Stories

Edie is a Charlotte Children's Choir Alumni - she has done a video of her version of a very popular song by the artist Adele, titled "Someone Like You." What is interesting about the piece is that the artist's version is a very slow ballad-like piece, but Edie has recast it as a pop version.

Everything you hear on the track is Edie--background harmony and musical back-up (which is all done on computer). In addition to her vocals, she is
also becoming a very credible producer.

Edie, to this day, believes that the time she spent in the Choir was crucial to her musical development.

Alumna in Nigeria Teaching Music to the Blind

She knew the best gift she could give them was the gift of a choir. Adriana Jerez is a volunteer choir director in Abuja, Nigeria. She says they smile when she sings.

Adriana was a member of the Charlotte Children’s Choir for eight years starting in 2002. "My leadership skills, music theory, and vocal discipline have allowed me to direct a choir where I must teach everything by example," Adriana says. "With impoverished blind students, I can't use sheet music or hand out lyrics of songs. Everything is taught through voice and repetition. Had I not been so well trained in both warm-ups and techniques, as well as had the opportunity to study choral music, I would not have been able to succeed in setting up this choir."

Adriana threw herself into community service in Charlotte with Loaves and Fishes and the Charlotte Crossroads project. She established a Charlotte middle school chapter of the Ashraya Initiative for Children, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of needy slum children in Pune, India. Still, she wanted to do more. She decided to move in with her aunt and uncle during her senior year in Abuja, Nigeria.

Adriana has been working with the choir since September '10. It has evolved from a small gathering of students solely from the School for the Blind Children (SBC) to a joint choir comprised of students from her high school, the American International School of Abuja (AISA), and the SBC. Even their practice space has improved significantly from an open-air, dusty room (during the hot season, dust from the Sahara desert blows into Nigeria bringing a wave of heat along with it), to an enclosed space equipped with a piano!

Adriana says her Nigerian choir is the most meaningful thing in her life, thanks to the Charlotte Children’s Choir.

Alumni Favorite Memories

"Every year was absolutely wonderful but my favorite memory is a toss-up between two different ones. The first was when we were the featured choir performing in Carnegie Hall and the second was when the choir was on tour in England. Singing in Carnegie Hall is a memory I will never forget. The rush when we stepped on stage and the amount of people in the audience- it was amazing. For England- It was our last concert on tour and it was at a church in Whales. Every piece, every note, was perfect. It was incredible and very moving. "

"My favorite memory of my time in the choir was when Sophie, Maddie and I hugged Ms. Holland after being in the ocean in Hawaii. We soaked her! My favorite songs we sang would have to be "How Can I Keep from Singing" and "Bonny Wood Green".

"Favorite Song- "Heaven Bound Train". Favorite Memory- Winning the Singing Competition in Orlando Florida in 2000. Going to France, Colin and I staying with a native French Family. Last memory, watching Chris hold a camera flash to his eye and blinding himself for 15 mins. Classic Chris, also Chris' Bowl hair cut! Love it!"

"I always loved our Christmas performances at the Biltmomre. During breaks between our sets on stage, we would go to the food shops and sing for hot coffee and cookies. We also found that you can't beat the acoustics when you sing inside the bottom of the indoor pool."

"Favorite Song: "Heaven Bound Train". Favorite Memory: Getting to work with Stephen Hatfield at the Niagara International Music Festival. I loved watching him pull toys out of his suitcase to show us how he wanted the music to sound, how he had us start over in our performance of Las Amarillas because he knew we could do a better job and how everyone cried during the performance of Queen Jane."


Stories Edie is a Charlotte Children's Choir Alumni - she has done a video of her version of a very popular song by the artist Adele, titled "Someone Like You." What is interesting about the piece is that the artist's version is a very slow ballad-like piece, but Edie has recast it as a pop version. Everything you hear on the track is Edie--background harmony and musical back-up (which is all done on computer). In addition to her vocals, she is also becoming a very credible producer. Edie, to this day, believes that the time she spent in the Choir was crucial to her musical development. Alumna in Nigeria Teaching Music to the Blind She knew the best gift she could give them was the gift of a choir. Adriana Jerez is a volunteer choir director in Abuja, Nigeria. She says they smile when she sings. Adriana was a member of the Charlotte Children’s Choir for eight years starting in 2002. "My leadership skills, music theory, and vocal discipline have allowed me to direct a choir where I must teach everything by example," Adriana says. "With impoverished blind students, I can't use sheet music or hand out lyrics of songs. Everything is taught through voice and repetition. Had I not been so well trained in both warm-ups and techniques, as well as had the opportunity to study choral music, I would not have been able to succeed in setting up this choir." Adriana threw herself into community service in Charlotte with Loaves and Fishes and the Charlotte Crossroads project. She established a Charlotte middle school chapter of the Ashraya Initiative for Children, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of needy slum children in Pune, India. Still, she wanted to do more. She decided to move in with her aunt and uncle during her senior year in Abuja, Nigeria. Adriana has been working with the choir since September '10. It has evolved from a small gathering of students solely from the School for the Blind Children (SBC) to a joint choir comprised of students from her high school, the American International School of Abuja (AISA), and the SBC. Even their practice space has improved significantly from an open-air, dusty room (during the hot season, dust from the Sahara desert blows into Nigeria bringing a wave of heat along with it), to an enclosed space equipped with a piano! Adriana says her Nigerian choir is the most meaningful thing in her life, thanks to the Charlotte Children’s Choir. Alumni Favorite Memories "Every year was absolutely wonderful but my favorite memory is a toss-up between two different ones. The first was when we were the featured choir performing in Carnegie Hall and the second was when the choir was on tour in England. Singing in Carnegie Hall is a memory I will never forget. The rush when we stepped on stage and the amount of people in the audience- it was amazing. For England- It was our last concert on tour and it was at a church in Whales. Every piece, every note, was perfect. It was incredible and very moving. " "My favorite memory of my time in the choir was when Sophie, Maddie and I hugged Ms. Holland after being in the ocean in Hawaii. We soaked her! My favorite songs we sang would have to be "How Can I Keep from Singing" and "Bonny Wood Green". "Favorite Song- "Heaven Bound Train". Favorite Memory- Winning the Singing Competition in Orlando Florida in 2000. Going to France, Colin and I staying with a native French Family. Last memory, watching Chris hold a camera flash to his eye and blinding himself for 15 mins. Classic Chris, also Chris' Bowl hair cut! Love it!" "I always loved our Christmas performances at the Biltmomre. During breaks between our sets on stage, we would go to the food shops and sing for hot coffee and cookies. We also found that you can't beat the acoustics when you sing inside the bottom of the indoor pool." "Favorite Song: "Heaven Bound Train". Favorite Memory: Getting to work with Stephen Hatfield at the Niagara International Music Festival. I loved watching him pull toys out of his suitcase to show us how he wanted the music to sound, how he had us start over in our performance of Las Amarillas because he knew we could do a better job and how everyone cried during the performance of Queen Jane."