BYU Adaptive Show Choir is a service-based program that started in Winter of 2018 where volunteers are paired one-on-one with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to learn music and choreography together in preparation for a concert at the end of the semester.
“These individuals don’t really get a lot of inclusion, so it’s really fun to watch them have this opportunity to take the spotlight,” Adaptive Show Choir Executive Director Melanie Pierce said.
The choir and volunteers spend 90 minutes every Tuesday evening on campus rehearsing and creating relationships with one other. Volunteers come from various programs and majors at BYU, and the choir members are from various schools and programs throughout the community.
“The people that we work with are so special, and I just love seeing them shine and I feel like that’s one of the highlights of Adaptive Show Choir,” Adaptive Show Choir program director Jess Rowe said.
When COVID-19 hit in 2020, the choir stopped all their shows and weren’t able to get together in-person for practices until this summer. They came to the conclusion that it was time to start it back up after receiving requests from both the choir members and their parents.
Y-Serve Adaptive Show Choir 2021 Winter Concert will include songs from “High School Musical 2,” “The Jungle Book,” “Moana,” some Christmas songs and additional performances from choir members.
“This is an opportunity where we can all just come and not worry about what we look like, or how we talk, and it’s just a chance to get to know people and to love each other,” Rowe said.
Their concert will take place this Saturday, Dec. 4 at 11 a.m. in the upstairs of the Heritage Halls central building and will be free of charge. All of the members and volunteers invite anyone to come watch them perform at their concert, or sign up to volunteer with them next semester.
