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Arts & Entertainment

Parents Can Watch Their Children Sing for a Cause

Area children can sing together while benefiting charities

is making it possible for children to get involved within the community by singing in their new children’s choirs. The choirs will make their debut on Oct. 1 at , benefiting the .

“It’s a great way for them to meet other children who enjoy singing,” said Pam Schott, mother of two daughters in the new children’s choirs. “Those who want to use their voices to help others.”

With the elimination of choirs because of economic hardship, Christine Allison, artistic director and founder of A Chorus for a Cause, felt it was time to provide an opportunity for those singers to be part of one of their two choirs: The Feeder Choir and The Youth Choir. The Feeder Choir includes third- and fourth-graders, while The Youth Choir includes fifth- to eighth-graders. High school students can pick between The Youth Choir and A Chorus for a Cause.  

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“I’m looking for at least 40 singers, if not more,” Allison said.

Schott added: “The more children we can get, the better.” 

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Allison wants to start with a good-sized choir, so she can do a newly published piece called Heartsong. Mattie Stepanek, who wrote books of poetry and died from muscular dystrophy at the age of 13, inspired Joseph Martin to put several of his poems to music. Allison heard the world premiere at Carnegie Hall, when A Chorus for Cause performed. She wants to perform Heartsong right away, so they’re the first ones to do it in Ohio. 

Next May, The Youth Choir is scheduled to perform in West Virginia for an Appalachian choir festival. Although The Youth Choir is not quite formed, they were approved for performance because of A Chorus for Cause’s past work.

Allison knows a mother of two girls who are going to audition for the choirs. The mother wants her girls to sing in the choir because it’s like getting a voice lesson with every rehearsal.

“It’s a lot cheaper to be in the children’s choir than to pay for voice lessons,” Allison said. “If you were to pay for a half-hour voice lesson within that time (one year), it would be over $1,000.”

If accepted, tuition is $225 for the year. Those students who would like to sing for a cause are encouraged to join immediately. Auditions will be in late July to early August. Rehearsals will take place at 4:45 p.m. on Mondays for The Feeder Choir and 5:40 p.m. for the Youth Choir. For information on how to join, call 330-456-3186 or email cdanotes@gmail.com.

A Chorus for a Cause is also trying to start a scholarship program. They’re asking businesses to consider sponsoring a child who’s in need. In order for a child to get financial aid, the child must demonstrate a need by filling out an application. To sponsor a child, email achorusforacause@gmail.com.

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