Choir Camp Day 3

Day 3 is coming to a close. Choristers started the day with some energetic gospel music singing the theme to “The Jeffersons” which woke them up pretty fast! Who doesn’t love the energy of gospel music? Ending this morning’s rehearsal was some choreography to “Jump” from Glee. Energy must have been the theme to this morning’s rehearsal to get campers ready for an afternoon full of off campus performances.

After eating lunch, we headed to give a special cameo performance at the Erie Art Museum’s Mid Day Art Break. This performance set the tone for great performances to come. The audience really responded to the various TV theme songs and was eager to vote for us when they heard we were in the running for a $25,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant!

Next was a performance at Sarah Reed Retirement Center where we gave a performance for their residents. Following Sarah Reed was the Erie Zoo where we met many parents, Zoo patrons and a news crew. The concert went great and included a crowd-pleasing performance of the theme from “Sponge Bob Square Pants.” After the performance ended, campers got to explore the zoo with their chaperones. The weather was ideal and campers loved being able to see all the animals.

Tomorrow, campers will wake up early to give a live performance on WICU’s Morning Show at 6am. Be sure to tune in to the program to see the campers sing on live TV!

Choir Camp Day 2

Day 2 of choir camp was so much fun. Campers were busy making new friends, learning new vocal technique, and memorizing tons of music and lyrics. Learning TV theme songs seems like an easy task, but when put into a one-week setting with over a dozen songs, it’s quite difficult and these choristers are accepting the challenge like true professionals!

As most of you know by now, YPC Erie is in the middle of an intense Pepsi Refresh Project campaign where we are competing for $25,000 to send us to the World Choir Games. Our choristers know what it would mean for us if we won this grant, so they are actively helping us get votes! We are taking 30 minutes per day and asking our older choristers with cell phones and facebook to vote for us and help bring in the votes from their friends. We are currently in 10^th place, and this is much due to the hard work of our choristers.

We ended our evening tonight with a brilliant performance at the Millcreek Mall. Over 100 people watched and listened to the performance by our campers. The campers have had this music for less than 36 hours and received a roaring applause that could be heard all across the mall.

Tomorrow, our campers are giving a cameo performance at the Erie Art Museum’s Mid Day Art Break at 1pm, followed by performances at Sarah Reed Retirement Center and the Erie Zoo. We hope to see you tomorrow, but if not, we hope you are able to come to our family carnival on Saturday from 10:30-noon outside of the Reed Union Building on the Penn State campus and then for our final camp performance (with lots of surprises) at 12 noon!

YPC Erie Parent Blogs about Pepsi Refresh

The Pepsi Refresh challenge is a great way for Young People’s Chorus of Erie to earn money to help offset the costs of their trip to Cincinnati for the World Choir Games! By voting every day, every way, choristers, parents, siblings, friends, etc. can ensure that we’re one of the top 15 organizations at the end of the month! It’s simple and doesn’t cost a thing. The POWER VOTE codes, found on Pepsi products, are also a key to success. These codes provide from 5 to 100 extra votes!

As a YPC parent, I am doing my best to maximize my “voting power” and continue to remind my family, friends and colleagues to do the same. Many of the choristers rely on scholarships to assist with the costs of being a YPC member and may not have the means to fully pay for a weeklong trip. The Pepsi Refresh grant would ensure that the trip is affordable for everyone.

These young people have an amazing talent and the quality of their performances exceeds that of many college choirs! To showcase this ability to the world choir community is something they truly deserve and appreciate.

-Deb Turk

I'll be seeing you, in all the old familiar places...

Hello everyone! I am so excited to see you all in a month. Can you believe it, a month!! This will be my 2nd YPC Erie Choir Camp and I am thrilled to be a part of it again. When I transferred up to Erie for school, I was very anxious about not being a part of something or not fitting in. Then, one day, Dr. Bishop asked me to be a rehearsal assistant for YPC and I found a family to be a part of. I cannot wait to see all your shining faces and to hear you do what you do best, sing! I get the best feeling in the world when I listen to you sing. Seeing all of you new and returning choir camp members come together and do what you love for a week is one of the greatest experiences I have had. I am sure all of you will feel the same. We are all one big family, joined together by music, and it's a wonderful thing. I feel like a momma hen when I'm there, because I am so proud of all of you for what you accomplish at camp. All the camp counselors have been talking about this week for a very long time and we are all looking forward to reuniting with you and meeting some of you for the first time!

