The Detroit Children’s Choir
Coleman A. Young students Kennedy and Doria sing acapella in the school's gym after choir practice.
Beginning just a few years ago in the mid-2000s, the Detroit Children's Choir is already filling a huge void in arts education within the Detroit Public Schools. Founder and Director Carol Schoch is still involved in the hands-on choral training of the kids. We went to visit a choir practice at the Coleman A. Young Elementary School on the city's westside and got a chance to talk with 2 young choral members, Kennedy and Doria. Hear their impromptu min-performance through the link above.
The Choir extends their reach into the community with neighborhood choirs, which any 8-14 year old can join. Schoch says there's also a touring choir who performs at events throughout the region. The Choir is also looking for volunteers to help with day-to-day operations, schools who are interested in starting a choir program, and sponsors who will 'adopt-a-school' and help the bring the program to schools that can not afford it. Qualified Choral instructors are also encouraged to join and carry out the Choir's mission. More information can be found here.
Det. Children's Choir
Next month, on Saturday April 24th, the Choir presents a collaboration with the renowned Mosaic Youth Theatre for thier 4th Annual Spring Concert.
VSA Arts in Detroit
VSA was created as a national organization 35 years ago by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith. The group aims to help people of all ages with disabilities learn through the arts. The local chapter in Detroit operates out of The Children's Center on on West Alexandrine, just a few blocks south of Wayne State University.
Among other things, VSA offers after-school programs in dance, visual arts, and music for teens from local high schools who might not otherwise have a chance to experience the arts. When I visited last week, about 7 teens were in the midst of a performance with African drums, led by an older, experienced musician. They've been chosen to perform in Washington D.C. this June at the 2010 VSA Arts International Festival.
Southwest Detroit’s Matrix Theatre Company
Jose Varela, Laura Perez and Matt Dooley were three of the main writers for “Vanished,” although many were involved in the collective playwriting process.
Since the early 90s, The Matrix Theatre Company has been reaching out to members of the Detroit community who may have little or no experience in traditional theatre. Founder Shaun Nethercott came to the city via Dallas, nearly 20 years ago, to work on a production about the strike of thousands of auto workers in Flint. Shawn and her husband fell in love with the freedom that Detroit offered to the arts and founded Matrix to engage the community in the empowerment of spirit that live theatre offers.
On March 12th, the group opens up a long-awaited, locally written production called Vanished. The play follows an struggling immigrant family in Detroit and the effect that unforeseen deportation raids can have on a family and a community.
Clockwise from top: Actors Tim Seneca, Megan Smith and Benito Cruz, depict a home invasion where an I.C.E. officer tries to detain an undocumented father working and living in Detroit.
