Posts filed under: Media Releases

Jill Ringold

Director of Advancement
Commonwealth Youthchoirs
jringold@cychoirs.org

 

Students from five different middle schools had the most wonderful day making music together with Commonwealth Youthchoirs’ Keystone State Boychoir and Pennsylvania Girlchoir.

       Philadelphia (January 21st, 2023) – The chattering of excited young voices. The shuffling of music pages. The scramble to put on the day’s special t-shirt. Enthusiastic energy flooded the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill last Saturday as Commonwealth Youthchoirs (Keystone State Boychoir, Pennsylvania Girlchoir, Find Your Instrument) hosted Voices Together. More than 100 middle schoolers’ voices harmonized with a group of singers from Commonwealth Youthchoirs (CY) and sang out during the inaugural middle school choral invitational.

Clinicians Dr. Lynnel Joy Jenkins and Dr. Dustin Cates were joined by CY co-artistic directors, Dr. Elizabeth C. Parker and Mr. Frank J. Van Atta, leading an interactive day of workshops for singers and their teachers. Dr. Jenkins’ worked with the whole group on a selected piece, “Shine the Light,” by Raymond Wise, which was presented by the full Voices Together choir to close out the day at a sharing attended by families and friends. Music educators and their students attended from schools including Murray Avenue School, Girard Academic Music Program, Cedarbrook Middle School, Germantown Friends School, and Antonia Pantoja Charter School

“It was so inspiring to see so many younger people that love singing and making music together as much as I do,” said Suha Koliwad, a high school senior in Pennsylvania Girlchoir. “I remember the impact choir had on me as a middle school student and I’m so glad that I could be part of that for others.” The gathering was Commonwealth Youthchoirs’ way to support the music teachers by creating an event for their professional development and their students’ growth. The nonprofit, non-denominational choral organization provides an unparalleled outlet for music-making, expression, and youth development for almost 600 children annually, ages 7-18, from across 98 schools and 95 zip codes in the Greater Philadelphia region. CY’s commitment to empowering diverse voices and ensuring every singer feels valued shined throughout the Invitational. “The day had outstanding educators and was very inspiring. I got several ideas about how I might run my middle school choral classes. There were so many excellent ideas stuffed into the sessions – the students were engaged and so was I,” commented Director of Choral Music at Abington Friends School, Justin Solonynka, who came to observe the Invitational.

“When you learn to sing, you also learn the power of your voice in this world,” says CY Artistic Director, Dr. Elizabeth Parker. “At Voices Together, young people’s voices were encouraged, embraced, and appreciated for their contributions. As an organization, we help build positive futures for our young people, and Voices Together embodied that 100%.” In addition to singing, the Voices Together students had rotating clinics in vocal health, musicianship, and team building and also received constructive feedback from music educators. Each attendee was able to connect with choral peers at other schools by making music, and singers who arrived as strangers that morning left as friends in the afternoon.

To view a clip of the Voices Together choirs’ day-end performance of “Shine the Light,” by Raymond Wise, led by Dr. Lynnel Joy Jenkins, please visit YouTube.com/CommonwealthYouthchoirs.


Top left: Dr. Lynnel Joy Jenkins working with Cedarbrook Middle School and teacher, Mr. Manny Carrera, and his students.

Top right: Voices Together participant looking at the program.

Bottom: Full Voices Together choir singing “Shine the Light” conducted by Dr. Lynnel Joy Jenkins.

Michelle Boyles

Communications Director
Commonwealth Youthchoirs

Starting this July, Mr. Frank Van Atta will join Dr. Elizabeth Parker in leading CY’s Programs.

Philadelphia, (June 2, 2021) – Following an extensive national search, Commonwealth Youthchoirs (CY) is thrilled to announce that Mr. Frank J. Van Atta will join the organization as next Co-Artistic Director beginning July 15.  

