The philosophy of the Young Warblers singing groups is that all voices are welcome.
The Sunbury and Woodend ensembles for young crooners aged five to 12 are looking for new members in 2023.
Founder Elly McKinnon from Elly’s Music Playtime and a number of local music initiatives started the Young Warblers to help kids find connection through music.
“[The choirs] are a real inclusive activity,” Ms McKinnon said.
“The expectation is not that [kids will] come out with highly polished choir skills, but that they come out with some friends who also like to sing who have had a great experience and lots of fun.
“They will find their vocal skills [will] have improved too.”
Next year, the groups will run in Woodend on Tuesdays and Sunbury on Thursdays at 4pm and interested kids can even try out a session for free.
Katie Yeung of ukelele practice group Uke Til You Puke will be running the Woodend sessions and Ms McKinnon said she was excited to have another musician on board with the program.
Ms McKinnon said after lockdowns, kids’ sport bounced back quickly, while more creative activities had taken a while to get going again.
“It’s not as easy if you have an arty child or someone who likes to sing, if they want to be a part of a team there’s a gap in that market for children’s activities that are not competitive,” Ms McKinnon said.
“The achievement can just be that you’ve had a great time, you’re happy and you’ve made some friends.”
To get involved with Young Warblers in 2023, go to: www.ellymckinnonmusic.com/youngwarblers or phone 0422 712 846
Elsie Lange
