Community School for the Arts’ Adult Choir looking for new members for upcoming season

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN – This fall, the Community School for the Arts’ Adult Choir is looking for new members, regardless of their profession or musical background.

“We’ve had area elementary teachers, area high school teachers, Austin Peay faculty, Austin Peay staff, Austin Peay alumni,” Dr. Nell Rayburn, chair of the Austin Peay State University Department of Mathematics and Statistics, said. “We have people who work for the city of Clarksville. We’ve had physicians, bankers, state department workers, you name it. It’s just a really good cross section of the community.”

The choir, which is actually a choral class offered by Austin Peay State University’s CSA, started more than a decade ago as a means of giving Clarksville residents an outlet for their passion to sing. The cost of the class is $75.00, and members meet every Thursday evening from 7:30pm to 9:00pm for rehearsals. Each semester, the choir usually gives two free concerts for the public.

“It’s therapeutic for me,” choir member Connie Richardson said last fall. “I have learned a great deal from being a part of it. I know the quality of the product they put out here at the school. I know the quality of the teaching, and I think everybody should know about this.”

The choir is open to all members of the Clarksville community, regardless of their musical abilities. When the ensemble first formed years ago, it consisted of about 40 members. Today, that number has dwindled, and the group is looking to grow again with new voices from the area.

“We’re the fifth largest city in the state of Tennessee. If we can’t support a community chorus, then something is wrong here,” Richardson said.

Anyone interested in joining the CSA Adult Choir should contact the Community School of the Arts at APSU at CSA@apsu.edu or 921.221.7508.