By Stephanie Yrungaray | [email protected]

The Draper Philharmonic Choral Society (DPCS) family has grown ... by 20 children. Two years after establishing the society, they have now added a children’s choir that will be directed by Sue Nielsen.

Sheri Jensen, DPCS founder, says the children’s choir fills a need in the community.

“Sometimes children want to do choir at school but they can’t fit it in because of language immersion or other reasons,” Jensen said. “This [children’s choir] is an answer for them. There is really something special about being part of a choir group.”

Jensen said she is excited about where Nielsen will take the group.

“Our new director is amazing and is going to take [the children’s choir] to new heights,” said Jensen. “I had been looking very specifically and she is an answer to prayer and searching.”

Nielsen has a degree in music education from BYU and has taught private voice lessons and directed numerous children’s choirs.

“I’m very interested in bringing out confidence and musicianship of young people and hesitant singers,” Nielsen said. “Some people need an extra boost of confidence. That sometimes comes from just encouraging them and it sometimes comes from teaching certain techniques and skills.”

The choir will be made up of kids from ages around 8-14 and is a non-auditioned choir. The cost is $60 per month with choir practices once a week at the Vezzoso School of Music in Draper. The children’s choir will have the opportunity to perform in the lobby of Draper Philharmonic Choral Society productions as well as produce their own concert.

Nielsen says she hopes that as the choir grows in size and reputation they will have other opportunities to sing.

“We expect to build a reputation in the community that will give us other performing opportunities with local groups and places and hopefully service opportunities down the road,” said Nielsen. “We want to find opportunities for these kids to explore not just their musical talents but also opportunities to learn about other people and places and needs. We want them to bring their talents and good natures to bring about good in the world.”

Ten-year-old Calvin Kremser has been part of the children’s choir for about a month and a half. He said he has enjoyed learning new music.

“We do many fun songs and my friends are there too,” said Calvin. “It is very fun to learn new things.”

Nielsen said they will also be offering a two two-week summer choir camps June 15–25 and July 6–16.

“We are designing it right now and are very excited,” Nielsen said. “We will rehearse four hours each day for eight rehearsals to get show ready. Our performance will be Broadway music with solos, small ensembles and some big production numbers, all created out of the interests of kids, demographics and the composition of what we’ve got in the group.”

Nielsen said kids gain so much from participating in a children’s choir, including a community of peers, the ability to use their voice as a musical instrument and a way to express themselves and better understand the world.

“Music is the fertilizer that nurtures all of these other things we want to bring about in the children,” said Nielsen. “We want them to have good feelings of self-esteem and feel like they are contributing. The music gives us a place for other things we want to do with our hearts, souls, minds and bodies.”

More information about the Draper Philharmonic Choral Society and children’s choir and Vezzoso School of music can be found at Draperphilharmonic.org and vezzosomusic.org.