Mobilizing male voices

Chor Leoni’s MYVoice program aims to introduce teenage boys
to the world of choral singing

By Julie MacLellan, The Record October 13, 2010

VANCOUVER, BC — Whatever you do, just don’t tell Kevin Zakresky
that you can’t carry a tune in a bucket – or any other combination
of words that might imply you can’t sing.

He’ll roll his eyes, sigh a little and pronounce to you the
truth that he’s making it his mission to share with the world.

“Everybody can sing,” he’ll declare, in a tone that brooks no
argument.

And if you’re smart, you won’t argue. Because, let’s face it,
Zakresky may just know a thing or two about the whole singing
business.

He’s managed to pack a lot of musical experience into his 28
years of life, with master’s degrees in music from both Yale and
UBC, and a doctorate nearly completed at Yale.

He has an extensive resumé as a performer – yes, he belongs to
that much-sought-after species of the choral world: tenor – and as
a teacher, adjudicator, keyboardist and music director, plus a host
of awards to his name.

In his current incarnation, Zakresky is the assistant director
of the Chor Leoni Men’s Choir and a choral music instructor at
Douglas College. Now, he’s leading a new Chor Leoni initiative to
get young men involved in the world of choral singing.

Zakresky is taking the helm of the choir’s new MYVoice
program.

MYVoice, for Mobilizing Young Men’s Voices, is a four-month-long
program that gives teenaged boys a chance to come together in an
all-male choir to explore the world of choral music.