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singing

A Mother & Daughter in Harmony

August 17, 2021 by Shauna Levy

Sarah and Kaitlyn Lake PHOTO BY DONNA MUELLER

Hitting those high notes is a gift that often runs deep through the gene pool. The Judds, Donny & Marie, The Jackson 5 and the Jonas Brothers are just some families that have shared center stage. Most recently, the pandemic spawned a new mother/daughter singing duo. And though they may never sell out Madison Square Garden, through a new crop of virtual choirs, Pleasantville’s Sarah and Kaitlyn Lake have found their voices. 

Just Keep Singing

Sarah and her daughter Kaitlyn, 13, have always shared a love for singing. When the pandemic hit, however, opportunities to nurture that passion quickly dwindled. “When everything shut down,” Sarah recalls, “I began researching virtual choirs and came across a cover of Billy Joel’s ‘The Longest Time’ by a group in Canada. As a single mom, it’s challenging to find time, but I decided that this is something that I really wanted for myself. I participated in some live and asynchronous rehearsals for various virtual choirs and ultimately found The Collective, a group that really resonated with me and my daughter.”

The Collective Virtual Choir was formed in March 2020 at the height of the pandemic when vocalists around the world felt robbed of their voices, while simultaneously being isolated from friends and family. Led by UK-based music teacher Simon Lubkowski, this free choir brought more than 1,500 people spanning 20 countries together. Due to a demand amongst young people aged under 26, as a follow-up to his initial endeavor, Lubkowski established The Collective Youth Chorus in June 2020. Participants of both choirs rehearse through interactive and/or recorded Zoom-based sessions that take place during a range of time zones. Vocalists record their submissions and view the final compilation on YouTube. It was the ideal format for the Lakes. The pair joyfully debuted in their respective choirs with ‘You Will be Found’ from Dear Evan Hansen and haven’t looked back since.  

Connecting Through Music

The Lakes expected to connect with like-minded people that shared their love of music, but they didn’t anticipate the strong community they gained along the way. “We connected with singers from all over the world and all walks of life,” Sarah describes. “The common theme,” she reports, “was a desire to keep singing through the pandemic. The choir gave people an opportunity to escape the isolation of quarantine and sing through their feelings.” 

For Katilyn, these connections are especially meaningful. She explains, “It’s been the best experience because I’m autistic and the last few years have been very difficult in school. Through the choir, I’ve met people who understand me. It’s a safe place where I could be myself.” Sarah elaborates, “We sing with people of all abilities. For example, there’s a girl in Chicago who’s vision-impaired who Kaitlyn just thinks is the coolest person ever because she doesn’t allow anything to stop her from living life on her terms. 

All Together Now

As the world begins to slowly resume normalcy, Sarah anticipates that The Collective will evolve. A song written by the choir’s director recently echoed her sentiments. “Simon’s most recent composition, ‘It’s Not the End,’ is about coming out of quarantine and resuming our lives,” Sarah summarizes. “Even though we came together in surreal circumstances and are moving on, it’s not the end. Kaitlyn and I recorded our submission together on our porch wearing our choir t-shirts. In unison, we sang the line, ‘I am not alone, I’m right here with you,’ which was particularly profound. In the future, the choir might look different and may not meet as regularly, but it will continue and one day soon, we hope to meet our new friends from across the pond in person.” The Lakes will get their wish. The choir director recently announced plans for in-person workshops and performances in the summer of 2022 in the UK. Sarah and Kaitlyn plan to attend.  

Until then, singing will continue to play an active role in the Lakes’ lives. Kaitlyn reports that she’s witnessed Sarah gain the confidence to sing louder than in the past–Sarah is even beginning a search for a live choir. Similarly, Kaitlyn has plans to resume her former pastime of participating in the performing arts, integrating acting with singing on a stage. The duo enjoys singing a wide range of songs throughout their daily activities, but fondly recall a joint performance back in November, poignantly, ‘I’m Still Standing’ by Elton John as a bright moment in a dark year. They remain standing, singing and building connections as they reenter the world. 

