2011-2012
MAJOR EVENTS
WINTER CONCERT
TOUR 2011-2012
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 7:30pm
NNU Brandt Center Swayne Auditorium
623 S University Boulevard, Nampa, ID 83686
Depart Thursday evening, March 8, 2012
Return: Sunday morning, March 11, 2012
Salem, Eugene and Portland Oregon
BON VOYAGE CONCERT
THE FINALE CONCERT
Saturday, March 3, 2012 at 7:30pm
The College of Idaho Jewett Auditorium
2112 Cleveland Boulevard, Caldwell, ID 83605
Saturday, May 12, 2012 at 7:30pm
NNU Brandt Center Swayne Auditorium
623 S University Boulevard, Nampa, ID 83686
TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT
www.cantusyouthchoirs.com
ERIKA McCAULEY
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER
OF CANTUS YOUTH CHOIRS
Erika McCauley is founder and artistic director of
Cantus Youth Choirs, a nonprofit community choir program for Idaho’s Treasure Valley youth. She is a talented
individual with an unrivaled passion for working with
young people.
Mrs. McCauley taught in the Salem-Keizer School District, a district with schools repeatedly earning GRAMMY® Awards and recognized by the NAMM Foundation
as one of the nation’s “Best Communities for Music Education.” She taught at the elementary, middle and high school
levels from 2001-2003 and 2005-2007.
In four short years and with regionally and nationally recognized colleagues, Mrs. McCauley was nominated twice
as “Music Educator of the Year.” Her choirs repeatedly
earned superior ratings at choral competitions, including 1st Place, the Festival Sweepstakes Award, Adjudica-
tors Award, and a Festival of Gold
Certificate at a Heritage Festival in
2007, and 1st Place at the prestigious Best in the Northwest Choir
Competition in 2003 and 2007
under such acclaimed judges as
Joseph Flummerfelt, chorus master of the New York Philharmonic,
William Hatcher, former national
president of The American Choral
Directors Association, and Andre
de Quadros, artistic director of the
Tanglewood Institute.
Mrs. McCauley’s passion for choral
arts stems from a lifelong pursuit of
both solo and choral music performance. She earned a Master of Arts
with an emphasis in Music Education from Oregon State University
in 2005 and a Bachelor of Arts in
Music with an emphasis in Vocal
Performance from Brigham Young
University in 2001.
As an undergraduate student, she
held lead and supporting roles in
university operas, earned 1st place
in the NATS Vocal Competition,
and performed as a soloist with the
elite 40-member choral ensemble
BYU Singers, directed by Dr. Ronald Staheli. As a graduate student,
Mrs. McCauley served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, a soloist
and section leader with the OSU
Chamber Choir, and received the
“Music Education Award.”
Since 2007, Mrs. McCauley has
worked as a private vocal instructor in Meridian, Idaho, with voice
students winning and placing at
the IMEA District III Solo Contest.
Mrs. McCauley has also worked
with secondary school choirs in
Oregon and Idaho as a guest choral
clinician. She is grateful and excited to collaborate with local schools,
and to influence the lives of youth
through Cantus Youth Choirs.
KEITH R. McCAULEY
MELODY PASKETT
CHRISTOPHER YORGASON
D. KEVIN CARLSON
SARAH FOUTZ
ANNCHERI ROBERTS
Keith McCauley earned a Bachelor of Arts
in Marketing Communications with minors in Music Performance and Japanese
from Brigham Young University in 2004.
He is currently an Executive Vice President for Container & Packaging Supply,
a packaging distribution company headquartered in Eagle, Idaho. Prior to his
2007 employment at CPS, Mr. McCauley
worked as the art director of seven radio
stations in Portland, Oregon for Entercom
Radio, a national radio conglomerate, and
did projects for the NFL, Toyota, Miller
Genuine Draft, Saatchi & Saatchi, Mercedes-Benz, and Vitamin Water, and had
his work featured in the New York Times.
