New Choir! New Director!

My Pop Choir began this long-awaited spring with a new choir – Oakville Daytime – and a new director.

Aryana Jebely is enthusiastic about her first opportunity to lead a choir. “I’m excited to get to know everyone and make music together and have tons of fun,” she says.

Experienced in both piano and voice instruction, Aryana teaches classes at the Merriam School of Music. “I love to see the excitement when people achieve something new.”

The philosophy behind My Pop Choir very much matches Aryana’s style of leadership. “Meeting up to learn and to enjoy music together – I think that is such a wonderful environment to create for people,” she says.  “And you can really see how the social aspect brings people together. It’s great to have a place to get away and talk to people and make friends.”

Aryana completed her Bachelor of Music at Laurier University four years ago and has completed her Bachelor of Psychology as of this spring.

“I started vocal lessons when I was nine, very much in the classical world,” she says. “But I always loved pop music and musical theatre. Whenever I was asked what I would like to sing it would always be something like Taylor Swift or Miley Cyrus.”

For the last few years Aryana has been in the Laurier University Pop Choir.  “I found a way to weasel my way into doing it over and over again,” she laughs. “I told the Faculty of Music I was doing psychology, but they let me keep doing choir! I have done a lot of choral performances with them and this year I was a music director for my small group.”

What appeals to her about My Pop Choir?  “With no auditions or solos, it’s very laid-back and full of fun.”

And after a few weeks of the spring term, she says that she is discovering what it means to direct an MPC group. “I’m learning a lot about what tools are most effective when teaching a choir. It’s really challenging me to come up with the best strategies to help singers through tricky passages. Sometimes, you don’t always know what the hard part is going to be.”

Aryana wants to ensure that she creates a very safe learning space for everybody. “Because singing is so vulnerable,” she explains. “I know that learning music and performing it with people can be nerve-wracking, so having the ability to make it comfortable for everyone is very important. It’s something I value and take a lot of pride in.”

She is well aware that MPC singers are at all different levels when it comes to musical knowledge and training. “You have to be able to accommodate that, while being as true to the arrangement as possible. It’s something I think I’ll be very good at.”

“I know that we will need a little bit of attention to detail too, in working with different parts. My challenge will be finding a good way to explain and break it down. I’m also interested in getting the choir to try different things.”

As for the role music has played in her own life, Aryana is quite clear about its importance. “It’s always been such a big part because I’ve been doing it since I was really little,” she explains.  “When I started high school, I started teaching myself songs that I liked – I have a decent ear – and I found so much peace and joy in that.  It turned into something I would do when I was feeling down or stressed – it was calming.”

When she was in her mid -teens, she started writing songs. “There were big emotions that I didn’t know what to do with, so I would put them on a piece of paper.”

Aryana feels that music can serve as a way to cope with difficult things. “I feel that that’s the best thing that music can do. The biggest part that it has played in my life is healing me.”

As the Oakville Daytime choir is being challenged by new music, Aryana feels that she too is developing her skills. “I like that I’m learning to adapt and think on my feet!”

At the same time, she keeps the My Pop Choir philosophy foremost. “I think I bring a good attitude and a sense of humour. People will have a lot of fun!”