'A really nice release': PopUp Chorus offers unique singing opportunity for all

While the University offers a variety of singing groups with different genres and styles, many of them have weekly rehearsals, time commitments and audition requirements that may prevent students with musical interest from getting to experience the joy of performing.

PopUp Chorus, founded in 2014 by NC-based arts entrepreneur Lauren Bromley Hodge, offers busy students and older adults the opportunity to live out their singing aspirations for a day. PopUp Chorus has no audition requirement or time commitment, allowing individuals to join — or take a break — whenever they please. 

Hodge created PopUp Chorus after being inspired by a Canadian ensemble called “Choir Choir Choir” with a similar informal structure. 

“They were actually very kind and generous, the two directors of 'Choir Choir Choir,'" Hodge said. "One of them spoke to me at length, really, about their model and how they run their model. And so we really quite shamelessly copied them. They were totally cool about it." 

Since 2014, PopUp Chorus has grown in popularity. Their performances have gained thousands of views on YouTube and attracted the attention of celebrities such as David Bowie, Zooey Deschanel and Duran Duran on Twitter. 

The chorus performs at a variety of locations, including some local venues, like Motorco Music Hall in Durham and Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro. At these performances, the choir conductor teaches two songs, followed by a dress rehearsal and then a final performance that is recorded and posted on the PopUp Chorus YouTube channel. 

While the chorus chooses a variety of songs to perform, Hodge said that the group tries to appeal to a wide audience by primarily selecting songs from the 1970s and 1980s. PopUp Chorus also performs holiday songs, like "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey, or modern pop songs from artists such as Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and M.I.A.

On Nov. 14, PopUp Chorus will perform their rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro. Hodge planned this performance to uplift the spirits of listeners who might be worried about the outcome of the upcoming Presidential election, and to bring people together. 

“Don't stop believing in our country or the idea of America — or however you wish to interpret it," Hodge said.

Musician, educator and multidisciplinary artist Amelia Shull will be conducting the chorus at The ArtsCenter event. Shull started conducting the chorus in 2016, and she collaborated closely with Hodge on the upcoming performance. Shull said that her method of teaching music is informal. Instead, she focuses on encouraging people to tune in to their musical intuition. 

At these events, Shull starts by typing the lyrics, putting them into vocal sections — soprano, alto and tenor — and breaking down the song a section at a time. Singers aren’t required to stick to their specific voice type, however. 

“Instead of asking people to use a specific framework, it's more about what feels good to you right now," she said. "Maybe you talked all day and you're needing to sing a little lower tonight, or maybe you're feeling really energetic, and you want to get loud and sing really high.”

Keeping with the relaxed and inclusive environment of PopUp Chorus, Shull makes sure to keep in mind singers who might have less experience reading and memorizing music. 

“It's meant to be just this kind of understanding that a lot of people have probably hummed along or sung along to a song in the car or in the shower or something before," she said. "So, bring that and try to build some confidence that singing in a big group can actually be a really nice release.”

This event will be the first that PopUp Chorus has in the new building of The ArtsCenter in Carrboro. They’ve done a few events in the old building in the past.

Rebecca Newton, interim live events manager for The ArtsCenter, said that the new building includes state of the art equipment. Newton is an admirer of PopUp Chorus and is looking forward to the event. 

“It's a great community event, because you don't have to be a singer,” Newton said. “You're not on a microphone or anything. You're with 100 plus people, and so you get a lot of volume when you're with that many people in a chorus — it's like a giant chorus."

The Nov. 14 performance has already sold out, however, tickets will go on sale soon for the Dec. 19 Holiday performance at The ArtsCenter. People can join the PopUp Chorus email list serve at their website to join future events.

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