Rise Up Children's Choir

Rise up & raise your voice.

Inspiring young performers to uplift, entertain, and transform our world through music – one performance, one view, and one share at a time.

Our Mission

RISE UP CHILDREN’S CHOIR ENSEMBLES

Rise Up Children’s Choir

Rise Up is our advanced performance group that is comprised of children ages 6 to 18 with strong music and performance skills. Members of Rise Up meet once each week for rehearsal and musicianship training. Material is learned at a fast rate and, therefore, it is imperative that members dedicate time outside of rehearsal to learning and practicing their music.

The ensemble performs in a spring concert, at corporate and community engagement concerts throughout the season, and with other renowned artists and presenters for both local and national events.

Members participate in at least four fully-produced music videos each year that are streamed on the organization’s YouTube channel and other social media platforms.

The Choir tours every year alternating between stateside and international locations.

Members may choose to attend rehearsal in Utah County on Tuesdays from 4:30 to 5:45, or in Salt Lake County on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 5:45.

Tuition is $80 per month plus fees.

Rise Up Junior Choir

Junior Choir Is our introductory choir for children ages 6 to 12. In this ensemble, young performers learn the fundamentals of music and choral singing in a fun and interactive environment to develop the proficiency and performance skill needed to advance to Rise Up Children’s Choir.

Members perform in the spring concert and at occasional community engagement events throughout the season. They also participate in one music video per year.

Members may choose to attend rehearsal in Utah County on Tuesdays from 6:00 to 7:00, or in Salt Lake County on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:00.

Tuition is $65 per month plus fees.

2020 AUDITIONS

Auditions for the 2020-2021 season will be held on May 16, 2020. Sign ups for auditions will be available beginning April 20, 2020.

Who can audition?

Boys and girls ages 6 (entering first grade) through 17 (entering their senior year) are eligible to audition for Rise Up Children’s Choir’s ensembles.

We seek talented young singers who love to perform and are self-motivated. The choir only meets once each week, so it is imperative that members dedicate time outside of rehearsal to learning and practicing their music.

The ability to read music is not required, although helpful.

How do I request an audition?

Auditions for the 2019-2020 season are now complete. Limited openings are available in the RUCC Jr! ensemble. To apply, please submit a request to info@riseupchildren.com

What are the audition requirements?

We are seeking talented young singers who love to perform and are self-motivated. The choir only meets once each week, so it is imperative that members dedicate time outside of rehearsal to learning and practicing their music.

The ability to read music is not required, although helpful.

Children are asked to sing 16 to 32 bars of music from a contemporary, pop, musical theater, or inspirational song of their choice, a capella (without accompaniment). We ask that students bring their sheet music so that we can give them their beginning note, and so they can sing with accompaniment if asked.

Children may also be asked to match pitches given to them on the piano, and repeat simple exercises to determine vocal range.

Print and fill out the following audition form and bring it with you, completed, to the audition along with a photo of your child. School photos and “snapshots” are great. We just need a visual reminder to help us remember you!

Parents will not be permitted in the audition room, although we ask that they stay for the entirety of their child’s audition time. Our music staff specializes in working with children and will put the child at ease so that they may do their best and have a fun experience.

When are auditions held?

Auditions are held once a year. Audition dates are announced in mid-April each year. Children may register for an audition through our website at that time. Please register early as audition times fill quickly.

Where are the auditions held?

The location for the 2020-2021 auditions will be TBA.

When should I arrive to my audition?

Please arrive no later than 15 minutes before your audition time.

How Will I Know if I Have Been Accepted?

By May 25, new members will receive an email notifying them of the results of choir placement. Detailed instructions on registration and enrollment will be sent in this email. To accept a position in the choir, new members must enroll and pay their registration fee ($30 per family) and camp fee ($95) by June 1.

Are scholarships available?

Financial assistance is available on a need basis to help families cover the costs of their child’s participation in RUCC. Applications are available upon request.

ABOUT US

Meet the Team Leadership

Amy Oakeson

Suzy Oliveira

Scott Shattuck

Ryceejo Shattuck

Katie Houts

Get in touch with the Rise Up Team

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OUR MISSION

Rise Up Children’s Choir, Utah’s premiere contemporary vocal performance group for young people ages 5 to 18, ignites a love of music and encourages the full expression of each child’s potential for artistic and personal excellence through the collaborative experiences of singing, recording, and performing.

In a professional environment with a diverse and talented staff of experts in their fields, young performers are given the opportunity to develop their talents, collaborate with artists in the production and performance of live music and recorded music videos, and share their uplifting messages of hope and joy with live audiences and online viewers around the world.

