THE MACPHAIL COMMUNITY YOUTH CHOIR 

The MacPhail Community Youth Choir (MCYC) brings together youth in grades 9-12 throughout the Twin Cities area for music and friendship. The choir is led by Twin Cities’ artist J.D. Steele, of the famous Steele Family, who brings his dynamic style and passion for music to the group, which is free and open to students of all skill levels and talents. This group of energetic young people performs many styles of music including jazz, gospel, pop and East African. 

A thrilling highlight for the choir in 2010 is the opportunity to perform at the Flint Hills International Children’s Festival on June 5-6 with Shangilia, a youth performance group from Nairobi, Kenya also under the direction of Steele. This performance is possible due to a collaboration between MacPhail Center for Music and Ordway Center for the Performing Arts.

This exciting international project provides the MCYC youth the opportunity to engage with the youth choir in Kenya on a cultural and artistic level. Steele is creating music in English and Swahili that he is teaching both choirs for this event.

To learn how you can be a part of MCYC, call Aaron Keith Stewart, MacPhail community liaison, at 612-767-5388. For more information on the Flint Hills International Children’s Festival or to purchase tickets, go to: www.ordway.org/festival/performances