by India Andrews
If you have a love and passion for music or singing you should think about the big concert coming up this winter. Fitchburg State Choirs Winter Concert “Choral Kaleidoscope” is free and open to the public.
Each semester here at Fitchburg State they hold a concert located at Weston Auditorium. The winter concert is on Monday, Dec. 11 at 7. Several choirs from other towns nearby will be performing in this year’s concert.
Performers at this year’s winter concert include: Fitchburg State’s Chamber and Concert Choir, directed by Jonathan Harvey; Gardner High School Select Choir, directed by Joanne Landry; Fitchburg High School Concert Choir, directed by Tabitha Greenlees; Narragansett Regional High School Concert Chorus directed by Bobby Rathbone, and Fitchburg State’s acapella group “Harmonic Velocity.”
Jonathan Harvey is a professor who has been here at Fitchburg State for two years. He teaches choir and other music classes within the Humanities department. Classical, Brazilian, African, and other pieces will be showcased at the concert. A Humanities professor, Robin Dinda, even wrote an original piece of music that everyone in the concert will be singing together.
Every semester there are two choir courses taught for different types of ambitious students. Concert Choir is a class that welcomes all types of singers regardless of whether you have had practice or not. We all have sung in the shower at least once or twice but this is the opportunity to learn some skills and break out of your comfort zone. This semester’s class has approximately 45 students that have joined.
Chamber Choir is a stricter course because you have to audition to join. This semester’s class has about 15 students who will focus on an acapella performance. Not only do you get the experience to join a choir but you also get to add to your credits because they are each worth one credit.
If you did not join the choir this semester, then there is always next semester. The spring choir concert will be collaborating with the orchestra, which will be a remarkable experience. Joining the concert choir will benefit you in several ways, and gives many students the opportunity to do something that they love.
The skills you learn can be used to further your potential singing career or be used within future classes. Also, you get to gain experience by performing in the choir that may help decrease stage fright for some people. If you perform in the choir concert you gain experience that would look good on your resume.
Not only do you get the opportunity to sing, but also to make a whole new group of friends. Fear should not stop you from doing anything that makes you happy. The best part about joining the choir is that all students get to be a part of the choir concert, which is a tremendous experience.
In college, it is not always about the credits and courses, but your involvement. As a college student, you are paying thousands of dollars so you want to make the best out of it and create a memorable experience, so consider getting involved in the music program at Fitchburg State!