We won!

We did know we were being judged at the Midlothian Days Parade but it had not even entered our minds that we could win anything. We had no idea what to expect from the day. However, not only did the Singers win but whey won for "Best Overall" which we were repeatedly told is the most prestigious award the Parade judges present.

Mr. Quenton Lee, chair of the Parade came to deliver the trophy to us in person during our rehearsal on Thursday. He was quite complimentary of our Young Midlothian Singers for both their singing and their behavior and respect during the event. He was especially grateful for our opening the parade with the National Anthem.

It is so much fun to watch each singer learn and grow in confidence and vocal ability during the year. It is gratifying to watch also how we grow as a choir and are able to bring music to our community.

Now all we need is a trophy case!

Everyone LOVES a Parade!

It was a chilly, rainy morning but we were ready for the Parade.We were thrilled to participate in the Midlothian Days Parade for the first time and honored to be asked to sing the National Anthem to start things off.

We did have some time after the anthem to hang out together, rehearse and be silly!

 It was our first event of the session and the singers were all excited to wear their shirts and use our new sign and be out in the community sharing music! 

 

Once we started marching the singers had fun throwing candy, singing, passing out flyers and performing "Sing" for the Parade judges.

The Thrill of It All

It's always fun to have new stuff! This year our bright red t-shirts seem to be met with extra energy and enthusiasm. We also have some new YMS signs to use during rehearsal and as we go to events in the community. We are looking forward to debuting both our new shirts and signage when we march and perform in the Midlothian Days Parade on October 19th!
The singers had a lot of fun today as we started choreography for both "Run, Run Rudolph" and "Winter Wonderland" -- two holiday favorites for sure! Choreography goes smoothly when lyrics and tunes are already comfortable and memorized. Listen to those CDs!

Singing Makes Us Happy

We are off to a great start with our new session, "Winter Wonderland"! With lots of returning singers and several new faces, we have plunged right in to new songs, vocal technique, harmony and choreography.
We are SO happy to be singing together again!
WHY? You ask?
Well, actually the following is a great article found on TIME.com that answers that very question!

"When you sing, musical vibrations move through you, altering your physical and emotional landscape. Group singing, for those who have done it, is the most exhilarating and transformative of all. It takes something incredibly intimate, a sound that begins inside you, shares it with a roomful of people and it comes back as something even more thrilling: harmony. So it’s not surprising that group singing is on the rise. According to Chorus America, 32.5 million adults sing in choirs, up by almost 10 million over the past six years. Many people think  of church music when you bring up group singing, but there are over 270,000 choruses across the country and they include gospel groups to show choirs like the ones depicted in Glee to strictly amateur groups like Choir! Choir! Choir! singing David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold the World.

As the popularity of group singing grows, science has been hard at work trying to explain why it has such a calming yet energizing effect on people. What researchers are beginning to discover is that singing is like an infusion of the perfect tranquilizer, the kind that both soothes your nerves and elevates your spirits."

Read more: http://ideas.time.com/2013/08/16/singing-changes-your-brain/#ixzz2gae9CsCr

Spring into Summer... 2013

Our spring session flew by... so much learning, singing and FUN in just 8 short weeks!

After learning 9 new songs (including choreography and staging), we had the opportunity to kick-off the Walton Park community's Memorial Day weekend.  We performed our patriotic "Standing Up for Freedom" program to the community members during their chilly celebration of opening the pool.  Many people in the audience commented that they were touched by the patriotic songs and the singers performances.

We were able to do "Standing Up for Freedom" twice more, once for our traditional Friends & Family gathering, and once at the Sitter Barfoot long-term care facility at the VA hospital.  The residents and staff at the VA were so welcoming and appreciative.  These veterans were thrilled to hear these young singers perform the songs of America--and sang along with us on many of them!  We know the singers loved sharing their joy and enthusiasm with these older friends.

After the "regular" performances were over, YMS got together two more times to perform the National Anthem--for the Richmond Kickers soccer team and the Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball team.  Getting to open a sporting event is an exciting opportunity for these young kids--not something you get to do every day!  The singers did a great job and are getting so good at dealing with all the quirks that come up with these outdoor performances (sound system delays, heat, waiting, distractions, etc.).  They handled themselves like pros!

Spring Session

The fun and challenge of Spring Session is that we move at break neck speed! Can't you tell?!
We have already introduced most of the songs and choreographed several and we're only in week 2. Please please make sure practice is getting in at home so we can move forward each week and no one gets left behind!

The Singers especially love "Surfin' USA".

This session, it is nice to also focus on narrative parts of the program as we honor the men and women who serve our country. Hopefully you can invite a veteran you know to our Friends and Family performance in May!

Lucky Shamrocks!

We got to sing at the Westchester Shamrock 5K for the first time! Despite the rain and cold and some choreography changes (due to small stage space), the Singers handled it like pros! 

The show must go on, right?!?

We were able to sing two numbers to help get the runners in the right mood for their race. We blended right in with the festivities of the day -- leprechauns and pots of gold -- with our lime green shirts!

Some singers even chose to stay to cheer on the runners and compete themselves in the Kids Run. What a fun day!