Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Choir lets kids lift voices


Lynn Blumer, right, sits with her daughter Brooke Blumer, 5, while volunteer Sherilyn Jones, at piano, leads a small children's choir at St. Margaret's Shelter in Spokane on Thursday. Jones is a nurse at Sacred Heart Medical Center. 
 (Holly Pickett / The Spokesman-Review)
Laura Onstot Staff Writer

When Jody Nelson began working as a volunteer coordinator at the St. Margaret’s Shelter for women and children, she noticed that despite the presence of a piano, the building was quiet – too quiet. Then Nelson remembered a conversation she had with Sherilyn Jones during one of their sons’ tennis matches.

“This woman loves to sing and plays piano beautifully,” Nelson said.

Jones, 48, a nurse at Sacred Heart, told Nelson that she had always wanted to start a choir for children at a shelter or home. So the women coordinated rehearsal times and a small choir began to take shape at St. Margaret’s.

“(Music is) something that lifts the spirits,” Jones said. “It’s such a joyful thing.”

At a rehearsal Thursday, six kids surrounded Jones, belting out gospel tunes.

“My way may not be easy, you did not say that it would be,” they sang. “But if it gets dark, I can’t see my way, you told me to put my trust in thee. Lord help me to hold out.”

Music wasn’t always part of her life, Jones said. She took a few piano lessons as a child but wasn’t inspired.

Then four years ago, she went to an Elisha Mitchell concert. The gospel music moved her so that she started taking piano lessons and singing with the Rev. Otis Freelon of St. Matthews Institutional Baptist Church.

Jones began toying with the idea of starting a choir, but she said getting people to rehearsals away from home was difficult and her evening shifts made it nearly impossible. But if a rehearsal was just down the hall, she realized, kids might be more inclined to show up.

Nelson said she has been impressed with the response.

“It turned out the kids there are really into it,” she said.

Bakari Green, 8, was the first to sign up when rehearsals began in early December. He was concerned that if more kids didn’t show interest, the whole thing would be scrapped. He’s been working on breathing better to improve his singing.

“It’s kind of hard because you have to take a big breath and let it out,” he said.

Sienna Chappell, 8, said she gets inspired by the music.

“It’s rising up your voice,” she said.

Some of the kids favor call-and-response style songs. But Sienna enjoys the more challenging “Light a Candle.”

Jones said she wants to start focusing on the kids who are really interested in learning to sing.

St. Margaret’s is sponsored by Catholic Charities. Charities Associate Director Gene DiRe said additional funding comes from governmental agencies.

Nelson said residents can stay for up to two years while they get back on their feet. The shelter has various services for the women who live there, including case management and life skills training.

Johrene Chappell said that while there are programs for adults, before the choir there was a once-weekly kids club but little else for her daughter. She said she was glad when her daughter had the opportunity to start stretching herself musically.

“It’s kind of a chance to let her spirit be free,” Chappell said.

Nelson said she is hoping to bring in more volunteers to expand the children’s programs at St. Margaret’s.

And Jones will keep helping kids learn pitches and notes.

“I just love music,” she said.