“Mr. Van Atta brings a wealth of experience as a music educator and choral conductor, demonstrating deep care and exceptional leadership with developing voices,” says CY Co-Artistic partner, Dr. Elizabeth Parker. “He is poised to apply his knowledge, talent and passion for excellence in choral music education to inspire the next generation of Commonwealth Youthchoirs. We couldn’t be more excited to have Mr. Van Atta join our team.”

In this role, Van Atta will lead Keystone State Boychoir and New Jersey Boychoir, and will work collaboratively with Parker, who leads Pennsylvania Girlchoir and Garden State Girlchoir. Together, they will oversee the organization’s community engagement program, Find Your Instrument! and shape the next chapter of Commonwealth Youthchoirs’ family of programs, currently celebrating its 20th season. Both Parker and Van Atta are available for interviews upon request. 

For the last nine years, Van Atta has taught secondary choral and general music in Boston and Philadelphia, and has served as Organist and Choir Director at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Milton, MA and Trinity Episcopal Church in Ambler, PA. Holding music education and organ performance degrees from the Jacobs School of Music (Indiana University) and a graduate degree in choral conducting from the Boyer College of Music and Dance (Temple University), Mr. Van Atta is the current Upper School Choral Director at Germantown Friends School, a position in which he will continue next year. 

As a young singer, Mr. Van Atta grew up in community-based choral programs, specifically the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus, formerly the Children’s Festival Chorus of Pittsburgh (CFC), under the direction of Christine Jordanoff and the Junior Mendelssohn Choir, under the direction of the late Dr. Robert Page. “I owe so much of my formative musical experiences not only to school-based opportunities but to the decade in which I participated in CFC and the Junior Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh,” says Van Atta. “I hope to provide a space where singers from every neighborhood in Philadelphia and beyond can thrive.”

Van Atta will work closely with Parker to continue Commonwealth Youthchoirs’ critical mission to transform the lives of young people through the power of making music together. More than 600 singers take part in Commonwealth Youthchoirs’ five award-winning programs: Keystone State Boychoir, Pennsylvania Girlchoir, Find Your Instrument!, Garden State Girlchoir and New Jersey Boychoir. 

I am incredibly excited to be able to serve the Greater Philadelphia community through music as Co-Artistic Director. Singers in Commonwealth Youthchoirs have long served as ambassadors of song throughout the world, and we will continue to tell the stories that reflect our community through music,” Van Atta asserts. “The 2021-2022 season will be just the beginning of the long and exciting future ahead, and we cannot wait to welcome audiences back to our in-person performances.”

For the past 20 years, Commonwealth Youthchoirs has been on the forefront of transforming young lives through song. Even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, CY has kept singing, with virtual performances featured at the Democratic National Convention, NBC’s Today Show, and the 2021 Presidential Inauguration. After more than a year, CY celebrated a triumphant return to in-person rehearsals this Spring and joined several arts partners in exciting collaborative projects. Thanks to the dedicated staff, singers are well-prepared to return for an unforgettable 2021-2022 performance season this Fall, including intercultural exchanges through domestic and international tours beginning in June 2022. 

 

About Commonwealth Youthchoirs: Commonwealth Youthchoirs (CY) is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit with a mission to transform the lives of young people through the power of making music together — one song at a time. Its family of programs includes: Find Your Instrument!, Garden State Girlchoir, Keystone State Boychoir, New Jersey Boychoir and Pennsylvania Girlchoir. CY serves more than 600 children in the greater Philadelphia and South Jersey region between the ages of 7 and 18. 


The Foundation will award $1.2 Million in General Operating support grants to Philadelphia music organizations.

Philadelphia, (March 1, 2021) – The Presser Foundation this week announced a round of grants to support 86 music organizations in the Greater Philadelphia area, including a $20,000 Advancement of Music grant for Commonwealth Youthchoirs (CY). The nearly $2-million-round of funding is the largest grant allocation for general operating support in The Foundation’s over 80-year history.

“Children and youth need music now more than ever. We feel very grateful to the Presser Foundation for its steadfast and inspired commitment to providing music in young people’s lives. The Presser Foundation makes our work possible,” said CY Artistic Director, Dr. Elizabeth Parker. 

