Grammy Award-Winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus Partners with Restoration's Youth Arts Academy

In preparation for its 20-year anniversary, the Grammy award-winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus is holding open auditions, beginning now through October 1, for new participants, children ages 7-9, at the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, located at 1368 Fulton Street.

The auditions are the first step in ushering in an expansion of BYC and new partnership with BSRC Youth Arts Academy. The organization's new permanent residency at BSRC is aimed at bringing a youth chorus to Central Brooklyn that “represents all of Brooklyn,” said Valerie Lewis, executive director for BYC.

Although the the youth chorus has been around for 20 years, this is their first-ever expansion to another location. BYC’s current location is in Cobble Hill, at 179 Pacific St.

“I am a mom of two and have limited transportation. With that being said, we are trying to bring world-class music training to kids throughout the borough,” said Lewis.

The first round of auditions will be held every Wednesday after school from now until October 1. Classes will run from mid-October through June.

“We are all excited about this opportunity to partner with [Brooklyn Youth Chorus] to further bring more programs to the families of Bed-Stuy,” said Tracey Capers, executive vice-president of Programs and Organizational Development at the BSRC. “This partnership allows us to diversify our programs for the community.”

“We've done Carnegie hall, sang with Alicia keys, done Elton John's birthday, and sang on Sesame Street. You name it we've done it,” said Lewis about BYC. Most recently, the group performed recently at the 9/11 Tenth Anniversary Memorial this past Sunday, attended by President Barack Obama and George W. Bush.

“We are running out of space at our current location,” said Lewis. “We currently have 325 kids and the annex will provide us more room.”

Lewis added, BYC doesn’t plan on just building one annex in Bed-Stuy; it hopes to have many throughout Brooklyn within the next 10 years.

Classes at the annex will cost $700 for the year, “But we try not to refuse people who can't pay,” said Lewis. The BYC offers generous financial aid to those who qualify and convenient payment plans as well.

While each student who wants to participate in the class must audition, Lewis stressed that “they don’t have to be the next Mariah Carey, but just interested in singing.”

“We are looking to see if the kids like singing and music. To find an outlet for creative expression,” said Jean Kim, associate conductor at BYC. Kim also will run the auditions and will serve as the head director for the new annex at BSRC.

“We aren’t looking for kids who are one of a kind; it takes time to develop skill to be a professional singer. We expect them to be kids as well.”

Kids who take classes at the annex will perform at BSRC’s Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Holiday Party, as well as other seasonal performances at both the annex and the new Roulette Theater, located at 509 Atlantic Ave.

“This program will help expose Restoration Corporation and [BYC] kids to the rest of Brooklyn” said Peggy Alston, director of the Youth Art Academy at BSRC.

“We are trying to make restoration plaza a hub for arts and culture, and reach out to youth, and families alike,” said Capers.

As just one part of a larger arts and culture umbrella at Restoration Plaza, the BYC annex will now join other youth programs associated with BSRC, such as the Noel Pointer Foundation, which teaches kids music theory, piano, and various string instruments like the violin and cello; and the Youth Arts Academy, which exposes kids to African drumming, dance, and theater.

“This [annex] is going to be something on which we build, bringing more young people into music,” said Kim. “The program builds community, friendships, trust, and social skills.”

For more information on the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and the auditions, log onto BSRC's website or BYC's website.

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