Both our daughters joined the Young Musicians Chorus 3 years ago, when it was hosted at Crowden Music Center, and loved it - and so did we as parents. Our eldest continued after it moved to Albany and will hopefully be return in the fall. When shelter-in-place orders kicked in, Betsy gave her singers the opportunity to continue singing weekly through Zoom meetings and eventually managed to put together a wonderful concert. These meetings became a highly anticipated time each week, a thread of normalcy and connection to others that remained a constant throughout the crisis. The kids rehearsed together with Betsy every Saturday for 3 1/2 months and then individually recorded their parts, which Betsy assembled into a final performance video, synching and balancing their voices - without digitally tuning them as they had worked really hard to get to the right pitch and tempo through coaching videos and accompanying recordings. The program is a mix of classic and modern pieces, including my favorites, Rameau's Hymne à la Nuit and Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. Like for so many things over the last few months, the learning curve was steep and sometimes lonely for the kids - and I'm assuming, for their teacher too - but they persisted and did so wholeheartedly. The kids showed us parents how resourceful they are when fully engaged in a common artistic endeavor. The joy they felt and so enthusiastically shared with their community and beyond really lifted our spirits and helped us try and stay focused on better days to come. I really believe it was something special, born from the unique combination of community and love of music that exists in Berkeley and that we're so lucky to enjoy thanks to Betsy and the YMC. read more

Young Musicians Chorus (formerly Crowden Children's Chorus/Collegium) is one of the best parts of living in the East Bay. The Director, Betsy Marvit, is a musical genius and a kid whisperer. The chorus (there are now three levels) manage to be the perfect mix of musically complex, high quality, serious and silly, and not too big a commitment. I signed up based on a Yelp review ten years ago when my daughter was in second grade. She seemed to like singing and we were looking for an activity. My daughter today had her last concert (online due to pandemic) before she heads off to college. Through it all, the chorus has been a source of joy and learning, deep friendships, musical growth and support. I cannot say enough good things. Even during the pandemic, when everything else all but shut down, Betsy and the musicians persevered and put together an incredible and meaningful experience and performance using technology. If you think your child MIGHT enjoy singing--whether they are shy or outgoing, a skilled musician or a beginner--do yourself a favor and sign them up. They will learn, laugh, grow as a musician, and be supported to become whomever they were meant to be. All for 1-1.5 hours on a Saturday morning. Just don't ever plan on going away for the weekend during chorus season--because your child won't want to miss even one. read more

Our high-school first-year daughter has been singing with Young Musician's Chorus director Betsy Marvit since kindergarten. Betsy recently moved the group to St. Albans in Albany, and renamed it the Young Musician's Chorus, but this group has been together and singing for many years. We stumbled on to YMC when they practiced at The Crowden School, and signed our daughter up because she thought she might like singing. Flash forward 14 years, and she is in the highest-age group, where she practices sight-singing and sometimes plays her flute as an accompanist. Betsy is excellent with young children, and is the perfect combination of silly and serious. But she also keeps the attention of the tweens and teens. Given the genuine fun Betsy's students have, and the fact that they only practice once a week, the wonder is how excellent every level of her chorus sounds. The time commitment, an hour and half on Saturdays, is not very large, but every group sounds amazing. Betsy inspires our daughter to practice on her own, and that is one of the unexpected gifts of her membership in the YMC. I can't recommend Betsy as a choral teacher enough. This spring when covid hit, I couldn't imagine it being worth meeting online, but even there, Betsy has provided a space of learning and growth, but also of community and respite. read more

Our son is in his second season of singing with the Young Musicians Chorus, and I must say: this is an amazing group with outstanding leadership. Betsy is a marvelous director and mentor to these kids, able to elicit outstanding singing quality from them while keeping it really fun. I've seen her take a child's disruptive outburst and turn it into an invitation to be a leader in a way that really encouraged everyone to be themselves and try their hardest. Our son has struggled with finding structured activities that really fit for him, and when we first came to YMC we were concerned that it might be too serious and that he would burn out quickly. Quite the contrary! Although the gropu is quite serious, and the quality of singing and musical growth shows it, he is practically skipping each time we pick him up from rehearsal, and we hear him singing his songs as he goes about his daily business. It's also really contributing to his violin studies, and strengthening his ear in a way that he really feels the music in his body. YMC is a wonderful group, and has been a great gift to our son and our family. Thank you Betsy and Victor and the whole YMC community!!! read more

My daughter was part of this amazing musical experience in person from 2015-2017 and then was able to join virtually from our home in NY when Betsy moved the chorus online in 2020. Betsy is a phenomenal musician and choral director; she selects arrangements that both excite and challenge the singers and then guides them through learning their parts in a way that builds their musicianship, hones their vocal skills, strengthens their voices, and encourages them to engage with the music. The result is a group of kids singing beautiful and fun songs with scores that are far above a level that anyone (other than Betsy) could imagine kids singing for their ages. My child has a huge sense of pride in the work that they accomplish each semester. While most choirs have shut down in 2020, Betsy continues to produce amazing concerts and build vocal expertise for kids across the country in a positive and engaging virtual environment. I encourage you to check out the performances, and become part of the epic musical experience that is YMC. read more

My 9 year old daughter signed up for YMC just before COVID-19 hit. She had never been in a chorus before. She participated in just 3 in- person practices before shelter-in-place was ordered and the chorus went virtual using Zoom to practice their songs. The choice to opt-out of the chorus was offered but Betsty's enthusiasm and gift for connecting with children had hooked my daughter and the Zoom practices commenced. What Betsy cultivated from these virtual practices was remarkable. My daughter continued to improve her vocal abilities and truly enjoyed the practices lead by an amazing chorus director. The virtual concert at the end of the season was stellar. I highly recommend the Young Musicians Chorus! read more

I cannot say enough good things about Young Musicians Chorus and The director Betsy Marvit! She has created such a wonderful, supportive and respectful place for our kids to learn and grow in. My daughters absolutely love singing with A and B musicum and practice their music voluntarily all day long. Betsy challenges the kids constantly with a respect for their ability to learn and grow quickly and the results are fantastic. Together they create beautiful music that is such a joy to be a part of. Our entire family loves YMC and highly recommends it to anyone looking for a wonderful choral experience. read more

I just graduated from 11 years at YMC, and would gladly do it all over again. Betsy always manages to push the members of every chorus to bring our absolute best, and to motivate us to produce outstanding work, all while keeping the chorus enjoyable and with low stress, something I haven't seen anyone else do (especially with only one 1.5 hour rehearsal a week!). I cannot recommend YMC enough, and I can't wait to see what kinds of wonderful things it does next. read more

My daughters have been coming to Young Musicians Chorus for two years now, and they absolutely love it! Betsy is an amazing choral director, who has a wealth of knowledge and experience. The songs that she selects are challenging and interesting, and she does a wonderful job of encouraging and teaching her students to help them reach their maximum potential. We would absolutely recommend any young person with an interest in choral music to come here! read more

This was my son's first time with the YMC and it was a huge success, even with all the changes that were thrown their way! Betsy is outstanding - so energetic and positive with the kids and good at communicating with the adults. Betsy went above and beyond at making the transition to virtual rehearsals a success. My son learned and sang and loved it all! Can't wait for the fall! read more

YMC is a great place for kids to learn how to sing. Betsy is an amazing, energetic, inspiring and loving teacher who knows how to engage a kid, keep attention, teach challenging things, and make it fun. It's the fourth semester for my daughter and she is looking forward to continuing. Thank you! read more