"Imagine a chorus created for those of us who are touched by breast cancer."
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"Imagine a chorus created for those of us who are touched by breast cancer."
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About the Chorus The Sing to Live Community
Chorus brings together singers, both men and women, whose lives have been
directly or indirectly touched by breast cancer. This unique volunteer chorus provides an interactive musical experience
to its members while providing quality performances to the community. About the Founder In August 2004, Melinda Pollack, the
founder and President of Sing to Live – Live to Sing, NFP, was diagnosed with
breast cancer. With an excellent prognosis and all major treatments behind her,
she decided to make a positive situation out of a negative one. Ms. Pollack has
sung in community choruses and found great joy from these and other musical
experiences. She believes that music can provide a source of comfort and healing
for people touched by adversity by providing an opportunity to 'escape for a
while' to make beautiful music. With this, the idea for a community chorus
created especially for a group of very special people—those touched by breast
cancer—was born. About the Artistic Director and Conductor Wilbert O. Watkins, Ph.D. brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Sing to Live Community Chorus. Dr. Watkins was past director of Unison with the Windy City Performing Arts in Chicago. He was part of the teaching faculties of Northern Illinois University and DePaul University and previously held the position of Director of Choral Activities and Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa. He has taught as both a choral music educator and an applied voice teacher in Texas, Florida, Iowa, and Illinois. Dr. Watkins currently teaches voice privately and serves as Chancel Choir Director at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Oak Park and serves as Artistic Director for the Lutheran Choir of Chicago. Dr. Watkins studied with Rodney Eichenberger and
André Thomas at Florida State University, where he earned a Ph.D. in music
education and conducting. He has served as a clinician, adjudicator, and guest
conductor in the South and Midwest, Puerto Rico, and in the Orient. Watkins has
also sung with the Fort Worth Renaissance Consort, Schola Cantorum of Texas, and
the Ft. Worth and Dallas Opera choruses. His other accolades include serving as
chorus master for Giovanni Bertolani's Matilde, performing in master class with
Paul Plishka, performing under the baton of Fiora Contino and the late Robert
Shaw, with whom he also served as diction coach for his last performance of
Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem. He has guest lectured in music literacy, vocal
diction, and music education. About the Accompanist Joan Hutchinson earned a Bachelor of Music from Boston University and a Master of Music from American Conservatory of Music. She also studied organ and piano for one year at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland. She served churches in Boston, Southeastern Ohio, and the Joliet area before coming to Pilgrim Congregational Church UCC, Oak Park, IL in 1983. At Pilgrim, Joan is Minister of Music. She is involved in worship planning and administering choral and instrumental music ministries. In addition to playing the organ and piano for worship, Joan accompanies the Chancel Choir, sings in the Gospel Choir, and directs the Primary and Treble Choirs. She has taught piano privately since 1976. |
