Fostering The Next Generation
Several New Youth Choruses Grow Out Of Festival 2008
There's no doubt that the future of America - not to mention the growing strength of the GLBT choral movement - rests on the shoulders of the next generation. While many of the big names within the GALA Choruses family have, without a doubt, been trailblazers in their own rights, time has continued to march on. Those who were in their 20s and early 30s when the movement began in the early 1980s are now finding themselves in their 50s and 60s. In some cases, retirement isn't all that far off, and many are considering or have already passed their leadership roles on to the next generation of directors and singers.
Keeping that generational progression going is a challenge just about every choral organization faces. To continue to be viable, ensembles need a critical mass of members who are dedicated to the art of singing, as well as the missions of the choral organizations. If Festival 2008 in Miami was any indication, the future of both GLBT choruses and GALA has never been stronger.
"We had five youth choruses perform at Festival," commented Robin Godfrey, General Manager of GALA Choruses. "While each group was unique and did selections that fit its particular mission, all of the groups were successful in literally lifting the audiences out of their seats. Seeing them perform was truly an inspirational experience that really did confirm that GALA and its member choruses are changing the world through the power of song. Considering the way things were in the world 30 years ago, none of these performances would have even been possible, much less enthusiastically received."
After watching more than 75 youths perform at GALA, and recalling the ground that has been covered since 2001 when GLASS Youth Chorus - the oldest of these groups - was formed, a number of audience members started thinking about how a youth chorus could become part of their existing programs. Within less than 12 months, the GLBT youth chorus movement doubled as six new GALA youth choruses were formed in cities around the country.
Getting these groups off the ground, however, has taken a considerable amount of work. Susan Haugh, the Artistic Director of Pittsburgh's Dreams of Hope, knows first hand the challenges of forming a viable and successful youth performing ensemble. She founded her group in 2003 and has successfully built a growing organization that develops LGBT and allied youth leaders who promote social change by educating audiences. To date, the Dreams of Hope program has trained and developed 84 artistic youth leaders.
"While Dreams of Hope is not a traditional choir - we're a performing arts organization that embraces music, singing, dance, art, writing and development of original performance content - the fundamental requirements for success are no different than those faced by the leaders of new youth choruses," remarks Haugh. "To get a new group off the ground, you need to have a leader who's on the ball, and who understands that he or she is not dealing with adults. The leader needs to understand and accept that it takes twice as long for kids learn things, and that they have a million other things on their plate competing for their time. Whether you like it or not, a GLBT youth chorus often gets moved down their list of priorities. As a leader, you have to be prepared to accommodate all of that and be organized to make the most of shortened attention spans and timeframes."
Haugh also emphasizes the importance of consistency. "You have to have consistency, particularly in a rehearsal space, and with an accompanist who's there every week. If you're not able to provide a stable environment, the group is not going to last very long. To support consistency, you need money to cover your costs and pay the professionals involved in supporting your group."
Beyond that, Haugh is adamant about having your legal bases covered and being ready to deal with parents. "You have to obtain Act 33 and 34 clearances for everyone who works with the kids, and you need to be prepared to deal with parents. I've found that some parents want to be involved and others don't want anything to do with you or your group. Regardless of their preference for involvement, I make it a point to talk to all the parents to let them know who I am- even if they don't want to talk to me. I want them to know who their child is spending time with and how they can get in touch with me if they feel the need to do so."
New Beginnings Supported By Song
The amazing experiences created by youth choruses performing at the recent GALA Festival have successfully created a tidal wave of interest in the formation of GLBT youth choruses. After seeing youth chorus performances at GALA events in Cincinnati and Miami, John Quillen, Managing Artistic Director of the Gay Men's Chorus of Charlotte stepped up and became Co-Artistic Director of Sing Out, a new GLBT youth ensemble formed in Charlotte.
"In July 2002, GLASS Youth Choir, the very first choir in North America for GLBT, questioning, and allied youth traveled from their home in Vancouver, British Columbia, to the GALA Choruses Eastern Regional Festival in Cincinnati. When they took the stage, the audience sprang to their feet, clapping, screaming and crying for the small but brave band of nine singers. Each and every song was followed by an immediate and thunderous standing ovation. The silence during each selection was punctuated only by sniffs from the audience as they choked back tears of joy at seeing and hearing young people whose lives were so different than theirs had been. Every one of us sitting in the audience that day was transformed."
Six years later, John saw just how far the burgeoning LGBTQA youth chorus movement had come. At GALA Festival 2008 in Miami, the 75 youth comprising five different choruses took the stage as a single group under the direction of recording artist Toshi Reagon.
