Alamo City Street Choir News

Alamo City Street Choir Celebrates Over Five Years of Singing and Community

Founded September 2019 at Travis Park Church

“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” she thought, dragging keyboard, speaker, and supplies from her car to the facility where only two folks awaited the choir session. The next week, only one awaited her arrival, and he instructed her on how to do this choir thing. She laughs at the memory.

Tracy Bjella Powers’ passion is teaching music. Her brother is Rick Bjella, the San Antonio Chamber Choir (SACC) Artistic Director. He was impressed by a performance of the Dallas Street Choir and told Tracy about it. Tracy asked Rick if he thought the SACC board would be open to her leading a similar group. He encouraged her to go for it. But the initial arrangement was not working. In the midst of the unsettling start, a SACC board member mentioned hearing that Carol Gamble, then Executive Director of Corazon, had a likeminded vision. On her end, Carol mentioned the dream at a San Antonio Area Foundation meeting and a gentleman there told her to contact the SACC as they also had an interest in developing a street choir. Tracy and Carol connected and have partnered ever since.

Carol speaks proudly of Tracy’s foundational professionalism and deep respect for everyone involved. Trust, respect, and high expectations were established at the beginning. This was to be a real choir, not just a sing-along. Tracy sees the talent of some members and wants to challenge all singers to step up. During practice, the pace is lively but not rushed. Each piece of music in the folders laid out on chairs ahead of time has clear visual cues to help singers remember details like the quickness of a sixteenth note, or when to sing without taking a breath–music pedagogy delivered with energy, encouragement, and joyous praise. The choir members keep meeting her expectations, and she gives them ownership of the program. They look forward to being at practice and do not want to miss out. On Wednesdays, Tracy often visits with choir members and invites others to join during the lunch serving at Corazon Day Center at Grace Lutheran Church. The singers treasure the feeling of being invited, of the accomplishments, and the standing ovations received. They are not normally responded to with warmth and gratitude. In performance however, their voices are being heard and appreciated. The choir broadcasts their humanity and abilities in ways that would probably not be possible otherwise.

At the beginning, choir member James Brown was asked to help spread the word. It grew bit by bit from about ten at each practice to about sixty on average, with a high of seventy- two before the recent cold spells. Their first performance was a short program shared in the basement of Travis Park Church on Wednesday, October 23, 2019–two days before a storm collapsed the roof of the church youth building. With that collapse, flood waters cascaded throughout the building. After the church was cleaned up, in order to help with repairs, the choir held a benefit concert on Sunday, December 8, titled “Shelter in a Song” with Travis Park Sanctuary Choir and the San Antonio Chamber Choir.

The choir’s first performance at a Travis Park Church service was Sunday, November 24, 2019. Before that service, Tracy sensed their anxiety and told them, “If you’re nervous it’s okay. People really want to hear you. You all look beautiful.” Their anxiety evaporated when church members spontaneously stood to cheer and applaud them. Travis Park Church is very proud of the street choir and loves hearing them sing. Now re-established after the pandemic hiatus, they meet to let music soothe everyday hardship and bond them as a group, bringing solace, friendship, and community.

And the future? Tracy dreams of expanding the arts among Corazon guests with qualified folks teaching visual arts, theater, and dance. Some Day Center friends already display exceptional talent in one or more of these areas. Maybe someone reading this will be able to start the next chapter to fulfill those dreams.

by BKroll