Andante Youth Choir Giving Voice to the Sweet Song in Kirkland Kids

Name, Age: Andante Youth Choir, several kids from 5 to 11.

School, neighborhood: Mostly kids from Kirkland who attend various elementary schools. 

Accomplishments: Created last year, the Andante Kirkland Youth Choir has already established itself as a talented, in-demand choral group. Some of the group’s performance highlights (see the attached You Tube video)  include last year’s July 4th Parade, the Kirkland Classic Car Show, the Park Place Books Holiday Party, and the Kirkland Artwalk.

Upcoming performances include the Kirkland July 4th Parade and Redmond Derby Days.

“The choir is a great way for kids who like to sing and be a part of a group be able to express themselves,” says Stormi Danis, whose daughter Piper is among the group’s singers.

Key to awesomeness: The Andante Youth Choir was created by Susan Heale as a non-profit extension of her Kirkland Children’s Music Studio on 6th Street South. Heale wanted to create an outlet for kids to take part in a choir in their own city, as opposed to having to go to Seattle or Bellevue.

“There wasn’t really anything vocal for kids in Kirkland,” Heale says.

The positive response from the public was a surprise for Heale, with 24 kids signing up in the first three months.

“It’s actually been pretty amazing,” she says.

The response has been so overwhelming that Heale is looking into creating a second choir for next year.

The kids have all been learning really well and have taken to the material quickly. They've also become really good friends.

“They’ve become very close as a group,” Heale says.

Creating musical friendships and bonds between kids with similar interests was one of Heale's goals.

One of the group’s singers, 8-year-old Piper Danis, wanted a place to go to satisfy her urge to sing, which her mom says started when Piper was 2.

“I didn’t really like in musical theater how we always had to run lines, dance, or wait around backstage, since all I wanted to do was sing,” says Piper.

The choir sings interesting songs like “Double Trouble” from Harry Potter, Piper says, and she also enjoys dressing up in poodle skirts and singing old songs like “You’re the One that I Want.”

Piper also loves to sing harmony because "it sounds really cool having two groups of people sing the same words at different times."

A highlight for Piper was singing in downtown Kirkland. “I love singing in public and making people happy,” she says, adding that she’s also looking forward to this year’s 4th of July parade so she can pay respect to those "who died for us to live here."

A love for singing is something all of the kids share, and Heale believes that shows in their performances. “They’re all really good kids.”

For more information on the Andante Kirkland Youth Choir, visit its Web site.