Sforzando!

Sforzando--that's the word which comes to mind when thinking about the past two months. When Francisco originally told us about all of the important upcoming events we were filled with excitement. Not yet sleep deprived we enthusiastically dove into the towering pile of music we needed to master in the upcoming months. 


When the reality of the task ahead hit us, we began to feel overwhelmed, the low point of our sforzando. After rehearsing 6 days a week, including lots of dancing (not my favorite), we felt ready to perform at Carnegie Hall--the beginning part of our crescendo. 


Without taking a breath we shifted our focus to the Gala, then three days later were on a plane to Chicago; our excitement mounted. Francisco had made it clear that Chicago was important by saying, "This will be one of the most important things you will ever do with YPC."  No pressure or anything. In spite of exhaustion and sickness all of our hard work came together with magic. Crescendo. After rave reviews from the composers of "Ain't No Grave" and Francisco, we were all floating on a cloud. We thought it couldn't get any better!


Less than 24 hours later back at MCoC we shifted to the David Del Tredici pieces, and the next thing we knew we were on stage performing at the Guggenheim!  We learned so much by working with the YPC alumni and our conductors. The sforzando was complete when Francisco told us it was the best performance ever!

-Jamie, Concert Chorus

YPC Rocks Chicago and the National ACDA Convention!

This Chicago trip has been stressful, crazy and fun.  We worked so hard to get that magical experience with the music and we got it!  I am so proud of every single person here and we did an amazing job.  I love every single one you guys.  We DEFINITELY rocked those pitches!

- Dianne, Concert Chorus

Chicago was an unforgettable trip.  Rehearsals after rehearsals, it got better and better.  I actually wanted more rehearsals to get even better.  We sang songs of a variety and the most memorable one was “Things” by Meredith Monk.  After hours and hours of trying to memorize “Things” and other songs on the plane the bus, the aftermath of the concert felt phenomenal.  I’m so glad I got to experience the wonderful large halls of Chicago where we sang with thousands of people in our audience.  The sounds of our voices were blown around the enormous halls in the windy city.  I was amazed how nice the pitches were flowing.  While experiencing the wonderful city, I met many new people.  Conductor after conductor repeatedly complimented us on how wonderful we were.  It felt awesome because our hard work came out.  It was a worthy trip and one that I will always remember.  The magic was definitely there!

- Christine, Concert Chorus

Let’s face it – trips can be terrifying.  This trend stretches from a daring excursion to your corner deli to ones on entirely different continents.  All of the fifty singers who gave up hours of their lives and sacrificed their more pedestrian priorities for this trip pondered that.  Clearly it was very important for us to show our incredible talents and to properly do justice in performing the five works (and an encore) that Francisco and the other conductors painstakingly taught us.  The faith that the YPC staff had in all of us was truly touching and I found it to be extremely inspirational.

The trip itself was the culmination of a plethora of effort, yet all of us were able to properly mix professionalism with the true YPC spirit.  Making new friends and having new experiences while also performing at tremendous venues was a humbling experience and it was certainly one I will always be proud to be a part of.

-Melissa, Concert Chorus

YPC: A Six Word Memoir

Several members of the Young People's Chorus of New York City staff recently attempted to write a story about YPC in six words—a six-word memoir.  The first six-word memoir was written by Ernest Hemingway when he was challenged to write a novel in so many words.  He wrote:  “For sale.  Baby shoes.  Never worn.”  Here are the memoirs the staff composed - and we'd love to hear yours, too!

Many voices. One vision. Potential realized.

 

Children’s joy can change the world.

YPC songs from souls and angels.

Every walk, place, face, all singing.

Yes, I believe I can fly.

One by one, sing a song.

Shaping young lives through new music.

YPC celebrates and develops children’s choruses.

Kids discovering the world through YPC.

From corner to stage, new life.

City kids singing together. Lives changed.

YPC in a Coca Cola commercial, now showing on YouTube!

Hear and see YPC in the newly released Coca Cola commercial on YouTube by clicking here!

In August 2010, the season got started a little earlier than usual for YPC as the youngest choristers in Prelude and Intermezzo rehearsed, recorded, and filmed a brand new feel-good TV commercial for Coca Cola!  From rehearsal, to the recording studio, to the actual day of filming, over 50 children gave up a couple days of their summer vacation to be part of a very exciting project. 

Sets, Snow, and a Backstage Glimpse...

YPC recently performed on Good Morning America's Holiday Special, which aired on December 13, 2010.  Entering the ABC studio was like walking onto the set of a movie: there were cameras and crew members everywhere!  It was as if each of the three sets in the room was its own little universe. Watching the anchors tape various segments, we saw the hottest new items being sold for Christmas (my favorite was probably the live guitar t-shirt),  learned how to eat healthily for the holidays, and took a tour of the craziest Christmas tree designs.

As we prepared to tape our segment, we noticed a mesh contraption filled with what looked like white confetti.  Given its position directly above our heads, we quickly figured out what it was... a snow machine!  It was fun to have it snow in the studio, even though it messed up the hair we worked so hard on.  It felt like the official beginning of winter, as the plastic snowflakes covered our heads and stuck to our eyelashes.

When we finished our taping session, what did we do?  We sang our way back to our dressing room!  You can catch a glimpse of our trip backstage on the above video.  We present to you our first video upload on the YPC blog!  Enjoy!

Click HERE to see our segment on Good Morning America.

Apple concert postscript

So: What, you ask, was YPC doing singing at the Apple Store? Well, aside from the fact that many of us are Apple fans, this is yet another way that YPC is exploring new venues for youth choral music and new media to outreach to more audiences. Francisco has been seriously looking into taking the chorus outside of traditional concert halls and into unconventional venues, where people not normally accustomed to listening to choral music would discover a new art form to enrich their lives. YPC also continues to be a leader in exploring new media for youth choruses. We were the first to make our music available on iTunes and as podcasts, and possibly the only youth chorus to date to commission music specifically written for radio, new media, and the internet. YPC's goal: use new media to reach out to more people, in New York City and around the world. Oh yes, and to share the joy.

Betelehemu ends the show...

We've just sung the rousing Betelehemu, and now we're singing Share the Joy (our new single now available on iTunes, yea!!). Elizabeth Nunez is conducting, while Sophia and Amy are watching little Sebastian, who seemed impatient to get his turn to sing earlier...

Hey was that yelping from behind the house? Looks like people are getting into the spirit...

F is asking what is NY's best carol? Answer: City sidewalks, busy sidewalks....and finally, some people are singing along! YPC has touched these tough NYC hearts after all.

Happy season of joy, everyone! This has been EG again, live blogging from the Apple Store.