By Andrew Danielson
The Purdue Fort Wayne School of Music has been bustling with activity this summer. Music camps have been in full swing, with opportunities available for musicians of all skill levels and interests.
But this month, PFW is offering a different kind of musical experience. On July 18-19, the School of Music will host Mastodon alumni for the fifth annual Purdue Fort Wayne Alumni and Friends Summer Chorus.
For chorus director William Sauerland, the event is a wonderful opportunity to build community and joy through singing.
“In part, this alumni choir is about creating a culture of care and community,” Sauerland said.
Sauerland, assistant professor of music and director of choral studies at PFW, began his position in 2019. Soon after, Sauerland conceived the idea of starting a summer chorus that would invite music graduates from the School of Music to return for a few days of choral training and singing. The summer chorus was launched in 2020.
Starting a choral experience during a global pandemic, however, was no easy task. Sauerland recalled the many precautions taken to ensure participants’ safety.
Before attending, participants were required to test themselves for COVID-19. During the event, they wore masks and were spaced eight feet apart in a large auditorium.
That first summer chorus drew roughly 30 participants and lasted for three days. The response was so enthusiastic that organizers decided to bring the event back the following year.
Now entering its fifth year, the summer chorus has seen new additions and changes that add variety and broaden its appeal.
PFW alumni return to sing, connect and inspire
One new tradition implemented by Sauerland is inviting a guest conductor to co-lead the ensemble. Last year, William Skoog, a former director of choral studies at PFW (then IPFW), joined Sauerland on the podium.
This year, a PFW alumnus Dan Borns will serve as guest conductor. A 2001 graduate of IPFW with a degree in choral music education, Borns currently works as a choir director for k-12 students in Batesville, Indiana.
Borns said enjoyed returning as a participant in the 2024 summer chorus.
“I hadn’t seen some of those people in 20 years,” Borns said. “That’s special.”
But Borns isn’t the only alum participating in this year’s chorus.
Teaching at PFW since 2008, Peggy Farlow is a senior lecturer in music therapy at the PFW School of Music. She’s also a proud Mastodon, having received her undergraduate degree in music therapy at IPFW.
She said that one of the great joys of the event is the opportunity to meet both old and new friends.
“You’re going to meet new friends,” Farlow said. “It’s amazing how much you end up having in common with people you’ve never met before.”
This will be her third time as a participant with the choir, and Farlow said she highly enjoys the musical and social experiences the choir has to offer.
That sense of community and just enjoying the entire experience is one of Sauerland’s goals for the summer chorus.
“We just have fun,” Sauerland said.
Although the chorus is centered around fun and connection with a community of Mastodons, there are also ambitious musical goals for the group.
Sauerland said he and Borns have selected six pieces of repertoire for the choir to learn over the two-day event. The lineup includes works such as “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell and “Elijah Rock,” arranged by Moses Hogan.
Singers prep for two-day musical challenge at PFW
Sauerland explained that there is a process for learning and preparing the repertoire in such a short time.
A few weeks before the event, Sauerland emails participants PDFs of the sheet music and audio links to recordings. This gives singers a head start on learning their parts ahead of the first rehearsal.
When the event begins on Friday afternoon, the choir will sing through all six pieces, accompanied on piano by PFW faculty member and limited term lecturer Geoffrey North.
After the initial read-through, Sauerland and Borns will decide how to structure Saturday’s rehearsal schedule.
On Saturday, the choir reconvenes for a fun-filled day of rehearsing and socializing, with both directors offering singing tips and feedback. That evening, the weekend wraps us with an informal concert, showcasing the music the group has learned.
Beyond the music, the weekend offers time for participants to reconnect and socialize. Saturday includes a lunch break and, after the rehearsal and concert, an optional group dinner.
Teachers become students at summer chorus
Sauerland noted that the summer chorus provides a unique opportunity for professional choir teachers and vocalists to experience music-making from the singer’s perspective, rather than from the conductor’s podium.
“This may be the one time in a year that those people can devote to being in the choir,” he said.
He added that, from his own experience as a choral director, getting the chance to be a vocalist in a choir is a great opportunity to observe and learn new approaches from other choral conductors.
“Everybody needs an experience where they’re in the seat of being a student,” he said.
Other music professionals agree. Alumna and music educator Lisa Farlow said the summer chorus is an opportunity to be a singer and musician, instead of serving as the teacher.
“It’s just a great way to be able to use your music skills,” she said.
In just a few weeks, the halls and classrooms of the School of Music will once again be filled with the uplifting sounds of voices raised in song. Both Mastodons and their friends will have a chance to walk through their old “stomping grounds” as they revisit the halls of musical academia.
Borns captured the spirit of this upcoming musical experience:
“Come be part of it and get a chance to sing some good music.”