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Artscene By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF 37 · Friday, February 26, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010 Kid's choir jazzing up a little a cappella T he Oakville Children's Choir (OCC) is going big for its next concert tomorrow (Saturday). About 100 choristers, aged four to 18, will perform jazz music alongside the Juno Awardnominated a cappella quartet Cadence. "The concert will definitely be a good time," said Sarah Morrison, the OCC's artistic director. "It's going to be lots of snapping your fingers, tapping your toes along with the music. This is the type of music that is all upbeat, so the energy has to be high from the performers." The one-and-a-half hour-long concert is split into two halves. The first half is for the different age groups within the OCC, including one big finale with everyone, including Cadence. The second half will feature the musical styling of Cadence. "I really like what they do," Morrison said of Cadence. "It's a cappella. They're great role models, phenomenal musicians so we wanted to collaborate with them." The youngest group will sing songs such as Rubber Ducky, while the older groups will sing more popular jazz pieces such as It's Only a Paper Moon, Route 66, Steppin' Out With My Babies. There will also be influences of gospel music. Cadence will also do a performance with all the boys from the choir. "It's to encourage the boys to sing because often more girls go to that talent area but we really want to make sure our boys stay with the program and keep singing forever," Morrison said. "Cadence are great role models for that because they're male professional singers." ERIC RIEHL / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER VOICES OF YOUTH GOING BIG: Oakville Children's Choir members, from left, Jaqub Wyrwa, James Tang and Luke Pinto, rehearse with the choir that is staging A Little A Cappella and All That Jazz Saturday at the Oakville Centre for Performing Arts. Aside from being good role models for the boys, Morrison said Cadence performs a style of music that the OCC is trying to teach its students. "Cadence does a bunch of things with their voices, making their voices imitate instruments. That's a key principal of vocal jazz singing, voices imitating instruments or scat singing and we're exploring that with the young choristers." Of the concert she said, "It's so exciting having all the kids up there with Cadence. Big sound, everyone singing together, it's kind of what choir is all about. Having your own voice being part of something bigger in the group." The OCC aims to develop musicians by teaching theory, vocal coaching, musicianship and others with professional artists. The choristers are auditioned. The concert, titled A Little A Cappella and All That Jazz, begins at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $25. The Centre is located at 130 Navy St. For tickets, visit www.oakvillecentre.ca.