The power of music is universal and something Guelph Youth Singers (GYS) believes all children should have access to from a young age.
With that in mind, starting in February, GYS will offer a new short-term, casual choir experience for children who have an interest in becoming a part of a musical group.
Karie Rippin Bilger, chair of the GYS board, believes music should be inclusive. And the younger you are, the better.
“For me, this program is about music for everybody. It’s important for children to have music in their lives, but not everybody has access to it,” Rippin Bilger said.
“For children in lower grades, this is when children can really connect and build a life-long connection with music. I fear that if we are not introducing quality music education until those junior high or high school ages, we might miss the boat.”
For over 30 years, Guelph Youth Singers has offered musical teaching and performance for children and youth, from ages five to 19.
The new choir is set to run in February. Participants from ages four to eight, will receive instruction one hour per week, for eight weeks.
“Our three youth choirs rehearse and perform from September to May, but it’s important we offer a fun, informal way to introduce kids to the beauty of music," said GYS artistic director Marion Samuel-Stevens, who is also adjunct professor of voice in the University of Guelph’s school of fine art and music.
Rippin Bilger said the social, emotional and educational benefits of music can help change lives, and the new casual approach, may be a better fit for some Guelph-Wellington families.
“GYS has historically been more of an elite performance-focused choir. And I, 100 per cent, believe in that. Kids who have the ability, should have the opportunity to excel, sing high level challenging music, perform it, and contribute to our community,” Rippin Bilger said.
“But not all children are able to do that and not all children want to do that. So, this is a first for us in being able to offer this to children who might not be able to participate at that upper educational level."
Paul Lalonde, who also serves on the GYS board, said the vision for the program is for children to enjoy the benefits of music, and hopefully make it part of their life moving forward.
"My 12-year-old daughter Alexis sings with GYS and it has been such a positive experience for her. She’s a musician and plays instruments including piano, and the tuba in the school band. She's also a dancer at the Guelph Dance Academy. But really, the core of it, is that she is a singer with the Guelph Youth Singers,” Lalonde says.
“She can just play an instrument 'by ear.' I attribute that to the choir. She can hear the music and know how the notes are structured.”
Anyone interested in joining the new choir can email Heather Fleming at [email protected], call 519-821-8574 or follow “Guelph Youth Singers” on Facebook or Instagram.
Rippin Bilger said the new choir will be centred on the participants and their interests.
“It’s about what these children are able to do, what they are comfortable doing, what they love doing. It will be focused on their abilities and their goals,” she said.
"A music therapist will work with our pianist, bringing the choral structure and meet the kids wherever they are. For some of these kids, by participating in this program, they may someday have the ability to tolerate a more rigorous practice or rehearsal.”
Rippin Bilger said some children will not want to get that far, and that’s OK too.
“But we will have fostered a love for music in them, and then who knows how this program will grow over time. It could be the first of several programs for us. We will just have to see what the response is from the community.”