This funding will help CY continue to engage Singers in new ways during the COVID-19 pandemic, funding investments in new technology, working with Guest Artists and collaborating with world-class ensembles both in our region and around the country. 

William B. McLaughlin, III, Chair of the Advancement of Music Committee, commented, “While the ongoing pandemic has created stress on our beloved musical institutions, The Presser Foundation is inspired by so many who have invested in providing online music programming, shown great flexibility and innovation, and explored collaborations and other strategic relationships to supplement resources and expertise and expand audiences.”

 

About Commonwealth Youthchoirs

Commonwealth Youthchoirs (CY) is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit with a mission to transform the lives of young people through the power of making music together – one song at a time. Its family of programs includes: Find Your Instrument!, Garden State Girlchoir, Keystone State Boychoir, New Jersey Boychoir and Pennsylvania Girlchoir. CY serves more than 800 children in the greater Philadelphia and South Jersey region between the ages of 7 and 18. For more information, visit cychoirs.org

About The Presser Foundation

The Presser Foundation was established in 1939 under the Deeds of Trust and Will of the late Theodore Presser. It is one of the few private foundations in the United States dedicated solely to music education and music philanthropy. The Presser Foundation supports a broad range of classical symphonic, chamber, choral and vocal music performance and education through general operating and program grants to music organizations; capital grants for music building projects; undergraduate and graduate student awards; and assistance to retired music teachers.  Much of the grant making focus of the Foundation is on organizations and institutions in the 75-mile radius surrounding Center City Philadelphia. For more information: www.presserfoundation.org

Contact: Michelle Boyles

Communications Director
Commonwealth Youthchoirs

Past members of the Philadelphia-based nonprofit provided backing vocals for Demi Lovato’s performance of “Lovely Day.” 

Philadelphia, (January 21, 2021) – The 2021 Presidential Inauguration festivities included performances by Commonwealth Youthchoirs’ alumni, family and friends who recorded backing vocals for Demi Lovato singing “Lovely Day.” Singers filmed themselves at various landmarks around the country and submitted their entries to Inaugural producers. 

Commonwealth Youthchoirs is a non-denominational, non-partisan organization that has been featured on the national stage multiple times in its 20-year history, having performed for Pope Francis upon his visit to Philadelphia in 2016, on Good Morning America in 2018 and just last year singing the National Anthem for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) and appearing on The Today Show Christmas morning. 

Much like CY’s DNC performance, Singers and staff had no idea who would be featured in the final product until it aired live on the evening of January 20th. Producers contacted CY Co-Artistic Director Dr. Elizabeth Parker on the evening of January 8th with the opportunity for choir members to be part of this historic event. They asked that participants be age 18 or older, which might be a challenge for some organizations that work primarily with children. But CY staff saw this as a chance to connect with Singers from its vast, close-knit network of Alumni, family and friends who would have just three short days to complete the project!  

“To bookend singing at the Democratic National Convention with our younger singers and now perform at the Inauguration with alumni, family, and friends is exciting and rare. We are thrilled and honored to be a part,” says Dr. Parker. 

“I am beyond honored to have been included in the final group performance of tonight’s inaugural festivities. Thank you to Keystone State Boychoir and CY),” says Keystone State Boychoir (KSB) alumni Kyle Norton. It was “really cool to be seen by the president on his TV (and yours!) and take part in the day where we move on together as one people and one America.”

Pennsylvania Girlchoir (PG) alumni Carlie Cocco says, “I scared myself but there I was. Really grateful to have been part of this project! Thank you Pennsylvania Girlchoir.”

“Secret’s out…. even though I didn’t know if I’d make it. What a way to end the day, am I right? Thank you Keystone State Boychoir for looking out for the alums!” says KSB alumni Greg Davis.

 

Dr. Parker and CY performers are available for interviews upon request. For more information, contact Communications Director, Michelle Boyles, 215-384-6538.

