The Cupertino Courier
News
Famed choir opens its first music school in Cupertino
By Crystal Lu
Crystal Choir, a Cupertino-based youth choir that is the largest in California and second largest in America, will open a music school named Crystal School on Sept. 29 at Union Church of Cupertino.
The school will offer courses in voice, sight reading, musicianship and music appreciation from 4 to 9 p.m. on Saturdays at the church, 20900 Stevens Creek Blvd.
"Music is not mandatory in California's public school education. Many schools don't have enough music classes, so we will address the community's need for music education," said Karl Chang, founder and executive director of Crystal Choir. "We start with kids and hope to also open adult classes in the future."
Crystal Choir has an annual entrance exam that turns away 20 percent to 30 percent of the applicants. The school will accept all until classes are filled. Registration is open until the first day of class.
Crystal Choir has more than 1,100 choristers, ages 6 through 18, who practice singing in age- and-level-appropriate groups of 20 to 126. Crystal School will have small classes of 10 to 12 students sorted through a placement test and according to their ages, 3 to 4, 5 to 6, 7 to 11, and 12 to 17.
The school will run on a quarter system. The upcoming fall quarter is from Sept. 29 to Dec. 8, the winter quarter from Jan. 5 to March 15 and the spring quarter from March 22 to May 31.
Crystal Choir began with 61 Chinese-American children when Chang and three of his friends, including the choir's artistic director Jenny Chiang, founded it in Cupertino in March 1994. As the choir built its reputation by winning numerous national and international awards, it gradually expanded. Now it's a multiracial choir with divisions in the South Bay, East Bay and North Bay.
Non-Chinese currently constitute less than 10 percent of the choristers but the percentage is growing. Crystal School also encourages non-Chinese to apply.
Elizabeth Twaddell filled out an application on behalf of her nine-year-old daughter at Crystal School's open house event Sept. 15.
"We're interested in the school because my daughter's best friend sings in the choir and says good things about it," said Twaddell.
Approximately 80 people, including children, attended the open house event and watched teacher Chiafen Lin's demonstration of class activities.
More than half of the families from the audience signed up for the school, according to Diana Huang, finance director of Crystal Choir.
For more information, visit www.crystalchoir.org.
