducted by Mrs. Cherner)
- Concert Choir – Auditioned 11-12th Grade SATB (Conducted by Mr. Cox)
Co-Curricular Choirs
CO-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES
Participation in these vocal music ensembles will require 10-12th grade students pay the ISD 196 required Activity Fee of $80.00 (9th grade- no fee). This is a one-time fee for the entire year for any Vocal Music Co-Curricular Ensemble. Students in multiple co-curricular vocal ensembles will only need to pay a one time fee. Families unable to afford the fee should speak to your director or seek funding through Dr. Reikowski, EHS Principal.
VOX: is a Tenor/Bass a cappella ensemble comprised of 11th through 12th graders. VOX will perform at the Fall Concert, Holiday Concert, Cabaret, Solo and Ensemble Festival, Spring Concert, as well as various community and school events. Rehearsals are Monday evenings from 5:00 to 6:00pm.
caché: is a Soprano/Alto a cappella ensemble comprised of 11th through 12th graders. caché will perform at the Fall Concert, Holiday Concert, Cabaret, Solo and Ensemble Festival, Spring Concert, as well as various community and school events. Rehearsals are Monday evenings from 7:00-8:00pm.
Chamber Singers: A small mixed ensemble comprised of 10th through 12th grade singers. This is a full year ensemble that will perform at the four home concerts and ISD196 Solo and Ensemble Festival. Rehearsals are Monday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00pm.
Freshman Select Choir: A small mixed ensemble comprised of 9th graders. This ensemble will audition in October and is open to any 9th grade student at EHS. They will perform in the Winter, Showcase, and Spring Concert as well as Solo and Ensemble. Rehearsals are Monday evenings from 600-7:00pm.
SuperGroup: A small SSA ensemble comprised of 11th and 12th graders who audition in October. They perform at all choir concerts and rehearse Monday Evenings from 6:00-7:00pm.
bNats: A small SATB ensemble which focuses on acapella vocal jazz music. They are comprised of 11th-12th graders and perform at all concerts. Rehearsals are Monday Evenings from 6:00-7:00pm.
Calendar
Booster Club
The EHS Choir Booster club was created to provide support for all aspects of the Eagan Choral Program and to promote the value of choral music at all levels. They will support and encourage all students in the choir program, regardless of gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, and economic status.