Umpqua Singers
Director Jason Heald

Umpqua Singers auditions held

By Isaac Graham · The Mainstream
Published May 24, 2011

Auditions for the Umpqua Singers, a choir which represents the college, resulted in the selection of the following 14 students for next year's ensemble: Arielle Chasteen, Brandon Edwards, Rachelle Forrest, Brandon Franko, Nick Kirby, Taylor Luzier, Taylor Mead, Shady Moore, James Pennington, Kathryn Powers, David Powlison, Taylor Siling, Brandon Westmoreland, and David Whitney. Alternates are McKala Coffel and Trenton Murrow.

1998, is excited about the potential of this group.

"We have a lot of returners and some very talented newcomers. It should be a very good group." The larger group means more musical flexibility as the choir can double parts and put more emphasis on instrumentation, but travel is more difficult.

Even with 13 members this year, the singers still managed a trip to Alaska to share their voices on the "Final Frontier." The singers said they had a great time as they performed at many schools and public venues.

"Everyone is so fun to be around, and we all get along really well," said Umpqua Singer Arielle Chasteen.

The camaraderie among this year's group has been one of their biggest strengths. "They are unified musically and personally," says Heald; "They enjoy working together and are very motivated."

Being selected to be a part of the Umpqua Singers is considered an honor, and the choir takes the role very seriously.

For anyone who has hopes of becoming a member of the Umpqua Singers in the future, Heald suggests they practice part singing and get some instrumental experience in order to improve their music reading abilities.