CHEA Singers
CHEA Singers
The CHEA Singers program was created to provide choral training for homeschooled students in the greater Charlotte area. There are over 170 singers who meet on Tuesday afternoons in the Matthews area to participate in various choirs for ages 4-19. Our desire is to produce skilled musicians who seek to serve others and glorify God through singing.
We welcome your interest in the CHEA Singers choir program! Registration for first semester is closed. Registration for second semester will open on November 21, 2025. You may go to the tabs below to see more information about any choir in which you are interested.
Registration fee per student: $45. Tuition: $125 for Melody Makers and Sonshine Choir, $225 for Savior's Singers, King's Chorale, Musical Heirs, and Carolina Youth Chorale.
All choir applicants need to read and agree to the CHEA Singers Requirements for Participating Families & Liability Waiver and the Code of Conduct which can be found HERE . We rely on parent help in many areas for the program and our singers to reach their full potential – you will find many different types of opportunities to serve with us.
For information about a specific choir, click on the individual choir name below.
If you are interested in some suggestions for music listening at home, you can see a list of some of our recommended favorites here Suggested Musical Selections.
Rebekah Hopkins has directed Melody Makers for eight years and interned as student director before taking over as full director. Mrs. Hopkins is an alumna of our CHEA Singers choir program, singing with Musical Heirs for two years, the girls' ensemble Jubilate and student directed, and Sing Joy (now CYC) for five years. She has a degree in Piano Pedagogy with a minor in voice from Campbell University. She has worked with the children's choirs at Christ Covenant Church for over a decade, accompanying and directing, now directing the K-grade 2 choir.
Melody Makers is a choir club for boys and girls ages older 4-year-olds to 5-year-olds. The children learn to sing and joyfully respond to music. They sing songs from a different historical period each semester and sometimes wear historical costumes as part of their performance. . . history comes alive for them throughout the year as they experience the music, dress, food, games, activities, etc. of another time and place. Children also learn basic rhythmic, dynamic and tempo terms and learn to respond to them with their whole bodies. The children's musical intelligence is enhanced through the Melody Makers experience.
This choir is a cooperative effort, which means that each mom has the privilege of monitoring occasionally and is assigned a job.
When you become a part of the Melody Maker family, you are committing to your singer's regular attendance to rehearsals, to listen with your singer to the learning CD at least 3 times per week, and to fulfilling your Melody Maker job assignment.
For more information about Melody Makers, contact Rebekah mail_outline
Kristin Barclay became one of our directors in January of 2025. Originally from Washington DC, Kristin has considered North Carolina home since 2006. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Sweet Briar College in Virginia, where she studied Voice and Organ. While at Sweet Briar, Kristin sang with the concert and chamber choir, and was the assistant musical director for Sweet Briar’s a capella ensemble, The Sweet Tones. After college, Kristin sang with the National Philharmonic Chorale and the National Philharmonic Singers, where she had the privilege of singing for the opening of the Music Center at Strathmore, the resident home of the National Philharmonic. Kristin has extensive teaching and ministry experience, both inside and outside the classroom, from preschool to high school and beyond. She has a particular affinity for early sacred choral music, Classical Christian education, classic literature, J.S. Bach, and good coffee. Kristin lives in Matthews with her husband Matt and their two children, Peter and Felicity.
The Sonshine Choir is a choir for boys and girls who are 6 and 7 years old. The children learn to sing and joyfully respond to music. They sing songs from various historical periods. Children also learn basic rhythmic, dynamic, and tempo terms and learn to respond to them with their whole bodies. The children's musical intelligence is enhanced through the choir experience.
This choir is a cooperative effort, which means that parents have the privilege of helping with the choir. When you become a part of the Sonshine Choir family, you are committing to your singer's regular attendance to rehearsals, to listen with your singer to the learning recordings, and to fulfilling your Sonshine Choir job assignment.
For more information about Sonshine Choir, contact Kristin mail_outline
Sarah Gagnon continues to direct Savior's Singers choir. Sarah is a voice and piano instructor in the Mint Hill area. Originally from Albuquerque, NM, and having lived in Texas, Maine, and Massachusetts, she now calls North Carolina home. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Southwestern University and has been teaching piano and voice students since 2008. Her students are of all ages from beginner through intermediate levels. She is trained classically and teaches students classically while employing methods of sightreading, kinesthetic activities, and ear-training. Sarah also has experience in choral conducting, teaching music theory, leading church music, and both vocal and piano performances.
The Savior's Singers Choir is a treble choir for homeschooled children ages 8-10 and is part of the CHEA Singers program. Singers must be 8 by Oct. 15. The choir focuses on developing good singing tone and music skills as singers learn a variety of excellent music from various time periods and styles while incorporating basic music theory. Singers must be able to match pitch and sing in tune within the choir’s singing range. Choir parents and singers must have a commitment to conscientious involvement in the choir that includes practice at home and consistent attendance at rehearsals and concerts.
