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Written by Tammy-Jo on .

Meet Jenica Hagan: A Koko from Day One!

In the last two stories we have featured a Kokopelli alumnae and a long-time volunteer.  This time we feature a singer who has been with the Kokopelli Choir Association for 25 years - Jenica Hagan!

With the exception of Scott Leithead, Kokopelli’s most constant face has probably been Jenica Hagan. A founding Kokopelli member, Jenica has sung with one of our choirs (and often more than one) for all 25 years of our association’s existence. (Okay, there was that one year when she worked in Newfoundland, but let’s not get picky.)

photo credit: Blake Loates


Tell us about your earliest involvement in Kokopelli.
I went to Victoria School, and when I was in Grade 11 Scott Leithead started teaching there. I worked with him a little bit in my musical theatre class, but I didn’t really know who he was. But then I saw his choir, Vic Singers, perform, and I was like, okay, I’ve got to be a part of that.

So I was in Vic Singers for my Grade 12 year. And then, the year after that, we started Kokopelli. At that point, it was all Vic students except for two people from Scona. But it was awesome. And then, over the next year or so, it started to evolve into a wider community. But, yeah, I was in it from the very beginning.

And how has your involvement with Kokopelli impacted your life? What keeps you around?
All my best friends are from choir. It’s been my social circle, my community, for years and years and years. It’s easy to stay “in,” because everyone was doing it.

The reason I’ve stayed so long is, it has been a constant in my life when a lot of things weren’t. I may have been changing jobs, or dealing with some mental health issues—life has been a bit tumultuous, but choir was always there. We’d meet every week, or twice a week, and all my friends were there. It just naturally supported me through a lot of things in my life.

And that’s not even saying what it did for me musically. The music is at such a high scale, but so approachable for so many different types of people. I just love that about the choir.

And it keeps me challenged. There are a lot of things I don’t do because I don’t want to venture out of my comfort zone. But, with choir, I’m learning a new language, or a new dance move, or something about a different culture. It’s always exciting. That’s why I’ve stuck around for 25 years now.

What do you wish people knew about Kokopelli?
I wish people knew just how hard everybody works. They’ve got jobs, and in Òran and up they’ve got kids, and lots of things happening in their lives. And yet they set aside the time to learn music, and to perform it at such a high level. It’s a lot of commitment. I hope people know how much time and effort is involved.

Do you have any favourite memories? I bet it’s hard to think of just one.
I’ve been trying to think, what’s the one critical memory. The ones that keep popping into my head are anything with tours.

Speaking of life-changing, and why I stay in it: I would never have travelled, I don’t think, before I joined choir. I was too sheltered, too, “Oh, what would I eat?” (laughs) But, going on a choir tour, all that was set out for you. Somebody else would plan the agenda, and I’d be, “Okay, sweet.”

I’ve seen so many amazing things, and experienced so much. One amazing one was singing in the catacombs under the Frauenkirche, the church in Dresden. It was just a small group of us who had travelled to Europe, from Òran and Nuf Sed. We performed up in the church, and then we went for a tour of the catacombs. And we sang down there, and it was really cool. But, there are so many other memories too.

And this time of year, I always get a lot of memories of Banff, and singing at Rolston Hall. Those concerts were the epitome, my favourite performances. The choir has a view of the mountains through the window at the back, the audience has the view at the front. It’s just such a magical place, and so many memories were made there. I really miss doing that every year.

And all the tours, really. It didn’t matter if you were sleeping in a five-star hotel or on a gym floor. It was all about being together, and getting to share our music.

Written by Tammy-Jo on .

Meet Elaine Kinghorn: Volunteer Chat


Elaine Kinghorn is a Kokopelli volunteer extraordinaire!

When young Jennifer Kinghorn (now McMillan) joined 'Nuf Sed in 1999, and then Kokopelli in 2000, she also brought her mother into our choir family. For two decades, Elaine Kinghorn has been one of our most dedicated and cherished volunteers. A longtime board member, Elaine became best known for capably running the box office at Kokopelli events. Behind the scenes, Elaine also found a million other ways to contribute to our organization.

Tell us about your earliest involvement in Kokopelli.
Well, I think it was around 2002. I used to help Louise Ludwig now and again, because she was just overwhelmed at times—collecting for tours, especially. She couldn’t come to every rehearsal. I told her, “You know, I’m not that far from rehearsal. I can pop in and collect for tours.” So, I’d just collect payments for her. And, the next thing I knew, I was involved selling tickets at the door.
I enjoy choral music, and where else can you go to get the best choral music? Once I got involved, I’d go and listen to it every week.

