YSPB's First Virtual Concert featured Alumni and a "famous friend"

The evening of May 21st, 2020 was a fabulous first for Young Singers of the Palm Beaches... it was our first ever virtual concert! Presented for over an hour on Instagram Live, YSPB's "Alumni & Friends Virtual Concert" saw over 112 devices tune in, and multitudes of positive comments and smiling emojis.

Jordan Gonzalez, a vocalist, performer and YSPB alum who was in the very first choir of Young Singers, produced and hosted the event... and dazzled us all with a song as well. She Graduated from Belmont University where she studied Musical Theater. Jordan has traveled the world performing on cruise ships as a singer, dancer and actress. She has spent time in New York city pursuing her career and has been a part of developing new musicals as well as other cabaret performances. She has performed regionally across the country and on river boats on the Columbia, Snake and Mississippi Rivers. Jordan premiered her one woman show in 2018 aboard the American Empress, “American Sweetheart” where she sang a range of styles from Dolly Parton to Barbara Streisand. Jordan’s Favorite YSPB Memory was in Salzburg, Austria when the choir took part in the Jubilate Mozart Choral Festival with composer/conductor Z.Randal Stroope. He chose Jordan to sing a solo, the lyrics “The river Jordan is chilly and cold…” when he asked her name everyone got a good laugh and Jordan got the solo.

Jordan was joined during the virtual concert by two other YSPB alumni also working in music:
• Jasmine Edwards, a Music Therapist at Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital. After receiving her Bachelor's at Florida State, she graduated from NYU with a masters in Music Therapy. Jasmine's amazing gifts allow her to use music as a mode of healing, and she loves working with children at Mount Sinai. When asked about singing and transformation Jasmine responded "Music can envelope us with the warmth of a memory we thought we’d long forgotten."
and
• Marina Hogue, an Operatic Soprano and Vocal Coach. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Michigan and Master of Music degree from San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Marina has performed with New York Lyric Opera, The Taylor Festival Choir, the Miami Music Festival and more. When interviewed about YSPB and singing Marina said, "Singing has taught me to always find the joy in everything you do. It’s quite impossible to be in a bad mood when you’re singing."

To add to the excitement of the evening, a member of Hamilton's original Chicago cast joined us as well... Chris Lee, who is also a regular on CW's Legacies. Chris sang two emotion-filled songs: Lately by Stevie Wonder, and Beautiful City from the Broadway musical Godspell. He shared with our audience that he chose "Beautiful City" because at this time, now more than ever, people should just come together, and that we need that sense of community. 

As the lyrics say... "We may not reach the ending, But we can start. Slowly but surely mending, Brick by brick, heart by heart. Now, maybe now, We start learning how. We can build a beautiful city, Yes we can (Yes, we can).

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we loved hearing from Jordan, Jasmine, Marina and Chris how music plays a key part in their lives when it comes to dealing with stress and anxiety, and how they utilize music, and singing especially, to enhance and enrich the well-being of others.

YSPB's first virtual concert created a buzz. We received multitudes of praise for the event, and it was a testimony to the effect singing has on ourselves and others, and it was proof that we can continue to "Build community through song!"