I'll be seeing you,

Danielle

Reflections from Past Choir Camps...

YPC Erie Choir Camp is not only a time to grow as a family, as a singer, and as an individual, it is a time to reflect on life. Choir Camp not only helped me to enhance qualities like leadership, communication and patience, it allowed me to create lifelong connections. I have never been to a more meaningful camp in my entire life. I always look forward to the week in August- to me it's more exciting that Christmas. I love being able to spend so much of each day singing, laughing, making new friends and strengthening my old friendships. Those that attend Choir Camp always inspire me to be a better person, to work harder and to love more deeply. Not only do you get to learn amazing music, you get to learn things about yourself and develop skills that you will carry with you for the rest of your life. Reflecting back on my past 2 years of Choir Camp I can see how much I have grown, and have watched the YPC Erie family grow- and I can't wait to see what this year brings. I'm counting down the days, and hope that you are too.

Below I'm including some of my favorite singing/choir quotes, and some of my favorite photos from Choir Camp!

With love and song,
Sarah Mobley

"Those who wish to sing always find a song."
"I don't sing because I'm happy; I'm happy because I sing." ~William James
"Life is a song. Love is the music."
"What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories." ~George Eliot

Come On, Come All

When I was in middle and high school, summer music camps were the highlight of my year. There is something exciting about one week straight of great music making with old and new friends. The friends that I made at these camps went on to become some of my best friends that I still talk to and see to this day. Spending a week with a group of people with similar interests and drive makes the experience even more worthwhile.

Consider the reasons you love music.

Do you love to sing because you can express yourself?
Because you enjoy the collaboration with other individuals?
Because of your drive for success and mastery?
Because of the people you sing with?

Well... if you answered yes to any of these then it is clear that camp is for you. You will get to experience all of these on an all new level. I hope to see you all there and share in making my first camp experience with YPC Erie a great one!

Mr. Rich Basler, YPC Erie Director of Community Engagement

Come and Knock on Our Door. . .

Hey guys and gals, camp is exactly one month away and I cannot wait! (Hopefully all of your registrations are in by now…) The thing that excites me the most is seeing a bunch of you guys come in, some knowing each other and some not, but all leaving with a feeling of family- and what a family to be a part of! I like to think of myself as that one uncle you can tell anything to and he’ll totally understand where you’re coming from. But that’s just me- you have all of the other rock star counselors to be able to talk to day or night, be it for a laugh on Monday or a shoulder to cry on that last day. We are all very excited to get to spend a week with you all again, and meeting some of you for the first time. We all know the main reason why we are here, but just as important are the friendships and experiences we all make together over the course of several days. For better or best, we’re in this together and we will all inspire one another to try harder than we think possible, have more fun than we can imagine, and all the while gaining a good hard look at just what we are capable of when we put our collective minds together. As they say, two heads are better than one but as I say, 100 heads are even better than that.

See y’all soon!

Mike (aka Ducky)

The Week That Changed My Life

My first experience with YPC Erie was the first annual summer camp in 2009. It is literally the week that changed my life. From the welcoming gestures and professionalism of the staff to the
love of singing that the choristers displayed, I knew that I had found my musical home. Seeing and hearing everyone making great music and having a blast while doing it was inspiring! I knew from that week what an incredible organization YPC Erie was becoming.

Fast forward to the second annual summer camp “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”… The excitement of being at the camp was evident not only in how quickly everyone learned and memorized all the songs, lyrics AND movements, but also through the dedication of the campers and staff to create a COMMUNITY of singers. The camp learned of Dr. Bishop’s vision for a group of people who respected and cared for each other regardless of their differences. As a professional youth choral organization that vision continues to be at the heart of who YPC Erie is.

Why should you come to the third annual YPC Erie choir camp? That’s easy. Because you will learn about music and singing, make new friends, perform, be inspired, be motivated and be challenged. Nonetheless, who doesn’t like singing TV show theme songs?! Let it be the week that
changes your life!

Mr. Patrick Rose, Accompanist for YPC Erie Young Men's Chorus

Tell Your Friends!

