DETROIT – It’s been two years since Terry Crews hit the golden buzzer and launched the Detroit Youth Choir on a journey that won them the hearts of many on “America’s Got Talent.”
The DYC came home to a million dollar endowment and keys to the city. Since then, director Anthony White has worked to grow the choir and find a place they can call home.
There’s no more scrambling for a place to rehearse or running across town to different studios, these days the Detroit Youth Choir is calling Marygrove College home.
With a new home, new shows, and cameras following them wherever they go, it’s an opportunity that could elevate the DYC to the next level.
“Before, we were in basement and churches and stuff,” said Azaria Huggins. “Just having a place to call home is better than scrambling everywhere.”
“Now we can rehearse. We can expand our programming,” said White. “Now we are able to give individual instruction to our young people and also provide them with a space where they can do homework and they can rehearse for our shows.”
There are now three choirs -- Limelight for beginners, Center State for juniors and Prime Time for the senior choir members. The DYC is 100 members strong and White plans to keep growing it.
“Our kids are ready. They are pumped,” White said. “They are hyped -- as you can see with the smiles on their faces when they come to rehearsals. It’s almost like coming to a job.”
The Detroit Youth Choir was nominated for a Stellar Award for its “Glory” project. White said winning would mean so much for the choir and its future.
“I feel that the Stellar Award is like the Grammys for the African American community and the church community at large,” White said. “You have your Kirk Franklin, your Donnie McClurkin, your Clark Sisters -- they are the ones that pretty much win the Stellars all the time.”
The cameras are following White and the DYC for an upcoming reality show that will air on Disney+. As for White, he said it’s all about the children.
“We have some excellent young people in our organization and my hope and dream is to have some of them spotted and maybe they can act in different movies or shows or elsewhere. It doesn’t really have to be DYC related,” White said. “As long as our young people get to experience those things, the finest things in the world -- that’s what I want for my young people here.
The Stellar Award winners will be announced Saturday night.
The Detroit Youth Choir will preform at Marygrove College on July 10, at Beacon Park on July 25 and will have a virtual performance Aug. 7. Auditions for the DYC will be on Aug. 21.
More information on the performances and how to audition can be found on the official Detroit Youth Choir website here.
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