And how has your involvement with Kokopelli impacted your life?
Oh, goodness gracious. The tours alone. I mean, can you imagine? In my wildest dreams, I never dreamed I’d be going to Africa—not once, but twice.
And meeting the people in the choral community. Like Anne McIntyre. My gosh, I never had such a good time in my life, as when I travelled with her in Africa. And getting to know the staff, like [Koko bookkeeper] Maxine. Who could have brought a nicer person than that into my life? I’ve learned so much from her. The two of us worked together so well, for many many years.
It has impacted my life tremendously. If I hadn’t loved it so much, I wouldn’t have participated. It gave me something to do when I needed something to do.
All the people I’ve met! Hanging around in Africa for not one trip, but for two trips with Scott [Leithead]’s parents. And all the other parents, like the Olson family.
Man, I have been one lucky person. To have all this given to me. Well, not given to me, exactly, but I certainly took advantage!

Do you have any favourite memories? Something that sticks out as a real highlight?
I have so many favourite memories. But, the best one of all was probably [future son-in-law] John proposing to [daughter] Jennifer when we were in Africa. That was in 2007.
I think there were actually two proposals that year. Might even have been three.
Jennifer had been in Africa for a while—she was the exchange chorister that year. She was living with [Mascato founder] Mrs. Venter.
John decided that he would come to Africa that summer for the trip with Kokopelli. He had been away from Jennifer for several months by then, and this was killing him. He came over to our house, and he was the most nervous person in the whole wide world. I knew he was going to ask for our blessings. And, sure enough, that’s what he did.
So then, I think the very first night we were in Africa, we all went out to a nice restaurant, the Lighthouse. John was so nervous, and Jennifer kept saying, ‘What on earth is wrong with you?’ He knew he was going to ask her that evening. He was just as nervous as nervous can be.
But it all went down that evening, and the rest is history!

How has the choir experience affected your family—not just Jennifer, but now the next generation as well? What’s it like seeing your two granddaughters out there where Jen used to be?
You’ve seen little Alexis perform—that little girl can’t stand still if her life depended on it. (chuckles).  Jennifer was always such a little goody-two-shoes when she was in children’s choir. But Alexis has grown up with Kokopelli, and she knows you have to move—and she moves all the time! But I do love seeing both the grandchildren. I love every minute of it. All of the little ones! I just love all of them.

Written by Tammy-Jo on .

Meet Aidan Johnston: Why is it important to give back?

Aidan Johnston (née Ferguson) as the Sandman in Edmonton Opera’s 2019 production of Hansel & Gretel
Photo credit: Nanc Price


“It’s so important for me to give back to something that had been such an instrumental part of my youth.”

Aidan Johnston has performed in operas all over the world, after completing two degrees in music at McGill. Currently she is living in Victoria and loves her job at the Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island. Below are some excerpts from our conversation with Aidan at the end of January about the formative role that Kokopelli played in her career and in her life.


How did you get involved with Kokopelli?

I first met Scott Leithead when I was a kid singing in the Edmonton Children's Choir and dreamed of being in one of his choirs. That dream became a reality when I joined Edmonton Youth Choir (EYC). During that first year at EYC, I was going through a challenging time in my life, and Scott suggested that it might help to come to a Kokopelli rehearsal.  To say that it helped would be an understatement, that invitation saved my life. I instantly found a second family that led me to pursue music as a career.  


What was it about Kokopelli that influenced your career?

Up until my experiences with Kokopelli, I loved choir, but didn't really realize the power of music and what it could achieve.  It was by seeing an audience moved by a chord, a line, a song, that I began to understand the transformative power of music. I was suddenly able to communicate with people in a different way, offer them respite from whatever was happening in their day and I wanted to explore that further.

One of the greatest lessons Kokopelli taught me was the importance of making sure those around you, on or off stage, know they are valued and appreciated. Like many teenagers, I was consumed with anxiety, except when I was with my Kokopelli family. Kokopelli was a place where everyone, not just choristers, but every parent, every audience member and every other choir we met was valued and shown gratitude for their contribution to Kokopelli. That connection and community is the reason I pursued a career in music. Even after working in the professional opera world, I come back to Kokopelli rehearsals and concerts to reconnect with that "why”.


Describe a magical moment with Kokopelli. 

We were singing "True Colours" in Banff, and everything was there… the emotion, tuning, blend... you name it. I will never forget seeing Scott's face light up as we hit a beautifully resonant, perfectly tuned 1000 part chord and little did we realize, at the same moment, he saw a giant rainbow appear behind us! I still get goosebumps thinking about it.

As a singer or audience member there is always at least one of those magical moments in every Kokopelli concert from one of the choirs!  We would be talking for hours if I mentioned all the reasons Kokopelli is special… but I think the main reasons are the support, community, love and of course the music.

 

What are the great secrets of the Kokopelli choirs? What do you wish that others knew about Kokopelli?

Being in one of the choirs is not just about learning to sing, it’s about learning about life…relationships, pain, friendships, beauty. For me, and I don’t say this lightly, it saved my life and it changed it. 