"It was a magical, revolutionary experience," he recalled. "After returning home, the members of the Gay Men's Chorus of Charlotte decided that what we experienced in Miami and Cincinnati should take root in North Carolina. We immediately set to work finding partners among the public school system, private schools, LGBT youth service agencies, arts groups, and a myriad of other individuals and organizations. Most of these groups had never before worked on anything together. While there still are hurdles to cross, Sing Out!, our new youth chorus held its first public performance on June 19."
Meanwhile, in Chicago, the seeds of a new youth chorus were also being sewn after Festival 2008 concluded. Two members of the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus (CGMC), Perry Simmons and Paul Blievernicht, were speaking about their desire to begin a youth chorus in Chicago. This caught the attention of CGMC member Danny Kopelson, the Director of Communications at Center on Halsted, Chicago's new LGBT Center. According to Kopelson, "I encouraged Perry and Paul to meet with the leadership of the Center to discuss the possibility of having the youth chorus become the organization's official Youth Program."
With Perry as Artistic Director and Conductor and Paul as accompanist, along with the support and assistance of a number of volunteers from the CGMC, the chorus became a reality. "The group is designed to be more of a youth show chorus, as members will be expected to both sing and dance," observed Perry. "The group's premiere performance has yet to be scheduled, as there have only been a couple rehearsals held so far. We hope that the youth chorus will become yet another Chicago LGBTQ musical institution.
Ken Strickland, a member of Kansas City's Heartland Men's Chorus for the past 19 years, was also motivated by what he saw at the GALA Festivals. In 2004, he heard Diverse Harmony, his first LGTB youth chorus in Montreal. At Festival 2008 in Miami, the performances of all of GALA's LGTB youth choruses left a lasting impression with him. Ken was moved by the courage, confidence and talent of the performers, which inspired and motivated him to work on coordinating such a group in the Kansas City Area.
According to Ken, "A committee was formed shortly after we returned from Festival and had its first meeting in September 2008. Our work to date has included writing of procedures, building a relationship with Passages KC - Kansas City's Youth Center - and selecting artistic leadership. We still have a lot of work to do and have a goal to begin rehearsals in October of this year."
Two other youth choruses have also developed. In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, SYNG - Susquehanna Youth of a New Generation - is forming under the watchful eye of the Harrisburg Men's Chorus. Dallas PUMP! is being fostered by the world-renowned Turtle Creek Chorale in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. In both cases, youth members were invited to help name the group, create the structure of the ensemble and to participate in the selection of repertoire.
"We never had anything like this when I was growing up," commented to Dr. Jonathan Palant, the founding director of Dallas PUMP! "What a wonderful thing this is."
While forming a new GLBT youth chorus is definitely a tremendous undertaking, all the hard work and organizational headaches are frequently forgotten when a youth chorus takes the stage to perform. As Haugh sees it, "When an audience experiences what a group of young people can do, it affects their lives in some positive way. More than being moved, the audiences are often amazed."
What Our Youth Had To Say
After the GALA Choruses family was gathered together at Festival 2008 in Miami, we took a few moments to ask some of the youth singers who attended for their thoughts on being part of the Festival and singing in a GLBT youth chorus. Here's some of what they shared with us...
"I think that, as a gay youth who is given this kind of opportunity, it is my responsibility to seize it and represent people like myself who may not be able to come forward and do the same. The times may be changing, but we still need strong voices to come out and speak for those of us who can't."
"I utterly loved GALA. It was incredibly moving. Even though I'm growing up in a time and a place where people are much more accepting of GLBT people, I still found watching all of the GALA choruses come together to promote singing and acceptance to be a very powerful experience."
"Many of the performances I watched brought tears to my eyes because it was overwhelming to know that I was sitting in a giant concert hall with hundreds of other people who believe in equality and love singing as much as I do."
"Every choir had its own style, and that really showed through. There was no competition - only comradery and community - which is what the Festival is all about."
"GALA certainly taught me more about myself and what it means to be part of the GLBT community. I was able to see how lucky I am to be growing up in a decade where gay rights activism is everywhere as the world slowly opens itself up to the possibility of not only tolerance, but acceptance of GLBT people."
"I would absolutely go to GALA again in a heartbeat. I had a ton of fun and grew as a person, because I was able to learn more about what being part of the GLBT community means to me."
"Being part of the first ever collaboration of youth choruses was amazing and touching, and spread the message that the youth of the equal rights movement are here and by working together, we will make a difference."
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