APS: MacPhail children’s choir returns

Published 5:46 pm Friday, April 21, 2023

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By Nikky Tolde 

APS Choir Director

The MacPhail Children’s Choir has returned for another wonderful season of music-making for students in third and fourth grade. 

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In December, students were given the opportunity to register for the choir. The 100-member choir is a partnership between the MacPhail Center for Music and Austin Public Schools. 

Students are bussed to IJ Holton on Monday afternoons to build community through singing. Since students are coming from different schools, rehearsal time is given to develop relationships and meet new friends. 

Upon entering the rehearsal environment, you can find students exploring their voices with engaging vocal warm-ups, participating in a movement activity to get their bodies ready to sing, or playing a singing game to mingle with other singers while warming up their voices. The next segment of time is focused on developing vocal independence by practicing rhythmic and melodic skills in multiple parts and working on building our unified sound. Finally, students are spending the remainder of the rehearsal learning repertoire to perform in a future concert. 

Musical repertoire is chosen to develop singing skills and provides students a chance to use their voice to shine positivity into the Austin community. This valuable time together helps build relationships, musicianship, commitment, and character. Through participation in this experience, we hope students will continue in choir through school and community opportunities beyond fourth grade.

To prepare for the upcoming concert, students will spend two Mondays with guest musicians Siama and Dallas: “Back in Africa, Siama Matuzungidi (see-AHH-maw) became a soukous legend, recording his intricate guitar on hundreds or songs and touring the world with popular artists. Now in Minneapolis, his catchy, upbeat songs and musicianship have earned him a McKnight Fellowship and numerous grants and a Parents’ Choice Parent Approved award. He and his wife Dallas Johnson (singer/narrator) love performing special concerts and events and sharing his happy music with kids and families. In addition to singing and guitar, Siama plays traditional African instruments like Mbira (thumb piano), Lokole (tone drum) and Balafon (marimba) and he’s a mean beatboxer.” 

The students are benefiting greatly from this experience thanks to the MacPhail Center for Music’s, “Global Music Initiative” program.

On Tuesday, April 25 at 7 p.m. the choir will participate in a collaboration concert at Knowlton Auditorium. The concert will feature guest artists Siama Matuzungidi and Dallas Johnson, MacPhail Children’s Choir, Riverland Community College Choir, Northwestern Singers, and several vocal soloists. 

Tickets are free for all students and $10 for adults. This is a chance for the community to see the choir and experience a wonderful vocal music concert. We hope you will attend!