[Herald Interview] Singing together changes lives, says founder of diverse children's choir

The Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC), a renowned multicultural youth chorus known for its exceptional talent and pioneering diversity model, embarked on its first journey to South Korea this month.

A delegation of 100 choristers, aged between 11 and 18, set foot in Gangneung, a coastal city in Gangwon Province, to participate in the 12th World Choir Games from July 3 to 13.

Over the course of the 11-day event, the choir showcased its virtuosity and brilliance, earning five gold medals, including three World Champions titles in the categories of Children's Choirs, Musica Contemporanea Equal Voices, and Mixed Youth Choirs.

What truly sets this choir apart is its innovative model of diversity. New York City, the chorus' home base, is celebrated as a global melting pot of cultures. However, actively integrating these diverse cultures is another difficult task and a challenge YPC takes on with passion and commitment.

Artistic director Francisco Nunez, who founded the YPC in 1988, told The Korea Herald during the world choir event that being a part of YPC means so much more than just singing and breathing together.

“With music comes words and with words come the concepts that they're based on. So we will run into themes about nature, love, God and what is important and I think when you're working with young people who are very diverse like YPC ... every time we sing songs we must speak about them and understand where they come from,” Nunez said.

“For instance, if we sing a song that comes from a Jewish tradition and it's going to be sung by Christians we have to explain it,” he added. “And I think by learning about someone else I learn about myself a little bit more. It allows us to see that we have this one trait ... we're all human and we have to take care of each other.”

Moreover, music has the incredible power to transform lives, as it did for Nunez. During his childhood, he received free piano lessons from the musicians whose homes his mother cleaned. At these houses, he met children with the same musical interests, but from different cultural and economic backgrounds. His experience of learning from each other inspired him to bring rich and poor together through the unifying force of music.

This is the third time YPC has competed in the World Chorus Games, but this is the group's first time since 2008. Nunez also took the largest group of children yet to the games, giving them an opportunity to expose themselves to even greater diversity in an event that hosted over 8,000 participants across 95 teams from 34 countries.

Those who visited South Korea are only a small part of the 2,000 YPC members across New York City. The journey, which includes stops in Japan and California, is a million-dollar expedition, yet Nunez firmly believes that the trip's impact on the choristers' lives will be transformative.

"I think (what they will bring from this trip) will be different for each child because they're all different ages," he said, adding that "I do know that they will be less afraid and they feel better about them

selves and I think that those strengths will help them grow."

While there are thousands of children who have participated in YPC’s programs as it reached its 36th season in the second half of this year, Maxwell Bieber and Noah Walker, who were on their first international tour with YPC, said it is more than a chorus.

Bieber and Walker have been with YPC for 9 years and 5 years, respectively.

Bieber, 18, initially joined the chorus on his mom's recommendation, not fully realizing his passion for singing or performing. He recalled singing "Happy Birthday" during his audition. Now, as he prepares to graduate and head to college, he will be majoring in theater and performance at the St

ate University of New York from September. “(Even after YPC) I intend to join as many ... choral groups, ensembles, anything musical in college and in the future as I can. Specifically because I'm going to a college for performing arts, this will definitely be a big part of me throughout my life,” he said.

For Walker, 13, who already knew she loved singing and acting, YPC holds a deeper significance than she initially expected.

“I feel that YPC has become a part of me, especially with the lifelong friendships that I'm creating,” she said. “YPC is joy. It brings so much joy to not only the performers but to the listeners who ... are receiving our music and who are listening to us and who are supporting us,” she added.