Spectrum Youth Singers is looking for ways to serve our community. We would be pleased to form a group for children in grades 2 – 3, a homeschool group, or an advanced choir for high school girls where leadership skills can be developed. Once we have a few interested singers, we can start a singing group just for you!
Highlights
Songwriting Workshop with Jim Papoulis
In October 2020, students created an original piece of music under the guidance of world-renowned composer Jim Papoulis. The workshop offered the experience of creative collaboration and promoted teamwork and respect. In the first session, participants got to know each other, talked about what songs are, talked about their lives, their hopes, their wonders, and created a topic for the song. In between the first and second session, a track was produced, so by the second workshop, participants could hear the track, talk about harmonies and finish the song. Upon completion, students recorded the song.
Jim Papoulis writes for films, corporations, choirs, dance and a wide swath of other artists. He has conducted hundreds of performances worldwide, with symphonies, chamber ensembles, pop bands, gospel and children’s choirs. Jim is a longtime collaborator with top international musicians including: Jason Mraz, Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Beyonce, the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, London Boys Choir, London Symphony, Beijing Children’s Choir, Faith Hill, Natalie Cole, Tokyo String Quartet, Moscow Philharmonic, and even Snoop Dog. Jim's true passion is conducting original songwriting workshops for children.
Global connections: in the Fall of 2020, our singers worked virtually with an actor in Scotland and had masterclasses in vocal technique with a vocal expert in Singapore. Each session was followed by interesting questions dealing with culture, food, climate, language, and more! In 2021, we have continued our connection with Singapore and learned a song in the Malay language and in Mandarin. We met an actor from Britain who worked with us on the importance of facial expression. TIK TOK SINGER NATHAN EVANS TAUGHT US THE WELLERMAN AND WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH HIM. Local connections: our boys choir had a vocal master classes with a Naperville and Plainfield music teachers.
"It's our duty to instill strength and stability in our nation through music." Master Sgt. Christal Rheams