Our hearty congratulations to Marie on her retirement from PDX Vox after 2 wonderful decades of leadership!
Where we came from…
In the fall of 2004, Marie gathered a group of 14 people in the basement choir room of Central Lutheran Church to sing a cappella music together. This 8-week experiment that she named “PDX Vox” combined Marie’s love of a cappella singing with her background in education and psychology. She hoped to create a joyful vocal and social experience for both new and experienced a cappella singers. The group staged a modest performance for friends and family in that basement room around Halloween, with Monster Mash as the sing-along.
The number of singers doubled for the next session, and by 2006, PDX Vox had grown to 3 groups of 20 singers each. Marie led these groups on her own until 2010, when she hired Eric Chung to take over the Monday evening group, and David Anderson, to co-teach and eventually take over the Wednesday group. Marie has continued to mentor new instructors over the years, building a team that share her delight in creating community through a cappella singing.
Where we are now…
Marie’s spirit of collaboration and mentorship has been an ongoing strength of PDX Vox over the years. Longtime instructor Aaron Elliott took over the reins in the role of Music Director this summer. Marie has spent the fall co-teaching with our newest instructor-in-training, and meeting regularly with PDX Vox’s new owner Molly Mickley to mentor her in her new role as PDX Vox’s owner and managing director.
As she reaches the end of her tenure with PDX Vox, Marie reflects on her time with PDX Vox, and her hopes for its future, below:
Q: What aspect(s) of PDX Vox are you especially proud of?
A: Gosh - so many things! I'm proud of the fact that PDX Vox has evolved in fun and exciting ways, and yet it has also maintained a strong sense of tradition. I'm also proud of the way the staff and I created an online program during Covid and bounced back into our in-person program successfully. Finally, I'm proud of how the program balances the social needs of people with the artistry of bringing the musical arrangements to life.
Q: What did your time leading PDX Vox teach you about creativity?
A: I've learned that everyone has their own relationship with understanding music, appreciating music, and learning musical parts. From a teaching perspective, this means it's a complex and creative process to help all types of singers learn music and be satisfied and successful in a group setting.
I also have learned a lot about creativity through arranging so many songs. I certainly learned a lot about songwriting by analyzing hundreds of songs enough to arrange them for Vox. It was a great education for me!
Q: What are your hopes for the future of PDX Vox?
My hope is that the program stays strong and maintains a balance of rigor and accessibility, for the long-time members and for new members as well. I want the program to continue welcoming new singers of all levels and backgrounds. I think Vox has the potential to grow in all kinds of interesting ways in the post-pandemic world. With more people working from home, there's a bigger need to be part of intentional communities based on interests.
Marie's next chapter
Moving forward, Marie will continue her work as a creativity coach and small business consultant. She plans to spend more time writing songs and stories, recording music, and taking classes to keep her skills sharp! She'll split her time between Portland, Fort Collins, CO, and southeastern New England.
Marie writes a monthly blog about creativity in the arts and beyond. You can sign up for her newsletter here and you can email her at marie@marieschumacher.com