Do-re-mi and la-la-la have new meaning in District 742 this year. St. Cloud Area School District, through its community education program, started the 742 Youth Choir, an audition-based choir for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade.
“It [youth choir] was really a perfect storm,” explains Stephanie Peterson, licensed coordinator of social studies and arts in 742. “I knew of Osseo’s youth choir and really wanted it here. We have lots of opportunity for band and orchestra at an early age, but not choir. Adam Holm [executive director of community education] saw a youth choir [perform] on ‘America’s Got Talent’ and contacted me.”
From that inspiration, the pair brainstormed how to offer a youth choir class through community education. Once the groundwork began, they brought in Kayla Jennissen, Kennedy Community School music teacher, to direct the choir.
“Stephanie Peterson approached me and I was thrilled!” says Jennissen.
“Kayla is a wonderful director!” says Peterson. “She has a great perspective because she teaches both elementary and middle level [students]. She really knows how to connect with them. … [and] is skilled at describing what they need to do.”
Auditions were held in October this year at each school. The goal was to have the auditions as accessible as possible. Students auditioned with their own music teacher at their own school, providing them a high comfort level. Students were also asked to sing a song they already knew, usually from their music class in school, to sing a simple scale, and then to sing in harmony.
It was a first-time experience for many students like Lauren Gazdzik, a fifth-grader at Clearview and Jack Tesch, fourth-grader at Kennedy.
“She tried out not thinking she was a singer,” says Jennifer Gazdzik, Lauren’s mom. “Now, she feels like a musician. She is now too old to try out for next year, but when I gave her the sign-up sheet for classes at South, she said, ‘I’m absolutely doing choir!'”
“He called me from school on the teacher’s phone,” says April Tesch, Jack’s mom, when Jack found out he made the choir. “He was so excited!”
The choir consisted of 37 students in its first year. By the beginning of December, they had their first performance singing in the Winter Nights and Lights parade in downtown St. Cloud.
By February, the choir was sharing the stage with Funsingers, a local group of vocalists aged 55 and older, and winning the hearts of the community as well as the Funsingers.
Their big performance night was at Local Education and Activities Foundation’s (LEAF) Night of the Stars, a large fundraising night for 742’s activities endowment fund where District 742 staff and students audition to perform on stage for two nights of entertainment at the Paramount Theater.
It was the highlight of the season for Jack Tesch.
“I personally like singing in front of big crowds,” brags Tesch.
Students sang their hearts out and won over the audience with their rendition of “This Is Me.”
Lauren Gazdzik performed her solo. Jennissen told her she could either keep the mic in the stand or hold it like a diva. Of course, Gazdzik showed the audience what a diva she’s become!
“It was a really incredibly positive experience,” says Jennissen. “It was a bittersweet moment for them and for me. Part of me wanted to cry.”
The “season” had come to an end.
“They are capable of so much,” explains Jennissen. “Their goal is to reach out to as many people as possible, to let the community know they exist and to share their love of music.”
Jennifer Gazdzik adds, “They really learned a lot about multi-part music. … They were learning about music and not just to be a show choir.”
Though the season is over until next year, many of the singers have auditioned for the St. John’s Boys’ Choir and have even auditioned for “America’s Got Talent” to continue their singing until next October. A few of them, like Lauren, are moving on to middle school choir. One thing is certain, the students have struck a chord with the community and Jennissen can’t wait for next season. Neither can her students.
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