Choir Camp is just around the corner and I hope you are as excited about it as I am! I’ve been hard at work finding music and making the schedule for the day campers. Let me tell you – this is one week you won’t want to miss! If you are participating in camp as a day camper, each day will represent a different TV channel. All the activities will represent the theme for the day, and we will be creating our very own television channel and composing original theme music for it! It is going to be an awesome week full of music making, new friends, and lots of fun! So make sure you get your registration form in by July 8 and tell your friends too! See you in August!

Ms. Caitlin Henning, YPC Erie Assistant Conductor & Director of Education

The Highlight of the Summer

It is hard to believe our third annual choir camp is almost here! I love the excitement around choir camp: meeting new people, performing new music, and seeing current YPC Erie choristers after a long month of July without any rehearsals. Choir camp planning is part of the fun and I love seeing how the schedule of daily events, performances, and music programming begin to take shape. Camp is a different experience from one year to the next, but is always memorable and is for many the highlight of the summer. Not only is camp an opportunity for the YPC Erie staff to share our knowledge with campers, but for campers to share knowledge with each other AND with staff. It always amazes me how easily non-members and current YPC Erie members come together for the week, bonding through singing music together as well as participating in different activities and experiences together. We learn so much from our campers every year and I look forward to another great YPC Erie choir camp!

Remember to get those registration forms in by July 8!

Dr. Sarah Kahl, YPC Erie Chief of Staff

Are We There Yet? Are We There Yet? Are We There Yet?

After only two years of hosting our Choir Camp, I feel myself looking forward to it each year now like a kid waiting for Christmas. It's such a unique opportunity - to come together for an entire week, our permanent choristers together with visiting non-members, to share in the experience of making great music and building community. Every year, new campers seem to come with excitement but also a little anxiety, and every year they leave feeling as if their lives have been changed for the better. But one thing they may not realize is that they change us, too. The staff, those people who work tirelessly to make camp the best experience it can be, who spend weeks poring over every detail and planning meticulously for a fun, smooth and productive week, who are the ones expected to show up and impart their knowledge and experience to a hundred young singers who are eager to learn about music and polish their skills: yes, the staff learn from the choristers. We learn how to renew our passion for what we do, how to nurture our friendships, how to stay playful and enjoy life, and how to be an inspiration to others. I look forward to Choir Camp every year not only to inspire, but to be inspired; not only to teach, but to learn.

Last year's campers absolutely blew me away with what they were able to accomplish not just in a week, but in a day! Our theme was "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," and we learned music from several different mountain regions around the world along with extensive choreography for our performances throughout the week. Although I had not planned to do the full program until the end of the week at our Gala fundraiser, our singers were not only performing the full program by day 3, but performing it from memory, and completely choreographed! Although some were nervous about the moves in particular, and others were simply exhausted because it was one of the hottest weeks of the summer, I was still so impressed with how much the campers clearly loved the music and were willing to rise above the obstacles in their pursuit of excellence. (By the way, on the subject of heat exhaustion, did I mention we will be staying in an air-conditioned dorm this summer?)

The week of August 8-13, we will host the 3rd Annual Summer Choir Camp on the beautiful campus of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. Although embracing challenge is a part of the YPC Erie identity, we tend to choose a slightly lighthearted theme every year to give ourselves a break from the heavier repertoire we learn during the rest of the year. This year's theme will focus on music of television dating back from the 1970s to today. I am having so much fun selecting the music and planning the schedule of rehearsals, performances, and activities for the week Over the next few weeks, some of our staff members, as well as some of last year's returning counselors, will be sharing their thoughts on our blog about why they are looking forward to this year's YPC Erie Choir Camp. We hear choristers talking about camp all year long, and we thought it was important to let you know that WE get excited about it, too!

Remember that the registration deadline is July 8 and you can download the camp brochure at ypcerie.org/choircamp. Scholarships are available.

I can't wait to see you all in August! Are we there yet?!

Love,
Dr. B

Tour Reflections from Choristers and Staff

This is the first performance tour that the Young People’s Chorus of Erie has been on and I am so happy I was here to be a part of it. Every performance continued to get better and better which represents the true growth of this organization. We have combined hard work with fun to make an even better sound. I have seen so many things across Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. that I might have not had the opportunity to see without YPC Erie. I have made a lifetime of friends and there is nothing that could compare to the experiences YPC has to offer.

