There will be a new opportunity this fall for Port McNeill residents and North Islanders at large to come together and sing.
Wild Heart Music’s new choir director Ali Romanow will be running a “Community Roots Choir and Children’s Choir” starting in September.
Romanow said the choir will be comprised of all-inclusive roots music from around the world taught by ear.
“My goal is to make singing as accessible to anyone who wants to sing, and to pick a range of music from around the world so there are a whole bunch of different cultures represented,” explained Romanow.
“It’s pretty amazing when you have people who may not have had the opportunity to sing before, it can bring people together and create a warm safe space,” said Romanow.
Although this is Romanow’s first year with Wild Heart Music, she comes highly recommended to the program both her friend and Wild Heart board director Nicole McKay and former Wild Heart Choir director Joey Clarkson.
“It was perfect timing between Nicole bringing my name up and Joey needing someone who would care about the program and would feel comfortable handing over the program too,” said Romanow, adding that she and Clarkson have actually been friends since childhood.
Romanow is a multi-instrumentalist and music educator who is a part of the indie collective ‘the Fugitives’ and director of the FolkHarmonic Orchestra in Courtenay.
“I got a really unique glimpse of the community of singers that are hungry for the choir, I came up for the Marcus Mosely Workshop in April and it was neat to see how many people came out to the event,” said Romanow, adding “My partner was born and raised in Sointula, so I have family up there and am passionate about bringing music to as many people as I can.”
Romanow said the only thing people need to join the choir is a want to sing. “I believe that everyone can sing and that if you want to sing that you definitely should and this is a great place to explore that,” she said, adding “There will also be parts for advances singers who have been singing a long time and want more challenges - this is a place for broad a broad range of singers who want to come together and share music together.”
The Wild Heart Community Roots Choir and Children’s Choir will take place at the A-Frame Church in Port McNeill on Mondays, twice a month, from September though to December. The Community Choir will be open to anyone aged 12 and up and the children’s choir will have a limited number of spaces for children aged 6 -11.
“The pressure is not to learn complicated parts but the more on the social aspect of joining together in song,” said Wild Heart Music board member Deborah Murray, adding “If you are at all hesitant just come once and then you will know whether it is something you want to join.”
Murray added that Romanow will also be running the Strength in Music program in the spring, which is the program that Wild Heart Music operates to bring choir lessons and vocal workshops to students in North Island schools.
“The North Island is very fortunate to have Wild Heart it is such a great not-for-profit that is brining some great music and opportunities for the North Island and I am really excited to be working with them,” said Romanow.
For more information on the Wild Heart Community Roots and Children’s Choir visit www.wildheartmusic.org or call Deborah Murray at 250-956-3297.