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Artistic Director Anthony Trecek-King
reflects on his first Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. concert:
Growing up on an Air Force base in North Dakota,
Anthony Trecek-King observed the Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. holiday just like any other kid: he went to
school. Only in the last twenty years has the third
Monday in January been recognized as a Federal
holiday. Trecek-King, however, didn’t mind losing
out on a day off. “We would watch a video and have
a discussion,” he remembers; “it was an opportunity
to learn about Dr. King and the issues he
championed.” These issues, he admits, didn’t hit
home until much further down the road.
Later in his education, a brief meeting
with a teacher impacted both his course of study, and
his perspective on King. Although he loved music and
earned a musician's scholarship to the University of
Nebraska at Omaha, Trecek-King chose to study
engineering.
His dream of pursuing music seemed impractical, but
to
fulfill his scholarship, he enrolled in a conducting
course. After just two weeks,
the professor called him in to talk. “He told me that I
had talent,” Trecek-King recalls, “Then he said, ‘have
you ever seen anyone like you do this?’ I realized, he
meant African American.”
This conversation proved to be a catalyst for Trecek-
King. "It was a push in the right direction," he
remembers, and although he made the life-changing
decision to pursue conducting,
Trecek-King avoided musical selections that might
stereotype him as a "black conductor." He chose
instead to explore many different types of music.
Says Trecek-King, "I purposely avoided celebrating
MLK. I felt like I needed to establish myself before I
could go there."
Trecek-King spent more than a decade conducting
choruses and teaching music. When he joined the
Boston Children's Chorus, he saw an opportunity to
push young singers to develop their talent. Like
singing, "conducting is very personal. It's an
embodiment of who you are. When people don't like
it, it can be as if they don't like you." Facing this
challenge, however, is how Trecek-King learned to
take risks and rise to the ranks of internationally
recognized choral conductors.
The challenge of conducting his first concert
in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave the holiday
a "new meaning" for Trecek-King. "Two-and-a-half
minutes to air, and I thought: we're about to sing
King's favorite hymn, with kids from three different
cities and completely different backgrounds...this is
what this day is about." For the Boston Children's
Chorus, the concert was an embodiment of Dr. King's
dream of unity and compassion amongst children of
all backgrounds, and for Trecek-King, the concert was
the fulfillment of a lifelong desire to conduct music
and inspire young musicians and singers to follow
their dreams.
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Do you know a child who loves to Sing?
Boston Children’s Chorus will hold auditions for its
2007-2008 performance season during the weeks of
March 12-17, April 30-May 5, and June 11-16.
Auditions take only ten minutes, and no prepared
material is required. Singers ages 7-18 will be placed
into one of nine beginner, intermediate or
performance level choruses. Boston Children’s
Chorus is a professional level performing chorus that
tours nationally and internationally, and encourages
students to excel musically, foster self-confidence,
and build their community throughout greater Boston.
On May 17, open rehearsals will be
held for music teachers and community leaders who
are interested in learning about the Boston Children's
Chorus.
Students who already participate in the chorus will
have the opportunity to bring a friend to chorus
on May 24.
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Boston Children's Chorus first CD recording,
SING!
Let the sweet voices of our
choristers elevate your soul! Order the Boston
Children's Chorus first CD recording!
SING! takes you on an
unforgettable
musical journey with songs in Latin and Hebrew, a
Japanese lullaby, African-American spirituals,
gospel songs and American anthems. Click
here to listen to and order SING!
.
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We are proud to recognize the following BCC singers
for their special achievements:
Singer Maggie Vo of Concert Choir won first
place in the
Camille Cosby "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" essay
contest. The annual contest is for girls in the Boston
area between the ages of 11 and 14. Maggie won
$100 and a package of gifts.
Jimmy Miotto of Lyric Choir was a nominee for the Child Actor DASH (Distinguished Achievement and Special Honors) Award given by the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theatres. He was nominated for his portrayal of Winthrop Paroo in Music Man presented by Theatre III in Acton, and performed solo performances of "Gary, Indiana" and "The Wells Fargo Wagon." Jimmy did not go on to win the award but was very honored to be one of the few nominees. This December, Clare McCallan of Lyric Choir competed at the annual Robotnautica First Lego League Tournament at Worcester Polytech Institute. More than 600 people were in attendance. When they were about to begin the day long competition, an official announced from the stage that the group invited to sing the national anthem had cancelled at the last minute. He asked if anyone would be willing to come up on the stage and sing the national anthem a cappella. Without any hesitation, Clare climbed the stage and told them that she was with the Boston Children's Chorus and that she was willing and able to do it. As the saying goes, she knocked it out of the park! Not only did many people come up to her throughout the day to compliment her, but the judges also awarded her team the "Best Team Spirit " award. We'd also like to thank all who participated and
volunteered to make the Fourth Annual Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. concert a
resounding success!
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Our families are a mighty force in advancing the
mission of the chorus. From weekly rehearsals to
evening performances, not only do they navigate the
busy schedule of chorus activities but they navigate
the city of Boston (and beyond). Many of the families
juggle not only the schedule of the BCC, but also
school, sports, religious and extracurricular activity
schedules for their singer and often for his/her
siblings as well. Knowing the many opportunities that
are vying for the time of our families, we are fortunate
that they make the BCC an important part of
their lives.
Why, I wondered, do families become so engaged in
the chorus? I now understand that the reasons vary -
some come for the music education, some for the
social vision of the chorus; some come to take
advantage of the life skills that are developed through
choral music and some come to connect with people
from different walks of life; some come for the sheer
love of music and many simply for the opportunity to
sing.
When all is said and done, it only matters that they
have come and have committed to being a vital part of
the BCC team.
As the chorus continues to expand and grow, the role
of our families in the Parent Association becomes
increasingly more important. This connection with our
families enables the organization to more fully achieve
our goals. The richness of the mission comes alive
first with our singers and then with our families; in
turn, these relationships determine the way in which
we impact the community.
We delight in acknowledging the role of our families in
the success of the Boston Children’s Chorus.
- David C. Howse, Director of Programs and
Community Impact
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OUR APPLAUSE GOES TO:
State Street Corporation State Street Corporation strives to be a community
leader. The company has a long history of supporting
the less
advantaged in areas where the company has a
business presence. The corporation actively
engages its communities through philanthropy,
volunteerism, employee contributions and community
development investing. State Street's goal is to
improve the
lives of those in need by providing support to
charitable organizations around the world.
State Street's relationship with the Boston Children’s
Chorus
began in 2003 and most recently involved
sponsorship of the Martin Luther King concert in
January 2007. "We are proud to have been a part of
this event, which promoted Dr.
King’s message in a meaningful and insightful way.
The Boston Children’s Chorus deserves praise for
not only the work it does on behalf of children, but also
for its commitment to honoring Dr. King,”
said George A. Russell Jr., Executive Vice President
and Director of Community Affairs at State
Street. “This concert is a great way of celebrating
his life and keeping his message alive.”
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