For more information about Savior’s Singers, please contact Sarah Gagnon mail_outline
In her 5th year with CHEA Singers, Betsy Logeman is the director of King’s Chorale for the 2025-2026 season. She has a Bachelor of Science in Music Education, Choral Track, Piano Proficiency. Betsy is a licensed educator in North Carolina for K-12 Music. She is currently the Director of Music for Boyce Memorial ARP Church and a part of the leadership team for SHARE (a homeschool co-op in the Kings Mountain area). She also teaches piano and is a collaborative pianist. Betsy is an avid genealogist and volunteer at the Kings Mountain Little Theater.
King’s Chorale is for treble voices and is open to homeschooled children ages 11-14. The choir focuses on developing singing skills, including part-singing, and reading music, with an emphasis of using our skills to glorify God and for the blessing and encouragement of others. The choir sings works by classical composers, hymn arrangements, spirituals and folk songs, and a wide variety of other sacred and secular works. We perform in the CHEA Singers Choir concerts in fall and spring, and usually develop a full-length spring program to present in area retirement centers and nursing homes. Parental involvement on various levels is needed to make things run smoothly. Singers must be able to match pitch. An audition is required for singers new to the choir.
Uniforms are purchased by individuals. A link will be available this summer to purchase.
A choir is a team effort that depends on each member doing his part to work toward the group’s success as well as his own personal growth. Carolina Youth Chorale the apex of our graded choir program, and a high quality of work and product is expected. Please consider carefully whether involvement in choir is appropriate for your child.
If you choose to participate in Eagle’s Wings Studio, please do not try to participate in King's Chorale. We fully support Eagle’s Wings and recommend Mrs. Berger’s studio to many students. Inevitably our schedules conflict. We agree with Mrs. Berger that a student cannot participate fully in both activities, given the demands and performance schedules. Please choose which program meets the needs of your student this particular year.
Performance at Matthews Health and Rehab: Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at 3PM.
Spring performance for families and friends: Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at 7PM at Christ Covenant Church.
For more information contact Betsy Logeman mail_outline
Musical Heirs is a treble choir open for audition to homeschooled children ages 10 to 14. This choir offers children the opportunity to grow personally and corporately as they strive for higher excellence and integrity in their music.
The students learn challenging music, theory and history throughout the year and share their music, bringing hope and encouragement to audiences in our community and beyond. Founded in 1992 by Barbara Van Patter, Musical Heirs has been a resource for home educated children and their families in Charlotte and surrounding areas for 30 years.
THIS CHOIR IS NOW FULL.
For more information contact Barbara Van Patter mail_outline
Makaria Sanders graduated from the South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University, having majored in Music Education (Vocal and Choral). She began studying music when she was five years old, falling in love with choral singing in the 7th grade. Makaria has experience as an accompanist and a choral director, working with teenagers and adults. She is a recent transplant to the Charlotte area and is a student at Reformed Theological Seminary, working on a dual Master's Degree in Biblical Studies and Biblical Counseling. She is very much looking forward to working and connecting with our high school singers.
Carolina Youth Chorale (CYC,) is an SATB choir for homeschooled students during the high school years. Our goal is to inspire students to fully worship God through music, develop their singing and musical knowledge, and to kindle a love and passion for great music.
As the choir learns music written in a variety of styles, languages, and time periods, they will begin to appreciate more fully the role singing plays in the lives of all people. Singing is a wonderful way to develop focus and self-control, to learn to work as a team and to experience the incredible joys of communication of ideas and emotions through music. Singers will be offered music theory and history within the context of repertoire, providing a deeper understanding of the literature they are singing.
An attitude of thankfulness and a willingness to work hard are a must and are equally as important as the level of talent or their voices.
All parents are required to support this choir by signing up to volunteer for various jobs during the year.
Students are expected to abide by our dress code.
Uniforms are purchased by individuals. A link will be available this summer to purchase.
A choir is a team effort that depends on each member doing his part to work toward the group’s success as well as his own personal growth. Carolina Youth Chorale the apex of our graded choir program, and a high quality of work and product is expected. Please consider carefully whether involvement in choir is appropriate for your child.
If you choose to participate in Eagle’s Wings Studio, please do not try to participate in CYC. We fully support Eagle’s Wings and recommend Mrs. Berger’s studio to many students. Inevitably our schedules conflict. We agree with Mrs. Berger that a student cannot participate fully in both activities, given the demands and performance schedules. Please choose which program meets the needs of your student this particular year.
CYC Spring concert: tentatively Tuesday, May 12
For more information contact Jen Snow, Administrative Assistant mail_outline
