El Camino’s Choral Department, under the direction of Corinne Brennan, is currently comprised of three traditional choral groups, two a cappella groups, and the Local Vocals club. Mrs. Brennan also teaches AP Music Theory and Beginning Piano.
Meet the Choral Music Teacher
Corinne Brennan was in Camerata as a student at El Camino Real High School. She then studied Voice at the University of Richmond and received her Masters in Education from Pepperdine University. She began her teaching career as a math teacher in 2009, while teaching singing to students during lunch breaks and at a summer theater program at Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum. She took over the choral program at her alma mater in 2016, where she also serves as co-chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Academy. She is thrilled to now be running the very program that inspired her so much as a student!
Course Descriptions
Chorus
ECR’s entry level choral music course, this class is a lot of fun! It exposes students to the world of choral singing, teaches them simple music theory and sight reading skills, and gives them the basic physical techniques needed to sing effectively in a choral music setting. The music repertoire includes American standards, modern pop songs, Disney favorites, and at least one song from another culture.
Women’s Choir
This is a selective singing group composed of women grades 9 – 12. Students must audition for this performance based class. They regularly perform at school and in the community for various events, and also compete in at least one festival each semester. They received a superior rating in their most recent festival.
Camerata
This small, advanced singing group is composed of men and women grades 10 – 12. Students must have at least one year of experience singing at ECR to audition for this group. They perform often throughout the school year, on campus, in the community, and at festivals and other large scale events in Los Angeles and in other cities around the world. They compete at least once a semester, as well. They received a superior rating in their most recent festival.
AP Music Theory
All music performance students are encouraged to take this course. The major emphasis of this course is to develop student achievement through analysis of the elements of music heard or presented in a musical score. The student is provided with opportunities to develop aural, sight-singing, written, compositional and analytical skills through listening, performing, analyzing, creating and writing music. The course also develops a more advanced understanding of the interrelationships among the elements of music, provides opportunities to analyze musical compositions in detail, and stimulates student interest in a variety of music forms and styles through study of music in the present and from the past representing Western and non-Western cultures.
Beginning Piano
The keyboarding and piano class is designed to teach concepts and fundamentals needed for piano performance. Students will increase musical understanding by learning rhythms, key signatures, theory concepts, ear-training, and through ensemble performance. Students will learn and reinforce music concepts foundational for instrumental and vocal performance, AP Music Theory, college music majors, and college piano proficiency exams. Course content also includes the foundation necessary for engaging in multiple opportunities for self-expression, and more deeply understanding a variety of creative efforts. Course content includes Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools and National Core Arts Standards with the objective of preparing students to participate in the social, cultural, and intellectual interplay among people of differing cultural backgrounds and national origins.
Clubs
Local Vocals
This club meets twice a week, once for cabinet members and once for general membership. They welcome any students with a love of singing to join and find a community of singers to bond with. They provide them with opportunities to sing such as our vocal showcases, karaoke nights, and open-mic lunches. They handle the fundraising aspect for the vocal programs on campus. Cabinet meetings are where most decisions about events are finalized, and they are also open to anyone who wants to voice their opinions, concerns and suggestions regarding any vocal programs.
A Cappella
This club is audition based, and is composed of two a cappella groups: Vocale Royale, a mixed a cappella group that perform 4 to 10 part arrangements; and El Caminotes, a women’s a cappella group that performs 4 to 6 part arrangements. These groups meet 3 times a week to rehearse, and will perform at different events throughout the year, including Power to the Artist, Relay for Life, and Local Vocals’ showcases. They are becoming known for their Valentine Singing Telegram fundraiser!
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