-Emilie Toperzer, 14

On the trip back to Erie I had a chance to reflect on all of my experiences with YPC Erie. This was a bittersweet moment. On one hand, I was extremely sad that this was the last time that I would be a YPC Erie chorister. I’ve graduated and have to move on. I sang my last YPC Erie concert and spent the last night with some of my best friends. On the other hand I know that this isn’t goodbye. We found out that the three audition tapes that we recorded in May for the World Choir Games had been reviewed, and that Concert Chorus, Young Men’s Chorus, and Chorale were all accepted! I am able to come back next year and participate in the choir games. My YPC Erie life will never fade though. I love Dr. Bishop and the choir members way too much to just forget about it. As I reflect on how far this organization has come, I’m overwhelmed with emotion. I am so proud that I have helped it become what it is today. I have learned so much from this whole experience, such as how to be expressive, how be a mature adult and how to work with others in a professional manner. This choir has bonded as friends and as a family. We have learned important life lessons through hard work. Most importantly we have learned how to turn hard work into fun. I will never forget this organization, and how it has helped me grow and find my love for music.

Meredith Supinski, 18

On the bus ride home from tour, I sat reflecting on the amazing experience that I had just shared with the YPC staff and the other choristers. This tour has helped me to overcome an obstacle that in one way or another we have been struggling with since day one, expression. Without expression the music has no meaning; it is simply just notes and rhythms, but when you add expression through your body and face it turns the music into a story people can connect with. Connecting emotionally with the audience is not the only way that the choir has grown; we have also grown in terms of tone production, intonation and much more. Just because the tour is over does not mean that our hard stops. YPC Erie choristers will go into a theoretic “break” in July. I am sure, however, that Dr. B and the other staff never truly stops working for us. They help make these amazing opportunities possible.

We now will be working toward a new goal. We found out that all three choruses: Concert Chorus, Young Men’s Chorus, and Chorale, have been accepted to the 2012 World Choir Games. Everyone has their own ideas of what this chorus is and why we operate the way we do, but, when it comes down to it, it is really just about making beautiful music together. Whether we are on the steps of the Capitol, at Carnegie Hall, or on the stage at the World Choir Games, all that really matters is the music. This tour has helped me to realize that this is truly all that matters.

Hannah Becker, 16

This tour was amazing. We started out very strong and continued to improve at each performance. We really grew during this trip both musically and vocally. At State College we improved greatly because there were mirrors in the practice room. The mirrors helped us realize how unexpressive we were and we were able to fix that. That night we gave an amazing performance. The capitol was fun and the reverberations in the building were outstanding. One of our most emotional performances we had was at the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. The way our songs sounded and the impact we had has amazing. Seeing sick children in the audience and knowing that our concert would be broadcasted to all the rooms in the hospital made most of us cry, including myself. Our tour is done and all our concerts were amazing. This experience was incredible. We touched so many hearts and left smiles on many people’s faces. The best part of tour was finding out that the Concert Chorus, Young Men’s Chorus, and Chorale made it to the World Choir Games. Hopefully that experience will be as great as this, if not greater.

Linnae Keys, 14

I had many mixed feelings about the ride home. I was so excited to see my friends and family again, but I didn’t want to part with my YPC Erie friends. I may not see some of them for a long time when YPC Erie starts up again in August. This tour was amazing overall. We’ve all bonded so well, and not many of us want to go home yet. In conclusion of this tour I believe we’ve all learned a valuable lesson. This chorus is not about winning competitions or being the best, it’s all about the music and how well all of us connect and care about each other. YPC Erie is one big family.

Kayla McGrath, 14

The YPC Erie staff have been so impressed with the way our choristers have represented the organization this week on tour as we crossed the state of PA and D.C.! We watched them grow both in musical maturity and as young people. The choristers reflected on each performance, which made every concert better and better. They carried themselves in a professional manner, and have truly grown as young artists. Audiences young and old were so impressed with the caliber of music making our choristers displayed. We could not have asked for a more successful tour, both in terms of the impact we have made throughout the state as well as the impact we have made on each other. We are so proud to be a part of something so monumental! Thank you to all choristers, staff, chaperones, and parents for supporting YPC Erie in this week-long endeavor!

Sarah Kahl, Chief of Staff

After only one week, I feel that I have been quickly adopted into what is the YPC Erie family! Everyone involved with organization has so much to be proud of! The choristers gave eight amazing performances this week and have grown immensely as musicians and young adults. All week, we have had discussions and reflections after each concert that helped the choristers continue along an incline each day! I heard so many wonderful comments from members in the audience at all concerts who commented on the incredible musicianship of all three ensembles. Thank you so much to everyone on this trip for an incredible experience, and for making me feel so welcome!

