YNS Quotes

Ryan, YNS alumnus and 11 year member continues...

“...and lose myself and my cares in song. As the years went by the other members grew to become second family to me. After spending several hours together each week, it’s nearly impossible to not get to know each other and begin to build a strong feeling of trust in one another. Various trips, tours and concerts only expedited the process. As we grew closer together, such familiarity within the choir translated to even more beautiful music and the establishment of dependable, life-long friends. As I sit and think back on all the years I spent in YNS, I am reminded not only of all the friends I made or some of my favorite songs we sang over the years but also of the lessons I learned. I remember my first year in Treble, one of the former directors had a little chant about correct singing posture that she taught us and had us recite every week. We were also given a strong foundation in solfege during Treble which is something that was only strengthened as I went up through the different choirs and is something that, in my opinion, any practicing musician should know how to use when going through a piece of repertoire. As I went up through the different choirs, even more lessons were learned. Each lesson built on the last to make me an even better singer and musician. These lessons included singing in a round, singing in 2-4 parts, how to change one’s tone color and quality, and breath support and control.

YNS also taught me 3 very important life lessons that have helped to make me a well-rounded person. First being responsibility. As a member of a choir it was my responsibility to do my fair share in memorizing my part and singing it to the best of my ability. Second, YNS taught me teamwork. We each had our responsibility to know our part and sing it at the best of our ability. While we weren’t all the most fantastic singers to begin with, we soon learned that if we each did what we could and worked as a team, nothing was really too far out of our grasp. Lastly, YNS taught me that only through diligent practice can I better my ability. With only meeting together to rehearse once a week, practice at home was a must and I know I noticed a big difference in the way I sounded and the way the group sounded if each of us had done our part to practice several times throughout the week.

As one can see, YNS has been a very important part of my life. I feel that its importance is increasing for several reasons. First, in a world that is constantly dominated by how you look on the outside and what you wear, YNS is a place where you are accepted no matter what. It’s a place where you can really just be yourself and not really worry about what others are going to think, because, as a member, everyone is equal. Secondly, the value of music education will never decrease. YNS prides itself on being not only a warm welcoming environment but also being one that kids can learn how to sing properly. Also, there are many experiences and opportunities that YNS made available to me that I wouldn’t have been able to partake in if I wasn’t a member. This includes singing with the DuPage Opera Theatre in their productions of Bizet’s “Carmen” and Puccini’s “La Boheme,” singing in “Carmina Burana,” singing with renowned recording artist Judy Collins, getting to work with renowned composer Henry Leck and songwriter Malcolm Dalglish, and touring Disneyworld. YNS has also helped me to develop a very strong stage presence. My parents and I both noticed as I was involved in high school theater productions and even performances with my college chorus, that I was composed, yet very calm and relaxed while on stage. Finally, YNS has really become a second home for me. Even now, as a sophomore in college, I still love going back anytime I get the chance to sit in on a rehearsal or attend a performance or just sit and catch up with either a member or a director and check in and see how things are going. YNS has given me some of the greatest memories of my life and those memories will most likely continue as the years go by through the friends and music that I have had the opportunity to make through this organization.”