ECC Music … a firm foundation for future success
One of the greatest assets of Ellsworth Community College’s Music Department is passionate and experienced Professor and Director Anne Sherve-Ose (pronounced SURE-vee-O-see). She has been with the College for 15 years, and plans to keep the music flowing into the future.
Sherve-Ose enjoys the variety of what she does on a day-to-day basis, which includes directing band and choir, and working with her selective choir group, called HarmonyUs. “I like watching students develop from insecure musicians to confident ones. It is rewarding if they go on to get their degrees and become successful. That’s what it’s all about.”
As director of ECC’s Music program, Sherve-Ose is able to change anything to her liking. “I like that I can implement my ideas without asking anyone else about them or compromising them. The sky’s the limit. I feel very free here,” she said.
The ECC Choir has male and female vocalists who participate in public performances during the fall and spring semesters. The Christmas Cabaret is the fall annual dinner and music performance, set in a festive atmosphere. This year, the Christmas Cabaret will be held on Nov. 29th and 30th at 6:30 pm in the Dale Howard Family Activity Center café. Tickets are $18 per person or $35 per couple. The spring performance is a traditional on-stage ensemble, and both events are open to the public.
Sophomore music major Andie Owen is in the ECC Band, Choir, and HarmonyUs. “All of us in the music program are tight-knit like a family; it’s comfortable, and Anne makes it easy for us all to get along.”
Owen says at first, she came to ECC for a matter of convenience … but when she saw how excited Anne was about having her at the College, Owen couldn’t resist. In the future, Owen would like to transfer to Drake University and major in Music Education. “Studying at ECC has given me a better understanding of what my goals are. I want to work with other professors and students who share that same passion with me,” she said. She would recommend the ECC Music program to anyone wanting to learn more about music or wanting a music career, because she feels it will be a great stepping stone.
Basketball initially brought sophomore Jared Fulks to ECC, but since studying here, he has enjoyed learning about music and being active in concert choir and HarmonyUs. He even has a solo coming up in the Christmas Cabaret, in which he will be singing “Hallelujah” from the movie Shrek.
“Music sounded fun when I came here, and when I joined it was a lot of fun. Where I come from, the choir is mostly black. Here, I sing with Hispanics, Caucasians, and other blacks. I like the diversity of the choir,” he said. “Studying at ECC has expanded my mind to places I never knew I could go. I can be myself and not be judged, and I’m making it happen,” he said.
In the future, Fulks would like to double major in music after transferring to a four-year program, and he wishes to pursue a music career. “I would recommend Music at ECC, because Anne is very optimistic, motivating, and smart; if the choir doesn’t like a song or a genre, she’ll throw it out and find something fun for us.”
Some of the career options that are open to music majors includes music teacher, sound and audio technician, studio engineer, producer, orchestras, bands, choirs, songwriter, and disc jockey to name a few.
For more information about the Ellsworth Community College Music program, contact Anne Sherve-Ose at Anne.Sherve-Ose@iavalley.edu or 1-800-322-9235, Ext. 8570. To see why ECC’s programs are the best, schedule a campus visit by contacting the ECC Admissions Office at eccinfo@iavalley.edu.
PHOTO CAPTION – The ECC Choir is shown performing at last spring’s concert. Vocalists pictured are, from left, Jared Fulks, St. Louis, MO; Quentin Silvey, Iowa Falls; and Andrew Ridley, Kansas City, MO.