Caitlin Henning, Assistant Conductor and Director of Education

There is no better way to get to know a group of people than by taking a week long tour with them. While we were all a close family prior to our performance tour, after a week of traveling on a bus, staying in hotels, and performing at a different venue each day, we have all become an even closer-knit family. Watching our choristers valiantly put on performance after performance despite being travel weary and putting every ounce of themselves into each performance and rehearsal was a touching experience to witness. Each participant, staff, choristers and chaperone alike worked together to make sure that each stop was special not only for our choristers but for the audiences that came out to listen. As we are travelled back to Erie it was easy to see that not a single person on the bus was the same person that boarded it a week ago. Each person has grown and reached a new level in their life.

Tiffany Gilger, Production Manager

Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital / Washington, DC

On the steps of the US Capitol

Calvary Baptist Church

Thursday morning, the choristers arrived at the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital at 9am. The performance here was the most emotionally charged performance the choristers experienced. Despite the brevity of the performance (only about thirty minutes,) each and every piece reached a new level of self-expression, emotion, and connection with the audience. Sitting in the audience were two sick children with their families among a crowd of doctors and staff. Also in attendance was Dr. Harold Paz, Senior Vice President for Health Affairs for Penn State University, Dean of the College of Medicine, and CEO of the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Health System. Seeing these children in the audience grabbed the hearts of our choristers. Following the performance a music therapist talked to the choristers and thanked them for what they would be providing to all the sick children of the hospital, many with cancer, rare diseases, and disabilities who frequented the facility. The performance was recorded and will be broadcasted on every TV in the hospital frequently. Knowing the impact their singing will have, some choristers, staff and even audience shed a few tears. YPC Erie will hopefully brighten the days of some of these children through the heartfelt music they delivered.

Yesterday evening, we gave an excellent performance at the Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, DC. The sanctuary was gorgeous and the acoustics were ideal. All choruses performed wonderfully, but the Young Men’s Chorus gave one of their top performances to date!

The choruses both participated in master classes with other conductors yesterday before the performance. The Young Men’s Chorus was honored to have Frank Albinder of the Washington Men’s Camerata offer different perspectives on their program. The young men absorbed every word and acted and performed like seasoned professionals. The Concert Chorus worked with Dr. Cheryl Branham, music director of Calvary Baptist Church, and long time friend of Dr. Bishop. The chorus worked on skill building and site reading and even dove right into parts of Mendelssohn’s Elijah!

Today, the choristers visited the Botanical Garden and toured the National Capitol. Following our tour, we got to perform outside Congressman Mike Kelly’s office! Staff members of Representative Dan Benishek (Michigan) and Representiave Austin Scott (Georgia) also came out to hear the performance. Tonight, the choristers will be visiting national monuments and sites of Washington, DC with their chaperones, an evening all are looking forward to!

Tomorrow, we leave for Philadelphia!

State College / Performance for legislators in Harrisburg

This is a picture of members of Erie's legislative delegation and YPC Erie!

Yesterday, YPC Erie performed at Penn State’s University Park campus in State College. We arrived a little after noon for a rehearsal in the choir room in Music Building I. For the first time, we experienced mirrored walls in a rehearsal. Since our departure, Dr. Bishop has been working with the choristers on self-expression and ways to connect with the audience. Facial expressions come naturally to some, but to others it has been a challenge. The mirrored walls offered a “first glance” (yes, pun intended) into the chorister’s own expressions. They were able to adjust and experiment with different emotions to see what worked, what looked over-the-top, and what didn’t work so well. This unexpected perk to our rehearsal room yesterday was a pleasant surprise that made us well prepared for another solid performance in State College.

At the rehearsal we had two special guests make an appearance. Tony Leach, the 2009-10 “Penn State Laureate” and conductor of Penn State’s Essence of Joy ensemble, was our first visitor. Our second special guest was one of Penn State’s senior executives, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Dr. Blannie Bowen. Dr. Bowen gave some words of encouragement to our choristers and congratulated them on a great rehearsal. I think YPC Erie made a couple new fans and supporters of our efforts. At the concert, the audience included Penn State music faculty members, administrators and even Dr. Guy Jansen, founder of the New Zealand National Youth Choir!

