About Us
Intermediate Choir: A choral group combining male and female students from all grade levels, 6-8. Open to all students of all skill levels.
Toll Notes Choir: An auditioned, advanced-level group consisting of students from all grade levels, 6-8. Audition and director approval required.
The goals of these classes are to incorporate a student’s previous experiences with music and provide them with a new and deeper understanding of how music functions and the roles of music. To achieve these goals, the classroom structure of assignments and grading closely adhere to the CA state standards for Music as well as the current framework for arts education. There are four overarching strands that the students are expected to learn from:
Toll Notes Choir: An auditioned, advanced-level group consisting of students from all grade levels, 6-8. Audition and director approval required.
The goals of these classes are to incorporate a student’s previous experiences with music and provide them with a new and deeper understanding of how music functions and the roles of music. To achieve these goals, the classroom structure of assignments and grading closely adhere to the CA state standards for Music as well as the current framework for arts education. There are four overarching strands that the students are expected to learn from:
Intermediate Choir, 2023 Winter Concert
1. CREATING - Generating and conceptualizing artistic work; organizing and developing those ideas and works; refining and completing artistic work (Anchor Standards 1, 2, and 3).
2. PERFORMING - How to select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation; develop and refine work and performance techniques; convey meaning through presentation of artistic work (Anchor Standards 4, 5, and 6).
3. RESPONDING - Give academic language to perception and analyzation of artistic work, interpret intent and meaning, and apply criteria to evaluate artistic work (Anchor Standards 7, 8, and 9).
4. CONNECTING - Synthesizing and relating knowledge and personal experiences to make art; relating artistic idea and works with societal, cultrual, and historical context to deepen understanding of artistic work (Anchor Standards 11 and 12).
2. PERFORMING - How to select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation; develop and refine work and performance techniques; convey meaning through presentation of artistic work (Anchor Standards 4, 5, and 6).
3. RESPONDING - Give academic language to perception and analyzation of artistic work, interpret intent and meaning, and apply criteria to evaluate artistic work (Anchor Standards 7, 8, and 9).
4. CONNECTING - Synthesizing and relating knowledge and personal experiences to make art; relating artistic idea and works with societal, cultrual, and historical context to deepen understanding of artistic work (Anchor Standards 11 and 12).
Our Director
Since a very young age, Mrs. Estep has had a passion for the arts. A native Southern Californian, she began singing in her middle school choir, where she developed a love for music. Mrs. Estep went on to sing in high school, earning Superior and Gold festival ratings during her time in the school's top choral groups.
She continued to study music during college, earning a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from California Baptist University in Riverside, CA. During this time, Mrs. Estep toured the U.S. with the various auditioned university choirs, and studied voice with vocal coaches Tamera Horne and Camelia Voin. She also had the privilege of studying music education with Dr. Carl Schafer. Upon completion of her Bachelor's degree, Mrs. Estep continued her pursuit of teaching with the opening of her private voice studio. She went on to earn a Secondary Teaching Credential in Music and a Master of Education, also from Cal Baptist.
Mrs. Estep has led the choral programs at Toll Middle School and Hoover High School since 2015.
Mrs. Estep has led the choral programs at Toll Middle School and Hoover High School since 2015.