 

Commonwealth Youthchoirs (CY) is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit with a mission to transform the lives of young people through the power of making music together – one song at a time. Its family of programs includes: Find Your Instrument!, Garden State Girlchoir, Keystone State Boychoir, New Jersey Boychoir and Pennsylvania Girlchoir. CY serves more than 800 children in the greater Philadelphia and South Jersey region between the ages of 7 and 18. For more information, visit cychoirs.org

 

Contact: Michelle Boyles

Communications Director
Commonwealth Youthchoirs

How a nonprofit childrens’ choir conquered the challenges of the 2020 pandemic.

Philadelphia, (December 20, 2020) – When the pandemic first hit in March, Commonwealth Youthchoirs’ (CY) 2020 concert season was in full swing with over 60 live performances planned and two international tours all lined up. And then COVID struck. Rehearsals and concerts were canceled, staff was reduced, and tours were called off. The challenges of replicating the choir experience online seemed monumental. It would have been easy to shut down. But, knowing that music is a lifeline for its young singers who lost so much this year, staff sprung into action to find new ways to sing together. By April 5, singers resumed rehearsals online and began recording themselves singing at home individually. The recordings were edited together to produce videos like One Voice that were featured in virtual Spring concerts, where the organization carried on with time-honored traditions.  

In August, organizers of the 2020 Democratic National Convention offered CY the opportunity to produce a video of the National Anthem that included singer representatives from every state in the nation. The hitch – they needed the project completed in just two weeks! Singers worked around the clock learning and recording a new arrangement of the song. Staff turned around individual singer recordings in record time and sent them off to DNC producers for post-production. No one inside the organization knew which singers would be featured or how the videos would be edited together until the performance aired live on national television. The result was a resounding success with #dncchoir trending on Twitter within seconds of the broadcast starting. 

“It was an incredibly energetic and fulfilling 10 days of connecting with singer representatives from around the United States, its islands, and territories,” says Co-Artistic Director, Elizabeth Parker. “Watching the anthem at the opening of the DNC was moving for so many — together, we heard the empowered voices of our youth; it was more impactful than we could have ever predicted.”

Local and national producers took note and new opportunities began to pour in. In November, CY’s rendition of Elton John’s Philadelphia Freedom kicked off the 99th Annual “Philadelphia Award” ceremony and the Philadelphia Citizen’s 3rd Annual “Ideas We Should Steal” Festival. To date, the video has 8,000 views on YouTube. And on Christmas morning, a video of CY singers performing Jingle Bells opened “The Today Show” with Hoda and Jenna. This project was put together in just four days all while wrapping up another 8 video projects that were already in progress to help singers continue with CY holiday traditions.  

Sung by the Senior class, CY’s final project in 2020 is entitled Hope for Resolution. The timeliness of this piece is significant as composers, Paul Caldwell and Sean Ivory, intentionally weave together an anti-apartheid song sung to free Nelson Mandela with a European chant. Parker says, “Hope for Resolution speaks deeply and meaningfully to our Singers and their wishes for justice, hope and peace. We introduce our Senior class to the larger CY community with Hope for Resolution every December to foreground the critical importance of their voices in our future.” 

The song’s meaning and lyrics remain a testament to CY’s continued commitment to transform the lives of young people through the power of making music together and to conquer any obstacle that stands in the way of its mission. 

Commonwealth Youthchoirs’ mission is to transform the lives of young people through the power of making music together – one song at a time. Its family of programs include: Find Your Instrument, Garden State Girlchoir, Keystone State Boychoir, New Jersey Boychoir, and Pennsylvania Girlchoir. As a nonprofit organization, it serves more than 800 children in the greater Philadelphia and South Jersey region between the ages of 7 and 18, more than half of whom come from under-resourced communities. For more information, visit cychoirs.org

 

Contact Michelle Boyles

Communications Director
Commonwealth Youthchoirs

Monday night’s performance of the National Anthem received national acclaim! Singers are available for interviews now.

PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNITED STATES, August 20, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ — The 57-member choir that represented the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the other five U.S. territories during the opening of the Democratic National Convention Monday night was created by Commonwealth Youthchoirs (CY), a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization with five programs across Southeastern PA and South Jersey. Opening soloist Naya and other singers are available for interviews!