I just think people should know about this gem that is changing the youth in the Edmonton community. The more informed, accepting, loved and cherished a youth or child feels, the more likely they are to become “who knows what” in the world and spread that love elsewhere. 

I also really admire the adults who are putting themselves in a vulnerable position and want to try singing. It’s a comfortable safe space where people can go and do that.

Why is it important to give back to Kokopelli?

I try to live my life (as much as possible) from a place of gratitude, and I believe you have to give back to the things that were given to you.  It's amazing to see the growth in Kokopelli from one single choir to seven choirs.  Giving back is a gesture of encouragement to keep going and changing lives.  It doesn't matter whether it's time, talent or treasure, I challenge each person who has been touched by Kokopelli to give back in your own way!

Written by Katy Luyk on .

We Will Have Choir!

If a choir is only about singing and performing
- there will be no choir for a while.
 
If choir is about:  
teaching and learning
growing
connecting
community
cultural exploration and transmission
innovating 
- we will find a way to have choir.
 
~ Kellie Walsh (Honourary Patron, 2020)



This coming fall, we will have choir. It may not be quite the same (what facet of our lives is?), but it will provide us all with a dose of normalcy, of community, and of music. This fall we’ll do our utmost to provide the mental and physical benefits of choral music while respecting the importance of our health and families. We also hope to gradually transition back toward in-person rehearsals and performances, provided the evolving situation permits.

And so, as we reach optimistically ahead toward a post-COVID future, we’re also thrilled to share the plans we have in place for this fall.



Tamariki and Kikimasu (ages 5-12)

For our younger choirs, we’re offering weekly virtual gatherings to promote vocal development, musical literacy, confidence, and creativity. Membership will include a personal music-making kit. For Tamariki (ages 7-9 -- 5-7 year-olds welcome with parental involvement!), we’re thrilled to welcome Amy Voyer as our virtual instructor (check out Amy’s amazing YouTube channel here).

Kikimasu’s vibrant conductor Carmen So (plus an online accompanist) likewise has exciting plans to keep her choristers engaged and excited, including two or three virtual choir experiences.



Shumayela (ages 12-16)

In addition to Shumayela’s weekly virtual gatherings, conductor Kim Denis (with support from Tova Olson) plans to host monthly in-person sessions for non-vocal musical activities (body percussion, boomwhackers, etc.). Singers will receive small-group vocal instruction either in-person (in a very safe environment!) or online. This combination will continue the choir’s vocal and technical growth while maintaining its close-knit group identity.



Kokopelli (ages 14-24)

Kokopelli, our flagship youth choir has innovative plans for the coming season under Artistic Director Scott Leithead and Associate Conductor Kitbielle Pasagui. Along with Òran, Kokopelli looks forward to taking part in the Bridge Choral Collective. This cross-Canada choral collaboration will connect our choirs with colleagues coast to coast, with guest artists every month, and with educational opportunities from post-secondary institutions. Kokopelli will gather online twice weekly, with the goal of an outdoor springtime concert with our adult choirs (provided  in-person rehearsals eventually become possible) or some other capstone event.


Our adult choirs (ages 18 and up)

Our three adult choirs (Òran, Vacilando, and ChandraTala) will gather in a variety of ways: virtual weekly meetings, monthly in person musical (non-vocal gatherings), and small-group virtual vocal coaching sessions. (Òran will also join Kokopelli in the Bridge Choral Collective.) Again, the choirs hope to prepare for an outdoor spring concert.

Many thanks to our artistic staff, our administrative staff, and our choristers and families, for keeping the spirit of Kokopelli Choirs vibrantly active in this coming unprecedented season.

Written by Katy Luyk on .

COVID-19 Forces Cancellation of 2019-2020 Season Closers

Dear Kokopelli Choirs supporters and friends,

As you know, it’s been a tumultuous month for our organization. Although we desperately miss getting together to make music, we’re thrilled at the many ingenious strategies our artistic staff have devised to connect with their choirs online. There has been no shortage of love, learning, and fellowship.

We are also proud of our board’s commitment to carry on paying our amazing artistic and administrative team, in recognition of the dedication and loyalty they have always shown us in better times. They continue to work hard and be innovative in moving our programming online.

That said, given the ongoing crisis, the board has made the difficult decision to cancel all remaining concerts planned for this season. If the crisis eases drastically in the next couple of months, you may see some type of performance this summer, featuring at least a few of our ensembles.

Please understand that we’re deeply disappointed too. We live to share music, with each other and with our audience. We're staggered to think our performance season is over.

Because we are a community nonprofit, these cancellations cause us fiscal pain as well. We rely on concert revenues. We will need help from our community—at least, those who are in a position to contribute. 

We're also taking time to look forward to brighter days ahead. We continue to monitor the evolving situation in the hope our 2020-2021 season can begin as planned in September.

With love and music in our hearts,

Kokopelli Choirs

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