This morning’s performance was rare and exciting. We arrived at our state capitol around 9:30am and had a quick rehearsal where we were welcomed by Representative John Hornaman (he had a committee meeting and couldn’t attend our performance.) Following the rehearsal we got a guided tour of the capitol. The beauty, magnificence and history of the state capitol captivated the choristers’ attention and they remained in awe throughout the entire tour.

Following the tour YPC Erie gave a performance few will forget. The concert was at the Main Rotunda of the Capitol. We were greeted by our two State Senators, Jane Earll and Mary Jo White, and three of our State Representatives, Patrick Harkins, Florindo Fabrizio, and Curt Sonney. In addition to our delegation being present, we performed for a lively audience of other legislators, press and capitol staff. The choristers masterfully demonstrated the value of the arts and arts education to a crowd of decision makers for the state of Pennsylvania: mission accomplished!

As you may recall, U.S. House Representative Mike Kelly charged the choristers to act as ambassadors of the Erie region and it is safe to say our chorus is accomplishing just that. Bring on day 4!

Staff Blog- Caitlin Henning

Greetings on Day 2 of the YPC Erie Tour Across the Commonwealth! Yesterday was my first official day as the new Assistant Conductor and Director of Education for YPC Erie and I don’t think I could have had a better first day on the job anywhere else! I am so impressed with the commitment to excellence that these young people demonstrate! Our first concert in Pittsburgh was a great success! The choristers brought so much energy, enthusiasm, and musicianship to the stage. At the reception after the concert, the audience members expressed how much they enjoyed the performance and many commented on how the choirs made them feel emotionally connected to the music. I’m having so much fun getting to know everyone and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the week has in store. We have arrived at State College for what I’m sure will be another exciting and impressive performance!

Caitlin Henning

*This is a picture of YPC Erie's two newest staff members departing Erie yesterday: Caitlin Henning and Rich Basler

Busride thoughts... Day 1

I am soooo excited to be on tour. It is my first tour and I am very nervous. I can’t wait to see new places meet new people. I am so grateful to be here and to get to know more about everyone in YPC. I hope this is the first of many concerts for me. This is a dream come true.

Jenna Van Houwe

* * *

What a day already! I’m sitting with Meredith Supinski!! She is amazing!! We have been listening to music on her IPod (Hairspray!!) I absolutely love this tour!! We are now going to practice Riki-Tiki-Tavi on the bus!

*Time to practice*

Practice on the bus went better than I expected! I just saw the KDKA radio antenna!! I just did a report on there! Sweet! This trip just keeps getting better!!

It is now 12:06- WE ARE IN PITTSBURGH!!! Oh my gosh!! We are here! We just passed the Roberto Clemente Bridge!!! We are now in downtown Pittsburgh. I’ll post later!!

Jacob Miaczynski

Cantare to "Pop up" all over Erie

On June 4th, Cantare will be popping up giving short impromptu performances all over Erie. How hard could it be to play hide and seek with 60 choristers in a city of a few hundred thousand? Fear not, here is a clue to one of their locations!

Last on the list is a place off of Peach

The shopping and food compete with the beach

A large space indoors

With all types of stores

A stunning performance is not out of reach

This clue tells you where they will be at their last performance at 5:30pm. Do you want some more clues? Check out our website, Facebook and our newsletter for more and see if you can find us on June 4th!

Corrina's Tour of Schools Reflections...

Chorale performing at Iroquois Junior/Senior High School

Our first Tour of Schools combined with Cantare went great! This was my third Tour of Schools and I think that combining it with Cantare was an awesome idea. The audience participated a lot, especially at Iroquois High School. The day was filled with new experiences that I believe will help us thrive in the future. I’m very excited to perform with Cantare at another Tour of Schools. - Corrina Barnett

Chris gives his thoughts on the day...

The Young Men performing at Wayne Middle School

Today YPC was very fun! It was my first Tour of Schools, so I thought it was very interesting. It was fun and tiring, but I enjoyed every second of it. I enjoyed our last stop was the best. I could hear more of all of us. Everyone had great facial expressions, and moved around a lot. I could tell that everyone including the crowds enjoyed the performances throughout the day! - Chris Dyleski, Young Men's

Tamara's Thoughts...

Cantare performing at JoAnna Connell

Today was the best day of my life since I joined YPC!

