Kellogg Community College choir member Kathy Alderink, 61, of Battle Creek, has been a part of a choir since she was 13 years old and has been part of a KCC choir for the past five years.
Alderink will join 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.
“This will be my first tour with any choir so it is very exciting for me,” Alderink said via email. “I’m looking forward to experiencing the three different countries and cultures of the Baltics and getting the chance to sing.”
Alderink said she’s thankful for her KCC choir experience, calling Music Area Coordinator and Vocal Arts Director Dr. Gerald Case-Blanchard, who will be leading the choirs on the international tour, “an excellent director and voice instructor, which benefits everyone who is part of the Music Program.”
“It is so important for students and other people to understand what life is like in other countries,” Alderink said of the upcoming tour. “The opportunity to travel abroad with the choir is invaluable. It expands our knowledge and experience which we can then share with other people who may not have that opportunity.
“It opens up our minds and hearts and prevents us from having a view limited by only knowing people and places in our own country when there are almost 200 countries which make up our world.”
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 Alderink so they can experience performing abroad this summer.
“I’m so grateful to KCC and Dr. Case-Blanchard for giving us the chance to do this,” she said.
For more information about the upcoming tour, concert or other music programming or initiatives at KCC, contact Case-Blanchard at case-blanchardg@kellogg.edu or 269-565-7859.