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Lifting Up the Littles

Highlighting Your Youngest Singers Through

Commissioned Works, Effective Rehearsal, and

Performance Opportunities

by Jess Edelbrock

Jess Edelbrock is the community engagement director depth of artistry that all ages are capable of, and we hope
and associate conductor of the Tucson Girls Chorus. the multi-age structure can serve as a model for national
jedelbrock@tucsongirlschorus.org conferences and other high-profile performances to come.
In this article we will explore ideas and practical applica-
tions for highlighting your youngest singers, setting them
Our youngest singers can do amazing things. They are up for success, and showcasing their immense capabilities
keenly connected to their inner sense of musicality, they throughout your community.
want to be challenged and uplifted, and they deserve op- First, a confession. I was incredibly nervous about bring-
portunities to shine just as much as choirs that sing the ing the Bees to the retreat and how they would be received.
most complex repertoire. These are some of the sentiments I was worried that the audience (other conductors, in this
I hoped to communicate when the Tucson Girls Chorus’ case!) would see the performance as introductory or cutesy,
Bumblebee Singers performed at the ACDA National Chil- simply due to the age of the choir and the developmentally
dren’s & Community Youth Choir Conductors’ Retreat in appropriate repertoire and tone. The concept of “choral
January 2022. excellence” and its apparent definition throughout the pro-
The “Bees” are TGC’s K/1 choir, and the centerpiece fession was looming in my mind every rehearsal. However,
of their set was “Now We Have Rivers,” commissioned spe- I was also so confident in the importance of showcasing the
cifically for the Bumblebee Singers. The whole retreat con- Bees’s work, and each week they reminded me how eager
cert was intended to showcase singers from all ages—from and capable they were to dig into hard work and artistry.
the Bees to the Cadet Choir from Phoenix Boys’ Chorus After the performance, several conductors shared that
(grades 2-3), to the middle school groups from Chandler the Bees’s performance made them feel validated in what
Childrens’ Chorus and Tucson Boys Chorus, up through they do, which was the absolute best compliment I could
the high school singers from the TGC and Phoenix Chil- have imagined. It is so easy to feel less important when you
dren’s Chorus. It was an honor to be a part of a concert that conduct the littles. I am here to tell you that your work is
was so intentionally crafted to accurately demonstrate the just as difficult, just as artistic, just as valuable as those who
actual work so many of us do every day. All of the conduc- conduct the most prestigious groups in our field.
tors involved in this concert were so proud to showcase the

ChorTeach Volume 15 • Issue 1 18 Fall 2022