Melody Paskett earned a Bachelor of Arts
in Music, with Choral Education emphasis, and a minor in Japanese from Brigham
Young University.
Chris Yorgason earned his Juris Doctor
from Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School, graduating in 1998.
Mr. Yorgason earned a Bachelor of Science
in Business Management with International and Finance emphases, and a second major in Political Science. His minor
was Business Comp.
D. Kevin Carlson earned his Juris Doctor
from Harvard Law School in 1980 and a
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a
minor in Economics from Brigham Young
University in 1977. Mr. Carlson was a litigation attorney for Stoel Rives from 19801988 in Portland, Oregon.
Sarah Foutz graduated from Brigham
Young University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Sarah has worked as
a private piano teacher since 2003, and a
piano judge since 2008. She was an accompanist for the Missoula Children’s
Theater in 2009.
Anncheri Roberts graduated from
Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education and received an English as a second
language (ESL) Endorsement.
He has worked with the Oregon Department of Justice since 1988, and is a Senior
Assistant Attorney General. Mr. Carlson’s
legal background includes emphases in
contract preparation and review, finance,
administrative law, and litigation.
Mrs. Foutz has had a love of music from a
very young age, and has enjoyed playing
the piano since she was a young girl. She
was recognized by the Lionel Hampton
Jazz Festival with the Jazz Soloist Award
(1994) and continues to accompany a variety of jazz bands, church congregations,
church choirs, community choirs, as well
as Cantus Youth Choirs.
VP, Associate Director
Keith McCauley is also a musician with
a versatile performance background. He
met his wife, Erika McCauley, singing in
the internationally-renowned BYU Singers, directed by Dr. Ronald Staheli. In addition to BYU Singers, Mr. McCauley has
sung under the direction of Rosalind Hall
and Mack Wilberg in the BYU Concert
Choir and Men’s Chorus, respectively. He
had the privilege of spending a week with
Eric Whitacre recording the highly acclaimed CD, Eric Whitacre: The Complete
A Cappella Works, 1991-2001 with the
BYU Singers. Mr. McCauley was a founding member of two successful collegiate
male a cappella ensembles: Inside Out and
Moose Butter. His most recent role was
playing Rapunzel’s Prince in Music Theater of Idaho’s Into the Woods.
Mr. McCauley has been married for seven
years and has a three-year-old son.
Secretary, Associate Director
Mrs. Paskett has enjoyed performing all
of her life, dancing and singing from a
young age in numerous musical theater,
ballet, jazz, and choral ensembles, including High School All-Northwest Choir, the
BYU Women’s Chorus, BYU International
Folk Dance Ensemble’s Performing Arts
Company and the Utah Symphony Chorus. As an active supporter of community
arts programs, she has performed in various music and theater groups in Oregon,
Arizona, Utah and Idaho.
She is active in church music as a choir
member, conducting instructor, and has
served as administrative director of music and of cultural arts for her church. In
her broad range of experiences organizing, performing in, and directing ensembles and events, she has been responsible
for large-scale projects requiring great
organization, fiscal management and accountability, and communication. She
contributes performance, direction, and
production expertise to Cantus Youth
Choirs. She has been involved in school
music programs in Boise and Meridian.
Mrs. Paskett has been married to Mark
Paskett for 17 years, and they have five
children. She currently is a full-time
homemaker and mother, prior to which
she taught part-time private music lessons
in voice and piano.
Treasurer
Mr. Yorgason recently opened his own law
firm, Yorgason Law Offices, PLLC, and
works part-time as a manager at Capital Development, Inc. (2006 to present).
From 2001-2006, Mr. Yorgason worked as
an Associate Attorney for the law practice
of Moore, Smith, Buxton & Turcke. From
1999-2001, he was an Associate Attorney
for Elam & Burke.
Mr. Yorgason has worked several years
as an attorney for municipalities, governmental agencies and public charter
schools. He volunteers many hours weekly
for a local church congregation, currently
overseeing the program for young men
(ages 12-17).
