By Alicia Stemper/Vitamin O
PopUp chorus is a twice a month ‘show-up-and-sing’ event celebrating music, community and fun. “We don’t just inflict the songs on [conductor] Amelia Shull,” says arts entrepreneur and PopUp founder Lauren Bromley Hodge. “Sometimes we do people’s choice and sometimes people nominate something bonkers!” Other times, songs seem chosen by “divine inspiration,” such as when PopUp chorus performed Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah the week before his unexpected death.
On the first and third Tuesdays of each month, people gather and practice two songs, led by Shull and accompanied by Patrick O’Neil (pictured) or Spencer Harrison. The final rendition is videotaped as the group’s offering to each other and to the community. Hodge firmly believes in “embracing imperfection;” thus, “process always triumphs over product.” Community is the main driver; the magic of PopUp Chorus “happens regardless of the type of music we sing.” Says Hodge, “Music bypasses differences and creates a universal human response of connection and creativity. It is a connection with other human beings that happens in real time. I don’t think there is anything more powerful for dissolving boundaries than singing together.”
Hodge promises a non-judgmental, fun experience noting, “We are wired for music before we are wired for speech.” Doors open at 6:00, the singing starts at 7:00. Tickets are available on line or at artscenterlive.org.
