Happy holiday season! I hope you all are decking the halls, jingling your bells and getting your wassailing on.
I've been meaning to write about this subject for a long time but just never getting around to it. Well, now with the holiday season here and choir concerts filling the air, I need to tell you about a group that is really dear to me.
Last January I started singing with the Portland Intergenerational Women's Choir. This choir was created and is led by my friend Crystal. She started this choir with the mission to bridge the generation gap through music and service. Rehearsals are held in senior living villages where the residents can come and sing with other women of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life. From the website:
"In today's society there is a disconnect within our communities. A gap has been created between the young and old. Part of the PIWC mission is to mend the gap and change the attitudes we have about our young and old.... We are for every woman that wants music in her life. PIWC believes every individual has a voice and welcomes all singers at all musical levels."
I will admit...I originally joined because my friends were in it and I was jealous that they got to perform at places like The Grotto and the Zoo. At the first rehearsal, two of my friends couldn't come and I started to have my doubts. Is this really what I want to do with my Monday nights if my friends weren't there? Was it even worth it?
However, I kept coming. There were times I had to force myself, but I showed up. Soon though, I noticed that every single time I left rehearsals, I was happier. I had not realize how much I missed singing in a group. When I was singing with these ladies, I felt joy. I felt a connection to the women I was raising my voice with and a sense of community that I think only music can create.
Monday nights are now something I look forward to all week. I have made some fantastic friends and I get to sing my heart out with 40+ women every week. The 1 1/2 hour rehearsals fly by and, without fail, I leave pumped and full of energy.
Now, our Christmas performances are starting! We had our first show last Saturday at the Portland Symphonic Girlchoir Annual Jinglebear show where PIWC were their special guests. We only did four songs, but we tore the roof off that place! It was awesome! Three of the songs were Christmas songs, but our last one was Price Tag by Jessie J (it's apparently on the radio now, but I hadn't heard it before). The message of the song is that life isn't about money and that we should just enjoy life, which is an important message during this season where consumerism can run out of control. I have a solo in this song. It's a rap solo. Yes, I rap now. And I am going to toot my own horn right here...I rock that rap solo! When we were doing that song, the audience got really into it and it was such a rush to be up there watching their reactions. They loved us.
Don't worry if you didn't get to see my rap debut...there are more shows coming up! Four, to be exact (except for we won't be doing Price Tag at The Grotto... it's not exactly appropriate for that place). If you can, I really, really hope you can come out and see a performance. And not just to see me (though I am pretty fabulous). The PIWC performances are fun, lively and will let you see the community I am talking about and am damn proud to be a part of.
Below is a list of our upcoming performances. All of the shows are free except for The Grotto, where you do need to pay admission to their Festival of Lights (which is a great holiday activity in itself).
I've been meaning to write about this subject for a long time but just never getting around to it. Well, now with the holiday season here and choir concerts filling the air, I need to tell you about a group that is really dear to me.
Last January I started singing with the Portland Intergenerational Women's Choir. This choir was created and is led by my friend Crystal. She started this choir with the mission to bridge the generation gap through music and service. Rehearsals are held in senior living villages where the residents can come and sing with other women of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life. From the website:
"In today's society there is a disconnect within our communities. A gap has been created between the young and old. Part of the PIWC mission is to mend the gap and change the attitudes we have about our young and old.... We are for every woman that wants music in her life. PIWC believes every individual has a voice and welcomes all singers at all musical levels."
I will admit...I originally joined because my friends were in it and I was jealous that they got to perform at places like The Grotto and the Zoo. At the first rehearsal, two of my friends couldn't come and I started to have my doubts. Is this really what I want to do with my Monday nights if my friends weren't there? Was it even worth it?
However, I kept coming. There were times I had to force myself, but I showed up. Soon though, I noticed that every single time I left rehearsals, I was happier. I had not realize how much I missed singing in a group. When I was singing with these ladies, I felt joy. I felt a connection to the women I was raising my voice with and a sense of community that I think only music can create.
Monday nights are now something I look forward to all week. I have made some fantastic friends and I get to sing my heart out with 40+ women every week. The 1 1/2 hour rehearsals fly by and, without fail, I leave pumped and full of energy.
Now, our Christmas performances are starting! We had our first show last Saturday at the Portland Symphonic Girlchoir Annual Jinglebear show where PIWC were their special guests. We only did four songs, but we tore the roof off that place! It was awesome! Three of the songs were Christmas songs, but our last one was Price Tag by Jessie J (it's apparently on the radio now, but I hadn't heard it before). The message of the song is that life isn't about money and that we should just enjoy life, which is an important message during this season where consumerism can run out of control. I have a solo in this song. It's a rap solo. Yes, I rap now. And I am going to toot my own horn right here...I rock that rap solo! When we were doing that song, the audience got really into it and it was such a rush to be up there watching their reactions. They loved us.
Don't worry if you didn't get to see my rap debut...there are more shows coming up! Four, to be exact (except for we won't be doing Price Tag at The Grotto... it's not exactly appropriate for that place). If you can, I really, really hope you can come out and see a performance. And not just to see me (though I am pretty fabulous). The PIWC performances are fun, lively and will let you see the community I am talking about and am damn proud to be a part of.
Below is a list of our upcoming performances. All of the shows are free except for The Grotto, where you do need to pay admission to their Festival of Lights (which is a great holiday activity in itself).
Friday, December 9, 2011
The Heights at Columbia Knoll - 8320 NE Sandy Blvd Portland, OR 97220
Time: 7 pm
Monday, December 12, 2011
Laurelhurst Village - 3060 SE Stark St Portland, OR 97214
Time: 7 pm
Friday, December 16, 2011
Irvington Village - 420 NE Mason St Portland, OR 97211
Time: 6:30 pm
Thursday, December 22, 2011
The Grotto Festival of Lights - 8840 NE Skidmore St Portland, OR 97220
Time: 5:15 pm
So, that's that! If you are interested in knowing more about PIWC and are maybe even a little bit interested in joining, go to the Portland Intergenerational Women's Choir website and check out some of our performances from last spring on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/PIWCSings). Hope to see you all soon!
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