Carson City Symphony's
"Joyful Noise Carson Children's Choir"
Please note that Joyful Noise Carson Childrens's Choir
is now Symphony Youth Chorus.
Click HERE to go to the new page.
"Joyful Noise photographed in concert, November 17, 2019"
Joyful Noise Carson Children's Choir became an affiliate of the Carson City
Symphony Association in fall 2017, and Nancy Jones was its first Director. The current
Director is Michelle Powers. This choir gives children the opportunity to develop
their voices and learn music concepts of rhythm, pitch, expression, and performance
in a small group. The Joyful Noise choir sings a variety of tunes - hymns, folk songs,
and silly, playful pieces. No musical background is required, and all children are
welcome to participate.
Choir members learn musicality and performance skills through the joy of singing
with a choir. For kids ages 4 through 12 in Carson City, Carson Valley areas.
For more information, contact
Michelle Powers at 775-720-1916 or mrees@nevada.unr.edu.
Recent Performances:
- Sat., April 21, 2018 - Consort Canzona Early Music Instrumental Ensemble and Joyful
Noise Carson Children's Choir present a joint concert at Shepherd of the Sierra Lutheran
Church, 3680 Highway 395.
- Fri., Nov. 30, 2018 - Joyful Noise Carson Children's Choir performs at 6:30 p.m. at
Shepherd of the Sierra Lutheran Church in Carson City (near Best Buy, south of Topsy Lane).
- Sat. Dec. 1, 2018 - Joyful Noise Carson Children's Choir performs from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
at the Nevada Artists Association Gallery in the Brewery Arts Center Building, 449 W. King St., Carson City.
- Thurs., Dec. 13, 2018 - Joyful Noise Carson Children's Choir performs for Carson City Seventh
Day Adventist Church & Food Pantry, 405 College Parkway, Carson City, NV.
- Thurs., Dec. 16, 2018 - Joyful Noise Carson Children's Choir performs
at 7:00 p.m. at the Carson City Seventh Day Adventist Church & Food Pantry,
405 College Parkway, Carson City, NV.
- Thurs., April 25, 2019 - Joyful Noise Carson Children's Choir performs on "Music is
for Life" concert along with Carson City Symphony's Youth Strings ensembles and Not Quite Ready
For Carnegie Hall Players (adult intermediate string ensemble) at the Carson City Community
Center.
- Sat., Nov. 16, 2019, at Shepherd of the Sierra Lutheran Church, and
Sun., Nov. 17, 2019, at First United Methodist Church - Joyful Noise perfomrs "Something for
Everyone" concert with the Carson Chamber Singers.
- Saturday, December 7, 2019 - Joyful Noise Carson Children's Choir performs
at the Nevada Artists Assoc. Gallery in the Brewery Arts Center Building. This is part of
the entertainment on the Carson City Downtown Business Assoc. Wine Walk.
- Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019 - Joyful Noise perform in the lobby of the Carson City Community
Center prior to the Carson City Symphony's 36th Annual "Holiday Treat Concert."
- Sunday, March 1, 2020 - Joyful Noise performs on the Capital City Community Band's "Salute
to Young Musicians" concert in the Carson City Community Center.
- Thursday, April 23, 2020 - Joyful Noise was to perform on the "LatinXpressions II"
Concert with the Symphony Youth Strings and NQR adult intermediate string ensemble. Event was
cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Sunday, July 4, 2021 - Joyful Noise performed with the Carson City Symphony and
Carson Chamber Singers in Genoa, NV,
at the Genoa Americana Celebration.
Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Joyfulnoisekidschoir.
About the Director, Michelle Powers:
Michelle Lynette Powers, a mother of four, is a non-traditional student who returned to
College later in life to complete what she started many years ago. Born in Fort Polk, Louisiana,
she was raised in Carson City, Nevada, with a family of eight and considers Carson her home. She
attended Western Community College part time, while working and raising a family, where she
received her Associates of Arts with emphasis in Management and Music. She finished the last
portion of her Bachelor's in Music Education at UNR and graduated officially in May 2020.
Michelle plays flute as her primary instrument, which she has played since fifth grade, and
enjoys being a flute instructor in her community. She also plays a little piano, guitar,
ukulele, and whatever else she can. Michelle has, and always will have, a soft spot in
her heart for horses.
