A bitter divorce, a career in accounting, and three kids later, 55-year-old Linda Paoli found herself doing what she always loved to do. She decided to make a career change and signed up for the Fresno City College Symphonic Choir. She said, “If you want to sing, this is the cheapest voice lesson you can take.”
Paoli says that the choir is like home away from home and a great place where you sing, have fun, and make friends.Born into a musical family of three generations, Paoli has been taking voice lessons since the eight grade. She says that singing in a choir is not easy but it comes easily if you love music.
Paoli’s love for music has helped her get through some difficult times. When her husband of 30 years asked her for a divorce, Paoli found solace in music. She says that the fellowship she has with the other students gives her courage and passion to stay in the choir. This is why she sings.
Nineteen year old Bryan Carlson says, “Music has always been my best and safest escape.” He says that whenever he is in a bad mood, singing calms him down and allows him to express his emotions. Carlson is the current student director of the Fresno City College Symphonic choir and is also part of the FCC City Singers, a more advanced choral ensemble. He says that someone who devotes his heart to music sees things differently. For Carlson, singing is not so much about vocal performance, but more about art. He believes there is more to music than meets the eye. Singing has taught him to never give up and always strive to do better. He says, “Never underestimate what a choir can do.”
Carlson has been singing from a very young age in church choir and also sang in his high school jazz choir. He says that choir has become a part of his life. He believes that a lot people underestimate what it takes to be in a choir and that choir and music in general should be more respected. He says,” Choir is something that is a part of me, and I can’t not do it.” This is why he sings.
Nineteen year old Michael Gutierrez comes from the small town of Selma and dreams of becoming a music teacher. He says singing in a choir is all about teamwork and that you have to give your all and expect the same from others. He encourages everyone to give choir a chance even if they do not know how to read music. Singing in the Symphonic choir has influenced Gutierrez to come along with his school work. Gutierrez says, “Music is a foreign language.” He believes that music forces you to be more emotional and allows you to have a different view of things. This is why he sings…
Rose Paloma is a 21-year old nursing major who has been singing in the FCC Symphonic choir for 5 years. She said that in the Philippine culture, everyone is going into nursing. Although she loves nursing, her love for singing is just as strong. After she finished her prerequisites for nursing, Paloma realized that she missed singing and rejoined choir. She also sings in the FCC City Singers. Paloma has a appreciation for vocal music. Being in choir has taught her discipline and how to be more attentive towards everything.
Paloma says that she used to think that singers were not real musicians. She has now grown to both love and appreciate music. She says that in music, art, and drama, it is important to have an open mind and put away any pre-conceived notions. Singing has been here forever, therefore, there must be something about it that goes far deeper than we see. Paloma says, “If I have had a rough week, day, singing helps to calm me down; singing in my head and in my heart, helps me to except the things that have happened.” This is why she sings…
Julie Dana, a.k.a. “Mama Dana,” has been teaching choral music at FCC since fall of 1999. She became a music teacher because she loves music and working with people. Her students describe her as the kind of instructor who makes the effort to get to know her students and always goes that extra mile when teaching music.
Dana says that the most rewarding part of her job is seeing success in the faces of her students. She says, “One of the things I love most is if I can show my students how to love music for a fraction of how much I do.” Dana’s husband, Mike Dana, who is also a music instructor at FCC, calls her choir, “The United Nations Quad.” The choir is made up of so many different cultures. The students not only exchange music but also their different cultures.
Music and singing have played a major role in Dana’s life. She said that music has brought her closer to the people she loves. She has met some of her best friends through music. She comes from a musical family where she and three of her siblings play the guitar. Her mentor in music was the former FCC choral music instructor, Dr. Anderson. A former FCC student herself, Dana took over Dr. Anderson’s position, when he retired.
Dana believes that music affects people’s lives in a big way. She says, “It is therapy.” She knows this from personal experience because her choir students helped her cope with her mother’s death. She says that she is not afraid to let her students see her weaknesses.
Furthermore, Dana says that there is no other job that she can imagine herself doing. Although her job is time consuming and leaves little time for a personal life, she would not trade it with anything else. She asks, “How many people get to go home and say, yes that was a great day?” This is why she teaches music…
Someone once called the choir the best kept secret in Fresno. These students are only four of a group of 65 to 70 students who, along with this passionate instructor, get together and make beautiful music in the Fresno City College Symphonic Choir.
The Fresno City College vocal program is comprised of the Symphonic choir, City Singers, Chamber Singers, A Cappella Choir, College Choir and Vocal Ensemble. The Symphonic Choir will be having their Jazz Concert on Wednesday, Oct. 24, in the FCC theatre. They will also host a music festival for junior high school and high school students, here at FCC, on Halloween and Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to noon. Admission will be free.
For these students music is a source of expressing emotions, making friends, and self-discipline. Being in a choir requries more dedications and hard work than most people think. It takes discipline, teamwork, passion, and the sheer love for music, to be able to create this piece of art.