Rise Up Children’s Choir uses social media in wonderful and transformative ways to make the world a better place – one view, one like, and one share at a time. Through the creation of positive, powerful, professional and entertaining content across our various social media platforms, the group engages audiences emotionally, encourages dialogue about important issues and causes, and delivers much needed optimism and inspiration.

Every child is born with talents and passions. Rise Up Children’s Choir is a place where young performers are encouraged to pursue their passions and celebrate life through creative expression and personal discovery, both as members of the choir and in their daily lives. We foster talent, offer inspiration, provide support, and give our young performers the courage to follow their dreams.

Rise up and join us!

AMY OAKESON

Producer, Director, Founding Partner

Amy Oakeson has dedicated her life to working with young people, and is an award-winning producer and director. She is excited to begin her journey as a founding member of Rise Up Children’s Choir.

Amy is currently a faculty member of the University of Utah’s Department of Theatre. She began her career at the U of U in 1999 as education director of Youth Theatre at the U, and was promptly promoted to artistic director, a position she held until 2006. While artistic director, Amy commissioned and produced many new Theatre for Young Audience works by playwrights such as Cherie Bennett (A Heart Divided, Reviving Ophelia), Sandra Fenichel Asher (Romeo and Juliet–Together (and alive!) at last, Family Matters) and Glenn Brown (The Monster Spider). She received the highest honor from the American Alliance for Theatre in Education, Youth Theatre Director of the Year, in recognition of her work with YTU. From 2010 to 2014 she served as the Department’s Project Coordinator, facilitating all marketing and communication, as well as education outreach.

Amy also works with the U of U’s Tanner Dance Program as an acting coach for Elevate Theatre Company, a musical theatre company for actors with disabilities; and as a drama specialist, teaching classes in creative drama and creative dance to children ages five through eighteen.

As the producing director and a member of the board of directors of the internationally-renowned One Voice Children’s Choir from 2014 to 2017, Amy was responsible for all aspects of production for both live and video performances including OVCC’s appearances on the 9^thseason of NBC’s America’s Got Talent through the quarter-final round at Radio City Music Hall; Holidays at the White House for President and First Lady Obama; and their international tour to France sponsored by Historic Programs and the US Department of Defense. Music videos produced and/or directed by her for OVCC have received over 100,000,000 views on YouTube. In 2018, Amy received the award for “Best Music Video Director” and “Best Music Video Cover,” and was a finalist in the categories of “Best Production Design” and “Best Music Video” from the Utah Music Video Awards for her work with OVCC.

Previously, Amy was the artistic director of J*Company at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in La Jolla, CA, and an instructor for the prestigious San Diego Junior Theatre. She also worked as the assistant to the artistic director, Michael Greif (director of Rent and Dear Evan Hansen) at the Tony Award-winning La Jolla Playhouse.

Amy holds a B.F.A. in Theatre Education from the University of Utah and an M.A. in Child Drama from San Diego State University. She is near completion of her M.F.A. from the University of Idaho in Theatre Pedagogy.

SUZY OLIVEIRA

Producer, Director, Founding Partner

An artist at her core, Suzy spent years studying off-camera creative light and infuses all of her projects with love and visual storytelling. As the publicity and production photographer for Hale Center Theater Orem, UVU Theatrical Arts, 2018 Sundance Outdoor Theater, and other local arts organizations, Suzy finds extreme joy in the passion and art of our strong theater community in Utah. She loves capturing other artists performing their art and craft, and strives to infuse this same passion and love into all projects under her direction.

Suzy also loves making music videos and working with kids. She has produced and directed over 35 music videos for Reese Oliveira (her oldest daughter), Barlow Arts Conservatory, Utah COPA, One Voice Children’s Choir, and many up-and-coming young artists. Some of the projects under her direction have included over 200 children in one video! Her video productions have accumulated over 30,000,000 world-wide views across YouTube and Facebook.

Suzy also has an analytical side that stems from her background in finance and accounting. She is a proud graduate of the Marriott School of Business Management at BYU with an emphasis in Finance and Accounting. In addition to operating her own photography and video production business, past work experience includes property and asset management for a real estate development company in Florida, project and event management for the 4Life Research marketing team, asset management for Sundance Capital, real estate and property management for West Real Estate, and more.

It is her love of numbers and analysis that led Suzy to become the YouTube manager for One Voice Children’s Choir. Under her management, constant analysis and adjustments of the channel, she grew One Voice Children’s Choir’s YouTube channel to 900,000 subscribers from 2014 to 2018. Suzy was the sole manager for online music distribution, and looks forward to continuing this success as a founding partner of Rise Up Children’s Choir.

