As the school year begins you may be wondering what there is to do on campus to express your vocal talent and grow as a singer. Perhaps you’ve never been in a choir before but are interested in joining. No matter your vocal background, Henry Ford College has a choir for you!

At HFC there are five different choirs. No matter your skill level as a singer, there is a choir to fit your abilities. The main choir is the Henry Ford College Chorus, which is a class offered that provides students with the opportunity to sing a wide variety of music in an array of different settings from local nursing homes to the Dearborn Performing Arts Center. The mixed chorus is open to anyone wanting to join; both students and members of the community. Prospective chorus members must pass an audition where they are expected to be able to match pitch and sing in tune. The HFC Chorus takes biannual trips to either Stratford, Toronto or Chicago, where they perform in and tour the city. This past May the choir visited Stratford, Ontario for the weekend. Students were able to watch two performances: Taming of the Shrew and The Sound of Music. The trip provided a great bonding experience for the choir and an enjoyable vacation.

For more seasoned singers, HFC offers several advanced choirs such as Midnight Blue, Blue Fusion, Renaissance Voices and Vanguard Voices. Midnight Blue, which is tailored for older, more experienced vocalists and Blue Fusion, are both small jazz groups that provide students with experience and college credit. Renaissance Voices, on the other hand, is a select women’s ensemble with a maximum of twenty singers. It is an advanced community ensemble, where most members are not students at the college, some of which have been singing with the group for twenty years. Occasionally, Renaissance Voices has had the opportunity to tour Europe where they gained valuable experiences and memories.

In addition to these four choirs, HFC also hosts Vanguard Voices, a highly skilled mixed choir from members across the community and southeastern Michigan. To join any of these choirs, students must be able to hold their part and pass an audition.

All of the choirs at HFC are directed by Kevin Dewey and have been for the past twenty years. His students call him by his first name. Known for his enthusiasm and corny jokes, Kevin spreads his love and passion for music with his students and coworkers on a daily basis. When asked about the best part of teaching choir, he responded, “I love rehearsal time. It’s when I get to interact with the students and truly get to know them on a personal level.” As a member of the HFC Chorus, I can attest to Kevin’s love and dedication to the choral program and all those involved. He is truly an individual who is not only great at his job, but enjoys it as well.

The choral program at HFC is always looking for new individuals to join. The diversity of the groups allows for everyone to find a choir that will meet their skill level and help them to grow as a singer, while providing a fun outlet for musical creativity.

For those interested in joining any of the choir, email Kevin Dewey at kdewey@hfcc.edu to set up an audition.