Music is Good For You! Join the Mill City Singers with Neighbors and Friends
Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 12:16PMArticle by Claudia Kittock
The Mill City Singers have been in existence just short of two years. They began as part of an idea to bring more music to the community, and with the central tenet of music for all. The Mill District is home to many people in the higher levels of socio-economic status, and yet, 25% of residents live below the poverty line. We came together to make music...all of us. There are no fees, auditions, nor attendance requirements. Everyone is welcome.
When the idea for the Singers was brought to MacPhail Center for Music, the immediate response was “YES! How about having JD Steele as the director?” As you can imagine, that was a question with only one answer, and to those of us who sing in the Singers, our lives have been forever changed.
We gather every Saturday afternoon on the 8th floor of the Guthrie Theater to rehearse for 90 minutes. Everyone is welcome and quickly become part of this microcosm of the Mill District. The Singers are sponsored by Friends of the Mill District, so while many of the singers live in the Mill District, many don't and it isn’t a requirement. You just need to be a ‘friend’ who loves to sing.
Friends of the Mill District is a neighborhood charity. All of the work is done by a small group of hearty volunteers. We rely on donations to pay the salaries for the people we contract with to lead our group. The Friends have also been fortunate to have received an MRAC grant the past 2 years which goes for the salary of the director.
If you have heard about the Singers and think it sounds like fun, it is! Feel free to come and give us a tryout. If we pass, come back. If we don’t, no harm has been done. We are stronger together and truly treasure every person who decides to become part of our group.
If you don’t enjoy singing, but love to listen, we are performing at the Capri Theater on Tuesday, October 17 at 7:00p. The Capri is located at 2027 West Broadway, and a good time is promised! Grab a friend and come for an hour of joyful singing and genuine community. I promise you will leave with a smile. We all do!