Suzy is married to the love of her life, Raphael, and together they have five children.

SCOTT SHATTUCK

Music Director, Audio Producer

Scott Shattuck is an award-winning performer, music director, arranger, and music producer. He is the owner of Scott Shattuck Media, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Production from BYU’s highly competitive Commercial Music Program. Having also wet his whistle for a cappella music while being part of BYU’s renowned group Vocal Point, Scott’s primary focus is a cappella production, and he currently produces for vocal groups across the nation.

Scott arranges for many groups including BYU’s Vocal Point (including the song “Brave,” which was featured on the Grammy Awards and for which he received a nomination for Best Collegiate Arrangement from the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards), BYU’s Noteworthy and UVU’s Vocal Line. He has worked with a cappella groups Ball In the House, Beyond Measure, Duly Noted, and UPenn Dischord; and for Peter Hollens, Ben Bram of Pentatonix, and Dallyn Bayles.

As a music producer, Scott has recorded, edited and mixed for groups such as BYU’s Noteworthy, Vocal Point, UVU VoiceLine, Lucca Sounds, and One Voice Children’s Choir.

Scott continues his relationship with Vocal Point by serving as a Team Coach and music arranger for ReMix Vocal Academy at BYU, a position he has held since its inception in 2012. While a member of Vocal Point, he also served as an assistant to the director, leading rehearsals in the director’s absence.

Together with his wife, Ryceejo, Scott arranges and produces all the music and video content for their YouTube Channel “Scott & Ryceejo.” Their most viewed video, a mashup of “How Far I’ll Go” and “Go the Distance,” is nearing 3 million views. He and Ryceejo have a beautiful daughter who sometimes appears with them in their music videos!

RYCEEJO SHATTUCK

Music Director, Audio Producer

Ryceejo is a California native who is no stranger to singing and directing. In her youth, she participated in dozens of school, multi-state, and national choirs.
As only a senior in high school, she was the music director and accompanist for her school’s production of Little Shop of Horrors.

Ryceejo went on to be a section leader for Brigham Young University’s world-renowned Concert Choir, where she met her husband Scott, who was also singing in the choir.

While on her mission for the Church of Jesus Christ in Nashville, Ryceejo wrote and produced multiple music firesides for church wards and stakes, and used her musical talents to bless those she taught and served with.

Now home and a mother of a rambunctious two-year old, Ryceejo still finds time to teach private piano and voice, as well as manage a YouTube channel (under the name “Scott & Ryceejo”) with her husband that currently has over 4 million combined views. Ryceejo also plays organ and guitar.

KATIE HOUTS

Music Director

Katie Houts is versatile and accomplished musician with particular expertise in music theory/composition and children’s developing voices. Katie is the Sacred Choral Editor for Choristers Guild, one of the leading choral music publishers in the US. Katie curates and edits the catalog of sacred choral anthems, collections, children’s musicals, recordings, and resources. Her work includes collaborations with best-selling composers and artists, including Keith & Kristyn Getty and the Annie Moses Band.

A native of the Midwest, Katie’s formative years were spent learning, loving, and living music. She studied music at Wartburg College, where she double majored in Church Music (Organ) and Religion. She graduated summa cum laudeand was named the Outstanding Graduate in both the Music and Religion departments. Following college, she served in ELCA, UCC, and UMC congregations as Director of Music, Worship Curator, Organist, and Children's Choir Director. From 2008-2013, Katie built a graded choral program in the Minneapolis suburbs which grew to include 120+ children in grades K-8.

Katie is a sought-after professional accompanist and has performed extensively throughout the Minneapolis, Boston, and Salt Lake City metro areas. She enjoys her work as a studio musician at Aire Born Studios in Indianapolis, IN. Also an accomplished brass player, organist, and jazz pianist, she has enjoyed opportunities to study and perform a wealth of diverse music around the world, touring throughout England, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, and Australia.

In her work with children’s choirs, Katie aims to draw a wide circle of welcome as emerging singers discover their unique voices individually and collectively. She is a champion of children’s choral singing, believing children’s joyful, innocent, and honest voices are necessary in our communities.When she’s not editing or performing, she’s traveling around the country to various conferences as a children’s choir resource clinician and composer.

She’s now based in Salt Lake City where she lives with her husband and three children. In addition to her work for Choristers Guild, Katie directs the middle school choirs and teaches elementary music at Wasatch Charter School in Holladay. She also serves as the Children’s Music Director/Staff Accompanist for Hilltop UMC in Sandy.