The virtual rendition of the National Anthem was put together in just 10 days! Steve Fisher, CY’s Founder and Artistic Director, partnered with the Democratic National Committee to assemble a choir of singers reflecting the diversity which makes America so unique as a country. This virtual ensemble is made up of young people with ties to all 50 states, and perfectly embodies the theme of Monday’s events: unity.

Many in this unique ensemble come from CY’s current membership, who were born in another state or lived there previously. Other singers are CY alumni who go to school or reside in another state. Still others in “Choir Across America” hail from a local choral group in one of the U.S. states or territories. Even the Northern Mariana Islands is represented. What unites all of these choristers is their love of singing.

Commonwealth Youthchoirs’ mission is to transform the lives of young people through the power of making music together – one song at a time. Its family of programs include: Find Your Instrument, Garden State Girlchoir, Keystone State Boychoir, New Jersey Boychoir, and Pennsylvania Girlchoir. As a nonprofit organization, it serves more than 800 children in the greater Philadelphia and South Jersey region between the ages of 6 and 18, half of whom are under-resourced. For more information, visit cychoirs.org.

Michelle Boyles
Commonwealth Youthchoirs
+1 215-384-6538
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter


A book club leading up to the event was inspired by Gruenbaum’s op-ed.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES, August 20, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ — Before the pandemic, Holocaust survivor Michael Gruenbaum had planned to have a 90th birthday party. But like everything else, it had to be cancelled. So Steve Fisher, Founder of Commonwealth Youthchoirs (CY), offered to throw him a virtual party. In the lead up to this special event, some of the young singers of CY are participating in a weekly summer book club to discuss “Somewhere There Is Still a Sun,” written by Gruenbaum.

“After reading an op-ed in The Boston Globe, I decided to create a unique reading experience that would culminate in a virtual party for Michael’s 90th,” explains Fisher. “I’m thrilled that Michael has accepted the invitation to this celebration!” The event will take place on Saturday, August 22, from 2-3pm on Zoom and will be live-streamed to Facebook.

Gruenbaum’s book is unique because it conveys the harrowing subject matter of the Holocaust sensitively but unflinchingly, through the eyes of a child. Young readers gain insight into what Michael’s experience was like when they were his age, not only in Terezin concentration camp, but in Prague once the Nazis marched into Czechoslovakia. The book club participants are in for a special treat: the author himself will take part in the final Zoom literary gathering on Thursday, August 20th. “Michael’s call for young people to not give up and to keep learning in these trying times inspired me to think outside the box,” adds Fisher. “Nothing like the opportunity to meet a survivor and an author to get kids to read in August!”

Gruenbaum is a regular guest of “The Last Boy” Podcast, which features the incredible stories of survivors as they themselves tell them. Hosted by Fisher, it has been climbing the ranks of new podcasts in the history category. Other regular guests, including survivor Sidney Taussig (after which the podcast is named), and survivor Inge Auerbacher, will attend the August 22nd virtual party. Joining them will be Gruenbaum’s sons and granddaughters, along with a surprise VIP guest or two. Gruenbaum sang quite a bit in Terezin, so CY singers plan to present a choral gift or two in his honor. One of them will even be in his native Czech language.

Steve Fisher, Michael Gruenbaum, Sidney Taussig, Inge Auerbacher and CY singers are available for interviews upon request. Press are welcome to attend the virtual “Meet the Author” book club gathering on August 20th and/or the virtual birthday party on August 22nd.

About Fisher Mann Podcasts: Fisher Mann Podcasts is the official home of CY’s podcasts, a nonprofit organization that seeks to transform the lives of young people through the power of singing together, one song at a time. For more information, visit cychoirs.org.

Michelle Boyles
Fisher Mann Podcasts
+1 215-384-6538
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook


Young singers with ties to all 50 states will show nation what unity looks and sounds like

PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA, August 14, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ — When “Choir Across America” debuts on Monday night’s opening of the DNC Convention, singing a virtual rendition of the National Anthem, it will be a dream come true for Steve Fisher. This virtual ensemble, which his organization put together with the DNC, is made up of young people with ties to all 50 states, perfectly embodies the theme of Monday’s events: unity.

