2021 Children's Choir

All-State Children's Choir Conductor

Penny Dimmick is a teachers’ teacher. She has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in music education since joining the faculty of Butler University in 1991. In her 30 years at Butler, she's held many positions, including Chair of the Department of Music, Coordinator of the Music Education program, chairing and serving on many committees, but first and foremost, it always comes back to teaching.
Dr. Dimmick, a native of Wayne, New Jersey, developed her philosophy over decades of teaching—starting with the seven years she spent teaching elementary school general music, choir and percussion after earning her bachelor's degree in Music Education from Taylor University. Her Master of Music and Doctor of Arts degrees in Music Education and Percussion Performance from Ball State University also were focused on best practices in teaching.

When she's not teaching her courses at Butler, you might find her teaching first-fourth graders in the Indianapolis Children's Choirs’ Preparatory Choirs, teaching children (PreK-HS) in church, at summer camps, or even teaching children overseas in Ecuador, Brazil, China, and Hong Kong. These activities reflect not only her joy in teaching but also her desire to remain in touch with the music education profession in a very direct way. "If I'm going to be effective (in preparing future educators at Butler), I need to be working with children regularly. It is essential that I still have my hands in it."

Dr. Dimmick says the best part of being at Butler has been her interaction with students. She typically teaches first-year students, juniors and seniors, so she gets to see them grow into their professional teacher identity over the course of their career at Butler. She has led the music education program into a focus on site-based experiences, spending time with K-12 students in real classrooms. Seeing her students’ first experiences in a music classroom as prospective educators (wearing their “official” teacher name-tag) is priceless. "Their eyes sparkle and you can see they get it." Building on that growth and supervising their culminating student teaching experience is a tremendous privilege.
When Dr. Dimmick is not teaching, she enjoys traveling, hiking, time at the beach, and attending professional baseball games with her husband John, and her two grown sons John and Joshua.

2021 ALL-STATE CHILDREN'S CHOIR REPERTOIRE

TITLE COMPOSER PUBLISHER PARTS
Festival Alleluia Allen Pote Choristers Guild 2 parts
Murasame Victor C. Johnson Heritage Music Press

2 parts, rainstick & wind chimes
The Tailor of Gloucester arr. Cyndee Giebler Colla Voce 2 parts
La daumus te Mozart, arr. Keylock & Friedersdorf Hal Leonard unison with flute
Shine On Me Rollo Dillworth Hal Leonard 2 parts (could also be 3 parts)
When I Sing Leann Starkey Colla Voce 2 parts
Oye Jim Papoulis Boosey & Hawkes 3 parts

 

CHILDREN'S CHOIR MUSIC PACKETS

Music packets for the 2021 All-State Children's Choir are available for purchase through JW Pepper. Click the link below to purchase!

Children's Choir Music Packets

2021 ALL-STATE CHILDREN'S CHOIR REGISTRATION

Registration for the 2021 All-State Children's Choir is now closed.

You will be notified by September 21 on selections and then will be invoiced a $60 fee per student selected. The $60 fee per student covers festival fees, T-shirt, snack, lunch, and sales tax.

If you have any questions, please conact Angela Wright at [email protected]

Please note: NMEA policy states that no refunds will be given for singers unable to attend.

CHILDREN'S CHOIR PRACTICE RECORDINGS

Teachers will receive a link to practice recordings when they receive confirmation of students selected on September 21.

DAY-OF SCHEDULE

The Children's Choir schedule can also be found on page one of the NMEA Conference Schedule. All schedule times are in Central Daylight Time.

TIME EVENT PLACE
7:15-8 am Children's Choir Teacher & Student Check-In

Westbrook Music Building (UNL)

130 & 132 
8-9:45 am Rehearsal Kimball Recital Hall (UNL)
9:45-10:15 am Break

Westbrook Music Building (UNL)

130 & 132 
10:15-12 pm Rehearsal Kimball Recital Hall (UNL)
12-1 pm Lunch

Westbrook Music Building (UNL)

130 & 132
1-2 pm Rehearsal Kimball Recital Hall (UNL)
2-2:30 pm Children's Choir moves to Lied Center  
2:30-3:30 pm Children's Choir Dress Rehearsal Lied Center Stage
3:30-3:45 pm Restroom Break Kimball Recital Hall (UNL)
3:45-4 pm Line-up Lied Center Stage Entrance
4-4:30 pm Children's Choir Concert Lied Center Stage
4:30-5 pm Dismissal, teacher pick-up Kimball Recital Hall (UNL)

 

INFORMATION ABOUT THE ALL-STATE CHILDREN'S CHOIR

What is the Children's Choir?

Students in fourth and fifth grades (whose teachers are NMEA members) are offered a chance to work with acclaimed conductors during odd-years of the Nebraska Music Education Association Conference/Clinic. This is a one-day event with the final performance on the Lied Center for Performing Arts main stage. The next Children's Choir will be during the 2021 NMEA Conference.

Who can attend?

  • Students attending must be registered and attending the school or home school listed on the registration.
  • Students must be under the direction of an NMEA member.
  • Students must be in the fourth or fifth grade during the 2021-2022 school year.
  • The director MUST be registered and attend the conference/clinic with their student(s).
  • If you wish to become a member of this organization visit: www.nafme.org.