While a student, he spent two years in
Bangkok, Thailand on a church service
mission from 1989 to 1991. Also while a
student he traveled to Jerusalem and spent
his spring semester of 1995 studying and
traveling Israel.
Mr. Yorgason, a native of Idaho, has spent
most of his life living in the Treasure Valley. Mr. Yorgason has been married for
three years and has a two-year-old son and
a five-moth-old daughter.
Board Member
Mr. Carlson is committed to improving his
community by actively engaging in service
to help youth and adults in need. He has
assisted with marketing in high profile political and service campaigns focused on
children and families’ issues.
Mr. Carlson has served in church administrative, welfare and employment volunteer positions, as well as taught Sunday
School classes to children ages 10-18. He
has coached elementary, middle and high
school-age football, basketball and baseball teams, and is the former Vice President of his local Little League. Mr. Carlson
has also spent countless hours volunteering in school classrooms and serving as
a chaperone for youth musical activities,
festivals and tours.
Mr. Carlson has been married to Janet
Lynn Carlson for 34 years. He has three
grown children and three wonderful
grandchildren.
Board Member
Mrs. Foutz enjoyed spending time in Portugal on a church service mission and having the opportunity to accompany various
large-scale musical productions for a wide
range of audiences.
In addition to her service and commitment to her membership on the Cantus
Youth Choirs board of directors, Sarah
Foutz volunteers extensive amounts of her
time to a women’s religious society, and
currently serves as her local unit’s president. Mrs. Foutz dedicates much of her
time to serving, encouraging and helping
others in her community.
Mrs. Foutz has been married for 12 years
and has five children. She is a native Idahoan and excited to be a part of something
that will enrich the lives of the children in
her community.
Board Member
Throughout her life, Mrs. Roberts has
been very involved in music. She has had
formal training in piano and voice, and
has performed regularly with both instruments. As a college student, Mrs. Roberts
was involved in music theatre and sang in
an a cappella group. She has directed both
adult and youth choirs and has played the
lead role in many musical productions
including Annie, The Wizard of Oz, The
Sound of Music, and Pippen. Additionally,
she has taught private voice and piano lessons.
She is passionate about engaging youth
and adults in wholesome educational activities, and has worked both professionally and through community organizations
to increase awareness and participation in
education, service, and the arts. Mrs. Roberts has served in secular and religious
community organizations in New York,
Alabama, Utah, and Idaho.
In addition to her current activity on the
board of Cantus Youth Choirs, she volunteers countless hours to a women’s religious service society and is the proud
mother of two sons.
Mrs. Roberts is an advocate of music in the
development of youth and thrilled to promote music in the Treasure Valley.
OUR MISSION
OUR GOALS & PURPOSE
Cantus Youth Choirs is a community choral program for youth of
Idaho’s Treasure Valley.
Cantus Youth Choirs strives to provide quality music education with
the goal of attaining the highest
level of artistic excellence in choral
music performance.
The organization endeavors to enrich the lives of youth from all cultural, economic, musical, racial,
and religious backgrounds.
Cantus strives to foster the personal and social growth of its members
and to promote their sense of selfworth, discipline, accomplishment,
and pride.
LOOKING BACK
YEAR 1 IN A NUTSHELL
In its first season, Cantus Youth
Choirs launched three ensembles
with 140 fourth through ninth
grade youth: Chorale, Concert
Choir and Virtuoso Singers.
As part of their guest concert series, Cantus Youth Choirs hosted
Noteworthy and Vocal Point from
Brigham Young University. Both
of these ensembles are collegiate a
cappella groups and have recently
been major contestants on NBC's
televised competition show, The
Sing Off!
The season climaxed with a tour
to the Heritage Festival in Anaheim, California. Virtuoso singers,
Concert Choir and Chorale each
received a superior rating, a Gold
Award and an invitation to participate in the Heritage Festival of
Gold at Carnegie Hall in New York.
