New Movement: The Young People’s Chorus of Erie
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| Dr. D. Jason Bishop |
Alleluia! A new outreach program from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will bring children from across the Erie region together in song.
The Young People’s Chorus (YPC) of Erie in residence at Penn State Behrend will begin holding rehearsals in January 2009. Right now, D. Jason Bishop, director of choral activities at the college and the chorus’ founder and artistic director, is recruiting children ages 7 to 18 for membership. All children are welcome, regardless of previous singing experience.
“Erie has high-quality opportunities for young instrumental musicians, yet no citywide outlet for kids whose musical passion is singing,” Bishop says. “I want to change that. I’ve dedicated my life and career to choral singing because I believe it is a powerful force that builds unity, community and long-lasting friendships.”
Indeed, Bishop counts among his good friends Francisco J. Núñez, founder and artistic director of the acclaimed Young People’s Chorus of New York City, the resident choir of New York’s 92nd Street Y. “With Francisco’s blessing and support, YPC Erie will be an affiliate of the New York program, replicating its model and mission here,” Bishop says. “Right now, students in northwest Pennsylvania may have great experiences singing in their school or church choirs, but typically that exposes them only to peers from their neighborhood or congregation. The Young People’s Chorus of Erie will bring together kids from a wide variety of backgrounds to transcend racial, religious and socioeconomic boundaries.”
In the decade since it was founded on the twin principles of diversity and musical excellence, the 1,000 young singers in the Young People’s Chorus of New York have distinguished themselves as one of the finest youth choruses in the world. They have performed on three continents, singing everywhere from Carnegie Hall and the White House to Smetana Hall in Prague and St. Martin in the Fields in London to Yankee Stadium, where they sang for Pope Benedict XVI in April.
New York’s YPC also represented the United States at the Seventh World Symposium on Choral Music held in Kyoto in 2005, and will return to Japan in the summer of 2009 for a four-week, 25-city tour of the country.
Initially, YPC Erie will offer three ensembles: An elementary chorus for children ages 7 to 10; a junior high chorus for ages 10 to 14; and a high school chorus for teens ages 14 through 18. Rehearsals will be held weekly at locations to be determined, and transportation will be provided from some areas of the city, although students from any part of the region are invited to participate.
Although YPC Erie will charge tuition, no child will be turned away due to inability to pay. “Scholarships, operating expenses and funding for the touring schedule we envision is a costly endeavor,” Bishop notes. “As we launch YPC, I’m engaged in two campaigns. One is recruiting students, and the other is fundraising, because it will provide the YPC experience to the largest number of children as is possible.”
Assisting Bishop in building community support for YPC are Howard Lincoln, CEO of Lincoln Metal Processing and chair of the YPC Advisory Board, and Charles Brock, board vice chair and director of the Institute on the American Dream at Penn State Behrend. “Howard Lincoln believes passionately in providing opportunities for Erie’s youth, and is fully committed to the success of this endeavor,” Bishop said, “and Charles Brock’s vision of an American dream that celebrates multiculturalism is well known in the Erie region. With friends like these, the future of YPC Erie couldn’t be in better hands.
“Erie is constantly engaged in discussion about ‘rebuilding itself,’” Bishop adds. “The Young People’s Chorus not only represents the arts, but vitality, community and opportunity for the future. Arts-based outreach for youth is a proven tool for community-building, integration and, ultimately, social change.”
For additional information about the Young People’s Chorus of Erie, contact Bishop at 814-898-6078 or e-mail djb46@psu.edu.