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Former Student Organizing Community Choir

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By GEORGE H. NEWMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 16, 2008

PLANT CITY A former Plant City High student is organizing a community choir in part to fill the gap left by reductions in the school's music program.

Joseph Mendolia, 20, who graduated from the school in 2006, plans to hold a meeting of prospective choir members from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 29 at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St.

"We would like everyone who is interested in making the community choir a success to be there," Mendolia said.

Mendolia received a scholarship in music to attend Union University in Jackson, Tenn. In February, the school was struck by a tornado and sustained $30 million in damages, forcing classes to be moved off campus.

Mendolia said he isn't going to return to Union University this fall. Instead he is opting to wait until January to begin his sophomore year at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. He's also going to change his major from music to hotel management.

"Music is still my passion," Mendolia said. "But after working with managerial people at Busch Gardens, Disney World and Universal Studios, I have decided my future lies in that direction."

He decided to form the community choir when he found out about the reduced music curriculum at Plant City High.

"It's obvious to me a hole has opened in the musical community. I thought there might be a way for me to fill in the gap," he said.

Preston Stewart, a Plant City High assistant principal who is responsible in part for the school curriculum, said courses are driven by student interest.

"During the last two years, there has been a reduction in the number of students requesting music, chorus and montage [singing group]. We are working with our feeder schools to help stimulate interest in those studies, so we can include all of them in the curriculum. We still have a strong music program, but it has been reduced in the last two years," he said.

With several months left before the spring semester starts, Mendolia is busy organizing and building a musical group that will be known as the Plant City Community Choir.

"That's the direct and simple name at this point. But the name is still a work in progress," Mendolia said. "To this point, I have lined up about 11 members committed to the choir. And I have spoken to members of the Arts Council [of Plant City] who have asked for us to perform for them in December."
The choir will sing jazz, popular, traditional and some classical songs, Mendolia said.

"I have visions of setting dates to perform at Disney or Universal," he said. "That might be a ways down the road. But not as undoable as some might think."

At the beginning of September, Mendolia spoke with Rob Nicholson, the former choir director and music teacher at Plant City High School. Nicholson's wife is the choir director and a music teacher at Brandon High School.

"Mr. Nicholson encouraged me to establish a community choir," Mendolia said. "There is no telling when the music curriculum will be strengthened at the school. Rather than wait, it is better to do something on my own."

Stewart supports Mendolia's effort.

"We encourage our graduates to stay involved in the community," Stewart said. "A community choir is a great idea. We hope that Mr. Mendolia will speak at our school about the benefits he has received in the music program at Plant City High."

The curriculum at the high school still consists of chorus and a concert choir, Stewart said. Montage, a group of students who perform in a variety of musical styles, has been dropped for the time being because of a lack of student response.

Many of the singers who have agreed to be a part of the community choir are former members of the montage, Mendolia said.

"Our choir will have limited dancing involved, with only the performers skilled in that area used. But we would like to get a good mix of male and female, young and old singers to perform in the choir. I hope to have about 30 prominent members, maybe a few more than that in the choir."

Mendolia said experience in a chorus, choir or musical group is not essential.

"If you have a singing voice that can carry a tune, we would like to have you try out," he said. "The more people we have on the list to sign with us, the stronger we will be."

Mendolia said he has already made plans for the choir to perform in Plant City before the end of the year. He spoke with Marsha Passmore, an officer for the Arts Council of Plant City.

"We will be glad to help this young man get onstage with a community choir," Passmore said. "It's a great idea. We would like to see him succeed. Our hope is that he can organize the choir and find support in the community. We will help him find a venue to get started."

Mendolia said he is looking for support personnel, venues for practices and performances, and benefactors who can pay for traveling expenses, music and a wide array of accessories needed behind the scenes.

"We want this to be a complete effort made by the Plant City community. After all, a community choir represents the community," he said.

Mendolia can be reached at (813) 263-4091.

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