Kellogg Community College choir member Christine Sloan, 72, of Bellevue Township, has been a KCC choir member for the past six years.
The alto is traveling with nearly 40 other KCC choir members in June to embark on a nine-day international concert tour of the Baltics, where they’ll perform in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Below, Sloan answers some questions about her time in the choir and her upcoming international concert tour.
What do you like most about being part of the KCC choir?
It sounds redundant, but the best part of being in the choir is being in the choir. The music we make under the direction of Dr. Case-Blanchard is so much more than what any individual voice can produce. We all contribute to the beauty of the whole!
What are you most excited about when it comes to your upcoming tour?
I enjoy travel, especially learning about other countries and their people. The Baltics are a place that I have not visited previously, and as Eastern European countries they will offer a different perspective than the Western European countries. It hear that the Baltic countries love their music so it will be fun to share our music with them in return.
What’s your favorite part of the tour program and why?
I’m looking forward to singing in the churches. Much of the music we will be singing is sacred music. What better place to sing than in a grand church?
Why do you think it’s important for students and others to have opportunities like this to perform abroad?
I think we all grow from travel. It increases our understanding of other ways of life, other ways of doing things. It’s important to see that we all do the same things differently, successfully! Adding a performance layer to our trip is our way of sharing our musical ways with our host countries.
Anything else you’d like to say?
I’m grateful that the Music Program at KCC has given us the opportunity to travel to the Baltic countries, to learn about the people and the places, and to share with them a common love, music.
“Singing in the Spring”
Community members can get a preview of the full program KCC choir members will perform in the Baltics this weekend at the College’s “Singing in the Spring: KCC Choral Union Tour to the Baltics” concert beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 27, at First Presbyterian Church, 111 Capital Ave. NE in Battle Creek.
The event is free and open to the public, though a freewill offering will be collected to support the tour and future music initiatives at the College. Individuals can also donate to support the tour online.
Every contribution — no matter how small — goes directly to supporting choir members like Sloan so they can experience performing abroad this summer.
For more information about the upcoming tour, concert or other music programming or initiatives at KCC, contact KCC Music Area Coordinator and Vocal Arts Director Dr. Gerald Case-Blanchard at case-blanchardg@kellogg.edu or 269-565-7859.