They range in age, gender, location and socio-economic status, but when the 35 youths making up Tomorrow\u2019s Voices step onto stage, they\u2019re all the same.<\/p>\n
When Brock University Associate Professor of Marketing Todd Green launched Choir Nation last year, he wanted the for-profit enterprise to have a social component.<\/p>\n
The answer was Tomorrow\u2019s Voices, a choir composed of 35 kids between seven and 17 who have been recruited from Niagara groups such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Community Care and the DSBN Academy.<\/p>\n
Tomorrow\u2019s Voices aims to open the doors to music and choir to all kids \u2014 regardless of what social issues they might be dealing with.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think music for young people is really important for development and bringing kids from different backgrounds and age ranges together,\u201d said Green. \u201cThe idea is to move away from the adage that kids should be seen and not heard. Our slogan is kids should be heard.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no cost to take part, and there were no auditions. If kids wanted to be part of the program, they were in.<\/p>\n
Kassandra Britt says going to choir is one of the highlights of her 13-year-old daughter\u2019s week.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe can\u2019t wait to see her friends and sing new songs,\u201d Britt says.\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0choir helps her forget about everything she\u2019s going through and allows her to just have fun.”<\/p>\n
Green said that the program has received significant support from Brock\u2019s Department of Dramatic Arts, as well as from TD Bank, which has donated nearly $5,000 to help fund the program.<\/span><\/p>\n The reception from the music community has been overwhelmingly positive.<\/p>\n