Today we went to perform at three different schools! The first one was JoAnna Connell an elementary school, the second was a middle school called Wayne, the third school was Iroquois High School. It was a lot of fun because we got to perform and sing with Concert Chorus and the Young Men. Since I joined this group I have made a lot of friends. I will never forget this day!! - Tamara Carrier, Cantare

Three Concerts in One Day?!?! Not a problem for YPC Erie!

Jacob talks about the idea of "family" in YPC

Meredith fills the audience in on her favorite YPC experiences

Choristers are all smiles on Tour of Schools day!!!

YPC's Tour of Schools was a tremendous success!!! The concerts throughout the day were very well-received, and all of the audience members were thrilled to participate in a chorus of the Young Men's rendition of "Sweet Caroline". The Concert Chorus wowed the audiences with "Ain't No Grave Can Hold Me Down", and Cantare sang "Uma Familia" and related our YPC idea that we are all one big family through their song. We are so proud of all of our choristers!

If you were an audience member today, don't forget to "like" us on Facebook and RSVP to our "Choir Camp Raffle" event to enter to win a free trip to Choir Camp! The winner will be drawn on May 31st.

YPC Embarks on "Spring" tour of schools!

Cantare warmups in full swing!!

Chorale getting pumped for the day!!

YPC has an exciting day ahead, adventuring to JoAnna Connell, Iroquois High School and Wayne Middle School this afternoon, we are excited and ready to show everyone what we've got!

Emily's Thoughts

"During retreat we played a game when we got 13 words and had to make a song. A lot of songs were copied but we had a lot of fun. Personally mine was the best!"

-Emily Bahm

Kayla's Thoughts

"This was my first YPC retreat and, if I do say so myself, it has been the 2^nd most fun YPC function I have ever attended, other than camp. All of my friends from YPC have allowed me to realize it’s okay to be who I really am. When I am at school, I usually just do whatever is necessary to fit in. Spending time and bonding with the other YPC choristers was a great experience for me because it allowed me to get to know the new members, and it allowed me to further bond with my old friends. I don’t plan to ever leave YPC (until I’m 18), and I can’t wait for the next YPC retreat (or camp!)"

-Kayla McGrath

Devin's Thoughts

"As a veteran of YPC, I was very excited to be having yet another retreat because it provides a great opportunity to have the new choristers open up and get to know the members of YPC as well as letting us get to know them. Unfortunately I will probably have only one more retreat in my YPC life due to my graduation in 2012, so I enjoy the opportunity to come and be with friends who seem like family to me. I feel it helps us increase and strengthen our relationships. This retreat has been great for bonding and has allowed the old as well as the new choristers to be involved in games that allow everyone’s personality and ideas to be represented. I feel that this was a very fun and productive activity and time well spent. YPC will continue to grow more and more as the years progress if we do things like this more often. Last, but not least, I really do appreciate Dr. Bishop, and his faculty/staff, for picking a stupendous place for us to have this retreat. It has been a fun and informative retreat spending it here at the Watson & Curtze Mansion!"
-Devin Hinchman

Kristin's Thoughts

"I really liked that this retreat was at the Watson-Curtze mansion. It’s not only nice to get to bond with the other choristers, but it’s also nice to hear about the history of the mansion and of Erie. We played all these games to get to work better as a group and to get to know each other better. It’s been a lot of fun and everyone is getting along so well. The mansion is beautiful, and nobody is afraid of it… now that it’s light outside. I hope the location for the next retreat can compare!"

-Kristin Skarupski

Jacob's Thoughts

"This retreat has been the best! We told ghost stories and ate really good food cooked by the amazing Tiffany Gilger. We did a tour of the mansion in the light, not the dark. We saw the first private elevator in Erie, Pa. We also saw some secret passage ways. We woke up this morning to awesome food, had rehearsal and went to see the planetarium show.
-Jacob Miaczynski

YPC Erie hard at work already this morning...

After breakfast, YPC Erie gets to work practicing in the ballroom of the Watson-Curtze Mansion.

YPC Erie...."Ask Jason"

The kids had a blast putting Dr. Bishop on the spot with some very interesting questions...up next: Ice Cream & Ghost Stories!

YPC Erie working together at the retreat...

The Night at the Museum Begins!

The Night at the Museum begins...stay tuned for more pictures and video from the YPC Erie retreat at the Watson-Curtze Mansion tonight!