Michelle has always been part of her community, volunteering and helping as she can. In
grade school she tutored the younger students in the classroom as needed. In high school she was
a horse summer camp counselor for many years. After high school she volunteered at a horse-riding
establishment that catered to people with physical and mental exceptionalities. She mentioned that
one of the great joys of her life was hearing the students laugh and watching them enjoy the
freedom that is felt from the back of a horse.
More recently (2020), she has volunteered as co-director of a vacation Bible school program
for two summers. Additionally, she directed just the music portion of the program for an additional
two summers. Other musical activities have included, coordinating the music portion of the Arts
in the Park summer outreach program sponsored by Brewery Arts Center in Carson City, and
introducing a handbell ensemble to a local elementary school through an after-school program,
also sponsored by Brewery Arts Center.
During the past years Michelle has participated in quite a few local ensembles including
Carson Chamber Singers, Carson City Community Band, UNR Wind Ensemble, UNR Wind Symphony, UNR
Flute Ensemble, UNR Chamber Choir, and the Barefoot Flute Ensemble, as well as additional
Flute Ensembles. She considers herself a lifetime member of the local premier group Tintabulations
Handbell Ensemble.
Michelle is currently the Handbell Choir Director of the Hosanna Handbell Choir at the First
United Methodist Church in Carson City. She has held this position for the past fifteen years. This
group practices once a week, during the regular school year season, and "performs" once a month in
three church services. This group also attends educational seminars individually and as a group as
they can and strives to prepare a concert for the community every other year. Michelle said that
she loves the handbell ensemble and sees herself continuing to do this into the future.
Michelle was appointed the Director of the Joyful Noise Carson Children's Choir in 2020, after
serving as Interim Director for the 2019-2020 season. This community choir is a tuition-free educational
program of the Carson City Symphony Association, for students ages 4-12. This group has performed
most recently as part of the Salute to Young Musicians program at the Carson City Community Center.
They have also enjoyed performing for local senior centers, local churches and other local
establishments. They are looking forward to more singing next season. Michelle said she was excited
for this opportunity and feels it was a really good fit as she had previously served for eight years
as the director of the Cherub Choir at the First United Methodist Church, a group of students who
were ages preschool to second grade, who "performed" once a month in two of the church services. She
looks forward to continuing working with Carson City Symphony Association and Joyful Noise Community
Children's Choir.
At this point in her career, Michelle's music goals include, creating a Handbell program at the
school she will be teaching at, setting up an afterschool "Flute Day at the Café" (ask her more about
that one), and taking ukuleles to the senior centers and letting them play. She recently certified
Level 1 in the Orff Schulwerk process to music education and looks forward to continuing onto Level
2 and 3 soon. She has recently become interested in electroacoustic music and is excited to bring this
to her future classrooms to experience as well. Michelle said, "I am looking forward to becoming a key
educator for the next generation, as well as a mentor that will further support their passion
for the arts."
About the Founder, Nancy Jones:
I asked my parents if I could learn to play the piano when I was four-years-old.
My first piano teacher lived just up the street from our house, so I got to walk to
her home for my lessons. I am grateful to my parents for proviting piano, voice, and
viola lessons over the years and for opportunities to perform at church and community events.
In middle school, I learned to play the viola and continued playing in orchestra at
the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts. In my
junior year of high school, I became a vocal performance major and loved participating
in regional and state choirs and orchestras. I attended Brigham Young University, and
though my major was English, I made sure my electives were studded with music courses:
music history, conducting, organ, and my favorite, Women's Chorus, one of only four
auditioned choirs at the university. I performed in Women's Chorus as a second soprano
for three years.
As a mom, I have loved singing with my little daughters and playing at mommy-and-me
music classes. I teach private voice lessons, and perform with the Carson
Chamber Singers. I think making music helps children with their emotional stability
by giving comfort when they are uneasy and letting them express their joy in life and
gratitude to God. On a practical level, singing songs aids our family with transitions
and routines, memorizing facts, and getting our work done - plus, it's fun. I hope you
will join us for this exciting new children's choir.
Carson City Symphony's youth programs are funded in part by grants from the Nevada Arts
Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, and private donations.
