HFC alumna becomes director of the Belleville Community Chorus
HFC alumna Brianne Boyd has always dreamed of running a community chorus. That dream came true when she was named director of the Belleville Community Chorus.
“This is something I’ve always wanted to do,” said Boyd. “I was so happy when this opportunity came about.”
Bringing order and stability to the chorus
In the past five years, the chorus has had four directors.
“I’m coming in with the intention to stay,” she said. “I’m just becoming comfortable with the group, and they’re becoming comfortable with me. I want them to know that I’m someone who cares about them and that I have long-term goals for the chorus. They know I have a plan for the group. We’ll be adding a children's chorus to the program and building from there.”
Belleville Community Chorus fundraising co-chair Jane Vesche recommended Boyd for the directorship. The two sang together in the Dearborn Summer Chorus under the leadership of retired HFC music instructor G. Kevin Dewey, Boyd’s mentor.
“I mentioned to Kevin that the Belleville Community Chorus was looking for a new director. He recommended Brianne for the position,” said Vesche. “I believe she is the person we have been looking for. She is known in the local school districts and has a desire to take a hands-on approach to our chorus. I like her vision: She wants to increase our numbers in the choirs, form a children’s chorus, form a youth theatre program, and do some branding and fundraising. We warmly welcome Brianne and her three talented children to our community.”
First concert is May 18
The first concert the Belleville Community Chorus will perform with Boyd at the helm is Music from Dawn to Dusk. This concert will take place Sunday, May 18, at 5:00 p.m. at the Belleville First United Methodist Church, 417 Charles St. in Belleville.
Boyd is confident the chorus will be ready by May 18.
“The chorus is off to a great start,” she said. “We plan to do a variety of music, including a jazzy version of ‘Blue Moon', and ‘Sunrise, Sunset’ from Fiddler on the Roof. The Belleville Community Chorus will also be joined by a newly formed children’s chorus. I’m looking forward to growing the program and creating some wonderful new traditions.”
Music in the family
The second of four children, Boyd was born in Pontiac and raised in Wyandotte and Lincoln Park. She has lived in the Belleville/Ypsilanti area for 25 years with her husband Jon, with whom she has three children.
“All of my children are musicians,” said Boyd. “They’re involved in musical theater, choir, and band. We go caroling at Christmas. I’m always doing music with my family.”
A graduate of Aquinas High School in Southgate, Boyd attended HFC (then Henry Ford Community College), where she met Dewey and participated in the College’s numerous music ensembles. She has been with Vanguard Voices, HFC’s choir-in-residence, since 1999 and has served as the assistant conductor since 2003.
“When I name my points of pride, one of them is Vanguard Voices,” she said. “Even when I wasn’t doing any other music, I still sang with Vanguard Voices.”
Boyd earned her associate degree in fine arts from HFC. She transferred to Eastern Michigan University and subsequently earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education and her teaching certificate. Boyd also completed some coursework at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and attended the Interlochen Center for the Arts while in high school.
“I heard HFC had a good music program, so I decided to go there,” said Boyd. “I’ve performed music since I was 3 and always wanted to be a teacher, so I thought I'd try music education.”
“I’m in a good place now, and HFC is where it started”
Boyd taught music for 20 years. She worked at the P-12 level in Grosse Pointe, Dundee, and Ypsilanti. She also taught at HFC and offered private music lessons from her home. She retired from teaching just before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Today, she works in sales when she’s not performing music.
“I’ve always loved teaching music and seeing the look on people's faces when they learn something new,” recalled Boyd. “That’s the most rewarding thing to me.”
Other highlights of her career include building and directing a children’s church choir, teaching at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, and performing overseas with HFC’s musical ensembles. She credits much of her success to Dewey's inspirationn.
“From the day I met him, I liked him; we just hit it off,” recalled Boyd. “I sang in the HFC Concert Choir and took all of his sight-singing and ear-training classes. I took every class he taught. In my first term at the College, we performed ‘Deck the Halls in 7/8’ (a musical arrangement of the traditional Christmas carol ‘Deck the Halls’ with an irregular meter). Kevin showed me how to conduct it, and in that moment, I decided to become a conductor. I’m grateful that I’ve done so many different things in my career. I feel I’m in a good place now, and HFC is where it started.”