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2a. Re: Young People and children becoming members
Posted by: "The McAlexanders" bradnann@... themcalexanders
Date: Tue Dec 9, 2008 7:57 pm ((PST))

--- In bbshop@yahoogroups.com, Tom Schleier <fredsdad2001@...> wrote:
> My take on it is that if the child conforms to the norms of the
chorus, then he/she should be allowed to join.

Our experience with this is a lot like Tom's -- It depends on the
individual kid. Some are ready, some aren't. The group dynamics of
four at once puts a little bit of a different slant on it, but you
can probably tell by watching them together whether this is a good
thing (like if they help each other learn their music) or not (like
if they chase each other around the room during breaks).

Our son Patrick wanted to join when he was about four, but there was
no way he was ready.

But by the time he was seven he'd had some school choir experience,
could hear the harmony, could read music, and could probably stand
still for most of the rehearsal. Plus in the car driving home from
international in Nashville that summer (2001), we'd discovered he
could sing pretty much any pitch we asked him to.

A couple weeks later, Brad's chorus director announced that they were
wanting to make a big push to recruit former and new members before
contest, so Brad asked if Patrick might be considered for
membership. He'd been hanging around the chorus since birth so was
somewhat of a known commodity, although he'd never stood up on the
risers and officially sung with the chorus.

The director said sure, if he could pass the musical audition. The
board said okay, if he seemed to be mature enough after trying it for
a few rehearsals, and if we agreed to things like buying the extra
costumes he'd need as he grew out of the initial one they'd provide.

He passed the musical audition with flying colors. I also put him
through my own unofficial audition, because I was skeptical as to
whether he really could hold a harmony part as well as he'd need to.
He passed that one, too. (Made me cry, darned kid!)

The only concessions to his age were the chair his dad placed to the
side of the risers, with instructions that Patrick was to go sit
there for a few minutes if he got restless, which only happened a few
times the first few months, and the riser stool he stood on in the
second or third row that he'd inherited from a previous younger
member. I asked that they put him somewhere where he wouldn't draw
attention, because as a barbershopper myself I felt strongly that the
chorus should be about all the members, as a unit, and not just about
one cute kid on the front row.

He's still going strong after 7 years, is now also active in a
competing quartet, and has been busy singing all around the
Indianapolis area with his chorus and quartet this month. It was an
experiment on our part, and that of the chorus -- I think their
youngest member previously was 10, another second-generation singer,
and he stayed two or three years until he got busier with other
activities -- but it has definitely been a success so far.

And since we get this question fairly often, yes, he does have a lot
of other activities with kids his own age ... boy scouts and school
band and choir to name a few. He gets lots of time to just be a kid,
too.

Ann McAlexander (and proud dad Brad)
Greater Indianapolis Chapter, Circle City Sound Chorus, BHS (Dad)
Capital City Chorus, SAI (Mom)