TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

They're In Tune With The Program

ADVERTISEMENT

By B.C. MANION, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 16, 2008

Updated: 02/14/2008 03:22 pm

LAKE MAGDALENE - It began with one woman.

Now, more than 180 young singers come to Lake Magdalene United Methodist Church every week to explore the beauty of music.

A trip around the church office building on Tuesday nights finds the Cadets warming up in one room; the Children's Choir going through its paces in another; the Girl Choir rehearsing downstairs and Voce di Vita refining skills upstairs.

On Monday nights, Le Petit Choeur hones its musical repertoire.

The singers come from all over Tampa, from Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Brooksville, Land O' Lakes and other locales in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Hernando and Polk counties.

Their musical performances have taken members throughout the region, across the nation and abroad.

The choral program, which celebrated its 15th season this week, began with the desire of Lynne Gackle to offer a choral music program for children on the north end of Tampa.

The Lutz woman had led a girl choir in Miami and wanted to start one here. She had a meeting at her house with people from her church, Lake Magdalene United Methodist, to see whether they could help.

The church agreed to provide space to get a program going, and in 1992 the Gulf Coast Girl Choir, was formed - beginning with 42 girls, ages 8 through 12.

Over time, Gackle saw the need to expand, adding a younger division for girls and boys, an older division for young women and a mixed ensemble for young men and women.

As the Gulf Coast Youth Choirs grew, it added faculty members. Besides Gackle, who conducts Le Petit Choeur and Voce di Vita, there's Miroslava Boyadzhieva, who conducts the girl choir; Marjorie Smith, who conducts the children's choir; and Esther Grondahl, who conducts the cadet choir.
Practice sessions vary widely.

At a recent cadets' session, Grondahl combined choral exercises with physical moves.

The youngsters mimicked her singing and her movements in a session that at times seemed like a low-impact gym class. The kids were learning music - and they were having a ball.

Members of the children's choir also were enjoying themselves, but Smith held them to a higher musical standard. She challenged them: Sometimes she doled out praise; sometimes she pushed for more.

The vocal demands were greater for members of the girl choir, as Boyadzhieva ran them through exercises and pushed them to blend their voices.

Each group works on breathing, diction, posture and emotion. Singers read and memorize music and practice hitting and holding notes.

By the time they reach Le Petit Choeur and Voce di Vita, the vocalists go beyond technical achievement, striving to express the intrinsic nature of a piece.

Le Petit Choeur - much as the cadets - begins rehearsals with lots of physical moves and vocal exercises. But it doesn't take long for the group to settle into the quest of finding the soul of a choral piece.

As she ran them through a recent session, Gackle pushed the group to enunciate the words they were singing and to sing louder or softer in various parts of the piece to create the proper mood.

Being involved in Gulf Coast requires dedication, said Chelsey Strawbridge, 18, and Megan Gackle, 17, who is Lynne Gackle's daughter. Both high school seniors practice four hours a week as members of Le Petit Choeur and Voce di Vita.

Both have been in Gulf Coast for 12 years, and both plan to attend Florida State University to study music.

The choral program has taken them to China, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Nashville and many other places.

It's hard work but worth the effort, said Megan Gackle, who attends Gaither High School.

"Music has always been an outlet for me. It's a great form of expression. It's where I find my peace," she said.

"It's been a life-changing experience," said Strawbridge, who goes to Sickles High School. "You learn a lot about yourself through music. You learn what you are capable of."

During a recent session with members of Voce di Vita, conductor Gackle coaxed them to realize the depth of the work they were performing.

"It's not superficial music," she told the singers. "There's a lot of emotion in this piece. The key thing is they the audience must hear the poetry."

Finding the essence of a musical work thrills Andrew Lai, a senior at Hillsborough High School who has been a member of Gulf Coast for eight years.

His favorite part of the choral season is when all of the Voce di Vita members have memorized the music so they can follow the conductor's cue - to express the subtleties of a piece. The 17-year-old recalled his reluctant entry into the world of choral music.

He was in fourth grade.

"My mom had to push me to go," he said.

After his first rehearsal, though, he was hooked.

Although he plans to pursue a career in medicine, music has found a permanent place in his soul, Lai said.

That's exactly the kind of thing Gackle hopes will happen with the children and young men and women who take part in Gulf Coast.

She wants the music to be a means to an end - to help cultivate discipline, commitment, team work and joy.

Mandy Traylor, 18, travels on Monday and Tuesday nights each week from St. Petersburg to attend choral practice. Her mother, Melanie Traylor, drives her about an hour each way so Mandy can eat dinner and do homework on the way.

"She lives, eats, breathes, sleeps music," explained Melanie Traylor.

Indira and Alston Phillips, whose 7-year-old son Aaron belongs to the cadets, were attracted to the program by Gackle's reputation.

Although they live in south Tampa, they don't mind making the trip across town.

Their son enjoys himself, and they are impressed by the quality of instruction.
Gackle said the choral program could not have become what it is without the help of Lake Magdalene United Methodist, the support from music supervisors in Hillsborough County public schools and grants and gifts from public and private organizations.

THE CHOIRS

CADETS: A training program for boys and girls in grades one through three who have minimal musical experience. The goals are to foster an interest and love in music, to develop musicianship, to introduce music theory and music reading and to develop vocal skills. Tuition is $210. No audition is necessary, but membership is limited.

CHILDREN'S CHOIR: An intermediate level of girl and boy singers, ages 8 through 12, who have some music experience. Tuition is $420. Audition is based on vocal ability and aural music skills.

GIRL CHOIR: A touring ensemble of girls, ages 12 through 16. Tuition is $460. Selection is based on vocal skills, musicianship and attitude.

LE PETIT CHOEUR: A musically and vocally advanced touring ensemble of young women ages 13 to 18. Tuition is $520. Selection is by audition.

VOCE Di VITA: An auditioned ensemble of male and female singers in grades nine through 12. Members are extremely motivated and are dedicated to choral music. Tuition is $350.

Auditions are scheduled for May 12-13. The choral season runs from August through May. There are some need-based scholarships available for each choir.

INFORMATION: Call (813) 909-0044, go to www.gulf coastchoir.com or e-mail admin@gulfcoastchoir.com

Reporter B.C. Manion can be reached at (813) 865-1507 or bmanion@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT