RAPT IN MUSIC

When Jocelyn Regina became a My Pop Choir director in 2019, the experience added yet one more measure to a life immersed in song.

“I found joy in music from a very young age,” she says. “I have diary entries about it. How healing it is and all the emotions it makes me feel. They’re pretty funny! But they’re feelings I still have today.”

Now as the director of two My Pop Choir groups – Lawrence Park and Thornhill/Richmond Hill - Jocelyn has the pleasure of seeing her singers enjoy their choir experience each week.

“You come out of choir walking on a cloud,” she says. “It’s that feeling you get when you exercise - those endorphins. And sometimes I leave the building and still see groups of people chatting in the parking lot because they’re having fun and making friends.”

Jocelyn’s introduction to My Pop Choir began when she substituted for owner/director Alex Fiddes early in 2019 for one week. “Alex is very thoughtful. He sets you up for success. So I was prepared, but I was really nervous. I remember being blown away by the warmth of the community.”

Jocelyn went on to shadow Alex for the fall of 2019, in preparation to take over the Richmond Hill choir. “He was showing me the ropes, bringing me on board. Everyone was friendly and I really enjoyed that experience.”

She directed Richmond Hill on her own for the winter term of 2020. Then came Covid and everything she had come to look forward to each week at choir came to an abrupt end – temporarily. Her first post-pandemic term was spring 2022. After the two-year break, Jocelyn was ready to go once again. “I really believe in the power of community and music, for us to feel good as humans and to heal.”

As do all the My Pop Choir directors, Jocelyn has a diverse musical background.

“My parents are both classical musicians. I took piano and voice pretty seriously and did the classical music festival circuit in high school and participated in the jazz band, jazz combo and flute choir.”

Jocelyn holds RCM certificates with honours for Grade 9 Voice and Piano and has competed at the national level as a keyboard player and vocalist.

“I was dabbling with writing music when I was 11 or 12 but I didn’t write a full song until I was 17. I had several under my belt when I went to Sheridan.”

Jocelyn is a graduate of the Sheridan College Music Theatre Performance program.

“The environment we had at Sheridan really helped foster my song writing. I began writing more and more and collaborating with friends and doing harmonies.”

During her years at Sheridan, Jocelyn met Kelly McNamee and Brittany Rae Robinson and they began a group effort that evolved into Lunar Bloom, a Toronto-based trio rooted in the folk tradition.

“Obviously, we would love to have lots of success, but the goal for me is to keep it in my life because it’s really satisfying for my soul to have that creative outlet.”

You can listen to Jocelyn and Lunar Bloom at www.lunarbloomband.com

With a three-year-old son to care for, in addition to choir directing, song writing, performing, and various other creative pursuits, time management must clearly be another of Jocelyn’s aptitudes. Especially now that she has added choral arranging for My Pop Choir.

“I love making the arrangements. It’s perfectly aligned with my passions and my skill sets. I love adding harmonies. And when you are taking on a new thing for Alex, he’s not just going to throw you in. We chat about what we will do, then I write a first draft, and he gives me notes and we go back and forth.”

Creating three-part choral harmonies is just more facet of Jocelyn’s immersion in music – and one more way in which she contributes her talent to My Pop Choir.