Fisher, Founder and Artistic Director of Commonwealth Youthchoirs (CY), partnered with the Democratic National Committee to assemble a choir of singers reflecting the diversity which makes America so unique as a country. Choristers of many races, ethnicities, religions, ages, genders and perspectives are represented in this 57-member group. All of them have ties to one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the other five U.S. territories. Many in this unique ensemble come from CY’s current membership, who were born in another state or lived there previously. Other singers are CY alumni who go to school or reside in another state. Still others in “Choir Across America” hail from a local choral group in one of the US states or territories. Even the Northern Mariana Islands is represented. What unites all of these choristers is their love of singing.

The idea for an ensemble of singers from every US state and territory is Fisher’s brain child. “It came to me when they announced that the 2016 DNC Convention would be held in Philadelphia where my own choirs are based,” explains Fisher. “Having a hunch that the nominee would be Hillary Clinton, I proposed to our board that we host the ‘Let Freedom Sing!’ Girlchoir National Convention to show the country that singing has the power to unite women – regardless of what state they live in and what their views are. The group had an amazing 5 days together, and we sang at some smaller DNC events. But our hope that the female ensemble – 2 from every state in the Union – would be invited to sing the National Anthem on stage at the convention was not realized. Not giving up, we planned to be in Milwaukee to offer the DNC another opportunity to show the nation what unity looks and sounds like – with an ensemble of girls and boys. But of course, the pandemic caused us to cancel. And then, less than 2 weeks ago, out of the blue, the DNC called. They loved the idea of a choir representing every state. The only problem was, we only had 10 days to form the nationwide virtual chorus. Somehow, through the amazing efforts of my co-Artistic Director Dr. Elizabeth Parker and our entire staff, we did it!”

Grace Mazzola, a member of Garden State Girlchoir (GSG), was one of the singers who went out with Fisher to Milwaukee back in the fall, helping him plan for this second shot at this dream. She was disappointed when the plans got cancelled because of Corona, but is excited to be a part of the virtual National Anthem. “While our country goes through this time of unrest,” Grace says, “we get to connect virtually with people all over the country regardless of our differences. That was the best part of this experience.”

Eric Binswanger, a CY alumni who now lives in California, met his wife Holly when CY collaborated with the Phoenix Girls Chorus. Both are a part of the “Choirs Across America” ensemble. “I’m not sure that Holly and I could have been in Milwaukee to participate in person, had this ensemble been performing live,” says Binswanger. “So there’s a silver lining of the pandemic right there! Thanks CY, not only for introducing me to my wife and singing at our wedding, but for reminding me how much we miss singing. Holly and I had a ball doing this!”

CY is no stranger to the national stage. In 2015, its young singers sang for Pope Francis when he visited Philadelphia. One of its singers, Bobby Hill, sang an a cappella solo live, at the last minute, to cover an unexpected set change. “Rather than subjecting the Holy Father to viewing a Philly union guy’s butt crack,” Fisher jokes, “the pope and the world listened in utter delight to what Mark Wahlberg called, ‘the voice of an angel.’ As I like to say, Bobby now has a better career than I do. Now it could be another young person’s turn. Who knows? The singers the world are going to see Monday night are amazing.”

Commonwealth Youthchoirs’ mission is to transform the lives of young people through the power of making music together – one song at a time. Its family of programs include: Find Your Instrument!, Garden State Girlchoir, Keystone State Boychoir, New Jersey Boychoir, and Pennsylvania Girlchoir. As a nonprofit organization, it serves more than 800 children in the greater Philadelphia and South Jersey region between the ages of 6 and 18, half of whom are under-resourced. For more information, visit cychoirs.org.

Michelle Boyles

Communications Director
Commonwealth Youthchoirs
215-384-6538
mboyles@cychoirs.org