MOVING FORWARD
WHERE WE'RE GOING
Thanks to a crew of amazing
parents, youth, volunteers, and the
Cantus Board of Directors, Cantus
Youth Choirs had an amazingly
successful first year.
Due to that success, Cantus Youth
Choirs has started its second season with a bang; extending its enrollment to include 10-12th graders. Cantus now has five ensembles:
Chorale, Concert Choir, Virtuoso
Singers, Bravado, and Concordia.
Season 2011-2012 saw a jump
in enrollment. We ended Season
2010-2011 with 140 singers, and
started Season 2011-2012 with 215
singers. That's 54% growth!
Bravado is an auditioned ensemble
for 9-12th grade singers that focuses on more contemporary musical
selections. This is a mixed ensemble (includes males and females)
and sings selections ranging from
two to four part music.
Concordia is a smaller auditioned
ensemble for high school aged
youth with a strong musical/choral background. Concordia singers
may sing selections of 4 to 8+ part
harmony and focus on more advanced musical selections.
ETIQUETTE
A FEW POINTERS
We rarely have opportunity to
attend formal gatherings. We may
feel uncomfortable or awkward because we don't want to do anything
... well, uncomfortable or awkward.
Consequently, we may be sucked
into the downward spiral of formality failure.
Proper concert etiquette, where
formal, isn't about accoutering
Armani or parading Prada. It's all
about one thing: deporting yourself
in such a manner that you and your
neighbors can enjoy the show. Really, it's that simple ... and over the
years “enjoying” the show has come
to mean that we do the following
things:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dress appropriately
Suppress all noise
Talk/Enter/Exit only during applause or between selections
Refrain from eating
Applaud with gusto
Applaud at the right time
CONCERT ETIQUETTE QUIZ
1. You should always enter the performance hall:
□ A. Right when the first note is sung
□ B. Quietly
□ C. Walking backwards
2. It is always a good idea to arrive:
□ A. A bit early
□ B. Fashionably late, about 2 songs into the concert
□ C. Only in time to catch your child/friend’s performance
3. If you must arrive late, it is best to enter:
□ A. Immediately
□ B. During your child’s performance
□ C. Between musical selections
4. During the musical performance, it is appropriate to:
□ A. Critique the performance with your neighbor
□ B. Sit quietly and listen
□ C. Catch up on your knitting or email
5. For cellphones during a performance it is best to:
□ A. Answer your phone quickly and speak quietly
□ B. Leave the room to use the phone
□ C. Turn it off, remove the back plate, detach the battery,
and hide the pieces about your person
6. Applause should be given when:
□ A. The performance is completed, the conductor drops
his/her hands, and faces the audience
□ B. Your child/friend has completed his or her part
□ C. Any time something is done well
7. After the performance is over:
□ A. You should rush the stage and throw flowers
□ B. Exclaim "I wish you would have sung Rick Astley's
Never Gonna Give You Up."
□ C. Wait until all children have cleared the stage
8. On the way home, it’s a good idea to:
□ A. Drive recklessly while critiquing the performance
□ B. Offer your praise and compliments
□ C. Offer condolences and sympathies
Now that you are a formal concert
etiquette aficionado, you are now
equipped to enjoy the show.
OUR FIRST DVD
SEASON 2010-2011
In December 2011, Cantus Youth
Choirs released it's first DVD. This
DVD has 23 of the 43 songs Cantus
performed in Season 2010-2011.
Cantus did not include all 43 songs
because many copyright holders
rejected our licensing requests.
The Season 2010-2011 DVD has
90 minutes of professionally mixed
audio and video footage featuring both close and expanded range
video of the choirs and individuals
performing at The Cathedral Of
The Rockies. DVDs can be purchased (while supplies last) online
at cantusyouthchoirs.com/dvd.
ANSWERS: 1: B, 2: A, 3: C, 4: B, 5: C, 6: A, 7: C, 8: B