Only those with passion for music need apply
Some students have a passion for music extending beyond classroom walls.
For those on the hunt for more than a school chorus or orchestra, for opportunities to perform and develop their skills to greater heights, Houston’s AFA, formerly known as American Festival for the Arts, offers three year-round programs, including the Chamber Music Academy, the Composer Institute and the Houston Girls Chorus.
“Our mission is simple: to enrich the lives of kids through music,” Michael Remson, executive and artistic director, said. “We’re providing the chance to work with master creators. We’re tapping into creativity, and what kid doesn’t want to be creative?”
Houston Girls Chorus
The Houston Girls Chorus already has begun to meet and rehearse and has expanded its reach for its busy 2015-16 season.
This year, the choir has added a preparatory choir for girls as early as fourth grade to receive training and performance experience with voice instructors.
Pupils from fourth through 12th meet regularly at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 5501 Main St., in Houston’s Museum District. Concert performances take place in November, December and May.
New offerings this season include performing in an original opera project and collaborative concert.
This fall, the choir will perform in a concert with Houston’s Axiom String Quartet and will also participate in an original chamber opera com-
missioned from local composer Mark Buller that will debut next spring in collaboration with Houston Grand Opera.
“The whole point is to provide really unique experiences for the kids,” Remson said.
Every year, the choir also sings for the Houston Ballet’s annual production of “The Nutcracker.”
“This is one of those permanent memories to sing in the pit of the Wortham Theatre with the Houston Ballet Orchestra,” Remson said.
Kimberly Tobola has served as artistic director of the Houston Girls Chorus for five years.
“I love working with these girls,” she said. “I love their perspective on music and the things they teach me about music.”
Tobola said the choir is ideal for girls who do not have a program in their own schools or who feel driven to do more than what they can do in their music classes on campus.
“They have to be on their toes and work like professional musicians,” she said. “We look for someone who is committed to singing and excited about singing. We only have one rehearsal a week, so when we come together, we have to be a tight knit group.”
Tobola said that opening up the program to younger girls makes sense.
“We are providing our own feeder program,” she said. “We hope to catch those younger girls and help them develop the skills they need to be successful.”
Tobola believes the Houston Girls Chorus has the potential to be known as an exceptional training ground for female vocalists.
“This is for girls who love to sing or who have a hunger for knowledge,” she said. “When I see that curiosity, I know a girl would be a good fit with us, even if she doesn’t have a lot of skills to start with.”
Taylor Davis, a 17-year old senior at First Baptist Christian Academy in Pasadena, is starting her third year in the group.
“I was looking for a choir that would take me more in-depth with my music knowledge,” she said. “At Houston Girls Chorus, they teach you more than how to sing pretty songs. They go into music theory, they talk about what the song means and what the composer is trying to say.”
Davis said she would recommend the experience to other girls who are serious about music.
“Not only do we learn together and sing together, but it’s a family,” she said. “It’s a safe haven.” Chamber music
The Chamber Music Academy is geared for small ensembles, including string quartets and piano trios.
“It’s usually three to five kids in a group, all at different levels, working with a professional musician who basically serves as a coach,” Remson said.
Students spend time developing techniques alongside their peers, learning how to blend their sounds and analyze the music they produce on their own.
The program is presented in collaboration with Da Camera of Houston Young Artist Program, a fellowship program for emerging professional instrumentalists, singers and composers, which provides the mentors. Enrollment in the program doubled this year.
Rehearsals are held on Saturdays at the AFA office, 1718A Lubbock St. in downtown Houston.
Concerts are planned for January and May and students are required to participate in performances. Remson said that instead of learning theory in an abstract way, students analyze and incorporate it firsthand in the Chamber Music Academy.
They also learn about composers and give presentations on their research. Composing music
The Composer Institute introduces young musicians to the process of creating, developing, refining and finally performing an original musical work.
“They work in a peer group to create new music each semester,” Remson said. “They have seminars on the instruments. They learn orchestration and music theory.”
Students work with a faculty of performing artists, who guide them with individual attention.
“They get a lot of oneon-one feedback,” Remson said. “There aren’t a lot of opportunities for high school composers to begin with, so to get that type of instruction is phenomenal.”
The students are then able to workshop their pieces with artists from professional arts organizations. The program culminates in a final performance and recording of each student’s work.
The Composer Institute is open to seventh to 12th grade students and applicants have to submit examples of music they have already written to be considered.
In all of the AFA programs, Remson said students have the opportunity to work with experienced musicians.
“It’s all about giving kids exposure to professionals in the community,” he said. “They learn what it means to be a professional; they learn the dedication and commitment involved.”
Remson said passion is the most important requirement of students who would like to join one of the programs.
“If you’re passionate that means you will work hard to reach your goals,” he said. “If you can’t imagine your life without music, if music is just so important and so central, if music is your main way to express yourself, then you’re the kind of kid who will get the most out of this experience.”