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: Dear Evan Hansen, Harmony, It's Not the End, Love of Music, Quarantine, Sarah and Kaitlyn Lake, Simon Lubkowski, singing, Singing Duo, The Collective Virtual Choir, The Longest Time, You Will be Found

Catch a Rising Star: 12-year-old Tori Shortreid

March 7, 2014 by The Inside Press

Tori performs at iconic NYC club The Bitter End. Kenji Mori Photo
Tori performs at iconic NYC club The Bitter End. Kenji Mori Photo

By Sarah Ellen Rindsberg

This girl rocks in Chappaqua! Tori Shortreid is a singer songwriter and instrumentalist; at the age of 12 she plays multiple instruments such as piano, guitar and bass. Tori recalls being musically inclined at the earlier age of three. When she was eight-years-old, she asked her classical piano teacher whether she could play her own compositions in the lessons. And if you were wondering, she does have a strong tie to Music in Chappaqua–Proprietor Janet Angier is her proud mother.

An invitation to see her perform at home is gratefully accepted by this writer. Shortreid eagerly picks up her acoustic guitar in preparation for a rendition of “When You Say Goodbye,” one of her original creations, inspired by her older sister Michaela’s departure for boarding school. In the introduction to the song, Shortreid explains the underlying inspiration: “We’re very close. Writing the song was a good way to express myself about her leaving.”

In the latter part of “When You Say Goodbye,” the pain is palpable:  “Leaving you tears me apart, missing you pulls out my heart.” Fair warning: the melodious refrain, Ooo-oo ooo-oo, When you say goodbye all I wanna say is hello, where did you go,” will have the delicious effect of planting itself in your head in the form of an earworm – the phenomenon of having a song “stuck” in the cortex. It’s simultaneously haunting and awesome.

To listen to a gorgeous rendition, type Tori Shortreid in the search bar on youtube.

The rhythm gains momentum quickly in the next selection entitled, “Time Machine.” The ivories begin to sing in a fashion not unlike Billy Joel’s. As Shortreid plays, her artistry really shines through.

Stylistically, Shortreid sees her work as “indie or alternative rock.” Her emotive powers and confident voice are reminiscent of Feist. Shortreid describes her amazing range:  “I can reach a low D and a B flat in the sixth octave.” (A low alto to a high soprano in layman’s terms.)

Musical influences abound. Shortreid enthusiastically calls up the names on her playlist:  Coldplay, Crash Kings, Paramore, Panic!, Imagine Dragons, Sleeping with Sirens, and Train.  She also has a mentor in Nashville who has been instrumental in refining her songs.

In school, Shortreid’s favorite subject is science. “I really like the hands-on projects,” she says. No surprise, coming from this confident young woman who crafts her own musical creations. Her extracurricular activities include being a member of the middle school chorus at Bell.

With her time demands–practicing an hour and a half or more daily and homework–Shortreid remains remarkably laid back, placing a high priority on having fun. Drawing anime and 
acting in her friend Siena Martin’s 
videos are some of her additional favorite pastimes.

After laying down tracks for a new CD at Jon Cobert’s recording studio in Chappaqua, what’s up next for this talent? In the summer, she will be sharing her knowledge with Music in Chappaqua campers. For high school, she plans on attending the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, where Michaela–whom Shortreid refers to as “my muse”–is currently in residence.

Keep your ears attuned to this young woman. Her stage presence and talent render her a rising star.

The composition of this piece by Sarah Ellen Rindsberg was greatly enhanced by the accompaniment of Shortreid’s tunes.

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: artistry, music, performance, singing, songwriting

A December Day that Dazzled

December 10, 2013 by The Inside Press

Photos by Mike Feist

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Editor’s Note: The snow had not yet arrived on Saturday, December 7th; it seemed Old Man Winter was giving our downtown another reprieve and tipping its hat to an autumn that dazzled and was intent on dazzling some more with reasonable temps and clear skies.  Well, thank you Old Man…the day’s morning to dusk roster of activities brought residents with their families out of their homes and into the streets to appreciate everything from an ice sculpting–sponsored by Desires by Mikolay for the Chappaqua Millwood Chamber of Commerce–to resident caroling, a Community Sing featuring  scores by the Chappaqua Orchestra, holiday tunes by the Chappaqua Singers and a Horace Greeley High School choir, who continued to entertain visitors outside the Horace Greeley House too, preceding the New Castle Historical Society’s annual Holiday tree lighting.  Special thanks go to Mike Feist, a senior at Briarcliff high School, for his generous time and his great eye in  capturing  these holiday images for Inside Chappaqua Magazine.

Filed Under: New Castle News Tagged With: celebration, Holiday, music, singing

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