For the Music and Fine Arts department, the program year kicked off last weekend with the return of the Sanctuary Choir. Right on the heels of that is the start of the Chorister Program, which will begin rehearsing on Wednesday, September 30. Before then, however, we have our Be a Chorister for a Morning program, which will follow the 10:00 a.m. service on Sunday, September 27.
Music can play an inestimable role in children’s lives and development. Of course, in a concrete sense, there are myriad studies showing the advantage kids have in school and on standardized tests if they’ve been involved in music during their developmental years, but there are also many more intangible benefits to music. Through music, kids learn the courage to perform in front of (and with) their peers, learning not only how to collaborate but also how to stand in front of a crowd with confidence. They learn the discipline to practice their musical lines until they’re perfect, while also giving themselves the grace to know that performances don’t always go as planned. Finally, music is intrinsically linked to community, providing an outlet for us to come together and express emotion, whether joy, sadness, pride, or vulnerability.
Here at Bryn Mawr, we are incredibly blessed with a thriving music program. We are immensely excited that, across the three levels of our Chorister Program, we already have over 40 young people signed up to learn to sing, praise God through song, and become even more involved in this wonderful faith community. If you are interested in having your child join the Chorister Program and would like to experience what it’s like before committing, everyone from PreK to 12th grade is welcome to come to Be a Chorister for a Morning, where we will have sample rehearsals, piano classes, liturgical education, all ending with a pizza lunch! To sign up, or if you have any questions, please contact me at MitchellMiller@bmpc.org.