The Musicking Community

Episode 13: The Healing Power of Choral Singing, Part 2

When is the last time you sang in a group? Have you ever worked with others to bring a piece to life and present it in performance? Have you ever considered joining a community chorus? Let Beth Armstrong convince you that joining a community chorus is the RIGHT thing to do! In part two of my interview with Beth, she shares stories of the impact of music on the lives of communities and individuals. She also talks about the role of the community chorus within the larger community, how she knew it was time to retire, and who her favorite composers are.

Topics in this episode include:

• The role of a community chorus within the larger community
• Music helps people process emotional events and feel all the feelings
• Music marks important moments in the lives of individuals and communities
• Music cuts through cultural barriers
• The primal sound of a mother’s voice
• Music is not an intellectual experience
• Remembering the people we make music with, more than the music itself
• How to know it’s time to retire
• Choosing music for concerts
• Aaron Copland
• Leonard Bernstein
• Stephen Sondheim
• Singing in groups is the #1 way Americans participate in the arts

Beth Armstrong has been singing from a very young age and participated in choruses from her teens into adulthood, singing in prestigious groups such as the Concord Chorale and The Providence Singers. While living in New Hampshire, she founded the women’s group femme m’amie, directed the Suncook Valley Chorale, and taught public school music for twelve years. She currently directs The Chorus of East Providence, is the interim music director at her church, and is finishing up her 20^th, and final year, as director of The Greater Tiverton Community Chorus. She is currently working on a book of memoirs.

Beth directs the following choruses:The Chorus of East ProvidenceThe Greater Tiverton Community Chorus

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