Spring Showers 

Spring is just around the corner at Guelph Youth Singers and great performances are germinating!  Artistic Director Markus Howard once again features the growing talent of Choirs I and II with an original libretto entitled "... and All for One!".  Why mount a musical?  Here is just a few reasons from our director, Markus Howard:

Exploring the 'entire child' and their artistic gifts 

Movement and dance will help release tensions

Assuming a character, developing their voice and personal qualities exercises a creative muscle we can use in interpreting our choral music.

Working as a team while dancing, acting and singing builds upon the camaraderie necessary when working as a choir.

Work ethic, memorization skills, and aiming towards a common goal build group unity and respect for individuals.

Allowing children to showcase other artistic skills builds confidence 

 An opportunity for parents and family members to assist in the production in areas like costuming, props, scenery, stage managing, text drilling and front of house.

This experience was very positive for our youngest members last season and we look forward to watching their confidence sprout.  The venue is cozy, so get your tickets soon as it is guaranteed to sell out.  Special price for children under 12 is $10.  

..Bring May Flowers

Survey Says!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the GYS Family Survey.  We are so pleased to have collected some great information that will help with developing our marketing and promotions but also assist us in applying for grants and fundraising.

The demographics: We learned that GYS families reflect the 2011 census data for Guelph with 85% of respondents describing themselves as Canadian. 50% of respondents were aged 45-50. The majority of people 57% described themselves as living in Guelph’s suburbs.

How people find out about GYS and community activities: A very key piece of information is that just over half (51%) learned of GYS by word of mouth. The results for where people learned about community events were very varied with Facebook being the most likely choice.

Why parents chose GYS:  Just over half (51%) selected professionalism (e.music instruction/theory), followed by performance opportunities and fun. 

Describing GYS to potential new choristers:  Many people mentioned how much fun it is  “my kids are always singing”. The opportunity to learn was important “It’s an amazing organization run by fantastically talented individuals who are committed to helping children learn choral arts and performance, while developing and demanding excellence from them and stressing the importance of discipline, respect and relationships.” 

We will continue to examine the comments as we shape our plans but as first steps we can see that creating more opportunities for connection between families and improving our social media profile.  

A special thanks to Justin Funk for his assistance with this survey.

How can you help?

Please let us know if you can assist in social media promotion and please talk up the choir and your positive experiences to your friends and family help us create some buzz.

Continue to provide feedback, suggestions for improvement, or complaints are always welcomed: its only by responding to questions or having an opportunity to explain style or direction that clarity can be provided and any concerns addressed.

Parents of Choir ll – we want to respond to the wish to be better connected I am therefore looking for 2 or 3 parents to join me in brainstorming more specific ideas. Please contact me Rosslyn Bentley at 519 856 4069 or email rosslyn@sentex.net or text 226 979 5673