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Carson City Symphony was founded in 1984 as the Carson City Chamber Orchestra and gave its first concert in October that year. It is a community orchestra open to amateur and volunteer professional musicians. Members come from all walks of life and have ranged from elementary school students to senior citizens. The Symphony performs five or more concerts each year for audiences in Carson City. It also has performed in Minden, Gardnerville, Fallon, South Lake Tahoe, and Virginia City. We play many works by contemporary composers and have commissioned and premiered several pieces. |
Carson City Symphony's
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Carson City Symphony's Youth Chorus After-School Classes Begin September 25, 2024, in Carson City |
Symphony Youth Chorus - known as Joyful Noise Carson Children's Choir prior to
August 2023 - 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 chorus gives children the opportunity to develop
their voices and learn music concepts of rhythm, pitch, expression, and performance
in a small group. The chorus 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.
Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Joyfulnoisekidschoir.
About the Founder and current Director, Nancy Jones:
After a leave of absence, Nancy Jones has returned as director of Symphony Youth Chorus in 2024. She writes wrote about herself soon after founding the group:
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.
About former 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."
This page last updated 8/28/24
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