25 Years of Song

Break time was over in the music room, a borrowed space used by a school band during the day. A swarm of kids rushed through the doors. There was chatter and laughter; the sound level grew as the room filled with excited voices. From the front of the room came a snap and clapping that turned into a “hand-jive.” One by one, the kids joined in the rhythm until the final clap and all were silent.

Beth Basham had beckoned her brood into attention, with arms at their sides, ready for their musical cue. And so began the final rehearsal for the Winter Concert 2015 of the Youth Choir of Central Oregon (YCCO).

“I believe music makes a difference in the lives of all people, but particularly in the lives of children and teenagers,” said Basham, the creative director and founder of the YCCO.

“In 1990, I was approached by the Cascade Festival of Music to organize a children’s choir,” explained Basham. “It began with about 60 students, and they were known as the Cascade Festival Children’s Choir. The singers were young, but as they grew older, they didn’t want it to end. ‘Where do we go from here?’ they asked.”

Because of the passion the children’s choir evoked in these young singers, Basham was inspired to create something more, to build on the music and performance opportunities for the area’s youth. With the help of a dedicated group of volunteers, and riding on the artistic reputation the children’s choir had achieved in its first four years, Basham filed for and was granted nonprofit status for her program.

As a community-based nonprofit, the choir evolved. Under Basham’s direction and guided by a board of directors, the program grew to include three choirs where there was once just one. Now the youngest voices (grades 1-4) find their way in YCCO’s Singers School, where instructor Andrea Black encourages each child to explore their voice and their love of singing. Accompanied by pianist Debbi McMahon, Basham herself teaches children in grades 5-8 in the Debut Choir, and teen choristers in grades 8-12 hone their skills under her direction in the nonprofit’s Premiere Choir.

While the youngest singers are never turned away, auditions are required for the Debut and Premiere Choirs. Each member of YCCO is also required to participate in their school’s music program.

“It enhances the YCCO experience, and there is a collegial relation to the schools,” Basham explained. “We like to collaborate with the schools.”

The choirs have achieved state, national and international recognition and acclaim. Every year, members of the Premiere Choir travel to cities such as New York, Chicago and New Orleans to perform in major venues including Carnegie Hall. The dedicated youth have even traveled to perform at Canterbury Cathedral in England and this year will join an international choir to sing at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

“You can speak a different language and come from a different culture, but music allows you to come together and create something beautiful,” said Basham. “That is really a powerful message for the world right now.”

At YCCO, students are encouraged to explore and expand their love of music. They learn their passion for singing is to be cherished and nurtured.

“I joined the YCCO in fifth grade,” recalled Kimberly Wilson. “I loved to sing all my life but had never been part of an auditioned ensemble. The first time I went to choir rehearsal and sang with Mrs. Basham, I knew I had found a home.

“I learned not only how to sing incredible music but also how to sing properly — blend, shape a vowel, and phrase a line with proper dynamics. Mrs. Basham paid attention to the little details that take a piece from merely pleasing to awe-inspiring.”

Wilson graduated high school and moved on from the YCCO in 2005, but the passion she discovered while singing with Basham ultimately led her to the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in New York City where she’s studying musical theater.

“Mrs. Basham dramatically changes the trajectory of the lives of those she touches,” Wilson said.

“Mrs. Basham has been a real inspiration,” agreed McKennah Thornton, who is in her sixth year with YCCO. “I learned how music can do anything.”

For McKennah, music is more than notes and words, and she doesn’t sing just to sing, but believes her voice gives her an opportunity to change people’s lives through music and theater.

“When there is a change in the world, it is influenced and defined by music — like the Roaring 20s and the Jazz Age,” she said.

One of the longest running choir members, Savannah King, will graduate this year after 11 years of traveling from Redmond to Bend every Monday night for choir. But like those before her, she’ll take the passion and confidence she gained from Basham and YCCO with her on her journey.

“Mrs. Basham is my role model,” Savannah explained. “She has a glow about her that pulls people together and makes them feel special.”

For Parker Wild, the choir is not only a place where he feels understood, but a place where he has learned to embrace his passion for music.

“It gives me a place for music where it is fun to be in MY world,” he said, laughing. “I learned to sing — out loud!”

With the support of her staff, Basham has expanded numerous children’s minds and musical abilities while showing vast audiences that children’s voices can be sophisticated, profoundly musical and artistically excellent. Her dedication to them comes back in their devotion to her and to the music, to the choir. Rehearsals aren’t a Monday night chore; they’re something each chorister looks forward to.

As parents gathered in the hall to pick up their children at the end of rehearsal, the chatter and laughter that had resonated in the music room earlier, resumed.

As first year student in the YCCO’s Singers School, Maya Andrick, came out of the practice room, her mother asked her how it was. The grin on her face said it all.

“Really cool,” she exclaimed, adding that she simply loves the sound of musical unison and the social interaction the choir offers. “It is my pride and joy!”

“Mom, tonight we sang like angels,” gushed another student as she headed toward the exit.

As the room slowly emptied, Basham was surrounded by lingering students asking questions and soliciting suggestions on how to improve their performance.

“I love the kids,” Basham said, laughing affectionately. “They are the happiest part of my life!”