Nearly 30 years ago a mother of six and single mother of two, new neighbors that had become fast friends, sat discussing their goals and future plans. Beverly, the mother of six, hesitantly shared with her new friend Mary one of her life-long desires: to start a children’s choir. Since marrying and starting her family nearly 20 years prior, her bachelor’s degrees in vocal performance and music education had largely gone unused. Mary, a high school health and P.E. teacher as well as a consummate organizer with a good business sense, replied with a simple, “Why not?” And a business partnership was born.
The two spread the word about their new venture as best they could in their small town—talking with friends at church, passing out flyers door to door, running a small announcement in the local paper. Just a few months later, they started the choir with 20 children meeting in Beverly’s living room.
Enrollment increased rapidly, and the choir soon outgrew Beverly’s small living room. With the help of her husband, she converted her unfinished basement into a multi-roomed music studio to accommodate the growing numbers. Within a few short years, enrollment had reached over 400 children, and the one choir became five different choirs, including a more competitive, auditioned choir. Ultimately, Beverly and Mary rented a local reception center with plenty of parking, ample rehearsal rooms, and better facilities for their continually expanding organization.
Soon the auditioned choir began touring—first locally, then to surrounding states, and eventually to the nation’s capital and abroad. They released their first CD seven years in and continued to record one CD a year for many years. The CDs sold well on tours and in bookstores.
With the continued growth and increased recognition of the choir, Beverly and Mary stayed true to their first commitment: their families. They worked while their children were in school and included them in the business when they were home. In the early years, the younger children sang and the older ones assisted as teachers and piano players. Eventually those younger children grew up to teach and accompany as well as sing. Beverly and Mary shared the gift of music not only with their own children but also with thousands of others who passed through their doors over the years.
Each year as the annual CS family issue rolls around and the topic of balancing career and family comes to the forefront of article themes, I think of Beverly—who also happens to be my mother. I watched her balance music and family in a way that not only provided personal fulfillment but blessed her children’s lives as well.
Within these pages, many others share how they are finding balance and fulfillment in their own lives. Kevin Murphy and Heidi Grant Murphy, who grace our cover, talk about their lives as a family of six in the midst of two successful music careers. Tenor Brian Stucki discusses candidly how he has gone against the grain to ensure he is present in his children’s lives. Amanda Keil and Lisa Houston both share ways of finding community and a sense of family within your singing networks.
Before you dive into these articles, however, consider flipping to the very last article in this issue: Cindy Sadler’s “Ask Erda: A Valentine to Yourself.” Think about those dreams, goals, or desires in your own life that need more attention, recognition, and nurturing. Then as you peruse the rest of the issue, consider how others are finding balance to grow their own dreams—both professionally and personally.
I am certain that when my mother expressed her desires to her new friend so many years ago, she had no idea the journey that awaited her. Nor did she know how that decision, aided by Mary’s gentle nudge and helping hand, would impact so many lives for good. As a benefactor of her creative and musical outlet, I am grateful.
